I'm in the market for a new all around travel camera. I've been dragging around my Leica MP for years and want to go digital and easy but with all the bells and whistles. Does anybody here own a G11 and have feedback for me? I hear Canon's are pretty Apple friendly.
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Thoughts on New Canon G12?
- Thread starter Trapped Wind
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I've found the G-series way too heavy and clunky for a travel camera. Plus most people don't need or ever take advantage of all its features to justify the price tag. My preference is the SD-series (like the 980IS or 940IS).
We love our G11. It is quite a bit more compact than my DSLR's. 
I'm not sure what you mean by Apple friendly. Canon's work well across all file systems, programs, & OS'es.
Before we bought the G11, we bought the S90.
Here is some background on why we switched from the S90 to the G11. We took the S90, when we did a driving trip to the FL Keys, last November. Some Pros of the S90, where that it had the small form-factor of the SD bodies, has a great focal range, & is compact compared to its larger almost identical cousin. The Negs of the S90, is that the Flash is motorized, so if your finger happens to be over the flash mechanism, then the camera has to be turned off/ then back on. Also the alloy used for the outer shell, is extremely slippery, so you've gotta be careful with the S90. Also the Battery life is terrible.
Throughout the trip, we shot over 500 pics on the S90 alone. I shot northward of 5000 on my DSLR's. However, once we returned home, we decided that we would prefer the external hot-shoe, and both the greater zoom range & larger battery = longer battery life. It has been 9 months since we've bought the G11, and we have been extremely pleased with the functionality of the camera, the images it captures, and the IQ is amazing. Plus the Noise control is awesome for a P&S. I have used 1600 & 3200 in low light/ dark situations, and I must admit that I have been amazed at the images that have resulted from the high ISO's.
We are on the go a lot (we have two toddlers), and the G11 is always ready to capture an image on the fly. Its very responsive, and though it does have a larger form-factor compared to smaller P&S, it is pocketable. But its also somewhat rugged, so you don't have to baby the camera either. When I've needed it, I have used my 580EX, and it really helps brighten up a room, and I have also used my Pocket Wizards, in conjunction with my Strobes.
A big factor for me is the ability to totally control the camera in Manual. Just like using an SLR. The Program modes work much better than the Auto modes.
Hope this input helps. If you have any questions, or would like to see some examples of the various things we've shot, feel free to ask.
I'm not sure what you mean by Apple friendly. Canon's work well across all file systems, programs, & OS'es.
Before we bought the G11, we bought the S90.
Here is some background on why we switched from the S90 to the G11. We took the S90, when we did a driving trip to the FL Keys, last November. Some Pros of the S90, where that it had the small form-factor of the SD bodies, has a great focal range, & is compact compared to its larger almost identical cousin. The Negs of the S90, is that the Flash is motorized, so if your finger happens to be over the flash mechanism, then the camera has to be turned off/ then back on. Also the alloy used for the outer shell, is extremely slippery, so you've gotta be careful with the S90. Also the Battery life is terrible.
Throughout the trip, we shot over 500 pics on the S90 alone. I shot northward of 5000 on my DSLR's.
However, once we returned home, we decided that we would prefer the external hot-shoe, and both the greater zoom range & larger battery = longer battery life. It has been 9 months since we've bought the G11, and we have been extremely pleased with the functionality of the camera, the images it captures, and the IQ is amazing. Plus the Noise control is awesome for a P&S. I have used 1600 & 3200 in low light/ dark situations, and I must admit that I have been amazed at the images that have resulted from the high ISO's.We are on the go a lot (we have two toddlers), and the G11 is always ready to capture an image on the fly. Its very responsive, and though it does have a larger form-factor compared to smaller P&S, it is pocketable. But its also somewhat rugged, so you don't have to baby the camera either. When I've needed it, I have used my 580EX, and it really helps brighten up a room, and I have also used my Pocket Wizards, in conjunction with my Strobes.
A big factor for me is the ability to totally control the camera in Manual. Just like using an SLR. The Program modes work much better than the Auto modes.
Hope this input helps. If you have any questions, or would like to see some examples of the various things we've shot, feel free to ask.