Canon gets it
by Volker Weber
This is very encouraging. Canon's new flashship compact G11 is going to have less megapixels than its predecessor G10. Sensitivity goes up, low light performance as well. It will even cut down from 10 to 2.5 megapixel to further boost sensitivity. After years of driving up the resolution Canon is finally solving the real issue. I hope the competition will follow suit.
For now, this is the camera to get.
Comments
Oooohhhh. That's looks very nice. Might be time to move up from our beaten up SD550.
finally somebody starts to think.
Actually, Canon is/was behind competition in terms of ending the megapixel race.
The direct competitor to the G10/G11, the Panasonic Lumix LX3 stuck with 10 MP and delivers better noise control while taking pictures at image ratios 16:9, 3:2, and 4:3 (all in 10 MP!).
Another example is the (more expensive and versatile) Olympus PEN E-P1, a compact micro four thirds camera with interchangeable lenses.
But at the end of the day, IMHO Canon offers the best overall product when it comes to handling and image quality - that's why I bought the G10 to complement my 40D :)
It's nice to see that finally the market leader makes a statement like this. I can't wait to see the the G11's performance in real life situation!
Patrick, if the LX3 shoots at different aspect ratios with the same number of pixes, it is not using all pixels of the sensor. Quoting dpreview.com:
The LX3 ... using a more conventional 3:2 sensor but then using only a crop from it, depending on aspect ratio. The key thing is that the LX3 even uses a crop from the sensor at 4:3 ratio, rather than using the entire sensor.
Dpreview finds some goodness in that, but I don't. I'd be fine if they just use the 3:2 sensor to its full potential. But even so, it is a really good camera.
It's good to hear that the G10 works for you. I always had the impression there was no real progress in this line of cameras since Canon was adding more resolution but also more noise that they had to try and correct with the Digic processors. The G11 finally nails it.
From the last couple of Canon G-Series I really was disappointed checking them out at Photokina. I own a G2 (4 MP) for years now and I must admit that the picture quality was in a couple of cases even better than compared to the quality of newer G-Series. The camera body of newer G-Models wasn't that robust like earlier G-Models either. And why did they stop building the 180 deg. filparound display? I just don't get it, that was one of the great features the camera had.
The only enhancements on younger G-Models were display size and the shot latency using the latest and greatest DIGIC processors.
For me the next compact camera to get is definately the Panasonic DMC-TZ7:
Just took a couple of pics with it and I really was amazed about the great picture quality (compared it to EOS 350D and Panasonic FZ-50) you get from the Leica-Lens combined with the 12x optical zoom.
The backside display (3" - 460.000 pixels) is one of the best I've ever seen so far. Well not the same quality like you have on the Sony Alpha 900 or EOS 500D, but for a compact just totally crisp and fine.
Cheers,
Eric
Nice one, but they also announced the S90. Great cam. Same sensor as G11, but faster lens. Smaller body. This is the direct competitor of the LX3.
The LX3 offers HD (720p) video, which is not important for me.
But the S90 has an interesting user interface, especially the "Control Ring", which lets you adjust focus, aperture, zoom and other things. How cool is that.
The Olympus E-P1 is certainly interesting, too.
And then the rumors about the Panasonic GF-1 ...
So they just announced the G11 and some other new models. Great, and I just bought an SX200 and I'm trying to get the CHDK to run on it. Perfect timing.
Well, for now the G11 is too expensive for me but I do hope, that Canon will stick with this new direction and that it's not just a fluke. Also, I hope that the pop-out flash is just a fluke and will be gone in the next iteration. It really gets on my nerves on my SX200. I hope this can be fixed with the CHDK...
Eric, the G11 brings back the swivel display.
Moritz, you are of course right. The S90 looks really good.
Daniel, there is always a new camera coming out when you just bought yours.
"Thank god, finally", that's what I thought this morning when reading the headline about the new G11. Although I had hoped they would have begun stopping the pixel madness with the 500D.
Womit wir megapixelmäßig wieder auf dem Stand der G7 wären. Die G9 (meine) war schon grenzwertig und die G10 ging definitv gar nicht mehr. Die G11 könnte ich dann mal wieder ins Auge fassen, da hast Du wohl recht...
Danke für den Hinweis, ich hatte die Ankündigung verpasst bislang... Mal schauen, wo sich der Marktpreis einpendelt.
