Cannon G7

Rudeboy

Rudeboy

Rudeboy

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Anyone used one of these?
If so, whats the verdict?

I went out today to look at the A640 and A710IS.
While i liked the Image Stabilisation on the A710IS, I didn't like the fact it felt cheap and plasticy or the fact that it uses standard AA batteries and doesn't come with a Cannon battery. Does have a 6x optical zoom though.
A640 felt nice and solid, liked the fact it's 10Meg, but no Image Stabilisation and still uses standard AA batteries. Only 4x optical zoom also.
The G7 seems to fullfil everything I'm looking for. Good build quality, 10Meg, Image Stabilisation and 6x optical zoom, but is it really any better than the cameras listed above.

I'm only a beginner in the camera field and have only played with a cheap Fuji digital compact over the last couple of years, but am now unimpressed with the pictures it takes and want something better. Should I spend the extra money and get what I'm after or am I being too picky?

Any thoughts?
 
The G7 is the flagship of Canon's P&S range, if you can call the G7 a P&S that is.

The image quality in a shot to shot comparison between the G7 and a A640 would be very hard to tell the difference but like you said, you are paying more for the built quality and extra features.

If you can afford it, i would get the G7. If not, ghe A640 is a perfectly capable camera.
 
I have one, It replaced my S3-IS.

One Word to descirbe it............... FANTASTIC!

Love the size, metal construction (Gives it a nice 'dense' feel). It has the right zoom for me as most of my pics are under 200mm zoom anyway (but it would be nice if it went to 28mm, but no biggie), the ISO performance is not too bad (has a ISO3200 at 2mp if things get desperate).

Couple of recent pics from it are in this thread

The control 'thumb-wheel' on the back of the camera makes adjusting setting very easy and the 200k+ screen is a joy to use in even the brightest daylight, but does not tilt or swivel.
 
cmt said:
I have one, It replaced my S3-IS.

metal construction (Gives it a nice 'dense' feel).
Click to expand...

Didn't realise it was metal. This is what put me off the A710IS as it felt to cheap when compared to the likes of the Samsung NV10. I would have bought the NV10 in an instant if it didn't have a pop-up flash. When I demo'd it this really put me off. Felt flimsy compared to the rest of the camera, although I did love the interface. When I demo'd it I didn't realise it had Samsung's own version of Image Stabilisation (ASR). I might have to have another look to see what this is like, but I still think that the fact it's only a x3 optical zoom will not not make it a contender.

Looks like I'm off to the shops tomorrow in search of a G7 to test.

Thanks for the photo's, look awesome. Wish I could take shots like that with my current camera (Fujifilm A410), but what do you expect for a £150 special 2 years ago :(

Have a feeling I could be spending some money tomorrow. Also like the fact that it's possible to fit bigger lenses to the G7 when required. This is something that really appeals as I like the thought of taking good pictures, but don't like the thought of carrying round a dslr when I don't need the bigger lenses. I realise that a G7 will never be as good as a true dslr, but it's got to be better than the compacts that are available.
 
Rudeboy said:
I realise that a G7 will never be as good as a true dslr
Click to expand...

While that is true, it only counts if you would take the DSLR everywhere you would take the G7, which due to its size i doubt.

The best camera is always the one you have with you to get the shot you want.
 
cmt said:
While that is true, it only counts if you would take the DSLR everywhere you would take the G7, which due to its size i doubt.

The best camera is always the one you have with you to get the shot you want.
Click to expand...

Thats my point. I don't want to carry a dslr round all the time, but still want to achieve good shots. Something like the G7 could be a good compromise. Compact when I want it or using bigger lenses, similar to a dslr when needed.
 
Rudeboy said:
Thats my point. I don't want to carry a dslr round all the time, but still want to achieve good shots. Something like the G7 could be a good compromise. Compact when I want it or using bigger lenses, similar to a dslr when needed.
Click to expand...

let us all know how you get on.
 
Hmph :(

Not been able to find any locally to look at.
One retailer said he might be able to get one in next week, but not sure.

Guess I'll have to wait as I'm not the sort of person to order something off the net without seeing it first.
 
Rudeboy said:
Hmph :(

Not been able to find any locally to look at.
One retailer said he might be able to get one in next week, but not sure.

Guess I'll have to wait as I'm not the sort of person to order something off the net without seeing it first.
Click to expand...


Where in the world are you?
 
Rudeboy said:
Near Newbury, Berks.
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ok, if you were round manchester, i could have sorted a 'demo' for you.


You could always order online and use the distance selling regs if you do not like it after 'reviewing' it.
 
Shame, but thanks for the offer.

I'm happy to wait a week to view if necessary as I'm not in a rush.
 
The review I read of the G7 said it was a step backwards from the previous G-models. There is now no longer a RAW option, and increasing the number of megapixels has lead to increased noise. The review argued that G7 users, i.e. those wishing to be more creative are likely to see past pixels being such an important feature and concentrate on other aspects of image quality.
 
Joe T said:
The review I read of the G7 said it was a step backwards from the previous G-models. There is now no longer a RAW option, and increasing the number of megapixels has lead to increased noise. The review argued that G7 users, i.e. those wishing to be more creative are likely to see past pixels being such an important feature and concentrate on other aspects of image quality.
Click to expand...

Well what do you recommend in the same size package with the same level and amount of features in the same price bracket?

Everything else I looked at was missing one or more of the features that I was looking for. The G7 seems to be the only camera that fits all my requirements.

The reviews of the G7 that I've seen have all been fairly favourable. dpreview gave it a "highy recommended".
 
The lack of RAW, which is so much of an issue for some is not really an issue for me as i bought the camera for taking pictures, not post processing. RAW is good to get you out of a 'Bad Exposure', but with the live preview and the live histogram it's not that important (in my opinion of course ;) )
 
Gotta admit that the reviews said the same about the raw procesing and the adjustale LCD screen also. These aren't things that I've had or used in the past so can't see them being applicable to me.

I just like the fact that it's 10M, 6x optical zoom, Image Stabilised, made of metal and doesn't use AA batteries. Nothing else I've seen has had these features in the same sized (small) package.
 
Its probably the best of its type on the market today, its just not as good as previous generations. Either go for it or have a look at a 2nd hand previous generation model.

P.S you dont need 10mp unless you want to print bigger than A3 regularly
 
Ok, I've taken the plunge and ordered one.

What memory card should I be looking to go with this?

I've been looking at the 2gb Sandisk Extreme 3 SD. Is this a good match for a camera like this or should I be looking at something cheaper. I'm guessing the additional speed of the card should help with the 10mb pics.
Let me know if I'm wrong.

Thanks.
 
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