Canon G9

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: 996GT2
Here is a size comparison of the Leica D-Lux 3 (same as LX3),

dlux3 is same as lx2.

why leica has to be confusing i do not know.

Originally posted by: edmundoab

I felt deprieved of zooming ability when I used a friend's D40X with the basic 18-55mm lense. Although pictures came out beautiful but I was limited to a certain distance

LX3 is out then, it's long end is not as long as that D40X's is.

Night shots would be nice to have but not crucial
Fast shutter speed is what I have been impressed with the D-SLR that I have tried

shutter lag on even the best compact is still pretty bad. though i've never tried to shoot moving things other than road signs with one.

Weight and Size does matter actually, due to portability. When I tour alone, it can be quite a burden to carry heavy D-SLR which is why i am considering a high end compact camera rather than something like a D40 as previously mentioned

the e420, small as it is, isn't that much smaller than the D40.

Budget wise, lets be frank that i am prepared to fork out up to a price of a D90 range, which would be approx. $1000++ I figure?
But I know if I go for compact cameras, I won't have to spend that much anyway

true





you may not like this answer, but you might be best served by two cameras. something like a panasonic TZ5 (a super zoom in a compact body) for when you really want to go lightweight and something else for when responsiveness, macro, etc. are more of a concern.

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: edmundoab

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Originally posted by: edmundoab

So in a nutshell, my options would be for the G10 or the LX3 right?
Unless I would want to venture into entry level D-SLR

Well, God knows there's like a zillion digital cameras out there. The G10 & LX3 are the current apple of the enthusiast's eye at the moment.

The Sony DSC-W300 has been well-reviewed. Usually, I'm not a big fan of Sony, but in this case they seem to have produced a good camera.

It's hard to offer good advice, all we know is that you want to shoot macro and scenes. It seems like camera size/weight isn't important to you... or is it? Do you want to have a lot of manual control? Do you want a really long zoom, like the Olympus you linked to? Do you want to be able to shoot indoors in relatively poor lighting without using the flash?

You could get any entry-level DSLR - they are all good - and stick an 18-250mm lens on it (which equate to a 27-375mm range on a G10 or LX3) and get a $50 Raynox DCR-150 or DCR-250 Macro adapter, and have all your bases covered.

What's your budget?

I think rather than just have a couple of us give you advice, you should check out some camera-review websites. DPReview.com, Imaging-Resource.com and DCResource.com are good ones. Steve's Digicams doesn't have great reviews IMO, but they do have a very friendly community, and answer the "what camera should I buy?" question very often.

Yes Macro and Scenes is the main priority
I felt deprieved of zooming ability when I used a friend's D40X with the basic 18-55mm lense. Although pictures came out beautiful but I was limited to a certain distance
Night shots would be nice to have but not crucial
Fast shutter speed is what I have been impressed with the D-SLR that I have tried
Weight and Size does matter actually, due to portability. When I tour alone, it can be quite a burden to carry heavy D-SLR which is why i am considering a high end compact camera rather than something like a D40 as previously mentioned

Budget wise, lets be frank that i am prepared to fork out up to a price of a D90 range, which would be approx. $1000++ I figure?
But I know if I go for compact cameras, I won't have to spend that much anyway

Low shutter lag is not completely due to the camera; if the camera isn't pre-focused, then the AF speed of the lens also matters.

Unfortunately, your requirements can't be met with one camera and one lens. For the ultimate in versatility when you're shooting fast action or in low light, you'll want a DSLR with a fast lens. However, fast f/2.8 zooms very rarely cover more than a 3x zoom range. For long telephoto shooting, you'll need another lens, such as a 55-200mm VR or 70-300mm.

With this combination, you get a lot of versatility in just about any situation, but you don't have a compact package at all. In fact, you need to have a photo backpack just to carry all this stuff around without weighing you down. That's why you need a second camera, such as a Panasonic LZ10 (5x optical zoom) or TZ5 (10x optical zoom) for when you don't want to lug around a DSLR body.

As far as recommendations go:

D60 body with 18-105mm VR lens: ~$750.

Panasonic LZ10: $150 or TZ5 ($250)

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: 996GT2
Low shutter lag is not completely due to the camera; if the camera isn't pre-focused, then the AF speed of the lens also matters.

You hit the nail on the head there. Once I've shown people how to pre-focus, they usually stop complaining about shutter lag.

Sad thing is, that info is in the manual. If only people would read the darn thing.

Originally posted by: 996GT2
In fact, you need to have a photo backpack just to carry all this stuff around without weighing you down.

That's overkill. I generally carry my camera, 3 lenses, flash, extra batteries, etc in a Domke bag over the shoulder. Sometimes I'll just have the camera around the neck with a lens case or 2 on my belt.

edmundoab, as the previous 2 posters have mentioned, the Panasonic TZ5 is one of the most versatile digicams around. Canon's entry into the same market is the SX110 IS, and Sony has the DSC-H10.

 

[edmundoab]

So bottom line is that based on my usage,
TZ5 type or the SX110 IS would fit better instead of the G9/G10?

 

[GoingUp]

The G10 was recently reviewed as the best G series ever.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: edmundoab
So bottom line is that based on my usage,
TZ5 type or the SX110 IS would fit better instead of the G9/G10?

It seems to me, yes. Neither camera offers image quality as good as the G10 or LX3, but both TZ5 and SX110 IS are much more versatile.

Review of the Canon SX110 IS.

Review of the Panasonic Lumix TZ5.