Friday, May 30, 2008

Sub-mini review - Canon Powershot G9

Sadly, I didn't even have the time this week for a "mini" review, so point-form first impressions of the G9 are going to have to suffice.

Pros:
  • RAW mode!
  • Beautiful 3" LCD screen (sharp, bright, contrasty)
  • ISO dial on the top of the camera makes selecting the sensitivity a breeze
  • Rangefinder styling and rugged metal case
  • Image stabilization (it really works!)
  • More control over flash compensation/output than on my old A70
  • Rear-curtain sync
  • Much less flare/better contrast when shooting into the sun (vs. A70)
  • Surprisingly fast handling (once you get the lay of the land)
Cons:
  • Maximum aperture a little disappointing (f/2.8 throughout the zoom range would have been nice)
  • I miss the AA batteries of my A70
  • LCD screen really needs some kind of cover/protector
  • ISO 1600/3200 unusable when shooting colour (too much noise)
  • No ability to take multiple exposures
All in all, a very nice camera, indeed. I'm not certain it's going to make me forget my Nikon F3HP any time soon but it's certainly a major step up from my Canon A70.

More to follow....

Monday, May 26, 2008

First Post!

If all goes well, I'm hoping to post mini-reviews of two relatively recent acquisitions (a Canon Powershot G9 and a Seiko Spirit SCVS013) by the end of this week.

While my opinions on matters horological should probably not be given too much weight (as I'm quite a neophyte to the world of watches and watch collecting), I'm probably entitled by dint of age and experience to at least *hold* an opinion on matters photographic. I'm hoping this won't turn out to be too pretentious an exercise. We'll see, I guess.