Looks sweet. Can you comment about the usability and image quality of the camera using the accessory lens?
I'm also wondering how much of a fiddle it is to mount. It seems you have an adapter collar that mounts to the camera, and then the lens that attaches to the collar? Can these be carried assembled, or is it a one-by-one operation? Are the fittings screwmount or some kind of bayonet?
Mike.
__________________ Mike Adelaide
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
I just got the adapter and converter yesterday and the weather here is crap so it will be a while before some honest tests are done.
I got my info from the LensMate site here. I chose the Raynox .66 because it was the smallest and lightest plus the widest but there is a glitch if you try to zoom to full telephoto...it says "don't."
The ring around the G9's lens is a bayonet mount and comes off easy. When working, I will leave the adapter mounted and simply add the screwmount converter when needed. The adapter makes a nice lens shade and support. I got the lens cap to fit it for that purpose. Getting the converter on is a tad fussy but I'm getting better at adding it each time I do it.
A faster method would be to leave the adapter and converter assembled and then attach both via the camera and adapter's bayonet mount when needed. However, together they are a bulky item so where do you put them within easy reach? Without the adapter the converter lays flat in my fanny pack.
It never is totally right is it? But this is the best I have seen so far.
I bought a G9 a couple of months ago before a trip to the UK. My initial test shots were a lot more noisy than I had hoped (Why oh Why can't we have a smaller pixel count in a camera of this quality and size so that the noise performance is better!!) but I decided to give it a real world test.
For convenience I used a soft belt case that I had from ThinkTank Photo. I was dismayed to find when I took it out after a day or two, that there was a dent in the front ring around the lens, and it wouldn't extend properly. When I tried to ease it, the assembly fell off, together with the leaves that close over the lens face. I was not impressed.
It is still possible to take photos with it, and I tried using it at a shoot for odd player candids. The light level is low, but one of the attractions of the G9 was that I could use my 580EX II on it. Unfortunately the viewfinder was so dim that I couldn't really compose the shot, and the gaining up on the LCD made the refresh so slow it was almost useless. Add in the shutter delay and I gave up after a couple of shots.
Amex has just agreed to take the camera and refund my money, so I am faced with the decision of what to buy. Have I just not learned how to use the G9 and should therefore buy another one, or should I be looking at something else?
I would like to stick with Canon so was considering an S5. It would be nice to have something small enough to carry with me on trips when I didn't want to take the 1Ds (hopefully very soon a MKIII!!) and lenses, which would give me something better in image quality than my old Casio EZ-750.
Any advice appreciated.
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
David, I don't think the S5 is going to make you any happier. The image quality lags the G9 and if you find one to handle you will quickly realize the build quality lags even more. I don't know about the shooting performance but I seriously doubt it could be significantly better. Sadly, I just don't think any of the digicams currently available really cut the mustard, at least for my needs, nor yours from the sound of it.
IMO, any of the entry level DSLRs with an APS sized sensor plus a kit lens will run circles around any digicam currently available. For instance, a Rebel XTi or even a 40D plus 17-85mm IS EF-S lens gives you a 28mm-135mm equivalent focal length, and image quality and shooting performance that will unequivocally knock any digicam into a cocked hat. Even the built in flash is better, so maybe you wouldn't need the external flash? Even if you did, would it REALLY that much more difficult to carry than a G9? What if you need to carry a wide-angle adapter for the G9, as many are doing? They're not exactly small or lightweight! Of course the long end of the G9 has more reach, but maybe you don't need it (or maybe the Sigma 18-200mm OS lens would be worth a try). And this is just staying in the Canon line-up, there are similar setups from other companies. I think the key is to judiciously choose ONE lens and be willing to stick to that, and avoid the temptation to bring along one's whole arsenal of gear. One body, one lens, one extra battery, maybe a flash, and a nice convenient bag or holster to carry JUST that kit. If that's too heavy, a few trips to the gym could help out - I've found working out a couple of times a week has radically improved my tolerance for lugging around my 5D. (That's actually my solution, the 5D with 24-105mm IS L zoom, and a Kenko 1.4x TC for when I need some extra reach).
Just my contrarian two cents worth!
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
Most of the comments I've seen on this thread and elsewhere about shutter lag on the G9 say that after half-press, it is very fast. But how about with full press?
The timings quoted on the Imaging Resource digital camera review site seem to indicate that the G9 is about the same as the G7 in that respect. My G9 seems to focus quite quickly and take the shot, but that's with a static subject and no camera panning involved.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arlen_Thomason
I use a small camera in situations where pre-focus is not easy; for instance in fly fishing where the fish surfaces in an unexpected spot and you have to shoot quickly. I got the G7 after reading that it was faster than some previous Canon P&S cameras, but it's full-press shutter response is a disappointment. (As are all other P&S cameras I've tried.)
One other thing to keep in mind is that there is a delay between what you see on the LCD and the event actually happening. This adds additional shutter "delay", as you are responding to a delayed version of what is happening. For fast moving events, it might be hard to capture a good shot with a camera such as the G9.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arlen_Thomason
My 5D is fast enough, but just too big to carry around in some situations.
What about something like the Canon 400D and the new Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens? That might be a much lighter combination than the 5D with a typical lens. The optical viewfinder lets you see what's going on very clearly, even in sunny light, where the G9's LCD is a bit washed out. The autofocus and shutter response are also quite good, so you have a better chance of catching fast moving events.
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
Linear Mode
