Digital Compact comments please

Later on this year I am off to Canada for a few weeks and I do not want to carry around the K10D plus lenses (possibly - I might change my mind)

So I have been looking around at compact cameras that might (just might) produce quality approaching that of the SLR

I must have a view finder, a half decent telephoto, a hot-shoe, the camera must fit in my pocket, and RAW would be an advantage.

The only one to come up to this spec is the Canon G9. I know this might be a dirty word here but does anyone have experience of this camera?

There is no point asking on a Canon forum - they would be biased - but if a Pentax enthusiast has one, then that seems a good recommendation

Finding a compact with a viewfinder is the hard bit, if not almost impossible these days.

My advice would be to bite the bullet and take the K10D.

I would not want to visit a country as interesting as Canada without my K10D and a stack of lenses

Make sure that you have a camera case that is 'cabin compatible'.

If you are used to a dslr I think you would quite frustrated with a p&s. My experience with an Optio with viewfinder is that it is hopelessly inaccurate

I loved my canon g5.

the g9 is highly regarded.

doesn't handle like a dslr, but the images compete with dslrs!

get used to composing on the lcd screen!

get the external flash to go with it! (although, the pentax flashes will work in manual or "a" modes... with a non-ttl hotshoe-to-pc cord rig between the flash and camera.

I have an Optio60 with eye-level viewer as well as LCD screen. The viewer is so small as to be useless.

I thing I really find limiting on all Point and Shoot cameras is the inability to have sun shades, or filters (especially Polarizers).

They're rivaling DSLRs on megapixels and even Shake Reduction, but other than that - bleah! IMHO of course.

SRS has a bunch of high end refurbs if you're still interested.

Enjoy Canada!

I do..........

Thanks for that, but no earthly use

All the reasons for NOT getting a compact - and all correct of course and I could add quite a few more. I have been down this road so many times in my head over the recent weeks and always come to the same conclusion - do not get a compact. I was hoping someone might have come up with an unassailable reason for actually getting one

Last week I dusted of my Minolta AS Bridge and took that for a spin. It is small, light and the quality (at only 8MP) is probably good enough for recording holiday snaps. If only it would fit in my pocket. Then there is the K100D or even the K200D, both small(ish) and lightweight and cost not much more than the G9, but they are hardly pocket size.

I guess what I really want is K20D that folds up to matchbox size, and weight, and then springs back to full size at the touch of a button, plus a selection of matching lenses of course

Thanks anyway for the contribution. I will probably nick back the istD that I gave to my wife

And spend the money on a pancake lens!

Dan

I think you should get a compact... AND take the K10D!

There will be times when it'll be too much hassle to get the main camera out of the bag, and other times when the scene will be too good for a compact.

Consider the second-hand market to increase your choice of compacts with a viewfinder.

Iceblinker has the best idea !!

I spent a month on honeymoon in Canada/Alaska last year with a "prosumer" (coincidentally a Konica Minolta A200)- although it did o.k I dearly regret not having a DSLR with me.

Depending on where you are going they'll be lots of wildlife needing a decent zoom - bears, deer, bald eagles, whales & lots of other stuff & then to add to this there's some pretty awesome scenery - if you have the K10D believe me TAKE IT !!

simon

This sounds like a great excuse for getting a complete set of DA Ltd pancakes

another thing to check out (on the g9) is video.
the thing does surprisingly good video!
get the g9, leave your video cam at home, and have the k10 also!

use the g9 to video an inroduction at each locale on your travels, and use those clips along with your stills to make a multimedia dvd!

The only photographic equipment you will regret while in Canada is that which you left behind.

Take as many cameras and lenses as you can get hold of and fit into your bag.

My wife has the G9 and I've used it a fair bit myself

Image quality is great at low ISO - better than my old *ist D + kit lens.
It's also very well made - feels like a real quality item.
In addition it supports raw, which is the best way to get quality images out of it.

Negatives are as follows:

1/ Huge amounts of noise at med & high ISOs.
2/ Zoom doesn't go particularly wide.
3/ It's surprisingly heavy.
4/ As usual with Canon cameras, it's not very intuitive to operate and there are vast numbers of options.
5/ No printed manual and the online manual is 250 pages!

HTH,
Reuben0

Basically I do not like Canon (I have a Powershot Pro) but then I do not like Microsoft, Adobe PS, Sony, etc. Sometimes however there is no alternative except to go without.

I have held a G9 in the shop environment and generally liked the feel but another downer apparently is that the viewfinder is pretty useless, (difficult to guage in a few minutes in the shop) and since that is the prime reason for considering this camera I am not totally committed to going down that route.

As regards taking DSLR + lenses + kitchen sink, I thought I had given that up 10 years ago when I got the Minolta bridge. Then I bought the istD (beautiful LITTLE camera) and now I am back in the same old groove I want to relax and enjoy this trip - I shall never do it again and lugging a case load of camera kit half way round the world is not my scene anymore.

Anyway, thanks for the comments - must go and look at pancake lenses but suspect that they are a £ too far

So, Reuben0, how did you get on with the viewfinder in practice?

I must confess that I've never looked through the viewfinder

That's because the 3" rear screen is fabulous - puts the one on my K20D to shame

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R