New Camera!

[Feanor]

I just got myself a new camera -- Canon PowerShot SX20IS, (here (http://www.canon.ca/inetCA/products?m=gp&pid=697)) -- my retirement gift to myself; (who deserves it more?).


http://www.futureshop.ca/multimedia/Products/500x500/101/10129/10129620.jpg

This digital is of the category referred to as "superzoom". In this case, 20x or 28 - 560 mm 35mm equivalent. Amongst other things, this one has a viewfinder which is becoming a rarity; it is of the electronic type. Not an audiophile thing I realized but I choose this from among quite a few competing models based on reviews, (yes, you heard it: reviews). Check out this one at DigitalCameraReview.com (http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=4103&review=canon+powershot+sx20).

This is the third digital camera I've owned but the first one that sort of reminds me of the film SLRs I used in days of yore. However I'm old, feeble, and done with heavy, bulky SLRs, film or digital. The number of features they build into machines like this one today is total mind boggling. Remebering the useful one is there and accessing it quickly when you want it is pretty improbable.

[ForeverAutumn]

Nice buy Feanor. Congrats. I hope that you enjoy it!

I've been considering a new camera purchase myself and that's the exact camera that I've been eyeing! Although mine is only a few years old, we've been starting to hang our photography around our house instead of buying art and my old 5.1 megapixel camera just isn't cutting it for 8x10s.

Please let me know how you like it after you've had a chance to use it a bit.

[jrhymeammo]

Very nice man. Congrats on well deserved gift!!!

[Hyfi]

I just recently got the G11 which is one of the bigger brothers of the one you got. Canon makes some pretty nice cameras for sure. The G11 includes full manual modes and various other program modes.

Do yourself a favor and pick up the Green Lantern book on your camera. The booklets that come with the original camera basically just state the features but not how and why to use them. The G11 does so many things I am still learning.

The flip screen is one of the best features.

Enjoy!

[GMichael]

Nice Feanor. Congrats. It looks like you buy you the best gifts. I love the Canon IS function. I can take photos while on the road and they come out nice.

[Feanor]

I just recently got the G11 which is one of the bigger brothers of the one you got. Canon makes some pretty nice cameras for sure. The G11 includes full manual modes and various other program modes.

Do yourself a favor and pick up the Green Lantern book on your camera. The booklets that come with the original camera basically just state the features but not how and why to use them. The G11 does so many things I am still learning.

The flip screen is one of the best features.

Enjoy!
The G11 is a really nice "compact", frankly the crème of that category, and I strongly considered it. I guess I got sucked in by the SX20's long zoom and 100% converage electronic view finder.

[Feanor]

Nice buy Feanor. Congrats. I hope that you enjoy it!

I've been considering a new camera purchase myself and that's the exact camera that I've been eyeing! Although mine is only a few years old, we've been starting to hang our photography around our house instead of buying art and my old 5.1 megapixel camera just isn't cutting it for 8x10s.

Please let me know how you like it after you've had a chance to use it a bit.
FA, I've only just begun to play with it. (I've been distracted quite a bit having to attend to my late mother's affairs.)

However I can mention one obvious thing: the SX20 is larger & heavier than most superzooms not to mention compacts. I could easily have gone for the Panasonic DMC-FZ35, (here (https://panasonic.ca/english/audiovideo/camerascamcorders/digitalstill/DMCFZ35.asp)), which is much lighter. However the Panny doesn't have the swivel view screen; this is feature that will be useful to me for some things -- such as photoing hifi components with camera on a tripod.

[TheHills44060]

That thing looks pretty serious.

[Feanor]

Yeah, it turns out I'm disappointed with the Canon SX20, so I've taken a slightly different route and gone for the Canon G1X, which is a kind of a "mega" compact.

Afterall, my original intention was to get more flexibility and picture quality than a point-and-shoot without going back to an SLR. But I found the SX20 was still relatively large and awkward, (though less so than any SLR). Worse, image quality results were disappointing; I suppose I was expecting too much from 20:1 zoom lens.

So the G1X, while big compared to typical compacts, is smaller than most superzooms and the new, "mirrorless" interchangeable lens models. Reviews say picture quality is generally great thanks to a near-SLR sized sensor, 4x that of typical compacts. The eye-level view finder is small but useful and uncluttered. It has limitations for rapid sequence shooting and extreme close-ups, but these are very important from me. Hopefully I've made the better choice this time.

http://4.static.img-dpreview.com/reviews/canong1x/images/Specs.jpg?v=1709

[Feanor]

...
So the G1X, while big compared to typical compacts, is smaller than most superzooms and the new, "mirrorless" interchangeable lens models. Reviews say picture quality is generally great thanks to a near-SLR sized sensor, 4x that of typical compacts. The eye-level view finder is small but useful and uncluttered. It has limitations for rapid sequence shooting and extreme close-ups, but these aren't very important from me. Hopefully I've made the better choice this time. ...
The close up limitations are becoming clearer. I was using the G1X to photo some old film camera stuff I'm selling on eBay and discovered the issue. At a 28mm focal length, (35mm camera equivalent), the minimum distance is under 1 foot -- not too bad but the minimum distance goes up at least proportionally as you zoom to longer focal lengths, so the minimum distance is over 5 feet by the time you get to 112mm equivalent focal length.

If you want to do serious close-ups and macro photo, get DSLR and macro lens.

Nevertheless even with severe cropping my equipment close-ups look better than the ones from my Canon SX20 IS and Nikon S600. The superiority of the G1X's image quality is quite apparent.