Topic: Canon G9 as a concert camera?!

[sunjan]

Hi all,

I've been looking at a point'n shoot as a concert camera. I already have a DSLR, but some venues kick a fuss about the gear, so I want something less conspicuous, without sacrificing to many features.

My requirements:
silent (shutter and zoom)
fast write speed (ideally with RAW)
decent handling in low light conditions (large aperture, ISO 400 or even 800 without too much noise)
optical viewfinder, either built in or add-on (or EVF as last resort)
flash hot shoe would be a bonus

The one I found that could fit the bill is Canon G9.

Did anyone else try out the G9? I'm not totally convinced about its low light capacity, any opinions?

This thread has a link to some G9 shots from the Rush 2007 tour:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/598764/4
http://www.martymoffatt.com/Rush2007uk/

/Jan

[Frank in JC]

Hi all,

I've been looking at a point'n shoot as a concert camera. I already have a DSLR, but some venues kick a fuss about the gear, so I want something less conspicuous, without sacrificing to many features.

My requirements:
silent (shutter and zoom)
fast write speed (ideally with RAW)
decent handling in low light conditions (large aperture, ISO 400 or even 800 without too much noise)
optical viewfinder, either built in or add-on (or EVF as last resort)
flash hot shoe would be a bonus

The one I found that could fit the bill is Canon G9.

Did anyone else try out the G9? I'm not totally convinced about its low light capacity, any opinions?

This thread has a link to some G9 shots from the Rush 2007 tour:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/598764/4
http://www.martymoffatt.com/Rush2007uk/

/Jan

I used to have a G7 which is essentially the same camera and anything over ISO 100 was disappointing.  Also, the inherent shutter lag makes shooting anything that is moving a crap shoot.  Forget the optical viewfinder too, it's useless--what you see in the viewfinder isn't how the camera frames it.  Canon obviously did NOT take the viewfinder seriously, and it's a shame.

Still, it's a nice camera, but only if you don't mind all the shortcomings that compact digital cameras exhibit.  I don't think the camera you're looking for exists yet, but I have my fingers crossed we'll see one in a few years.  It's hard to be inconspicuous with an SLR and a fast lens.

[sunjan]

I used to have a G7 which is essentially the same camera and anything over ISO 100 was disappointing.  Also, the inherent shutter lag makes shooting anything that is moving a crap shoot. 

Ouch, that's a dealbreaker for me. :-(
I could have lived with the viewfinder issue, since it's possible to mount an external VF. And the ISO noise has supposedly improved. But the shutter lag is 0.5 seconds, that just doesn't cut it when capturing a live band:
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/canon-powershot-g9/4505-6501_7-32471273.html

+T for clearing things up anyway!

I might have to start looking at a Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 (aka Leica Digilux 3), but then I'd be paying 3-5 times more

/Jan

[Frank in JC]

I might have to start looking at a Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 (aka Leica Digilux 3), but then I'd be paying 3-5 times more
/Jan

...not to mention you would be taking a step backward in terms of high ISO performance (relative to a DSLR), which is obviously important for concert photography.  Everything is a compromise.