Design Fault of G3

[ChObiTs]

Hey guys i intended to get the G3 soon ... but i heard that it has design fault of part of the lens when extended .... block the view finder ... hmmm is this fault significant ... n bring down the value of G3 ?

If so .. wat other cameras which is similar in features n price should i get ?

Regards

[Zplus]

About 1/4 of the viewfinder is blocked when you use a lens attachement adaptor at wide angle. At full zoom its fine.
I use the LCD almost all the time.

Whether this affects you adversely is subjective. I bought the G3 knowing this limitation and so far no real hinderance.


Let's see... some good prosumer cameras are Fuji 602z (old) and Nikon 5700. Some others also like the Sony 717. Go try a few and see which one suits your needs and budget.

[zekai]

i think you go and see yourself first. this problem does not exist unless you put a lens adaptor.

anyway it is more accurate using lcd so no big deal

[ChObiTs]

wow ... 1/4 is alot lei... hmmmmm .... hai..... i consider la..... thanx any way .. i think the other model u suggest like out of my bugget .. haha.... then the 602 i think alittle too old .... : )

[zekai]

get the G3, its good. the problem is a non issue.
because g3 is developed with the experienced of g1 & g2.
they all have this thing. if you dun mod yur cam you will never see this and most people shoot with lcd

[Wolfgang]

Quote: Originally posted by ChObiTs wow ... 1/4 is alot lei... hmmmmm .... hai..... i consider la..... thanx any way .. i think the other model u suggest like out of my bugget .. haha.... then the 602 i think alittle too old .... : )

602Z old? What are you getting a camera for? Keeping it in your drybox and keeping it mould free so that it will never age?



Honestly, it's a camera. A very good one at that, and at a pretty decent price for all it's features. It has barely been released for 2 years and now... u call it old.



And even if it isn't your latest model, so? Are you buying this camera to re-sell at a later date or buying a good camera where you can use it as an extension of your imagination to make good pictures?

[mylau]

this built-in flash is also blocked by the protruding lens.

[Garion]

Quote: Originally posted by ChObiTs Hey guys i intended to get the G3 soon ... but i heard that it has design fault of part of the lens when extended .... block the view finder ... hmmm is this fault significant ... n bring down the value of G3 ? If so .. wat other cameras which is similar in features n price should i get ? Regards

IMHO, it isn't much to worry about. The G3 is an excellent cam, and afterall, results are what u r going after, isn't it? The flip-out LCD screen is one of the camera's strongest features, so much so that the fact that the lens extension blocks part of the viewfinder becomes only a minor annoyance. Get used to the cam by shooting only using the LCD screen (one of the best around in terms of colour and brightness IMO) and u will appreciate the cam for what it can do, and dun worry over such a minor design flaw.

[Garion]

Quote: Originally posted by mylau this built-in flash is also blocked by the protruding lens.

Thats why there is a hot-shoe on top of the camera; for slapping on an external flashgun.

[sonix]

Aiyah.. tell u what.. looking from viewfinder is completely useless for me.

It only 90% accurate.. better view from LCD... i hardly even use my viewfinder... almost 1.5 years liao own the G2.

Never use built in flash.... unless i want to go compact, but i have 43 mm adapter which will not block the flash.

I use built in flash mainly for fill flash only.... for indoor i never use it... lousy.... buy 420EX dude

cheers,
Irvan

[ChObiTs]

Quote: Originally posted by Wolfgang 602Z old? What are you getting a camera for? Keeping it in your drybox and keeping it mould free so that it will never age? Honestly, it's a camera. A very good one at that, and at a pretty decent price for all it's features. It has barely been released for 2 years and now... u call it old. And even if it isn't your latest model, so? Are you buying this camera to re-sell at a later date or buying a good camera where you can use it as an extension of your imagination to make good pictures?

Hey cool it lei.. haha ... actually i quite okie wif the cam jus tat it is 3mp tats all... somemore its production cut lioa.... : )

[fruitybix]

Quote: Originally posted by sonix Aiyah.. tell u what.. looking from viewfinder is completely useless for me. It only 90% accurate.. better view from LCD... i hardly even use my viewfinder... almost 1.5 years liao own the G2.

Actually, it is about 85%..

Anyway, chances of you using the optical viewfinder for any non-EVF (electronic view finder) camera is very low, because most of them only provide about 80% of the image. So digital cam users typically compose using the LCD.

For cams with EVF (Finepix 602Z, Sony 717 etc), the view is more than 90%, so still not as bad.

HOWEVER having said all these, i think that it is still a design Fubar on the part of Canon: whether it block this or that, or whether it has no effect on image quality yada yada yada..really no excuse for a follow-up to the venerable G1 and G2.

[fish]

Quote: Originally posted by sonix Aiyah.. tell u what.. looking from viewfinder is completely useless for me. It only 90% accurate.. better view from LCD... i hardly even use my viewfinder... almost 1.5 years liao own the G2. Never use built in flash.... unless i want to go compact, but i have 43 mm adapter which will not block the flash. I use built in flash mainly for fill flash only.... for indoor i never use it... lousy.... buy 420EX dude cheers, Irvan

my sentiments exactly.
- i don't remember a single time using the optical viewfinder to shoot.
- yes, 420ex!

[Zplus]

Heh! Anyway, the G3 without lens adaptor has no blockage. Guess you can't really fault Canon on that. Besides, placing the viewfinder close to the lens tries to eliminate parallex errors.

In any case, I like the swivel LCD and like Garrion said... its one of the best. Internal falsh is only blocked if you use lens adaptor and shooting macros or subjects close to you. If you have enough cash, go get a 420EX flash to go with it. Probably the best accesory you can get for a G3. Of course this increases the bulk but I am sure you will be happy with the results... like many of us here....

So Chobits, go visit some shops and try out a few to narrow down your choices. Comparing specs and opinions is one thing but the best is the actual touch and feel, and the output. Some cameras may have handgrips that are too big or too small for your hands. Controls may be difficult to reach. Etc etc....

I think most G3 owners who bought it would have know this issue with the viewfinder, yet still they are using it. What's more, some have even had pretty good outputs with it. I guess the bottom line is what it can produce and whether you are happy with the design flaws.

[ChObiTs]

Thanx veri much .... cose i dun have knw as much as u all as photograhy .. dun knw if tat would hinder my use of the camera .... btw wat are the things i have to look out 4 when buying the G3 ..... n wat accessories should i get ? : )

[mpenza]

Quote: Originally posted by Wolfgang Honestly, it's a camera. A very good one at that, and at a pretty decent price for all it's features. It has barely been released for 2 years and now... u call it old.

S602Z is less than one year old in Singapore. It was released end of May last year.

[mpenza]

Quote: Originally posted by ChObiTs Thanx veri much .... cose i dun have knw as much as u all as photograhy .. dun knw if tat would hinder my use of the camera .... btw wat are the things i have to look out 4 when buying the G3 ..... n wat accessories should i get ? : )

It shouldn't be a big problem and you'll get used to it.

You'll need to get extra memory card (256 or 512MB for a start is good ) and probably a lens adaptor and a UV filter to protect the camera lens. You may also want to consider a proper camera bag (Lowepro and Crumpler bags are quite popular here).

Other stuff like teleconverter, wide-angle converter, external flash, extra battery, etc could come later.

[Zplus]

Quote: Originally posted by ChObiTs Thanx veri much .... cose i dun have knw as much as u all as photograhy .. dun knw if tat would hinder my use of the camera .... btw wat are the things i have to look out 4 when buying the G3 ..... n wat accessories should i get ? : )

I see...

The viewfinder is not a evf type. Because its optical and offset, the image you see through it is not the actual image captured. Thus, most likely you will be using the LCD. The only bad thing about this is that LCD eats batteries fast. However, the G3 has got quite low battery usage and so it can still last quite long using the LCD all the time. For me, I found that 2 batteries pretty much last me the whole day of shooting.

As for accesories, I would recommand to buy what you can afford. You may not need them for the casual snapshots.

Some accesories I have:
Extra CF cards or microdrive:
The 32mb is a good starter but not enough if you want to shoot more.

Extra battery:
Just in case you need it. A real bummer to run out of juice when you need it. Since it uses proprietary batteries, you cannot get one from your neighbourhood stall. Cost around S$35 for a OEM one and S$100+ for the original one.

420EX:
I would recommand the 420EX flash to go with this. Its a little expansive (S$340 or less). The internal flash is quite good but the 420EX is superb as many users here will tastify. Good for indoor shots and outdoor fill flash. The ETTL is a convenient feature.

Lens Adaptor:
OEM 52mm version is S$20+. Buy this if you want to add filters or just want a UV filter to protect the extending lens. Do note that this increases the bulk of the camera.

Camera Bag:
To keep all your stuff. $$ depends.

Closeup lenses:
Hoya range of 52mm closeup lenses is around S$12. Buy this if you are really into macro photography. On its own, the G3 can already handle macros quite well.

Cleaning stuff:
Lens cloth to clean the occasional finger print smudge. Blower to blow away any dust. Can't rem how much these cost.

That's about it. You may not need all these accesories listed. Go and try and see if you like it.

[GreenEggs_n_Ham]

heh..i think arh..i'm the only eedddiot using panasonic fz1 lor...wanna hear my grieviances on it?? lol....

[Zplus]

Quote: Originally posted by GreenEggs_n_Ham heh..i think arh..i'm the only eedddiot using panasonic fz1 lor...wanna hear my grieviances on it?? lol....

Is that the one with the super duper zoom???