Worth paying about $200 hundred more?

[li lin]

Hi to all, i have been deliberating over whether i should get a Canon G9 over the Canon 860IS.
i know, some of you may think that there's no comparison at all, that the G9 beats 860IS hands down but i want a small, easy to use camera with wide angle lens whereas the G9(which i love the feel n looks of) doesn't have the wide angle feature and obviously isn't as compact as the 860is AND it's 200 more.

what do you pros think? do you think canon will come up with an upgrade of G9 with wide angle within a year's time? i don't want to bang my head against the wall if i see such a model in the market after a few months. i don't mind paying 200 more if G9 can go the distance.

and i want a camera soon, in 1 weeks' time as i am going for a vacation.

please advise.

[Deming86]

Canon G9 is a prosumer camera whilst Canon 860IS is a normal digital compact. In a sense they aren't really on the same playing field. G9 as a prosumer has more functions and flexibility to adjust your own manual settings like aperture and shutter settings. 860IS settings are pretty much automatic and it doesn't come with a viewfinder as well. With respect to whether canon will come up with an upgrade to wide angle, we can never tell. (unless someone here works at canon) but its predecessor the G7 to G9 only saw an upgrade of pixels count, RAW format shooting and a few other small upgrades without changing the lens. They might just follow the same trend for its next upgrade!

Wide angle wise, G9 has a focal range of 35-210mm (35mm equiv), whilst 860IS has a focal range of 28-105mm.. So the 860IS would be able to capture slightly more in a single shot and would be appropriate for landscapes or indoor shots with limited backspace. It is also definitely more compact than a G9. My 2 cents worth would be for you to consider getting the 860IS.. after all you're going to use it for a vacation correct? Just bring a PnS and shoot away at the landscapes and the people, without having to worry about the manual settings and all of a prosumer. Get the G9 if you don't mind having to think and visualize your shots, practise some manual photography, would like to have a further zoom and prefer the freedom of choice in your photograph styles. In the end, its your choice!

[giantcanopy]

Originally Posted by li lin do you think canon will come up with an upgrade of G9 with wide angle within a year's time? i don't want to bang my head against the wall if i see such a model in the market after a few months. i don't mind paying 200 more if G9 can go the distance. and i want a camera soon, in 1 weeks' time as i am going for a vacation.

I think you should not bang ur hopes on a future release. No one knows what it will be.
And along the same reasoning you will be always upset when the next release comes along because there are always improvements

You want something wider, you want something more sleek, and you are going on a vacation in one weeks time, I would go for the 860 IS.

Ryan

[lsisaxon]

Originally Posted by giantcanopy I think you should not bang ur hopes on a future release. No one knows what it will be. And along the same reasoning you will be always upset when the next release comes along because there are always improvements You want something wider, you want something more sleek, and you are going on a vacation in one weeks time, I would go for the 860 IS. Ryan

I'd go for the Fujifilm F100fd anytime because the high ISO are cleaner than the Canon 860IS.

Can use this website to check out the various models. (Ixus 860IS = SD870IS ELPH)
http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM

[li lin]

thanks DEMING and GIANTCANOPY for your views. i think i go with ease of use n the wide angle for now. so it'll be the 860. like you guys said, i'm on VACATION! i'm not going to stress myself over the settings etc. yes, THANK YOU. meanwhile i'll be watching the G series closely.

ISISAXON, thanks for your suggestion. appreciate it. i focus on canon cuz of a number of my friends are using it and their cameras have produced great pics. as it is, just choosing between two models of the same brand drives me nuts, what's more of including others. i'll be totally

thanks to all. this is a great club. swift replies for newbies.

[Deming86]

yeah! Canon Ixus series always made me go wow before i even got a canon DSLR.... Whenever i got the chance, i'll borrow my bro's Ixus for outings =P... but since I'm started on DSLR, i dont think i'll ever have the cash to get a Ixus to replace my handy old Kodak PnS... I doubt you'll ever regret getting an Ixus~ Save the $200 to fight another day! hahaa... Cheers!

[li lin]

hi again. if i should get the 860 from one of the sellers in this forum, what should i be looking out for besides the normal stuff?

[Deming86]

Whats the "normal stuff" you refer to?

[billpepsi]

Originally Posted by li lin and i want a camera soon, in 1 weeks' time as i am going for a vacation. please advise.

Personally I own a DSLR, Powershot and IXUS, and am a big fan of camera with lots of manual features. After my previous trips to places like Malaysia, Hong Kong, which needs lots of walking, I've came to the conclusion that the camera needs to be light and simple to use, so IXUS is my first choice. But when traveling to far away places like China, Europe which most of the traveling is on the coach, then I'll carry my DSLR.

If getting a IXUS, 28mm lens is preferred, cos guess you could be taking lots of group shot with your friends at the restaurants, tourist places etc.

Hope this helps.

[Deming86]

well usually i aint too particular about PnS purchases.. for 2nd hand you'll want to check for any physical damage, do a test shot, look for any dead pixels, make sure you get whats agreed in the deal (SD card, battery, charger, bag etc) and so forth~