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Camera

PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2010 3:25 am
by Eman2005
Another camera thread. I am looking for a new camera. So I have looked (not in person) at the:

Canon G11
Canon G10
Panasonic Lumix LX3
Canon Powershot s90

I am looking for:
Price: Max $450
Great picture quality
Great battery power-I will be gone for 2 weeks without being able to recharge batteries
Viewfinder-Will help with power
Ability for Macro
Fast
Solid feeling-less plastic the better
Easy to carry and low weight


I am leaning toward the Lumix lx3, but the problem is no viewfinder which is a big problem in terms of batteries. I realize that you can get a viewfinder for just one focal length which I might get, as I doubt I will zoom in that much. The G11 has the flip out thing which I think is a pointless gimmick that adds extra weight and less durability. The G10 and G11 are much heavier as well and a little slower. And although they have a viewfinder it is not 100% (only 77%) which is not what I want. I need help choosing. Thanks in advance!

PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2010 4:07 am
by Eman2005
A couple other things:
-I want Raw capabilities(lx3 raw is weird, and I am not sure if it works w/ adobe)
-I am also looking at the nikon p6000. It looks like a good set up, but I don't think I really need the GPS capabilities.
-And apparently the Panasonic batteries are much more expensive.

Re: Camera

PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2010 2:53 pm
by Buz Groshong
Eman2005 wrote:Another camera thread. I am looking for a new camera. So I have looked (not in person) at the:

Canon G11
Canon G10
Panasonic Lumix LX3
Canon Powershot s90

I am looking for:
Price: Max $450
Great picture quality
Great battery power-I will be gone for 2 weeks without being able to recharge batteries
Viewfinder-Will help with power
Ability for Macro
Fast
Solid feeling-less plastic the better
Easy to carry and low weight


I am leaning toward the Lumix lx3, but the problem is no viewfinder which is a big problem in terms of batteries. I realize that you can get a viewfinder for just one focal length which I might get, as I doubt I will zoom in that much. The G11 has the flip out thing which I think is a pointless gimmick that adds extra weight and less durability. The G10 and G11 are much heavier as well and a little slower. And although they have a viewfinder it is not 100% (only 77%) which is not what I want. I need help choosing. Thanks in advance!


Buy spare batteries!

PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2010 4:43 pm
by Kai
I have a LX3 and love it.

Battery life has not been an issue, but I do always carry a spare battery just in case.

PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2010 5:17 pm
by Buz Groshong
Kai wrote:I have a LX3 and love it.

Battery life has not been an issue, but I do always carry a spare battery just in case.


If you do a two or three week trip to a scenic locale, batteries do become an issue - you should never go on a trip without at least one spare battery and probably one spare memory card.

PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2010 11:47 pm
by sneakyracer
Even with a Canon 1Ds mk3 (huge dslr) you need 2 batteries or 3 for 2 weeks with moderate chimping and no use of flash.

On a compact camera like the S90 (which I have and love) the battery wont last long and will deplete with time even if you dont use the camera at all, specially in cool weather. You need a way to recharge the batteries even if you take 2-3 spares. One battery doesnt last me a weekend of moderate shooting and no flash use.

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 1:38 pm
by Eman2005
I am thinking about going with the lx3, but from what I read, it errs on the underexposed side. The g10/g11 is nice from what I have read because it is more exposed, which seem to give richer/brighter colors. And I like having a dial for the exposer compensation and the iso. With the lx3 is it fast and easy to change the exposure compensation? I just found a site with $9 batteries for the lx3 that have good reviews. For two weeks should I just buy like 8 extra batteries or find some way to charge it?

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 7:01 pm
by Kai
Eman2005 wrote:I am thinking about going with the lx3, but from what I read, it errs on the underexposed side. The g10/g11 is nice from what I have read because it is more exposed, which seem to give richer/brighter colors. And I like having a dial for the exposer compensation and the iso. With the lx3 is it fast and easy to change the exposure compensation? I just found a site with $9 batteries for the lx3 that have good reviews. For two weeks should I just buy like 8 extra batteries or find some way to charge it?


LX3 exposure compensation is simple. Two touches on the little control button, and you're done.

I actually have mine set for +1/3 ev compensation as the default. Going more or less takes a couple of seconds.

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 7:49 pm
by Eman2005
I think I am going to get the lx3. For a two week trip with using to lcd to take pictures, how many batteries do you think I would need. And for those with the camera: what aspect ratio do you use, what setting do you use the most(ia, apeture priority, etc.), and what setting do u usually use for focusing?

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 8:12 pm
by Eman2005
And another question I have about the lx3 is about the lens cap. Do you get annoyed by the lens cap? And does it slow you down?

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 8:23 pm
by HungarySagehen
I've got the Canon G10 and I really like it so far.
It is a little bit heavy, but it's also compact. It packs well into smaller cases and is easy to whip and shoot with.
I haven't had much experience pushing the battery to its limits, though it seems like it lasts a while.
The G10 has RAW, but I have only used them in Digital Photo Professional, Canon's software. Haven't yet been able to convert them into something Adobe will work with.

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 10:10 pm
by Kai
Eman2005 wrote:I think I am going to get the lx3. For a two week trip with using to lcd to take pictures, how many batteries do you think I would need. And for those with the camera: what aspect ratio do you use, what setting do you use the most(ia, apeture priority, etc.), and what setting do u usually use for focusing?



Eman2005 wrote:And another question I have about the lx3 is about the lens cap. Do you get annoyed by the lens cap? And does it slow you down?


I typically shoot either full auto, or aperture priority. Full auto combined with some exposure compensation does it for probably 70% of my shots. I use autofocus for everything except extreme close up macro, or extremely fast moving subjects. (For fast subjects, I pre-focus on the spot where the subject will be, then wait for it to get to that spot.)

I tend to shoot the 4:3 aspect ratio for most everything. No real reason for this except that I don't really think about changing it.

I don't know how many pictures you'd be taking, but if I were going on a 2 week trip, I'd probably take 2 extra batteries. They aren't expensive, and they aren't heavy, so why not?

As for the lens cap, it isn't really an issue for me. The nice thing is that it has a built-in keeper cord, so you don't have to worry about doing anything with it. You just remove it, and let it dangle. (Lack of a keeper cord was a pain with my DP1.) Every so often, I forget to take of the cap, and the camera beeps at me, but I'm learning.

PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 12:36 am
by Ze
I have one of the lumix models (don't think its the lx3)...agree that the lack of viewfinder eats up the battery. assuming you have to use their proprietary batteries, a backup battery might be somewhat costly. Could you last on a battery a week? Depends obviously on how many photos / videos you are taking a day obviously. I think you would be able to make it assuming you are being efficient at not wasting battery.

agree that you can adjusted the exposure settings so shouldn't be a problem, but I would suggest figuring out the camera settings before the trip so you aren't spending time and battery life on that during the trip!

PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 3:24 pm
by Eman2005
I usually take 100 pictures a day. Unless there is a great photo opportunity such as a sunset or summit. I went hiking last weekend and I took 180 pictures in the rain over two days.