Replacing my Powershot G7 with a Rebel XTi 400D

I have made the decision and now I am just waiting for the price to drop. I plan over the next couple of weeks to trade in my Canon Powershot G7 for a Canon Rebel XTI 400D camera. The Powershot G7 and its 10.0 megapixel size has been awesome, I just want more than it is capable of now.

Over the past year I shot over 3,000 pictures (that I kept) on my G7. From the day it arrived, it has been the best digital camera that I have owned – and made a mighty pairing with the ultra-portable Powershot 800IS. The pictures from the G7 have turned out amazing with my limited experience and it seems like I find new features every month or so I did not realize were there. (Most recently it was the 15 or so different light ‘modes’ that for some reason I never found before. However, I digress)

However, the more I start tweaking the pictures in Adobe Photoshop, the more I realize that I may need an upgrade. The main reason is that when zooming in and cropping, there is significantly more noise in the photos from the G7 than what I have seen on the Rebel XTi 400D in similar shots. It is compounded by the fact that I am now tending to shoot at lightly larger angles and distance than I normally would so I can post process the pictures to get them just the way I want.

I can still get high quality 8X10’s after cropping and adjusting the pictures in Photoshop. However, I had some more ambitious goals on some recent pictures that I taken – wanting to generate some 16x20’s. However, the noise in the photos just did not allow for it.

With the 400D comes the same resolution and megapixels, however a lot more flexibility in terms of avaiable lenses. The only drawback? Its size. However, with a pairing with the SD 800IS, it should a great combo for both high quality pictures and quick shots.

I have been scouring the ads for deals for a few weeks, but there is one thing that is keeping me from pulling the trigger. The pending announcement from Canon on the camera that will stand to replace the Canon Rebel XTI 400D. That announcement is due out tomorrow the 24th – depending on the delivery time of it, it could cause some significant price drops on the 400D.

I will have to wait a couple of days to see. Have you tried both a Powershot G7 and a Rebel XTI 400D? What are your thoughts on the differences?

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Canon PowerShot G7 – 1000 pictures in!

It’s now been a few months since I obtained my “elusive” Canon PowerShot G7 camera. I am happy to report that after taking over 1000 pictures with the camera, I am quite satisfied with the performance of the G7.

My usage of the PowerShot G7 has been entirely in casual situations to this point. Family occasions, travel, and a few musings have been the uses to see how well the capabilities of the camera perform. Neither have I tried out any accessories such as the available lens or underwater case. Overall – in a short summary, I have yet to be disappointed with the quality of the pictures taken from the camera.

Here are a few collections of photos that have been taking by the Canon Powershot G7 camera. (These photos were shot in the highest resolution however Picasa conveniently reduced the size so I could store more than one set of photos):

• 2006_12_Christmas
• 2006_11_Thanksgiving_Disneyland
• 2006_11_11_USC_Oregon

In terms of rating my experience with the camera thus far, here are the good and bad things I have found about the camera:

The Good:

• Ergonomics. Great looking camera, buttons and dials can be accessed confidently without fumbling.
• Photo Quality. Problems that I have had with my PowerShot 410D Elph are not manifested in the G7. For instance, my personal tendency to have “red-eye” is barely visible, and the image stabilization has worked wonders in both active situation and night photos where a flash is not used.
• Zoom. The 6.0x optical zoom is excellent. Great way to get closer to the subject without going to the grainy digital zoom. The 10.0 megapixels enhances this, enabling you to crop any photo for basic prints to further enhance the image.
• Reliability. The camera has had zero issues to report.
• Longevity. I have yet to run out of the battery and had to switch out in the middle of taking pictures. In some cases, I have taken a couple hundred snapshots.
  Speed. The G7’s startup time is amazing low. It’s time between pictures, even for the storage of the 10 megapixel photos is also relatively quick.
• Shoulder Strap. When I posted my first impressions about the camera, I was critical for Canon not including a wrist strap for the PowerShot G7. However, after carrying around the camera around for a day at Disneyland, I really appreciated the shoulder strap. By carrying it with the strap over one shoulder and underneath the other arm, it was very convenient. I barely noticed that camera and it was readily available for quick shots.

The Bad:

• When to use. Given the positioning of the camera it is neither a SLR nor a light-weight pocket camera. That means you need to be intentional about carrying it with you. It does not have the “unconscious portability” that you find in the SD line of PowerShot cameras. You cannot simply slip it into your pocket or purse. It is not what the camera was intended for.
• Wrist strap. Yes, I do since the praise of the shoulder strap above, but it would be nice to have a basic wrist strap to carry and hold the camera.
• Accessories. The only knock I give is for the availability of a basic, very basic carrying case. The current ones available from Canon are pretty bulky & expensive. It was even difficult to find anything similar to the SD line from 3rd parties.

The Verdict:
The PowerShot G7 is a keeper of a camera. Even better news, is that you can find the camera readily available for about $500, about $100 below MSRP before any coupons or discounts. We will take it on every major trip we have and use it for our primary camera. However, it cannot be our only camera. Ashley and I still really need a basic camera that has the feel of “unconscious portability” that we can have with us at all times. Unfortunately the PowerShot G7 just does not fit the bill. So, in the coming weeks – we will be purchasing the Canon Powershot SD800 IS as a supplement to the G7 -- thanks to a Best Buy MyWishlist certificate. I will let you know how that goes!

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The Canon PowerShot G7 has arrived!

The long awaited arrival of my new digital camera from Dell is here, the Canon Powershot G7 10 mega pixel camera! What's included in the box:

• PowerShot
• G7 Lithium battery pack
• Battery charger
• 32MB SD memory card
• Neck strap
• Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
• USB cable
• AV cable
• User's manual

My first impression on items included in the package is that I find it somewhat lacking. The inclusion of a 32MB SD memory card for a 10 megapixel camera is not only a waste of a card, but somewhat of an insult a you can get a total of about 8 high-resolution photos on that size of a card. Fortunately, I have been able to pick up both 1GB and 2GB cards on the cheap due to some recent deals from FatWallet.

Next, the inclusion of a full neck strap, but no wrist strap. While some might appreciate the next strap, this camera is no where near as large as a Rebel EOS SLR where a neck strap is necessitated. The inclusion of a basic wrist strap would have been nice.

And my last disappointment is the lack of a basic soft case for the camera. With my other Powershot line purchase in the past, a very basic soft case that protects against basic body and LCD scratches. I do not personally have the need for a larger case, just something basic. At this time, it does not look like Canon has produced a basic soft case at this point.

Now on to the camera itself. Initially, I am very impressed with the look, feel, & size of the Canon Powershot G7 camera. This is the first time that I have been able to put my hands on this camera, given my previously mentioned difficulties. My only initial concern is that if my hands were any larger, I would clumsily fumble around with all the various manual controls available on the camera. Other than that it feels extremely ergonomic and functional.

After charging the battery, I took a few test shots (to be posted soon). I am very impressed with the initial quality of the shots when compared with my previous Powershot (Elph) cameras. The differences, especially in night photos is amazing. The G7 powers on very quickly and is able to snap shots in repetition at high-resolution at a greater pace than I have been used to. The 6x optical zoom does a great job of enlarging distant objects without decreasing the quality.

While I only have taken a few photos thus far, I am very impressed with this camera. I will follow up with additional insights and opinions once I have used the camera more along with sample pictures. I am also going to be picking up a few additional accessories including a LCD scratch protector and extra batteries. At this point I would recommend the Canon Powershot G7 to anyone looking to capture high-quality photos with a relatively compact camera and still skipping the SLR for photography!

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Getting my hands on the elusive PowerShot G7.....

Now that I have a Canon PowerShot G7 on order with Dell, I wanted to try and actually get my hands on one before it arrived. I went to a number of local spots and nobody seems to have one available on display; not Ritz Camera, not Fry's Electronics, not Best Buy. So, after driving around for the better part of an afternoon - the conclusion I reached is the first one I will see when it arrives at my door. Has anyone else been able to have hands on this camera?

This brings up and interesting point - how could I choose a camera without testing it out first? Especially a camera like the PowerShot G7 with a relatively lofty price tag of $599. While it may seem like a difficult question, it is actually pretty simple. The first reason is that given the ability to sell a relatively mint condition new camera on like the G7 on eBay is relatively easy. In fact, with the Dell discounts - it might be possible to come out ahead and have a true FatWallet moment. That greatly lowers the risk and concern when selecting such a camera.

However, it is important to understand why I like this particular camera. Truth be told, I was hoping that Canon would continue the S80 line - but nothing seems to be imminent. The two features that really killed the deal on the S80 was the lack of both Optical Image Stabilizer Technology and the DIGIC III processor. Those two advancements, plus the 10.0 megapixel feature really sold me on the camera. Despite what some user comments say on reviews out there like the one you will find on CNET - the missing RAW mode is not a deal killer nor does not take away from the appeal and quality of the remaining features of the camera. I cannot wait until it arrives!

On an accessory notes, there have been extremely good deals on SD Memory cards for cameras like the PowerShot G7. In fact, this weekend I picked up a Kingston 2GB SD card for $19 from Fry's Electronics in Oxnard.

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