Panasonic DMC-LX3K 10.1MP Digital Camera with 2.5x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

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Designed for easy, creative shooting, and high-performance in low-light conditions, the DMC-LX3 features a F2.0 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens, 10.1 megapixels and an ultra-sensitive 1/1.63-inch CCD developed specifically for this model. By combining a high-quality lens and sensor ready for a variety of shooting conditions with a wide-range of accessories and manual controls, the DMC-LX3 is ideal for professional photographers and serious amateurs looking for a compact digital camera that furthers their creative photography.
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Technical Details

- 10.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
- 2.5x wide-angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized zoom lens
- 3.0-inch high-resolution LCD screen; HD video capture
- Classic SLR-like manual operations include selectable AF spot/multi AF area, customization button, aperture, shutter, program and full manual modes
- Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
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 "More I use it, the More I learn to appreciate it's quality images" 2009-12-11
By K. Bhatti
I bought this camera mainly for its RAW file capabilities, I was not dissapointed. Having full control over the image data makes this a great camera. No regrets. I really love using the macro function too!

 "Photographer's Portable Camera" 2009-12-07
By M. Rojas (SAn Diego)
This is THE camera to buy if you want portability. This camera won't replace your pro-sumer DSLR. That's what DSLRs are for. dpreview and cameralabs have the information you need for comparing features and image quality. But if you're stuck on which camera to buy (ie, Canon G11) the dpreview conclusion made it simple for me to decide:

Here is the quote:

"For a carry anywhere 'walk around' camera I'd go for the LX3 every time."

As a bonus the LX3 has HD video. The G11 does not. So if you're on a trip you could bring just the one camera, instead of a camcorder and camera. Sure it won't replace a camcorder but if you're taking more pictures than video it'll give you more room to pack in your carry on.

 "LX3 US model has no menu support for Chinese/Korean (Most Asian Languages)" 2009-12-05
By Xing Li (Los Angeles, USA)
Almost every camera maker in the known world now includes world language toggle for their consumer camera lineup. Fuji, Sony, Canon, and the list goes on. This is something that should now be a given in today's age.



So I bought this camera thinking it should have pretty much all the major languages but guess what, the US model only contains English, a few European choices, and Japanese as the only far-east language. If you want to buy this for your parents or buy it as a gift for friends who are only fluent in an Asian language other than Japanese, forget about it.



If you do a google search, LX3 has like 8 or more different models each with it's own set of "language" subset.



This is normal right? Wrong.



Go to any camera store and pick up the competitors, almost all of them, many half the price, have all the major globe language set encoded into their camera menu system.



Cameras are the number 1 gift item all over the world and one of the rare consumer items used all over the world regardless of purchase location. Guess Panasonic is too cheap to include a few MB of internal memory to store additional language files.



For a $400 pro-sumer camera, this is a travesty.



Just do your research before you buy and don't assume Panasonic has common sense.

 "Possibly best P&S to date ... begin to reach SLR quality" 2009-11-30
By Photographer
This is my 4th P&S and 2nd Panasonic camera. My other Panasonic is a LZ8, which is an inexpensive but fantastic P&S. I have 2 DSLRs also. It is by far the best P&S. At ISO 100, images from LX3 are comparable to my 10MP DSLR, which is about 4X more expensive. I have been wanting to buy this camera for over about a year but the price has been higher than I want to pay. I was able to get it in a narrow window earlier this month but it has since gone back up.



Really sharp lens at f/2.0. It is one of the best lenses on the market. Period. One of the drawbacks of digital P&S is the relatively large depth of field. It is difficult to isolate the main subject from the background. At wide open aperture of f/2.0 (or f/2.8 at the long FL end), the LX3 has a relatively shallow depth of field. It is one of the best features that makes it really stands out among higher end P&S.



It has an extremely powerful and easy to use manual focus. With the magnified area, it is easy to do manual focus. Furthermore, it is possible to choose the focus area. This feature is especially useful for macros. I have never used short FL for macros before, using the macro feature opens up an entirely different possibilities.



It has a usable ISO range up to 400. At ISO 100 or below, it is hard to find fault. Noise is visible but acceptable at 400; it is comparable to ISO 1600 on my DSLR. Beyond 400, noise is too high for me. This is an unfortunate fact about small sensor P&S. LX3 has a bigger sensor than most P&S and so its noise performance is already better than most. With a fast lens and built-in stabilization, it is not always necessary to use high ISO.



It is possible to export RAW images but I have not yet tried it; btw I use RAW exclusively for my DSLR. IOW, I might be able to squeeze still a little more out of the LX3. The option of using filters (polarizer, IR, etc) is usually not possible for most P&S. LX3 let you do just that. You can buy an adapter to use a variety of add-ons. It is a system that you can grow.



Now on to the not so great part. I really don't care about the different aspect ratios. I can crop on a computer. I prefer to have the battery compartment separate from the SD card. Control during movie is non-existent. Zoom range is limited but it is not a big deal for me.



Overall, it is a great camera. It is not cheap, however. If you need a high quality camera that you can carry around easily, this is IT.

 "Almost, but not quite" 2009-11-27
By Shutter Bug (Traverse City, MI)
I have been looking for a small camera for social events... something other than carrying around my big DSLR. Perhaps my expectations are too high, but I'm just not satisfied with the quality of the photos. At a glance, some look quite stunning. But if you plan to do any cropping on your computer, the detail is lost. I do have several DSLR's and am very familiar with how they function, but for some reason, I never seem to get it just right on this camera. This camera has all the parts to make a great P&S and I do plan to keep working with it.

*** This is an update, a month later. I have been studying the manual and slowly but surely, the photo quality is improving. Seems to be an operator problem! Not a camera issue. So I have upgraded my rating to 4 star, from 3 star. It really is a nice little camera with a medium learning curve.


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Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black)

Buy Cheap Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black)

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Creating gorgeous images is more fun than ever with the sleek, impressively equipped PowerShot SX200 IS. Capture close-up, wide-angle shots with stunning 12x optical zoom. Experience the unprecedented image quality and point-and-shoot convenience of Smart Auto, along with enhanced operability and an intuitive new menu. HD shooting at 1280 x 720 pixels with HDMI output lets you see all the beauty of your HD images and movies on your HDTV.
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Technical Details

- 12.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
- 12x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer; 28mm wide-angle lens
- HD movie shooting capability plus HDMI output
- 3.0-inch LCD screen; Face Detection, Blink Detection
- Compatible with SD/SDHC, MMC/MMC Plus/HC MMC Plus (not included)
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 "Overall good camera" 2009-12-06
By Sirish K. Sharma (San Jose)
Good: 12x zoom, wide angle, picture quality, HD video, scene modes, face detection timer, eye closed sensor, NTSC/PAL, manual settings, color accent, color swap.

Bad: No optical zoom while video capture, flash remain outside all the time when camera is on.



Overall a good camera.

 "Canon Power Shot - a great choice." 2009-11-29
By Mary Lou Browning (Walnut Creek, California)
I travelled to Switzerland last Spring and one of the people in my group had the SX 200IS. I was so impressed with her photo shots that I could not get, that I purchased this SX 200 IS camera for a trip to China, replacing a previous model Canon that did not have the 12x wide angle zoom. I was amazed at what this camera could do and during my trip in China my co-travelers could not believe the great shots that I was able to get. My camera was stolen and I have just replaced it with the same model in spite of many sales people trying to convince me to upgrade to HD. I am very satisfied and love the results that get with this SX 200IS.

 "a mini slr & hd camcoder pack" 2009-11-26
By V. Chandrasekaran (Sunnyvale, CA)
Got this camera few days before.



I know the lens is locked when shooting HD, but normally your subject is at a constant distance so zooming in beffore taking video is not a big inconvenience. This machine is a killer in its manual control.



The camera body is not that great, i has some thing to improve, but given its might i dont care about the body. After all im buying camera for its picture and Video.



A good hibrid camera, im not going to buy a dedicated videocamera for videos.



Many compare it with Lumix Z3 , but come on this guy is s mini slr.

 "Not found as anticipated" 2009-11-22
By SM (Sioux Falls, SD USA)
Review of the camera was very good. So, decided to buy it. Picture qualities were not as expected. Surprisingly my older canon powershot 650 IS produced better pic than this camera.

 "Good camera" 2009-11-13
By havalina (Missouri)
I like this camera. I've had it 6 months. It performs better in low light conditions than any point and shoot I've ever seen. The color quality is sometimes a little weak. If only SLR's weren't so large and expensive!



I love the pop-up flash because I really hate the flash and so I can just close the flash with my finger when I'm taking a picture and don't need flash -- instead of pushing the buttons on the camera. When you're taking pics of kids and animals, that extra 3 seconds is nice; I actually think it's pretty clever design.



I don't know how they fit so much zoom into this little camera, but it's impressive! I mean, it's a lot bigger than the new tiny cameras - but it has a million features. It's as big as it could be and still fit in your pocket, which is what I wanted.



I read it had crummy battery life so I bought two batteries when I got it for big events or camping trips so I wouldn't have to have access to a charger and wait. HOWEVER like I said, I've had the camera six months and only had to re-charge the battery about once a month. I took about 2-300 pics at my brothers wedding and didn't have to change the battery. So, I probably didn't need the second battery but I don't mind having it.


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Canon PowerShot S90IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD

Buy Cheap Canon PowerShot S90IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD

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The pocketable PowerShot S90 gives powerful everyday shooting. Shoot quickly with a lens control ring and get superior low-light performance with a high-sensitivity 10.0 MP CCD and f/2.0 lens.A high-sensitivity CCD sensor gives outstanding image quality in a wide variety of lighting conditions. Even images taken at high ISOs show exceptionally low noise levels and a wide dynamic range.A bright f/2.0 aperture allows exceptional versatility, capturing low-light images and fast-moving subjects at higher shutter speeds. A wide angle of 28mm lets you put more in the frame, while Canon's optical IS reduces blur caused by camera shake.
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Technical Details

- New 10-megapixel High Sensitivity System; DIGIC 4 Image Processor
- Improved low-light image performance, plus a Low Light scene mode for ISO settings up to 12,800
- Customizable control ring for easy access and operation of manual or other creative shooting settings
- Wide-angle 3.8x optical zoom with Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer; bright f/2.0 lens
- RAW + JPEG shooting and recording modes; capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
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 "love it so far" 2009-12-08
By Daniel Kaplan (brookyn, ny)
i just got this as a present. been using for a few weeks and absolutely love it so far. i've done a lot of photography with SLR's over the years, and wanted a tiny, inconspicuous point and shoot, that i can have around at all times. this seems to be it. shooting at F2.0 on manual, with IS, means you almost never need flash. incredible!

 "My "Derringer"" 2009-12-08
By Photo Guy (Tucson, AZ United States)
I'm not one to belabor camera specs that already appear in a manufacturer's description, so this will be short and sweet. I have 33 years of professional photography experience, and am floored by the image quality (IQ) of this little camera! I immediately captured over 300 photos with it after I unpacked it, all indoor without flash, and was amazed at the little-to-no noise appearance in my images, many of them taken at a music concert. The build of the camera is not flimsy or plasticky, as aluded to in another review. I find it to be solidly built, and now call it "my little derringer", that will go with me anywhere more easily than my Canon 40D.

If you want to ascend above the ordinary in a P&S camera, and can afford to do so, then go for it. It's well worth it!

 "The perfect camera?!" 2009-12-06
By realgeek (USA)
Of course, there is no such thing as the perfect camera. But man, does this come close! I have never been so happy with a camera -- and I've owned quite a few.



Right off the bat, the sensor size is larger than on your average P&S (point and shoot) camera, but the resolution isn't any higher. This allows the camera to take MUCH better pictures in low light. And you will be amazed at how good this camera is in low light! Short of a DSLR camera, it has no equal.



In addition, this camera is built for the serious enthusiast. Full manual controls make it almost like having a DSLR in your pocket! And there is a control dial plus a control ring -- making it much easier to control your settings. Plus, a fast lens and the ability to shoot in RAW ... no wonder so many photographers consider this the best pocket camera available. And yet, you can keep it in Auto mode and treat it like any other point & shoot.



Oh, and the LCD is truly beautiful!



The main thing that keeps it from being "perfect" in my estimation is the limited zoom: less than 4X. I need much more zoom. But I'd give it all up for this camera! And, if you want to use the camera as a camcorder, the standard definition video mode is a bit disappointing. Why not high-def, Canon?



The main problems with the camera are pretty minor. The control dial on the back is very loose and you have to be careful not to accidentally change your settings. It's also a shame that you can't independently set the control dial and control ring for whatever you want: instead, you have to choose among a number of pre-sets. It's a little disappointing. And, if you are very serious, it's worth noting the serious barrel distortion in RAW; but the camera takes care of that in processing JPEGs, so most will never know.



Some people complain about the build quality. Trust me, it's perfectly fine. It's light, which can be misleading. But there's nothing wrong with the build quality. Perhaps they expect more for $400. I guess I can understand that. But I'm perfectly comfortable with the build quality.



The competition for this camera are the Panasonic LX3, the Fujifilm F200EXR, and maybe the Sony WX1 or TX1. The Sonys are good low-light cameras, but have no manual controls. The LX3 and the F200EXR are more serious cameras, but they are no better than the S90 and much more difficult to use. The S90 seems to get things right right out of the box more often than these others ... from all that I have heard, anyway. I don't have any of these cameras. But don't discount ease of use when you consider the competition.



I give this camera the highest recommendation possible, even if it's not quite perfect!

 "After extensive researching ..." 2009-12-06
By Steve (Peoria, IL)
I searched online for almost 30 hours, looking for a camera with a small form factor, that has excellent image quality & low light capability for my wife to take family & friend pictures, so it also needed to be simple to use. I have owned many cameras. The S90 has exceeded my perfectionist expectations. Fantastic photos. Low light abilities are incredible and the flash was terrific. Even with the red-eye correction off, no red-eye. Very surprised to have no red-eye with pictures of her cats. Amazing. Can take decent shots with 1 candle burning. The auto setting has been excellent. While not SLR fast, it was extremely quick for a P&S shoot camera. The RAW capability along with the manual controls are total overkill for her, but the camera is excellent for what I was looking for.

 "Fantastic camera!" 2009-12-05
By Karyssa Foster (Texas, USA)
My very old Canon SD600 recently began to show its age (a terrific little camera during its prime, however), so I decided to gift it to my younger brother and get myself a new toy. After a few weeks of shopping, I finally bought a Canon S90. This little gem is amazing! It takes great pictures in low light, I enjoy the large LCD screen on the back, and the picture quality is stunning for a point and shoot. I have a few jealous friends who were surprised by the quality of pictures I was able to take, especially compared to their cameras. Having photographic bragging rights is nice. The creative abilities you have with the manual controls of this camera were a deal-maker for me. I work with DSLRs a lot, and having a large amount of those manual controls on a DSLR in a small, take-everywhere package was the most important reason I bought this camera. While one obviously cannot expect this to take pictures on quite the same level as a DSLR, the pictures are certainly superior to any camera I've seen of this size and price range on the market. The weight is nice, it feels really sturdy. The control ring on the front is a nice feature. I was worried it was going to be gimmicky, but it's actually well designed. The other ring on the back doesn't get in my way and I don't have problems taking pictures with one hand. Just be careful to keep the wrist strap on, it can get a bit slippery. The customizable button the back is really nice. I set it to turn off the screen so I could save battery life between shots. The flash itself is great, it lights up a dark room nicely. Color swap/accent are nifty little features to have, also.



Some things I don't like about this camera (unfortunately, it could not be perfect...) are the shutter release and main zoom control because it feels too plasticy for the $400 price tag. Everything else is fairly solid. Also the battery life leaves something to be desired. I did get about 450 shots on one charge, but the actual time spent shooting was short. I am buying a second battery to carry around with me. The camera is slightly larger than most point and shoots and it took me a while to find a case that properly fit without paying a fortune. I don't think it's as sleek looking as other Canons, but I understand that's entirely subjective. The flash can be intrusive. It's right where I put my finger. Thankfully, it comes up really forcefully, much stronger than I'm holding the camera so I'm not afraid of breaking it. It's similar to someone rolling a car window up when your arm is still sticking out. You're not going to break the window, but it is a little startling.



Overall, if you're shopping for a pocketable camera with superior image quality and more manual control, there is not a better camera out there. You won't be sorry for the money you spent.




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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera with 18x POWER Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD

Buy Cheap Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera with 18x POWER Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD

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The FZ35 records HD movies with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. It uses the AVCHD Lite format to achieve higher image quality while storing less data than the conventional Motion JPEG. Plus, the FZ35 is equipped with an HDMI output terminal for direct transmission of digital image and sound signals.
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Technical Details

- 12.1-megapixel resolution
- 27mm wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens; 18x optical zoom with POWER O.I.S.
- HD movies with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution; AVCHD Lite format
- 2.7-inch TFT LCD screen
- Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
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 "Love This Camera" 2009-12-09
By budwzr (Cerritos,CA)
This camera rocks! The way the buttons, joystick, and menus work together let's me change settings easily from different places, and it's not so linear like Canon.



I won't go into tech details, but suffice it to say this little camera is super robust and if you like Canon, you'll love this one as the UI is full of features.



It has THREE AVCHD bitrate modes AND Motion Jpeg, AND RAW!

 "AWESOME !!!!" 2009-12-07
By Kalyan Revadi (Tulsa OK)
This camera is awesome. Picture quality is perfect in the auto mode. I still have to learn how to use this camera though.. looking at the pictures that i took in auto mode gives me the confidence that I can get stunning pictures if I learn how to use the camera. Finally, I recommend this any camera to anyone.

 "Great buy." 2009-12-06
By Travis Johnson (Dallas, TX)
Excellent small camera for those who want manual controls without a monstrous DSLR package. HD video quality is great. 27mm-486mm equivalent range is very helpful in all situations. Some of the controls don't work quite right, but a firmware upgrade should fix these. Manual ISO override doesn't always work (I set ISO 80 and the camera takes a picture in ISO 200) and the auto white balance isn't always correct (carry a little piece of white cardboard to set manually if this happens.)



All in all, this is a great camera for the price and size. It does absolutely everything I need. And the size is such that I actually will carry it around and use it.

 "how do i open these MSS movie files on a MAC?" 2009-12-05
By Michael Bitterman (The Catskills)
Am i the only one who uses a MAC? This camera makes MSS files and there's no software i know of that will open these movie files.

Does anyone have a clue on what to use? it certainly isn't in the manual.

 "Good camera...if it is compatable with your computer. HORRIBLE Customer service" 2009-12-05
By M. Reese
Prior to purchasing this camera I read many reviews and compared many cameras. It came down to this camera and the Canon SX10 or SX20. I chose this one based on reviews, features and price. I thought everything was great with the camera. I took many pictures and video..uploded them to my computer, deleted my memory card and continued taking more pictures and video. Big mistake. I have a 64-bit computer and did not realize that the software was not compatable with my computer so my videos did not transfer. All of those memories are now gone. Luckily, I realized this prior to deleting video from our most recent vacation. I contacted Panasonic and they said I should have read the manual prior to buying. There is no manual to review - it is only available on CD with purchase of the camera. I was told I should have downloaded the manual from their website. I can't imagine how many consumers would download the manual prior to purchasing??? While I was on the phone I asked them to show me where I could find this information in the manual and they finally admitted that it was not in the manual. So, the issue with reviewing the manual prior to purchasing made no sense anyway! Either both people I spoke with were uninformed or they never expected me to ask for the specifics. I also asked if this was an issue Panasonic was aware of and they said there had been some concerns from other customers. In total I was on the phone with customer service for one hour and was told someone in management would return my call within 24-48 hours. It has been over a week and half and I have not heard back. They told me to purchase third party software however, they did not know of any that they would recommend. I tried calling them again and asked directly for the man I spoke with, I even gave a specific extension. I was on hold for over 10 minutes and gave up. They offered me an apology...a lot of good that will do!


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Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch articulating LCD

Buy Cheap Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch articulating LCD

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The PowerShot G11 is a compact camera that will find favor with professionals and advanced amateur photographers due to its superb image quality, full manual control of settings, and RAW shooting capability. If it's not practical or safe to carry a large DSLR a high-specification compact such as the PowerShot G11 is a fantastic choice. It's great for photographers looking to capture high resolution, high quality, and low light images without having to carry a large SLR system in their kit bags.The G11 features face detection technology that can detect and track numerous faces within the frame to ensure the correct exposure and focus for them. An enhanced i-Contrast system optimizes the dynamic range of subjects to deliver shadow details whilst avoiding highlight blow outs.
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Technical Details

- New 10-megapixel High Sensitivity System; DIGIC 4 Image Processor
- Bright 2.8-inch Vari-Angle PureColor System LCD plus optical viewfinder
- Wide-angle 5x optical zoom (equivalent to 28-140mm); Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer
- Improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects from 22 predefined shooting situations
- RAW + JPEG shooting and recording modes; capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
See more technical details

 "I like it a lot" 2009-12-08
By Stivo (SF Bay Area, CA)
I'd wanted a Canon G series since the G9, and my wife finally let me buy one. I'm still learning how to use it, but all and all I am happy with this camera. I was expecting a metal body since the G9 and 10 both had it. I was initially dissapointed with this point, but the lighter weight of the G11 makes it easier for my wife to use.

I have worked as a newspaper photographer and currently work in the photo industry managing fan photographers at sporting events... I see a lot of cameras.

The interface is great, easy to use. I really like the size and the LCD. I am wary of the picture quality. The images look great on the back of the camera, but in the computer they have a "processed" look to them. I am still learning how this camera works though. I've read that the best quality is is had at ISO 200 or less.

Manual control is great, but what I love is that the camera is smart enough that all I have to do is use Program mode and adjust the exposure compensation depending on the conditions. It's really that easy.

 "Excellent, but not for auto only users." 2009-12-06
By R. Moreno (Northern Califonia)
This camera can provide excellent results but you have to be willing to go beyond the "auto" only mode. This is not your typical point and shoot camera; it's a serious camera with awesome potential. What I love about it are the old school dials and manual controls, rugged, solid build and articulating screen which makes it so much easier to frame low shots.

I'm using a Lensmate lens adaptor which allows the use of add-on lenses and 72mm filters. With this adaptor the filter can be left on all the time with no vignetting or lens interference. This is important to know for those thinking of buying this camera for those reasons. The downside to adding this adaptor is flash interference at wide angle shots, partially blocks the focus assist beam and it renders the viewfinder completely useless.

 "Canon PowerShot G11" 2009-12-05
By A. M. Swartz
Our previous camera was a Canon G2, with use of a PowerShot A570IS this past summer for underwater photography. Our experience with the G11 has been limited so far, but from what we have seen up until now, this camera is a real top of the line piece of equipment. It offers everything from fully automatic to fully manual, a wide range of pre-programmed profiles, and the ability to create and save your own profiles.



I have only one minor comment. While the instruction manual covers the function of each of the buttons, a manual (in the form of a PDF-document on the cd) going into more detail about the various profiles and what you might expect to encounter under the different circumstances would be a big help.

 "Not as good of build quality as G7, but great images quality." 2009-12-04
By Ardavan (Belgium)
I moved from a G7 to G11, mainly because of RAW format, wider angle and better low light performance. It does deliver on all those items plus a much better AWB and lots of new features. The overall image quality is excellent.



But the construction is flimsy. I loved the solid feel of G7 and this one feels a bit more plastic. The turn wheel in the back feels specially weak.



Another short coming of this camera is lack of HD video.

 "Canon G11 vs. Canon S90: A Matter of Personal Preference" 2009-11-30
By Gregory Gilbert (Brooklyn, NY)
Canon G11 vs. Canon S90: A Matter of Personal Preference (I'm posting a very similar review under both the S90 and the G11.)



I've been trying to find a 'carry everywhere' camera to always keep on my person so that I don't miss the amazing things that make up the events of everyday life (like tomorrow when I actually get to get off the R train at Cortland Street in Manhattan, something I haven't been able to do for years due to construction). I wanted something that was (1) Small and (2) Had the ability for full manual controls for shutter speed and aperture. The two cameras that fit this bill very well were Canon's S90 and G11 - Canon's top of the line point and shoots in their respective series (S and G). But which one?



The two major things that the cameras have in common (in addition to the above mentioned manual controls) are:



1. The same image sensor (same size, etc)

2. The same image processor



Anyone who's written a comparison of the cameras will point this out quickly - because normally 'which camera' would come down to these one of these two issues. In addition to these things, there are dozens of other features that both cameras share: this makes it very difficult to decide "which camera?" Having owned both of them (but ultimately deciding to go with the G11 and returning the S90) I would like to make a short list of positive/negatives which I think could be deciding factors when trying to choose between these two excellent cameras. Instead of listing both positive and negative points by each camera, I'll simply point out the positives of each that the other model does not share - I hope that this is helpful in your decision!





G11: Advantages



- Hot shoe: but on a compact? Some people will say "it's pointless to use an external flash on a compact camera - the whole point is to be compact!" That's a valid critique, but at the same time there are times when it's nice to be able to throw a flash on a compact if you really need one. I own the 430EX and the 580EX II (both compatible) but I picked up the newish 270EX with the G11 and it works fantastically with the camera without adding a lot of weight. Both the camera and the flash fit perfectly into the Pelican 1060 case side by side but with enough room to stay padded with the foam insert. And hey - if I want to throw the nearly-twice-as-big-as-the-camera-itself 580EX II on the G11 I can do it! Yet I can also do without it - the camera is versatile this way in a way that the S90 is not.



- Vari-Angle LCD: which at first I found annoying. The screen adds just enough bulk to the camera that it does not fit in smaller cases which it otherwise would. When I first got the camera I was really rather annoyed by it in fact - not only because of the bulk but because it is actually smaller than the LCD on the S90. I had to read another review to realize that it was a much better thing than I realized - because it allows you to hold the camera at all sorts of different levels and angles while still allowing you to see what you're shooting. I really enjoy doing photography with the camera low to the ground (I have an angled viewfinder for my DSLR) and so this works perfectly for what I need. As others have pointed out, the Vari-Angledness of the LCD allows you to flip it while in storage so that it's even more protected.



- Remote Shutter Release: you can use one! I love doing night photography and that the G11 allows me to use a cable release really seals the deal on the S90 vs. G11 for me personally (granted on the S90 you can always use the 2 second self-timer). Good news too if you use a Canon Rebel DSLR - it's the same cable release.





S90: Advantages



- Very compact: quite a bit smaller than the G11, it would easily fit in pockets and cases that the G11 never could. If you're into Pelican cases like I am, you can fit the S90 in the Pelican Micro Case 1010 with room to spare.



- More efficient controls: the ring around the lens is amazing and an excellent idea. Especially when in manual mode, this makes setting aperture and shutter speed a snap (it's more awkward on the G11 - you have to use the small back dial and then toggle between aperture and shutter speed with a separate button which can get to be messy when you're trying to shoot quickly).



- The f2.0 lens: a full stop faster than the G11's 2.8 lens. This is a LOT of light, and especially important when you want to take photos in low-light situations (note though that the lens on the S90 doesn't zoom in far as the G11 if that's important to you - both lenses are the same focal length when zoomed out).



Both the G11 and the S90 are beautiful, well made cameras that will serve any photographer well when you're looking for something that's not DSLR sized.




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Technical Details

- High-powered 10x wide-angle optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer
- 3.0-inch PureColor System LCD; Smart AUTO detects and analyzes faces, brightness, colors, distance, and movement
- Easy Mode takes all the guesswork out of the equation by determining the right shooting mode
- DIGIC 4 Image Processor; 10-megapixel resolution for poster-size, photo-quality prints
- Powered by AA batteries (included); capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
See more technical details

 "So far so good" 2009-12-06
By V. Thomas (Kansas City, MO)
I am still learning how to operate my camera. I would have preferred a written manual to the CD simply because with my lifestyle I am not always near a computer to access the manual. I like to read at night and I can study the written manual and re-read functions that I intend to use. I almost returned the camera because I could not find any written reference to delayed shots. This feature is very important to my lifestyle and after several days of frustration I popped in the CD and there it was. The CD may work for some lifestyle but is a huge hassel for me. I want a written manual with all the details. V.Thomas KC,MO

 "Great Point and Shoot with a few caveats" 2009-12-06
By Wiseguy (Ohio)
I've done a fair amount of researching to buy a point and shoot to complement my DSLR that I already use.



Keep in mind a few things with point and shoots... they are NOT DSLR's and will not have the same quality of picture, regardless of megapixels. Good pics are lens and lighting moreso than megapixel count.



I've seen a lot of negatives with "low light" and it's fair to complain, but a good picture requires the right lighting. I've found that the SX120 takes good low-light pictures where there is enough light for part of your subject. I took a picture of several people doing Rock Band in a room with lots of track lighting and a mirrored ceiling. The focal point looks great but the lesser lit guitarist was a bit blurred. I took a second shot with flash and it's much sharper, but the flash changes the look with background glare from the mirrored ceiling. Lighting matters!



I had originally bought a Samsung TL220, falling for the glam of touchscreen, dual screens (front and back) and all that stuff. I took it back because the picture quality (low light or not) simply was substandard for a $280 camera. I found the SX120 by chance at Target on sale for $199.



The SX120 takes great pictures for a point and shoot (keep that in mind!). It also has all the important features of the more expensive point and shoots (I like that it has 16:9 wide angle). But for the shutterbug that wants more, you can control shutter and aperture like a DSLR. You also control the flash, since you have to manually flip it up. Believe it or not, that's a great feature because I don't always remember to menu around to turn off the flash.



It is not as slim as the newest models but it is small enough for a shirt/coat pocket (albeit bulky looking in the pocket).



Keeping this from 5 stars is battery life and flash recycle. The two AA batteries that came with the camera lasted long enough for test shots and one Christmas party with sparse use. You will always need batteries on hand for this camera. The flash also takes a painful 4 to 5 seconds to regenerate... that is unacceptably slow when you need it under most circumstances.

 "A very impressive camera for the price with some really stupid software..." 2009-12-06
By Hey Mo!! (The City of Townsville)
I was looking for the best zoom with image-stabilization in the under-$200 category and I'm pretty sure I've found it. In addition, I got what seems to be the smartest camera in its class. Unfortunately, the people who designed it were thinking more about getting the images onto the camera than getting the images off. It doesn't mount as a USB mass-storage device and the bundled software is total "poo." It's a good camera, but save yourself a headache and get a card reader if you don't have one already.



I paid about $20 less than Amazon's price for this camera, which put it in the same price range as a typical 3x-zoom pocket Panasonic, Pentax or Kodak camera, but IMHO it's better than any of those and way better than the Olympus cameras I've tried that cost more. Some of those other cameras will be 12-megapixels while this one's a "mere" 10MP, but don't buy into the megapixel myth.



*_Pros:

10x optical zoom for the price of a 3x zoom camera. The image-stabilization makes it a snap to get great pics while zoomed to the max.



Picture quality is very nice. With decent lighting there's little noise, banding or color-shifting, even at the edges of the images where other cameras tend to sneak it in. Indoors, in Auto mode there's some fine noise in the red and green channels that's easily detectable, but about on-par with cameras in this price-range.



The Auto setting gets you shooting high quality pictures in a hurry. About 2 seconds from power-on to the first shot.



If, like me, you love to fiddle, this thing offers lots of manual settings. ISO, WB, manual focus, aperture control, custom exposure time up to 15 seconds... The Manual settings are especially useful for indoor and macro shots.



People complain about the camera eating batteries. The cheap batteries that it came with were depleted before I'd finished reviewing the controls, but with Energizer Titaniums I easily got at least 250 shots -- some with flash -- before the batteries ran down. I haven't tried Lithium yet.



The little battery used just for keeping time. Sometimes I leave my camera shelved for a month or two and with previous cameras I'd have to set the time and date and other presets all over again. This camera: No pain.



Duplicating images and some tweaking including red-eye correction can done be while browsing images in Playback mode instead of at the time of the shot.



The camera can be set to display detailed image data including a histogram when a picture is displayed at the time that it's shot and also later in the Preview mode.



Pop-up flash with fine flash controls.



Uses standard AA batteries. No proprietary charger to deal with.



I honestly don't know that the auto face recognition does anything to improve my picture-taking, but it's fun to play with when you've got lots of people in a shot and the time to fuss around.



...



*_Cons:

While the manual says that the camera's memory card will mount on a Mac or PC using the supplied USB cable, I've found that it simply doesn't work and a little Googling confirmed that this is an epic fail for almost all Canon cameras. The camera is detected on the USB bus, but it's never mounted as a mass-storage device. I've got a card reader so it isn't a big deal, but it's annoying. Notably, if you lack a card-reader and if you've got a Mac, Apple's Image Capture software -- bundled with the OS -- detects the camera and lets you copy the images anywhere on your drive quite efficiently. This is in contrast to...



The "Camera Window" software that Canon wants you to use to get images and movies off of the memory card is one of the most stupid inefficient pieces of crud ever to pollute my computer. It has almost no configurable options, shows thumbnails but doesn't allow a user to simply drag and drop images to the Desktop or to a convenient folder and forces the user to import the images into an awful awful awful proprietary image-catalog application. Whoever decided to push this lousy software on us deserves to be tarred and feathered and publicly flogged. I just want the memory card on my camera to mount on my computer so that I can copy my pictures to wherever the heck I want and decide for myself how I want my images cataloged. Almost every digital camera did that 10 years ago. Why is it so hard for modern camera-makers to do this?!!



WB suffers a lot indoors when using the Auto mode without the flash.



The camera's display tends to make images look brighter and more saturated than they actually are. Plan accordingly.



Continuous shooting has a delay of about a second between shots. It should be faster.



When shooting video, the WB and ISO seem to be stuck at whatever setting they are at when the camera starts recording so moving from a bright room to a darker room makes for color-shifts and noise.



Also when shooting video, the optical zoom is stuck at whatever setting you had when you started recording. You can't zoom out from there and zooming in from that point is digital-only and adds noise.



...



*_Nit-Picking:

The plastic case makes it seem like this camera is low-end when it just ain't.



The battery compartment can be hard to open. There should be some grooves in the battery-door to help you get the traction to slide the door out to the position where it swings open. I've found a trick to doing it with minimal effort: Move the little button with your fingernail, then keep your fingernail in the slot and push with the edge of your nail towards the side of the camera to slide the battery-door out to the point where it can swing open.



Movies are shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio (640x480, AVI, MJPEG compression with raw 8-bit/11KHz mono audio). They are generally of excellent quality -- good enough to stand in for a camcorder in a pinch -- but modern devices should shoot in 16:9 instead of 4:3. Oddly, VLC reports encoding errors in the movie files, but QuickTime 7 has no problem with them.



It's not really big or heavy, but this is not a camera that can easily fit in a pants-pocket. It does fit in the inside pocket on some of my coats. I actually went out and got a little camera case with a shoulder-strap for mine so I don't have to worry about it dangling from my wrist when I'm not using it.



The big white wrist strap that mine came with is ugly. I replaced it with a svelte gray strap from another camera.



The PhotoStitch software that it comes with crashes instantly under Mac OS 10.5 and 10.6. I didn't buy it for the cheezy software, but if you want to make panaramas be warned.



The images are saved at 180dpi. I've noticed this with other Canon cameras. I can see a rationale for 72 dpi. I can see 96 or 244 or 300dpi. Why 180dpi? I know that it's arbitrary and largely meaningless, but that number is just weird.



I wish this camera would save pictures in LZW TIFF or RAW format. I hate JPEG.



...



Okay, so you've read this far and you see lots of criticisms. I still recommend this camera. It takes good pictures, it's got a great zoom with some of the best image-stabilization I've seen and the interface is suitable for both the neophyte and the advanced amateur user. It's a sweet camera and the price is fantastic for what you get. If you want better, you're going to end up paying a lot more.

 "Very poor auto white balance & overexposure in general" 2009-12-04
By Harry W (NJ)
Camera has very poor auto white balance. My house has some rooms with CFL bulbs and others with tungsten. The auto white balance failed miserably in both the situations. Using fixed presets gave a little better results but still the skin tones had a distinct ORANGE tint. Had to next configure the colors to be nuetral instead of the default to get better skin tones. Still a bit orange (less than with default color setting) skin tones. Now came the next bad part. 50% of the pictures were overexposed as in the there was so much flash that people's faces were showing huge amounts of white reflection. I was again able to reduce the flash by doing down 2 points with flash compensation. That also did not work well with all targets. Then I tried the 3 different metering options with flash compensation. Got better results with those but the pictues were still not very sharp. BUT if I have to do all this twiddeling with the camera settings before it can take decent pictures, why would I buy a point and shoot?

So mine is going back today....

Overall this is a very bad camera for indoor lighting situations in typical houses. Canon needs to improve their AWB performance (I have read at dpreview that their rebel slrs are no better at AWB). I have seen how bad their AWB is with this camera.



Just FYI: All me shots were indoors in tungsten or CFL light with f2.8 (no zoom), shutter speed calculated by camera, either most of them in the P mode (so that I could correct the bad settings camera was picking). In the auto mode it kept going to ISO 640 even with plenty of light in the room and had very poor results. I only got decent results in P mode at ISO200-400, 2 points down on the flash, netral colors and manually preset white balance. And in the end the images were still not very sharp.



My 100 $ fuji finepix was a much better camera but it unfortunately has died after 3-4 years.

 "Great value" 2009-12-03
By C. Beach (Fearrington Village, NC)
I am thoroughly enjoying this camera. I'm just back from a trip out west and am very pleased with the quality of photos I came home with. I haven't yet mastered all the special settings, but when I did use them, they performed beautifully. I had wanted a better camera than the several year old digital that I had, but didn't want to get into the world of SLR's and this camera is a terrific compromise between size and quality.


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