New shooters read up: Canon G's vs DSLR

Today it kind of occurred to me in a sort of.. mental summation, that many shooters I've met looking at DSLRS- or some that have purchased them- would probably be better off with a Canon G series camera instead of a DSLR like the Rebel or 60D etc- especially the newer model G series cameras. There are a huge list of pros and cons for either camera type in general, but here's why I think most new shooters would prefer a G if they would give them a try instead:

• Bang for the buck- just doesn't get much better than a G here
• Awesome lens with decent bright aperture (G15 is exceptional). To get the quality, features, and range of a G lens in a DSLR would cost you nearly 3 times as much alone, and much more if you bought a G15.
  
• Fully featured, little if any manual shooting compromise
• Excellent overall image quality and more resolution than most would ever need
  
• Excellent video quality
• Much much more portable (bring it with you anywhere, and more likely too)
• Very little sacrifice compared to a DSLR in most circumstances
  
• Professional print results capable: For much less than a DSLR
• Quiet (don't underestimate this)
• Nearly all encompassing design (swiss army knife kind of camera)
• Shoots auto and manual equally comfortably
• An excellent learning platform with plenty of room to grow (even pro's use them)
  

I've met many Americans who bought DSLRS thinking they are getting a "good camera" just for the sake of it. Most of the time, they don't bring them with them because of size- or being scared to get it stolen, lost, or damanged. A smaller and less expensive camera like the Canon G series solves those problems immediately. Also, most of them never take these larger and more expensive cameras off Auto (even some paid photogs!). It happens quite a bit here in the U.S. trust me on that.

DSLR's in large part are a popularity item too, when someone (buyer or admirer) sees a "professional" looking camera there's really no arguing the quality of the product you bought. There seems to be some level of false confidence gained by buying a DSLR for just that reason. But you don't have to buy a DSLR to take care of your needs.

I don't think mirrorless cameras really solve much of the issues I've raised either, because they are more expensive than G series cameras and larger (especially if you are going to cover the same focal length the G series cameras have inherently). They do a better job at solving those issues than say a DSLR will, but not nearly as well as the G series cameras do.

Just remember that you don't have to be like the Jones's to start out in photography, or cover your photography needs. There are other avenues to go that are much more rewarding in many circumstances.

Just remember- the best camera is the one that you have with you. If you don't want to bring it with- then why did you buy it?

Just some food for thought. Remember this doesn't apply to all shooters obviously, just a large portion of many that I've met and obviously the buck doesn't stop at the G series cameras either. The Nikon P7000-7100 are also excellent choices in their own right, but I prefer the G series cameras overall ( not having some sort of finder disqualifies some makes/models in my book).

Cheers,

Carl

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