Reading mode: Light Dark

Decision - Minolta DiMage 7 or Canon G2

Go to last post
Pentel said:
Hi there,

FYI, I've post up a web site that comments on both DiMage 7 and G2.
If you're interested to check it out, it is
http://digital.chungtong.com/d7/

I've just sold the G2 for a D7 but now I regret!
Click to expand...
Hi Pentel,

......but, I remember begging you to keep your G2 and purchase
an old manual/mechanical camera. I think that was "way" back
in November 2001.

But, none the less, have fun with whatever camera you are using.

Cameras & Cocktails........(from the Whoops Bar & Grill)

JRS
Member said:
Running the images from D7 thru DIVU is slow. After you've loaded
them all with color match you have to save them as well! The saving
process is very slow.. maybe I only have a P3-450 512MB RAM which
is not juicy enough.

The D7 images are more noisy. G2 produces accurate color with low
noise at ISO 100. I like G2's color better too. The D7 is not hard
to learn, at all. It is just a matter of the control. You just have
to know what they mean because they are not intuitive enough.
However, there weren't many features and it won't take you long
time to learn.

The best thing about D7 is its 7X zoom, 49 mm thread and on top
flash. Its flex focus and manual focus is good too. However, the
image shown on the LCD is a turn off since it doesn't show the
actual colour (becuz it is not run through the DIVU yet). It looks
awkward.

So if the zoom isn't important and you're not going to add filters,
get a G2 definitely. Otherwise, D7 is still good for its price and
features.
Dustin Wilkins said:
Hello all - I just wanted to say that since this is my first post
on this board.

Now, this may seem a bit redundant, and I have been reading through
messages for a week or 2 now on this forum, and the Canon forum
trying to get a feel for how happy everyone is with either the
DiMage 7 or the G2. I find that users for either camera are very
pleased with their purchase. I am just having an extremely hard
time trying to decide between the 2 cameras.

A week or two ago, I was pretty much set on the DiMage 7, due to
the 7x zoom lens, and the fact it has another megapixel on the G2.
But, I started reading into the G2 and liked the idea of the
significant battery life advantage over the DiMage 7 (so it seems
anyway). I have a Canon ZR10 MiniDV Camcorder, and I think it uses
the same exact battery, so the battery interchangeability would be
great as well. The only battery comparisons I have seen have been
on this site in a few different reviews (such as the DiMage
review). I was disappointed to see the DiMage 5 and DiMage 7 rank
the lowest. The plus side to the DiMage 7 (and 5) is that it uses
standard AA batteries, so finding power when you run out isn’t a
big deal.

Both seem to do very well in regards to image quality, and I was
very impressed with all of the sample images I saw from various
people. The only issue I had with the DiMage 7 is the non-standard
color space… not that it is a BIG deal to run the images through
the conversion program, but it just kind of turned me off.
Although, yesterday I read some older posts regarding settings on
the camera that people have adjusted to take the conversion step
out of the equation. If someone could give me a thumbs up on that,
and maybe a few small experiences, that would shed a bit of hope on
the DiMage 7.

So, I figured I’d see what kind of responses I would get out of the
2 forums (sorry for the cross post). Due to the price
similarities, I am still leaning toward the DiMage 7 because the
fantastic zoom capabilities, and the 5 megapixel resolution.

So, if anyone has anything to share either way, I would GREATLY
appreciate it. I have been reading posts for a few weeks now
monitoring peoples praises and complaints for both cameras.
Anyway, thanks for anyone’s and everyone’s time.

--
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Guillaume said:
I tried both ( I have a G2) and where I work we sell the Minolta
too....and in Canada, it would cost about the same thing for : 1
year of batteries for DIMAGE7....or a new G2 camera :)
Click to expand...
Guillaume,

Come on now, be fair, the G2 isn't that expensive.(^ ^)

Cameras & Cocktails.....(from the Umbrella Province)

JRS
Guillaume(G2) said:
Guillaume
:)
Dustin Wilkins said:
Hello all - I just wanted to say that since this is my first post
on this board.

Now, this may seem a bit redundant, and I have been reading through
messages for a week or 2 now on this forum, and the Canon forum
trying to get a feel for how happy everyone is with either the
DiMage 7 or the G2. I find that users for either camera are very
pleased with their purchase. I am just having an extremely hard
time trying to decide between the 2 cameras.

A week or two ago, I was pretty much set on the DiMage 7, due to
the 7x zoom lens, and the fact it has another megapixel on the G2.
But, I started reading into the G2 and liked the idea of the
significant battery life advantage over the DiMage 7 (so it seems
anyway). I have a Canon ZR10 MiniDV Camcorder, and I think it uses
the same exact battery, so the battery interchangeability would be
great as well. The only battery comparisons I have seen have been
on this site in a few different reviews (such as the DiMage
review). I was disappointed to see the DiMage 5 and DiMage 7 rank
the lowest. The plus side to the DiMage 7 (and 5) is that it uses
standard AA batteries, so finding power when you run out isn’t a
big deal.

Both seem to do very well in regards to image quality, and I was
very impressed with all of the sample images I saw from various
people. The only issue I had with the DiMage 7 is the non-standard
color space… not that it is a BIG deal to run the images through
the conversion program, but it just kind of turned me off.
Although, yesterday I read some older posts regarding settings on
the camera that people have adjusted to take the conversion step
out of the equation. If someone could give me a thumbs up on that,
and maybe a few small experiences, that would shed a bit of hope on
the DiMage 7.

So, I figured I’d see what kind of responses I would get out of the
2 forums (sorry for the cross post). Due to the price
similarities, I am still leaning toward the DiMage 7 because the
fantastic zoom capabilities, and the 5 megapixel resolution.

So, if anyone has anything to share either way, I would GREATLY
appreciate it. I have been reading posts for a few weeks now
monitoring peoples praises and complaints for both cameras.
Anyway, thanks for anyone’s and everyone’s time.

--
Click to expand...
--
-----
http://www.pbase.com/guibou
Click to expand...
 
Annoying splotches from blue skies? I do not get that at all. If
you have any examples I'd like to have a look. > >

It's a 1.2 meg file. Can I email it to you ? I find pbase slow and difficult to use..

thanks -let me know.

--chris hemstead, g2 owner
 
The MP difference betweene G2 and D7 is small. I wanted to buy the Pro90 but I didn't go for it because of its bad look, similar image quality to G1 and higher price than the D7 with less features.

I know the D7 doesn't look very great but well the D7 looks more professional than the Pro90.. ok the look is not practical =) but D7 could attach 49 mm filters (which are cheaper) easily and still has a long zoom. I don't like G1's CA problem and the bad flash exposure. If the image quality is like G2, I don't mind the 2.6 MP since I print at 6x4 max only.

Canon's LCD does look much better and the 10X zoom is super.. I got my 10X50 binocular today and I can view things that are far and clearly. The IS feature is unbeatable as well.
jonlg said:
I know that the Pro 90 is getting on but did you consider it at the
start.
What may have put you off the 90.
I'm curious as I'm deciding over G2 & Pro 90.
The zoom is something that Ilike but the MP issue has me on hold.
John
--
~
Click to expand...
 
Haha! You caught me! I just think D7's image quality is unacceptable after I've used G2. If I have never used G2 before, I believe I would be satisified with D7.
J.R.Simpson said:
Pentel said:
Hi there,

FYI, I've post up a web site that comments on both DiMage 7 and G2.
If you're interested to check it out, it is
http://digital.chungtong.com/d7/

I've just sold the G2 for a D7 but now I regret!
Click to expand...
Hi Pentel,

......but, I remember begging you to keep your G2 and purchase
an old manual/mechanical camera. I think that was "way" back
in November 2001.

But, none the less, have fun with whatever camera you are using.

Cameras & Cocktails........(from the Whoops Bar & Grill)

JRS
Click to expand...
 
Battery life is not a prob at all on D7. I use GP 1800mAH NiMh rechargable batteries and I got over 70 shots in 1 set of batteries. Flash was used on all pictures since it was indoor.

So consider buying 3-4 sets of batteries, it can keep you busy for the whole day.
Chris Hemstead said:
I hope I didn't include 67 lines of previous responses in my reply.

I labored over this same decision for weeks. The D7 gallery on
this forum blew me away, and, quite frankly, I liked the images
better than the G2's.
I read many minuses about the D7 including battery life, plethora
of knobs, color space, which turned me off. (AA batteries ? forget
it.. they'll last about 10 minutes.) I'm no pro, and surely did
not want to go to school with something as difficult as the D7. I
wanted a point and shoot if I needed it. The G2 is definitely
that, and I seem to do better with that than making settings myself.

After one month of ownership of the G2, I'm still wrestling with
focus, and "jpegging clouds." You know those annoying splotches
you get from blue skies .. ? Can't seem to get rid of that.

Good luck !

--
chris hemstead, g2 owner
Click to expand...
 
TNRandy said:
If i was you, i would be looking at the G2 or the Sony 707. Look at
landscape pictures or pictures of the sky with the D7. I was very
excited about this camera and it's features but i could not get
past the noise. At this time, i do not think it is a better camera
under $1,000 that is better than the G2 or 707. Maybe soon, it will
be a camera with a big zoom and have raw, low noise, etc and almost
as a conbination of these two cameras. The reviews rate the G2 very
highly and i do not see many negatives with this camera at all.
Before spending this much money, why not go try the two cameras out
side by side, plus have some 8x10's made of pictures you take,
while trying these cameras out. I believe you will like what you
see in the G2 but again, you won't have the zoom you were looking
for.
Randy
Click to expand...
The problem with the F707 is its color and lack of controls to do anything about it. With the DiMage 7, you can reduce saturation, contrast, and sharpness, which should also reduce the appearance of noise (contrast and saturation are too strong by default anyway).

I think the DiMage 7 would be a little harder to learn, but if you're willing to take the time you will be able to get great images from it. The G2 is probably a little simpler. I think you could be happy with either one, but I would recommend the G2 if you don't want to spend any time learning about photography -- not that the G2 is just a simple camera, it's ideal for both advanced and begginers where the D7 is ideal for advanced users.
 
e. rojas said:
For whatever is worth, I had an Oly 4040 for a week and sent back
when the LCD died, then I bought the G2, quality is MUCH better on
the G2, all over, I don't know about the quality of the Dimage 7, I
heard good comments , saw some comparisons of pictures taken with
both cameras, I still like better what I saw from the G2. the color
rendering of the Dimage did not look natural, although they were
very vivid.
ER
Click to expand...
You have a ton of control over color saturation (vividness) and contrast on the D7. Default settings for contrast and saturation are too strong so you see alot of galleries with colors that are too vivid, poor shadow detail, and blown highlights. This is easily adjustable on the camera.
 
I have downloaded several sets of images from the G-2 and
the D-7. The D-7 has less actual visable image problems than
the G-2 shows. It has less CA, less distortion, less of the
unexplained blotches that show best in skin tones and sky
shots with the G-2, some of the time. The 7x lens is very
important to me, as I find myself using the G-1 at max zoom
about 90 percent of the time, and wanting more, even in
my own livingroom. Printed at 8x10 after editing, the images
are very similar in quality, with the D-7 requiring an additional
step for some people. I run all of my images from the G-1
thru a color conversion step also now, and would if I was using
the G-2 also. On landscape type shots, the D-7 blows the
G-2 away, and not by a small margin. On close flash shots,
especially those using the 420ex flash, the G-2 pulls a slight
edge in the ISO 50 shots. The ISO 100 shots are about
even.
I have a G-1 sitting within reach on a new tripod that
goes to five feet and will extend to almost 7. It has a 420ex
flash sitting beside it that is larger than the camera itself.
It produces excellent images unless you try to do something
it doesn't do well. I would not think of getting rid of it
without getting the G-2 to replace it. Having said that, the
second quick connect plate for the tripod will go on the bottom
of a D-7. The D-7 is good at all the things the G-1 is bad at.
If I was going to sit down with a set up and shoot pictures
of something like a sports team, one at a time, in a controlled
situation, I would use the G-1. For going out on the farm,
shooting landscapes, animals, and targets of opportunity, Then
I would choose the D-7.
That is the problem with this comparison. The two cameras
are so different and have such diifferent strengths, that the
things that compare well between them are few. To compare
the Canons with converter lenses installed to the D-7 lens is
rediculous. There is no comparing. So if you need the D-7
lens, buy the D-7. To compare the battery life of the D-7 aa's
to the battery on the G-1 or G-2 is crazy, as there is no
comparison. If you want all day fill the microdrive battery, the
G-2 is the choice. I don't think swapping the AA's is a hardship
myself, but many do. You are trying to compare a truck to
a sports car here. It will not work until you decide if you need
a truck or a sports car.
Pentel said:
So consider buying 3-4 sets of batteries, it can keep you busy for
the whole day.
Chris Hemstead said:
I hope I didn't include 67 lines of previous responses in my reply.

I labored over this same decision for weeks. The D7 gallery on
this forum blew me away, and, quite frankly, I liked the images
better than the G2's.
I read many minuses about the D7 including battery life, plethora
of knobs, color space, which turned me off. (AA batteries ? forget
it.. they'll last about 10 minutes.) I'm no pro, and surely did
not want to go to school with something as difficult as the D7. I
wanted a point and shoot if I needed it. The G2 is definitely
that, and I seem to do better with that than making settings myself.

After one month of ownership of the G2, I'm still wrestling with
focus, and "jpegging clouds." You know those annoying splotches
you get from blue skies .. ? Can't seem to get rid of that.

Good luck !

--
chris hemstead, g2 owner
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
That's because you know without a doubt that GM has it over all the others. :o)
Buss said:
I don't know why but we humans sure spend an inordinate amount of
time researching a camera purchase yet I can go out and buy a new
truck in an afternoon with no more thought then drinking a beer.
Wonder why that is???
Click to expand...
 
Dustin Wilkins said:
I am just having an extremely hard
time trying to decide between the 2 cameras.
Click to expand...
buy G2. Why ? IMHO:

Do you want a camera that burns a set of 1600 Mha rechargeable batteries in 20 photos ? Focusing is abnormaly slow, results have been surpassen by any new 4Mp or 5Mp cameras. That is why Minolta is lowering D7 prices to a 3Mp camera.--Paulo Abreu http://www.pbase.com/psergio/canon_g2
 
OK, so the majority of this discussion is saying that the G2 is more user-friendly and better quality pictures. But what if all this is fine and I still need a better zoom than 3x on the G2? I also don't understand the color conversion thing discussed in regards to the DIMAGE 7--I must have missed this in my research. Can someone please explain? Another question I have is in regards to the extra lenses for the G2 to get better zoom--how much do these cost and are they easy?

Thanks for the help--

LindaV
Tarpon6 said:
I would not buy the DiMage 7 unless I absolutely positively without
a doubt needed 7x zoom. Other than that I liked the G2 much
better. How often are you REALLY going to shoot at 7x? The 5 MP
resolution is somewhat moot..

You will absolutely be astounded at the battery life of the Canon
G2. I did not think it was possible to get so much use out of a
digicam with the LCD ON!

The G2 is the better camera. The Dimage has the 7x. Which is more
important?

Dan
Click to expand...
 
The D7 uses a larger than sRGB colorspace when capturing
the images. It comes with a conversion software called
DIVU, that gives you the option to convert the captured
images to sRGB or another colorspace like Adobe. There has
been a lot of discussion about this. Some think adjusting the
camera settings to produce pleasing images and then editing
those straight out of the camera is best. Some think using
the DIVU software to convert to a known colorspace is better.
Some think a new program being used called colorfix is better.
There is another camp using the Profile Prism software to make
a camera profile, and are importing the files tagged with that
profile. It is another step in the process that many people find
unacceptable for some reason. I do the same thing, using a
profile for the G-1 images myself. This issue has been discussed
at length on the minolta forum and on the other site dedicated
to using the Minolta cameras. Basically, it gives you another
level of control over your images, but a lot of people feel the
conversion should be an option on the camera itself, allowing
you to choose the colorspace of your choice and have the images
converted before download. I like the idea of the extra control
it offers myself.
LindaV said:
Thanks for the help--

LindaV
Tarpon6 said:
I would not buy the DiMage 7 unless I absolutely positively without
a doubt needed 7x zoom. Other than that I liked the G2 much
better. How often are you REALLY going to shoot at 7x? The 5 MP
resolution is somewhat moot..

You will absolutely be astounded at the battery life of the Canon
G2. I did not think it was possible to get so much use out of a
digicam with the LCD ON!

The G2 is the better camera. The Dimage has the 7x. Which is more
important?

Dan
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Chris ™ said:
Hi Dustin,

just three small hints:
1. the Dimage isn't image stabilized, so shooting at full zoom
needs a veeery "shure hand" or superb lighting
2. the Dimage has a very high noise level in it's images :-(
3. the G2's LCD is a great viewfinder, for example for overhead shots
Click to expand...
I would just like throw in my comments about the LCD viewfinder. I just replaced a Kodak DC4800 (great camera by the way) with a G2 and I have to say the G2 takes a great picture, the low light focus is far superior and the battery life is great. The flip around LCD is a nice feature but the viewing angle is very poor. It is all but unreadable from any angle above straight on which in my opinion makes it very difficult to use. I guess I was spoiled by the display on the DC4800 which is readable from just about any angle and there is no change in brightness as you change viewing angle. The stange thing is that I read just about every review and opinion I could find and all I read was that the ability to move the LCD was great. One last note, when I wrote to canon to ask them if I had a defective panel all they could tell my was that I needed to send it back to them and my cost, thay could not even tell me if this was a characeristic of the panel or a defect. I hope this helps with your decision.
Chris ™ said:
I would re-read the reviews here and at http://www.steves-digicams.com and
compare image quality again - the Dimage is the looser regarding
this.

Greetings from Germany

Chris
Dustin Wilkins said:
Hello all - I just wanted to say that since this is my first post
on this board.

Now, this may seem a bit redundant, and I have been reading through
messages for a week or 2 now on this forum, and the Canon forum
trying to get a feel for how happy everyone is with either the
DiMage 7 or the G2. I find that users for either camera are very
pleased with their purchase. I am just having an extremely hard
time trying to decide between the 2 cameras.

A week or two ago, I was pretty much set on the DiMage 7, due to
the 7x zoom lens, and the fact it has another megapixel on the G2.
But, I started reading into the G2 and liked the idea of the
significant battery life advantage over the DiMage 7 (so it seems
anyway). I have a Canon ZR10 MiniDV Camcorder, and I think it uses
the same exact battery, so the battery interchangeability would be
great as well. The only battery comparisons I have seen have been
on this site in a few different reviews (such as the DiMage
review). I was disappointed to see the DiMage 5 and DiMage 7 rank
the lowest. The plus side to the DiMage 7 (and 5) is that it uses
standard AA batteries, so finding power when you run out isn’t a
big deal.

Both seem to do very well in regards to image quality, and I was
very impressed with all of the sample images I saw from various
people. The only issue I had with the DiMage 7 is the non-standard
color space… not that it is a BIG deal to run the images through
the conversion program, but it just kind of turned me off.
Although, yesterday I read some older posts regarding settings on
the camera that people have adjusted to take the conversion step
out of the equation. If someone could give me a thumbs up on that,
and maybe a few small experiences, that would shed a bit of hope on
the DiMage 7.

So, I figured I’d see what kind of responses I would get out of the
2 forums (sorry for the cross post). Due to the price
similarities, I am still leaning toward the DiMage 7 because the
fantastic zoom capabilities, and the 5 megapixel resolution.

So, if anyone has anything to share either way, I would GREATLY
appreciate it. I have been reading posts for a few weeks now
monitoring peoples praises and complaints for both cameras.
Anyway, thanks for anyone’s and everyone’s time.

--
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
That picture has been resized and suffers from additional jpg compression. Those are not artifacts from the camera. I did however get your picture via email. I have tried to email you back but your mailbox is full and my message is getting bounced.

In short I see what your talking about. I do not think it is a significant problem, and shooting in raw mode might eliminate any artifacts. Let me know if you get you mailbox emptied..

Dan
Chris Hemstead said:
I don't have the pic right now, but go here...

http://www.pbase.com/gundie/sandiego

Look at -0833. see the sky?

--
chris hemstead, g2 owner
Click to expand...
 
Dustin,

I'm certain by now that you have gotten advice from both camps that shouldn't surprise you -- the G2 owners are defending their purchase and the D7 owners theirs. The advice you have gotten here to go use both cameras for yourself and then decide is the only advice that is correct.

Both cameras take great photos compared to the majority of digicams out there today. Just look at Pricegrabber.com - the G2 is the most popular and the D7 is the second most popular - so they are both very well liked cameras.

My two cents -- I used the G2 for 3 weeks and have had the D7 now for about the same time. I have taken and printed photos with both and the pics from both are really good. I have finally decided to keep the D7 as my choice (also compared the Sony 707, but the colors are really out there). The biggest thing I didn't like with the G2 was the inconsistent focus - sometimes it would focus and sometimes would miss by a mile. Although the D7 gets a bad rap for slow focus, I can tell you that it is no slower than any other digicam except at full zoom, but what it won't do that a lot of other digicams do is tell you that its focused when its NOT. The focus system, especially the spot focus mode, is spot on when it says its focused. Plus the manual focus system is the best I have used out of 7 digicams I have owned. The lens is killer - hardly any CA anywhere, manual zoom which is very precise, and sharp. EVF is a must, as it amplifies in dark situations and lets you manual focus even in almost complete darkness. The color space issue is not an issue, as the camera has superior saturation and contrast adjustments, even saturation and contrast BRACKETING! The battery issue is nonsense. Any good set of NiMHs will give you 100-150 shots minimum. No, that's not as good at the G2's 400+, but the batteries dont cost $60 each either. The people that tell you 20 or 30 shots just have never use the camera. The G2 has a great LCD and wireless remote. You must take pics and decide for yourself. After 4 years and 7 digicams, I believe that the D7 may be the best yet - for me.

Mike
Dustin Wilkins said:
Hello all - I just wanted to say that since this is my first post
on this board.

Now, this may seem a bit redundant, and I have been reading through
messages for a week or 2 now on this forum, and the Canon forum
trying to get a feel for how happy everyone is with either the
DiMage 7 or the G2. I find that users for either camera are very
pleased with their purchase. I am just having an extremely hard
time trying to decide between the 2 cameras.

A week or two ago, I was pretty much set on the DiMage 7, due to
the 7x zoom lens, and the fact it has another megapixel on the G2.
But, I started reading into the G2 and liked the idea of the
significant battery life advantage over the DiMage 7 (so it seems
anyway). I have a Canon ZR10 MiniDV Camcorder, and I think it uses
the same exact battery, so the battery interchangeability would be
great as well. The only battery comparisons I have seen have been
on this site in a few different reviews (such as the DiMage
review). I was disappointed to see the DiMage 5 and DiMage 7 rank
the lowest. The plus side to the DiMage 7 (and 5) is that it uses
standard AA batteries, so finding power when you run out isn’t a
big deal.

Both seem to do very well in regards to image quality, and I was
very impressed with all of the sample images I saw from various
people. The only issue I had with the DiMage 7 is the non-standard
color space… not that it is a BIG deal to run the images through
the conversion program, but it just kind of turned me off.
Although, yesterday I read some older posts regarding settings on
the camera that people have adjusted to take the conversion step
out of the equation. If someone could give me a thumbs up on that,
and maybe a few small experiences, that would shed a bit of hope on
the DiMage 7.

So, I figured I’d see what kind of responses I would get out of the
2 forums (sorry for the cross post). Due to the price
similarities, I am still leaning toward the DiMage 7 because the
fantastic zoom capabilities, and the 5 megapixel resolution.

So, if anyone has anything to share either way, I would GREATLY
appreciate it. I have been reading posts for a few weeks now
monitoring peoples praises and complaints for both cameras.
Anyway, thanks for anyone’s and everyone’s time.

--
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top