Reading mode: Light Dark

canon G9 glass

Go to last post
J

Jamie Evans

Well-known member
Messages
148
Reaction score
0
Location
Detroit, MI, US
Can anyone help me understand the quality of glass in the G9 lens?

After all, it is the lens that matters, right? I know the sensor in the G9 compared to dslr is not the same, but how is the glass? Thanks in advance.
 
The dp review makes some favorable comments , but do you really expect to match the focal length choices and quality that is available for DSLRs?
 
The 2.8-4.8 6x optical zoom lens found on the G9 is very good. I had a G7 which used the exact same lens. I have taken hundreds of photographs and have consistantly been impressed with the quality. In my opinion it's one of the best P&S optics available.
 
But I think it's a fair question.

The G9 takes great shots in good light but so does my SD800. I can't get a shallow DOF but neither can the G9. In bad light my noise performance at ISO 400 and above is abysmal, but so is the G9's. The G9 has IS and Digic III, but so do I. I've seen some great shots posted on this forum with the G9, and some great shots with the ELPH series.

It seems to me that, unless the G9 can demonstrate optics that provide unambiguously superior images in good light, it is simply another (albeit more expensive) P&S.

This is from someone who wants one badly, but then I'm a gadget freak.

-- Mike
 
Hi Jamie,

For a point and shoot it's very good. So far the pictures I have taken have been very sharp and I have no complaints. I didn't expect the G9 lens to be in the same league as the 24-105L or the 70-300 I use on my 5D. However, putting G9 8x10 prints side by side to 8x10 prints from the 5d I'd be hard put to tell the difference if I didn't already know. Going up to 12x18 is where the difference shows up but I didn't buy the G9 to make large fine art prints.
--
Pete Smith
http://www.pbase.com/petersmith
 
The lens seems to be pretty decent. But it is rather narrow, slow, and short, so it is not exactly pushing lens design technology.

--
jerryk.smugmug.com
 
The G9 IS basically a P&S camera but you can have full control over your exposures when you feel like it. Add to this being able to work on the RAW files and that alone puts it way above most P&S cameras.

That said it is still constrained by the size of it's sensor and range of it's zoom and I think some people expect a bit too much from it.

Personally, I think it's a fantastic little camera but then I'm a gadget freak too!
 
Darrell,

This is the sort of information I was looking for. I don't know how lenses are built, or what determines the lens quality (something I am going to have to learn). Is what you're saying is most dslr lenses are all glass and most p&s have a mix of glass and acrylic? Thank you for your help.
 
Mike__ said:
But I think it's a fair question.

The G9 takes great shots in good light but so does my SD800. I can't
get a shallow DOF but neither can the G9. In bad light my noise
performance at ISO 400 and above is abysmal, but so is the G9's. The
G9 has IS and Digic III, but so do I. I've seen some great shots
posted on this forum with the G9, and some great shots with the ELPH
series.

It seems to me that, unless the G9 can demonstrate optics that
provide unambiguously superior images in good light, it is simply
another (albeit more expensive) P&S.

This is from someone who wants one badly, but then I'm a gadget freak.

-- Mike
Click to expand...
I agree it's a fair question, but one you won't get answered because at this point the lens is far better than the sensor on even some lesser cameras.

It's not like the old days when all that mattered was a flat film plane and great glass. With these small sensor cameras more than half the work (or failing) is in the sensor. Even things like purple fringing are partly sensor realted.

When you are dealing with an interchangeable lens camera it's much easier to evalute the glass, as it was when you put film in the camera. Now, with digital P&S cameras the image is all you can evaluate because it the pairing of the sensor/lens team you are buying.

I really like my G9, but I suffer under no illusion that it is way better, or even marginally better than the similar A series camera in image quality.

This is one place I'm buying build, ergonomics and dare I say it, cosmetics.

Tom

--
http://www.kachadurian.com
 
RAW, Speedlight, and Lightroom 1.3 have me interested

MAC
Thomas Kachadurian said:
Mike__ said:
But I think it's a fair question.

The G9 takes great shots in good light but so does my SD800. I can't
get a shallow DOF but neither can the G9. In bad light my noise
performance at ISO 400 and above is abysmal, but so is the G9's. The
G9 has IS and Digic III, but so do I. I've seen some great shots
posted on this forum with the G9, and some great shots with the ELPH
series.

It seems to me that, unless the G9 can demonstrate optics that
provide unambiguously superior images in good light, it is simply
another (albeit more expensive) P&S.

This is from someone who wants one badly, but then I'm a gadget freak.

-- Mike
Click to expand...
I agree it's a fair question, but one you won't get answered because
at this point the lens is far better than the sensor on even some
lesser cameras.

It's not like the old days when all that mattered was a flat film
plane and great glass. With these small sensor cameras more than half
the work (or failing) is in the sensor. Even things like purple
fringing are partly sensor realted.

When you are dealing with an interchangeable lens camera it's much
easier to evalute the glass, as it was when you put film in the
camera. Now, with digital P&S cameras the image is all you can
evaluate because it the pairing of the sensor/lens team you are
buying.

I really like my G9, but I suffer under no illusion that it is way
better, or even marginally better than the similar A series camera in
image quality.

This is one place I'm buying build, ergonomics and dare I say it,
cosmetics.

Tom

--
http://www.kachadurian.com
Click to expand...
--
MAC
http://www.digi-pictures.com
 
Thomas Kachadurian said:
With these small sensor cameras more than half
the work (or failing) is in the sensor.
Click to expand...
Exactly. It seems to me that the underlying, inescapable characteristics of the small sensors (noise, DOF, dynamic range, etc.) in all these compact and subcompact P&S's so dominate their performance that every other consideration is on the margins.
Thomas Kachadurian said:
When you are dealing with an interchangeable lens camera it's much
easier to evalute the glass, as it was when you put film in the
camera. Now, with digital P&S cameras the image is all you can
evaluate because it the pairing of the sensor/lens team you are
buying.

I really like my G9, but I suffer under no illusion that it is way
better, or even marginally better than the similar A series camera in
image quality.

This is one place I'm buying build, ergonomics and dare I say it,
cosmetics.

Tom
Click to expand...
Great post, probably because I agree with all of it, and I will probably end up buying the camera for exactly the same reasons.

-- Mike
 
Good enough for a P&S but you can have much more flare than some other P&S, even for inside shoots with flash.
 
In another thread (I can't find it now) someone pointed out / argued that the resolving requirements of a lens built for small sensors was by definition much higher than an APS or FF sensor and that most P+S lenses resolve more lines per mm than their larger bretheren.....???

I don't know enough about this to actually assert that it is true - but it is interesting to think about. Any rocket scientists out there want to dispute this ???

In good light my G7 turns out a sharper JEPG than my son's EOS 350D with the kit lens .... even with the XT in camera sharpening turned up....so the G7/9 lens is at least as sharp than that modest piece of glass....especially if you subscribe to my opening observation.......

On the other hand, few photographs fail because the lens was not sharp enough...usually there is just no "there" there.

Fred Mueller
 
Unfortunately, the G9 lens doesn't match the F2.0 lens of the G6 or the excellent L glass of the Pro1, but it's not terrible. (No slam to the G9-I'm considering buying one.)

Mike
--
A80, A620, Pro1, G6
 
Here's an example of the G9 pushed to the edge, at full zoom at night, straight into the light. A Leica Noctilux, for example, would do a better job - without flare etc. But then the G9 was in the pocket and that's what counts. Not the best shot, of course, but it captures a moment and has the "double indemnity" ghost to it.



--
http://www.pbase.com/edward_in_chicago/root
 
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