Is the G2 going to be replaced with a new model soon? My local
camera shop said to wait for the new model. They said it looks
like the G2 is going to be discontinued soon. They had the G2 in
stock, but he said I should wait. Has anyone else heard this?
Yes, I have heard it for the last couple of months here in the
forum, and the 'G3, when?!?'-posts are really starting to crowd the
interesting stuff. Sorry to sound a bit cranky, but this is the
G1/G2 transition all over again. And, no doubt, in about a year
we'll have the same posts by people asking when the G4 will come
out.
In my opinion, it is simple. Put your demands and wishes onto
paper, like CCD-size, zoom, battery-type, budget, etc. If there is
a camera that fit your needs, buy it. If there is no camera that
fits your need, don't buy anything. But be warned, the real
'wannahaves' (a fast and reliable AF, fast start-up time, increased
dynamic range) are still in the realm of the
really expensive
cameras (DSLRs), and probably will be for some time. They are
slowly improving in the affordable cameras, but big steps forward
in these areas will make them much more expensive.
So, it might be wise to think carefully about your wishes, narrow
your choice down to a few cameras, go to a camera store and try
them out. There is no substitute for hands-on experience. You can't
tell which camera is 'best' just by looking at the specs or asking
people. A lot of the choice between brands is personal. I like the
ease of operation of my Canon G1, and I've tried out the Nikon 995
and 5000 but they are quite difficult to operate, in my opinion. If
you ask people about which high-end camera you should buy, Canon
forum people will tell you 'go for the G2!', Nikon forum people
will tell you 'heck no! buy the CP5700!', etc.
In short, be careful with waiting for a new camera. As soon as the
G2 is out, the new Olympus camera will be coming. And after that,
Minolta will produce something new and improved. There is ALWAYS a
new camera on the horizon. You are not taking any photos now, are
you?
In my opinion, people are treating cameras the way computers are
treated nowadays. Some one may have a fine camera, but a couple of
months later he/she still wants a newer one, just because it is
there! Kinda stupid, if you ask me. As if the appearance of a new
camera suddenly makes you current camera take lesser quality photos.
And the age-old saying still goes: it's the person behind the
camera that makes a photo great, not the camera. Send a good
photographer on an assignment with nothing more than a webcam and
he'll return with good photos, send me out with EOS-1D and you'll
have snapshots (most with tilted horizons
grin ).
Lastly, my opinion on the G2: it is a mighty fine camera with
powerful features yet it is easy to operate and it has fabulous
image quality. It also has the flexibility of add-on lenses and an
external flash.
Ask the Nikon forum what they think of the CP500, and you'll get
the exact same answer.
Sorry, for the long story.
--
Jeroen
the Netherlands
http://autorai2001.dhs.org
Cool pictures of sports cars, taken with a G1.
