opinions of Pro1-users wanted!

[wAckO]

Hello!

I'm currently trying to decide which of these three camera's to buy:

CANON Powershot Pro1
KONICA MINOLTA Dimage A2
SONY Cyber-shot F-828

After reading a lot of technical test etc, I really feel the need for some opinions of people who actually use one of those camera's!

What do you think of your Pro1? What do you like most about it, what annoys you sometimes? Is it fast enough for you, is the AF accurate enough? What made you decide to buy it, and not one of the other camera's above? And every other detail you think might swing the scales one way or another...

Thanks in advance!!

 

[jwcdds]

There are too many things to list for what I like about this camera.

What I don't like but have adapted and can live with is the USM zoom ring. It would "feel" nicer if it's a more precise, mechanical approach but it's a minor thing that I have come to accept and live with. I would have preferred a more rubbery grip, though the camera feels solid in construction, I found an occasional slip or two when holding it w/ just my right hand because of the smoothness and lack of texture on the grip.

As a non-DSLR, the AF is plenty fast for me. Sure I wish it was faster and more accurate under difficult conditions but that is unrealistic of any camera, even for DSLRs. What made me decide to buy it over the other 8mp crop is mostly the size. I was debating a prosumer (high-end p&s) or a DSLR. If I went w/ the Minolta or especially the Sony, I might as well go w/ the DRebel or D70 due to the size. The Sony is HUGE in comparison, its size rivaling that of DSLRs. The 28mm-200mm equiv lens was a great perk as well.

For me, the pros FAR outweigh the cons and absolutely no buyer's remorse here. Is it the best 8mp out there? I think that's way too subjective. It was the best 8mp that suited my needs.

You just have to ask yourself what do you intend to use the camera for. I will definitely move up to a DSLR at some point, but for the meantime, the pro1 (and I'm sure the entire 8mp crop) offered me an "in-between" model to help me learn more about photography while still being able to pass it to my fiancee and have her just mindlessly point and shoot and get great results.

Happy shootin'

Hello!

I'm currently trying to decide which of these three camera's to buy:

CANON Powershot Pro1
KONICA MINOLTA Dimage A2
SONY Cyber-shot F-828

After reading a lot of technical test etc, I really feel the need
for some opinions of people who actually use one of those camera's!

What do you think of your Pro1? What do you like most about it,
what annoys you sometimes? Is it fast enough for you, is the AF
accurate enough? What made you decide to buy it, and not one of the
other camera's above? And every other detail you think might swing
the scales one way or another...

Thanks in advance!!

--

'A picture paints a thousand words...' It's just that sometimes, it takes a few thousand attempts to capture that right picture.

 

[Alashi]

What I like the best:
Size!
Sharpness of the lens!
Quality of the image.

What I like the least:
Zoom by wire (horrible).
AF often incorrect when it indicates it's OK (esp. yellow flowers).

Lack of good filter mount on the lens itself able to accept the lens shade simultaneously.
EVF: blackout during focus (horrible). EVF resolution.
Shutter lag time misses 'the moment' when doing candids. (very frustrating)
Placement of manual focus button.

Do I use it?:
Yes! And, I'll get their next best effort, and use it too!

I decided against Sony because of PF reports and size and memory card.

A2 because of quality issues and size; but I really like the idea of stabilization
and their hi-res EVF (but I still don't lie EVF's across the board)..

Alashi

PS: I like them ALL!

Hello!

I'm currently trying to decide which of these three camera's to buy:

CANON Powershot Pro1
KONICA MINOLTA Dimage A2
SONY Cyber-shot F-828

After reading a lot of technical test etc, I really feel the need
for some opinions of people who actually use one of those camera's!

What do you think of your Pro1? What do you like most about it,
what annoys you sometimes? Is it fast enough for you, is the AF
accurate enough? What made you decide to buy it, and not one of the
other camera's above? And every other detail you think might swing
the scales one way or another...

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Joe Sesto]

After reading a lot of technical test etc, I really feel the need
for some opinions of people who actually use one of those camera's!

--
Joe Sesto

I bought one at the end of April, took it on an extended trip to Europe, it started failing just a few days out, totally failed on the next to the last day of the trip...and goes back to the dealer Saturday.

Failure was primarily due to the USM zoom drive mechanism. I posted a more detailed version on Monday under a topic about the Lens dust issue. Just check my post history and it will pop up. Disregard the older of the 2 posts...in 5 weeks I had forgotten a few a few things about DP posts...it is a blank.

Anyhow in a nutshell, it is my opinion only, but the camera is too fragile, and there is no logical explanation why it should have failed at that early date. It was never abused or dropped...until that was the only way to get the lens to work.

It blew focus locks in the middle of a 5 or 6 panel stitched scene...say on the 4th frame...and there had been no change in character, lighting or contrast of the scene. I only noticed it on replay in my laptop that night.

The camera shutdown problems caused by the lens malfunction are too lengthy to repeat here...look at that earlier post.

Exposures seemed right on, but I preferred to underexpose by 1/3rd stop.

Lens hood was a pain...had to remove it for wide-angle flash shots...ended up just leaving it off...never noticed any flare in first go through of some 2000 shots, about 30% w/o lens hood.

MF button is in the wrong place...I had to select an annoying sound for camera operations so I would be warned of its accidental activation...no problem after that.

I may be the oddball in the group, but I had no problem with any aspect of the EVF...resolution, histogram, review, etc., etc. The 100% coverage limited the need to use the LCD except when I needed to articulate the LCD...a big selling point on this camera and its predecessors.

However, this camera was purchased strictly for travel photography, and the problems the EVF freeze might cause for a sports or candid shooter did not interfere with my type shooting.

I looked at the Minolta and the Olympus, too. My second choice would be the Olympus, but I didn't like the way it writes RAW files and the more limited movement of the LCD. The shorter zoom range was immaterial in travel photography.

If the lens' zoom mechanishm had not failed...it froze at the 28 mm equiv position... I would probably not be writing this note.

I'm falling back to my G-2 (Black) until I see if any changes are forthcoming on the 10D around Photokina...but I will miss the LCD, compactness, weight, zoom range, etc. afforded by the Pro1.

Helluva good idea, just poor execution and lousy QC.

I'm also a Canonphile...dating back to at least 5 35mm's and 3 digitals.

Big disappointment!

 

[Gregg Thompson]

I have had my Pro1 for 1.5 weeks and am truely amazed at the quality of the images. It has operated flawlessly but I have only taken about 100 shots. Many have posted these lacking areas before but these are the only ones I have found thus far;

1) Low light AF is tricky but if you find some contrast in the frame to help its fine. I have this on my D60 to some extent as well.

2) Filter ring as well as lens shade block some of the built in flash at wider angle shots. Again not too big a deal as most of the time i will take those off for indoor shots.

3) The apparant dust issue has not arisen on my Pro1 yet but if it does it will be an issue.

Many don't like the zoom by wire system but I think its fine and just takes some getting used to.

Beachcamera $815 free shipping but be careful 15 day return policy plus restocking fee.

Gregg

 

[Ilan D]

Joe ,

Thanks for that comments ... I've thought to replace my G2 with a Pro1 ....

Please feel free to comment on my post regarding the comparation between the Pro1 to a G2 as a Pro1 user who returned to a G2 ... please see the whole thread here :

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=9122006

Tnx again ,
Ilan

After reading a lot of technical test etc, I really feel the need
for some opinions of people who actually use one of those camera's!

--
Joe Sesto

I bought one at the end of April, took it on an extended trip to
Europe, it started failing just a few days out, totally failed on
the next to the last day of the trip...and goes back to the dealer
Saturday.

Failure was primarily due to the USM zoom drive mechanism. I
posted a more detailed version on Monday under a topic about the
Lens dust issue. Just check my post history and it will pop up.
Disregard the older of the 2 posts...in 5 weeks I had forgotten a
few a few things about DP posts...it is a blank.

Anyhow in a nutshell, it is my opinion only, but the camera is too
fragile, and there is no logical explanation why it should have
failed at that early date. It was never abused or dropped...until
that was the only way to get the lens to work.

It blew focus locks in the middle of a 5 or 6 panel stitched
scene...say on the 4th frame...and there had been no change in
character, lighting or contrast of the scene. I only noticed it on
replay in my laptop that night.

The camera shutdown problems caused by the lens malfunction are too
lengthy to repeat here...look at that earlier post.

Exposures seemed right on, but I preferred to underexpose by 1/3rd
stop.

Lens hood was a pain...had to remove it for wide-angle flash
shots...ended up just leaving it off...never noticed any flare in
first go through of some 2000 shots, about 30% w/o lens hood.

MF button is in the wrong place...I had to select an annoying sound
for camera operations so I would be warned of its accidental
activation...no problem after that.

I may be the oddball in the group, but I had no problem with any
aspect of the EVF...resolution, histogram, review, etc., etc. The
100% coverage limited the need to use the LCD except when I needed
to articulate the LCD...a big selling point on this camera and its
predecessors.

However, this camera was purchased strictly for travel photography,
and the problems the EVF freeze might cause for a sports or candid
shooter did not interfere with my type shooting.

I looked at the Minolta and the Olympus, too. My second choice
would be the Olympus, but I didn't like the way it writes RAW files
and the more limited movement of the LCD. The shorter zoom range
was immaterial in travel photography.

If the lens' zoom mechanishm had not failed...it froze at the 28 mm
equiv position... I would probably not be writing this note.

I'm falling back to my G-2 (Black) until I see if any changes are
forthcoming on the 10D around Photokina...but I will miss the LCD,
compactness, weight, zoom range, etc. afforded by the Pro1.

Helluva good idea, just poor execution and lousy QC.

I'm also a Canonphile...dating back to at least 5 35mm's and 3
digitals.

Big disappointment!

 

[jwcdds]

Ilan,

You haven't made up your mind, yet? C'mon already! D It's a simple yes or no to upgrade to a Pro1. If there aren't enough "new features" to warrant the change yet, then it's safer to stay with the G2. I'm sure it's a decent model and takes great pictures. My last DC was the kodak dc290 which I owned for 4.5 years before upgrading to the Pro1. So that was a significant step up in every aspect. I went from a 2mpix to 8mpix.

So you can survey the entire forums all you want, but make up your mind already. At the rate you're going, the Pro4 would be released and seems like you'd still be debating whether or not to let go of your G2. )

Happy shootin'

--

'A picture paints a thousand words...' It's just that sometimes, it takes a few thousand attempts to capture that right picture.

 

[Mark W]

Hello!

I'm currently trying to decide which of these three camera's to buy:

CANON Powershot Pro1
KONICA MINOLTA Dimage A2
SONY Cyber-shot F-828

I ruled out the Nikon 8700 and Oly 8080 because of their zoom ranges and the Sony because it's huge. The A2 was my runner-up, but it cost more, was bigger, quality control issues were a concern, and image quality seemed not quite up to the level of the Pro1. The Anti-shake is a cool idea, but that alone was not enough to carry the day.

 

[wAckO]

Hello!

It seems you have followed the same elimination route as I am...

Nikon and Olympus out for the same reason, by now, as the weight would only be worth it if it's quality was very obviously better, which doesn't seem to be the case with the Sony, that one out for the same reason.

So, you allready made your decision. Happy with it?

Kim

 

[wAckO]

After reading the reactions, I'm especially worried about the zoom ring. My current SLR's motorised zoom is never turned on as I hate to have to zoom back and forth a bit to get it exactly as I want it. Luckily enough, it can also be zoomed manually... (which I don't believe is possile with the Pro 1, or am I wrong?
Just how bad is the problem?

Is it just something you have to 'live with', or is it more like you have to learn how to use it properly but once you do, it's not a problem anymore?

Another thing I wanted to ask is this: how good is the quality of the Electronic Viewfinder? Is it good enough to notice when the AF isn't doing it's job properly?

Thank you for all feedback!

 

[jwcdds]

The zoom ring is just "different" and not necessarily bad. It just takes getting used to and once you're used to it, it becomes a non-issue. Now could it have been made different and in many's opinion, better? Sure, but the zoom works fine and supposedly has 40 increments of movement which is good for getting the exact zoom. But the downside is you can't go from 28-200 and vice versa instantly. Can't have your cake and eat it too. It's not like I curse Canon every time I need to zoom. I find the EVF/LCD blanking out more annoying than the zoom ring and even that, I've already grown accustomed to. As stated in my first response, IMO, the pros far outweigh the cons on this camera. This camera has its weaknesses, all cameras do. Pick your poison.

Go to a store and try it out. I definitely prefer the zoom ring better than the thumb lever as I always find myself flicking the darn thing and never getting it quite where I want it.

The EVF is detailed enough that when it's serious OOF, you'll know for sure. However, if you're looking at fine detail, it's tough to gauge, especially when the object is very, very small. The EVF detail is where Minolta's got the significant edge (or at least the reviews say so).

After reading the reactions, I'm especially worried about the zoom
ring. My current SLR's motorised zoom is never turned on as I hate
to have to zoom back and forth a bit to get it exactly as I want
it. Luckily enough, it can also be zoomed manually... (which I
don't believe is possile with the Pro 1, or am I wrong?
Just how bad is the problem?
Is it just something you have to 'live with', or is it more like
you have to learn how to use it properly but once you do, it's not
a problem anymore?

Another thing I wanted to ask is this: how good is the quality of
the Electronic Viewfinder? Is it good enough to notice when the AF
isn't doing it's job properly?

Thank you for all feedback!

--

'A picture paints a thousand words...' It's just that sometimes, it takes a few thousand attempts to capture that right picture.

 

[RDCollins]

I bought a Pro1 in mid-April as a birthday present for myself so I could have it for a trip to Italy. The ONLY problem I suffered was dust in the lens, probably due to the nasty weather we encountered in Venice and Florence. It was not significant and didn't affect the photos, but it did annoy me. Can has cleaned it under warranty, and I'll be more careful with it in the future.

As for the zoom, it's not a big deal IMHO. It's just different. Once you get used to it, it's fine -- easy to use, although I wish it were a bit faster.

The electronic view finder is good -- I love it! Big reason to buy this camera. The resolution is far less than you would get with a true optical SLR but it's sufficient to frame and focused accurately, even in low light. I never use the LCD screen, which is awkward by comparison and more difficult to use in bright light.

I had no problem with the placement of the manual focus button -- I don't recall pressing it by accident, so it may be a matter of how you hold the camera.

Autofocus is dead-on accurate 98% of the time. However, there are time it can't get a lock on a scene. Powering off and back on seems the simplest way to overcome that -- which is an annoyance, albeit small and rare.

I don't like the filter ring -- it's much bigger than the lens, thus requiring larger filters and making the lens cap useless when a filter is in place. Also, my polarizing filter caused some darkening in the corners of photos, a minor problem usually eliminated by cropping. Also, I have been unable to get the damn adapter ring off the polarizing filter, which rendered my skylight filter useless in Italy. I will have to buy another adapter ring. Or, speaking of the lens cap -- it has no means of attaching it to the camera and I've managed to lose it 2 or 3 times because it can be knocked off fairly easily -- I've learned to wiggle and press it carefully to make sure it's on tight.

The only other minor gripe is lack of instant-on -- it takes 2 to 3 seconds from off to ready to shoot.

Would I buy the camera again? Yes. I haven't seen anything better for my needs. I particularly like the size -- I went to buy a Rebel but was appalled by its size, which reminded me of an old large format SLRS. The Pro1 is an ideal compromise between miniaturization and functionality. Also, the lens is sharp as a tack, the color great, and it does everything I want.

As for durability, I suspect the fellow with the jammed lens had a lemon. Aside for the dust problem, I've seen nothing to make me fear that the camera will break -- and I took a very bad fall with it in Lucca, nearly breaking my arm. The camera was around my neck at the time and may have hit the pavement with me, but it never missed a beat.

So, the Pro1 is not perfect, but what camera is? It's a great combination of size, features, quality, and price. Go for it!

Doug Collins
West Hills, California

p.s. -- If you're interested, e-mail me at RDCollins at socal.rr.com (change "at" to @ and eliminate the spaces) and I'll send you a few full-sized sample shots.

After reading the reactions, I'm especially worried about the zoom
ring. My current SLR's motorised zoom is never turned on as I hate
to have to zoom back and forth a bit to get it exactly as I want
it. Luckily enough, it can also be zoomed manually... (which I
don't believe is possile with the Pro 1, or am I wrong?
Just how bad is the problem?
Is it just something you have to 'live with', or is it more like
you have to learn how to use it properly but once you do, it's not
a problem anymore?

Another thing I wanted to ask is this: how good is the quality of
the Electronic Viewfinder? Is it good enough to notice when the AF
isn't doing it's job properly?

Thank you for all feedback!

 

[jwcdds]

When the adapter ring gets "stuck" w/ the filter, take it of and very gently twist them apart. If need be, wear some rubber gloves. Many of us have found that if you use brute force, the adapter ring just laughs back and mocks you. D The less pressure you apply on it, the easier it is to remove.

--

'A picture paints a thousand words...' It's just that sometimes, it takes a few thousand attempts to capture that right picture.

 

[Jack Rice]

Had mine a couple of months now. Most of the pros and cons are repeated elsewhere, so take them as corroboration.

Pros:

1. Great pix (That alone should be decisive.)

2. Small size with enough heft to be stable

3. Great optics

4. Tons of shooting options (to a fault?)

5. No QC issues.

Cons:

1. Not terribly fast zoom and focus servos, especially the AF, which is not very "decisive". I find myself spending more time that I like getting the right focus on most shots. It may be the learning curve.
2. Balky Remote shutter response, important for animal shots.

3. Lens hood in the way of tight shots and impossible to tether to the body. I'm sure to lose it one day.
4. Shadow from bulit-in flash on wide and macro shots.

5. Slow buffering. This may be the nature of the 8Mp beast.

As you can see, most of the qualms have to do with convenience rather than quality issues. And the quality issues are over design rather than QC.

No buyer's remorse.

For those who think they might miss Minolta's IS, here's a crop from about 3 meters, free-hand (shaky) in a stiff wind that was whipping the subject back and forth across the frame. Other shots confirm, that my shake and the wind didn't happen to be in sync.

 

[beerguy]

3. Lens hood in the way of tight shots and impossible to tether to
the body. I'm sure to lose it one day.

Try mounting the hood backwards on the lens when it's in the way. It clears the zoom ring perfectly when the camera is in shooting mode.

I pretty much agree with everything Jack said, both positive and negative. A couple of deciding factors for me in buying the Pro 1 were:

1) I'm a long time Canon shooter (since early 80's), and already had a 420EX flash.

2) Didn't want another SLR. I lugged too much stuff around for too long to want to deal with that again. Portability, along with capability, were at the top of the list.

3) Macro capability. I do a lot of macro work (flowers, nature, etc.). A dSLR would have necessitated at least one more lens. The rotating LCD screen was another big plus.

--
Cheers,

bg

 

[Jack Rice]

Try mounting the hood backwards on the lens when it's in the way.
It clears the zoom ring perfectly when the camera is in shooting
mode.

Hey, bg, thanks for the tip! You're right, it fits perfectly. Only problem, with my attention deficit it's inevitable that I'll power down before removing the hood, possibly damaging the clutch. I don't dare try it to find out. Have you?

jack

 

[beerguy]

Try mounting the hood backwards on the lens when it's in the way.
It clears the zoom ring perfectly when the camera is in shooting
mode.

Hey, bg, thanks for the tip! You're right, it fits perfectly.
Only problem, with my attention deficit it's inevitable that I'll
power down before removing the hood, possibly damaging the clutch.
I don't dare try it to find out. Have you?

jack

It works fine, no worries. The hood is big enough to clear the zoom ring when the camera is off. I keep the hood stored backwards on the lens when I'm not using the camera.

As a long time Canon shooter, I learned this trick many years ago. All Canon lenses can store the hood backwards on the lens. (At last, all the lenses I ever owned, which was quite a few back in the day).

--
Cheers,

bg

 

[RDCollins]

Thanks, but my rubber gloves are at the cleaners with my rubber tuxedo.

Seriously, your suggestion helped. I tried again but got no where. Main problem was that the filter was a circular polarizing filter and the outer ring prevented me from getting a decent grip on the thing. I found a thick rubber band (the kind that come on asparagus and brocolli) and it fit nicely on the filter, leaving the adapter ring exposed. That provided enough of a grip to get the thing wised apart.

Still, I'm like to get additional adapter rings, one for each filter, to make it easier to switch them. But Canon doesn't list them on its website, and I can't seem to find another retailer that carries the (on line, at least -- haven't resorted to the phone yet).

Any idea where to buy such things?

Thanks.

Doug Collins

When the adapter ring gets "stuck" w/ the filter, take it of and
very gently twist them apart. If need be, wear some rubber gloves.
Many of us have found that if you use brute force, the adapter ring
just laughs back and mocks you. D The less pressure you apply on
it, the easier it is to remove.

--
'A picture paints a thousand words...' It's just that sometimes,
it takes a few thousand attempts to capture that right picture.

 

[RDCollins]

Turn off the camera and put the hood on backwards -- you'll see there's plenty of clearance.

I did that and then powered up and then turned the camera off -- no problems. And the lens cap still fits.

Doug Collins
West Hills, California

Try mounting the hood backwards on the lens when it's in the way.
It clears the zoom ring perfectly when the camera is in shooting
mode.

Hey, bg, thanks for the tip! You're right, it fits perfectly.
Only problem, with my attention deficit it's inevitable that I'll
power down before removing the hood, possibly damaging the clutch.
I don't dare try it to find out. Have you?

jack

It works fine, no worries. The hood is big enough to clear the zoom
ring when the camera is off. I keep the hood stored backwards on
the lens when I'm not using the camera.

As a long time Canon shooter, I learned this trick many years ago.
All Canon lenses can store the hood backwards on the lens. (At
last, all the lenses I ever owned, which was quite a few back in
the day).

--
Cheers,

bg

 

[jwcdds]

A week or two ago, someone was selling the pro 1 adapter ring and hood I think. I believe he was asking for something like $60. See if you can do a search on it.

--

'A picture paints a thousand words...' It's just that sometimes, it takes a few thousand attempts to capture that right picture.