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G11 disappoints - some examples

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Gamestheory

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I started a thread a day ago, complaining about the experience I've had with a G11 over the last two months, compared with the continuing excellent results I get from my old G3. (I also added some comments, equally negative, to a few other people's threads.)

Over the following 24 hours, some 26 people generously responded to my thread and I'm most grateful for their thoughts.

In view of the responses I got, I thought it might be useful to show some examples of the problems I'm having. Earlier today (Sunday 21st Feb) I took photographs at a birthday party that I took my daughter to. (The children were taken on a trail in a very wet north-London woodland before going back to the woodland cafe for lunch.)

The pictures are all labelled, and show which were taken with a G3 and which with a G11. I've attempted to upload like-for-like pictures - and, by the way, all these photos were taken on the auto setting. In every case, in my view, the G3 produced pictures that were punchier and sharper. Even with the two indor shots, where low light meant that the G3's pictures were likely to be less focussed (as in the example I've uploaded), the G3 picture is still a better pic.

If you think I'm judging the G11 too harshly, I'd welcome your responses. I've done all I could here to ensure that each camera performed as well as possible under the same conditions.
 
I should add a caveat to my previous message. When it comes to video, of course the G11 wins hands down over the G3. It still doesn't offer hi-def, and you can't zoom or pull focus while shooting, but it's an improvement and I acknowledge that fully.
 
I agree, the differences are slight.

However I think it is true that starting with the G6 the color cast has become colder, sharpness has been dialed back some, and exposure bumped up... because that is the way most users like it.

The good news it that users have complete control over all of these things - provided they avoid the auto mode. In my opinion, if you are going to use auto get the A series and be done with it. Use at least the P mode and take the time to configure the camera to your very own preferences.

Based on your stated preferences, I think you should
  • shoot in P mode (once you set it up it's like auto)
  • dial up saturation, sharpness
  • turn down exposure comp a notch
Don't forget you've had the G3 for a long time, it's a very good camera and your eye has totally adjusted to its results. I for one think the G11 is a superior camera, but you have to make sure you get time to adjust to its more accurate and less flattering nature in default settings. And avoid auto, you can achieve far superior results much closer to what you seem to like in P mode.
 
pablolie said:
I agree, the differences are slight.

However I think it is true that starting with the G6 the color cast has become colder, sharpness has been dialed back some, and exposure bumped up... because that is the way most users like it.

The good news it that users have complete control over all of these things - provided they avoid the auto mode. In my opinion, if you are going to use auto get the A series and be done with it. Use at least the P mode and take the time to configure the camera to your very own preferences.

Based on your stated preferences, I think you should
  • shoot in P mode (once you set it up it's like auto)
  • dial up saturation, sharpness
  • turn down exposure comp a notch
Don't forget you've had the G3 for a long time, it's a very good camera and your eye has totally adjusted to its results. I for one think the G11 is a superior camera, but you have to make sure you get time to adjust to its more accurate and less flattering nature in default settings. And avoid auto, you can achieve far superior results much closer to what you seem to like in P mode.
Click to expand...
--
Don V. Armitage
 
Also consider that some of your G11 shots were at pretty high iso settings. The indoor one at the table was 1250 which I believe is better than the G3 comparable shot. Several others were at iso 400. I would suspect that most of the G3 shots were under 400. The G11 will shoot at 800 cleaner than the G3 at 400 or even less. As others have said get out of auto, dial in -1/3 stop compensation, step up the sharpness and contrast in the menu and then see what you get. Also you might want to control iso manually and stay as low as possible. If you keep the G11 at 400 and below they will be clean and sharp without noise. But for prints to 8x10, the 11 can go to 1600 just fine and the G3 can't approach that. And whatever you do, do not try to compare at full resolution on your computer screen. The G3 is only 4 mp (which is plenty) but you have 10 available if you want to look at them but the results will not be comparable. You might even want to set the G11 down to the medium size mode.
 
dona2 said:
pablolie said:
I agree, the differences are slight.

However I think it is true that starting with the G6 the color cast has become colder, sharpness has been dialed back some, and exposure bumped up... because that is the way most users like it.

The good news it that users have complete control over all of these things - provided they avoid the auto mode. In my opinion, if you are going to use auto get the A series and be done with it. Use at least the P mode and take the time to configure the camera to your very own preferences.

Based on your stated preferences, I think you should
  • shoot in P mode (once you set it up it's like auto)
  • dial up saturation, sharpness
  • turn down exposure comp a notch
Don't forget you've had the G3 for a long time, it's a very good camera and your eye has totally adjusted to its results. I for one think the G11 is a superior camera, but you have to make sure you get time to adjust to its more accurate and less flattering nature in default settings. And avoid auto, you can achieve far superior results much closer to what you seem to like in P mode.
Click to expand...
--
Don V. Armitage
Click to expand...
-(Duplicate error).----- I agree, the G11 can produce better images if set up properly. -I have a S2is and I could have sworn it produced better or equal images to my newer SX10is but this is simply not so. If set up to equal paramiters the "new" one is superior. Left to AUTO it seems a wash.
Don V. Armitage
 
To do a fair comparison you may want to set up a tripod and take static shots with both the G3 and G11. For starters I would make a comparison test without people in the shot. Try your home or a garden. I made comparison shots with both my S5 and SX10 that way. Of course there are a lot of variables, i.e image stabilzation and other factors when you hand hold. It doesn't look like a fair comparison can be made from the shots you have. To me the few shots you have are just a luck of the draw under not so good conditions. Try some settings as others have sugested, i.e. -1/3 EC and my colors set to vivid or up the saturation. I do find the vivid setting to be best. I believe saturation only bumps up the the red, blue and green channel, vivid makes the whole photo pop. I would sugest staying away from neutral in my colors, very blah rendition of colors. You could even bump up the contrast one notch. Every camera is a little different. With a little experimentation I think you'll find the G11 to be superior.
--
Rick,
Hooked on super zooms
 
Other than slightly over exposed I dont see much difference. You should be able to dial in exactly what you want.
 
Interesting, but what do you mean when you say you could have sworn the older one was better but it's simply not so. What did you think, and why do you now think you're wrong?
 
Well, softness of focus, burned out and flat colour (see the reflective red jacket in one of the G11 shots), and cold thin lighting.
 
Pablolie, interesting thoughts - and I'll go through them carefully to see if I can configure the camera better. (But how cumbersome to have to do this.) And you're right: I do prefer the warmth of the G3's colour settings and find the G11 cold and inhospitable. Thanks.

And thanks to all respondents: some useful thoughts here, and I'll see whether they have a measurable impact.
 
mtnview, I did in fact do a whole batch of tripod shots. Indoor selfportraits. Once again, the G11 didn't come anywhere near the G3 - couldn't even get the focus right, most of the time - so I think I've been down that road.

One thing I do admire about both cameras, by the way, is their quality of sound on video. Both have excellent microphones.
 
I never use auto and one good reason for that is No exposure compensation in Auto, I mostly use P unless I want to control the shutter speed. For most situations I keep the exposure at -2/3 and sometimes even more, this allows me to better control blown out highlights.

You get in the picture what's there when you press the shutter.

Example: In your second photo the youngster on the extreme right side affected your focus. The camera is not to blame.

"Once someone becomes disenchanted with something it's almost impossible to change their mind through logic"

--
'I don't necessarily believe everything I say'!
 
At the size you presented them, differences between the two cameras seem to be small, and they seem to be due to slightly longer exposures when using the G11. Likew others, I noticed those high ISO images - and you couldn't have taken those with any other digicam.

Use EC of minus 1/3 or so, and you should be fine. If you like more saturation and sharpness, you can dial those in using the "My Colors" feature of your G11.

Bill
 
In the first two shots, I actually prefer the g11. The people at the far end of the table are almost unrecognizable in the first it is so dark. Might be just a metering difference problem.
JR
--
Nikon F
Argus C44R (gorgeous)
Fuji S100fs
Canon A20, A80, A710, A650, G11
Collections: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25863948@N07/collections/

 
Get the camera out of Auto. Learn how to use fill flash, and how to meter your scene properly. Take pictures of individual subjects or smaller groups of subjects, rather then a whole table of people. Your images look like little more then quicky snapshots. Sorry, not meaning to be harsh sounding, but it's true.

If you're not going to put more effort and care into your photography, then don't expect your camera to do anything more then snap a picture. You have a very expensive, very capable P&S camera in your possession there - use it to its fullest, and don't expect it do everything for you when it comes to getting the best pictures possible out of every scene.

Think of it this way - just because someone buys a race car doesn't automatically make that person a professional race car driver since it's not all about how good or capable the car is, but how experienced and dedicated the driver is.

Drive on!

B
 
JR - I think the G3, although it's operating at no more than 400, has more atmosphere. The G11 just looks blank and uninteresting to me.
 
Dear CanonPhotog,

Yes, in theory you're right. I'm not making all the choices I could about how I use the G11. But I'm making all the same choices that I make when using the G3, and the G3 only ever lets me down on three things: focus, because of its limited ISO capacity; limited zoom; and poor video.

As for flash, I won't use it because what usually attracts me to a subject is how it appears to me. I don't then want to re-light it - and especially not with front-on lighting: to me, that's a cheap choice. As for the ugly coloration of flash, let's not even go there. Flash doesn't travel far enough to light a whole scene, so you get distant darkness. It has the effect of flattening the subject. It throws ugly shadows. It's horrible. (Of course, if I could get a travelling lighting crew to follow me around, that would be another matter!)

Like I say, the G3 doesn't require me to get clever and hands-on with how I use it - and I can assure you that I don't end up with happy snaps. The stuff I've taken with the G3 on auto compares brilliantly with professional photography at its best.
 
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