S95 vs G12 vs P7000

[maflynn]

Hey guys, some may have noticed a thread I created in the lounge stating that I'll be going to disney in a few weeks and my desire to avoid taking my DSLR.

I have a Panasonic TMZ5 and I wondered out loud whether a better camera existed for my needs as a back up for my D70s for these type of situations.

Anyways after going through the forums and reviews over dpreview I have three cameras on my short list, S95, G12 and P7000. I prefer shooting RAW so that's why I more or less decided to consider these. The G12 is on the upper end of my budget as I'm looking to spend 400

From what I've read:
S95 is fast, takes good images, some fringing issues that need to be resolved in post production. No hot shoe
P7000 has some auto lock issues in low light or low contrast shots and is a bit slow
G12 seems to be the best of the bunch albeit the most expensive.

Anyone care to give opinions especially if you have some real world experiences using any of these cameras.

Size is probably the first factor as I want a small camera to take to disney and not have lug a lot of stuff around. Speed to take a quick shots is a plus, but image quality, is probably the highest priority. I want a good Depth of Field when take some shots, a fast lens, e.g., f2.8 would be great for low light etc.

Maybe I'm expecting too much from these types of cameras but given that if I take the plunge, I'm dropping 400+ bucks and so I want to be sure that its going to perform up to my expectations

Thanks.

 

[Capt Underpants]

I'd check out the Olympus XZ-1 and the Panasonic Lumix LX5. Both are relatively compact cameras with good/fast lenses.

 

[maflynn]

The image quality of the LX5 was noted that the color representation wasn't as accurate as the S95 or the P7000. dpreview did a three way review of the S95, P7000 and LX5.

I'll take a look at the XZ-1 as well though it appears to be on the upper end of my budget.

 

[Photoshopper]

I love my S95. Image Quality w/o the bulk, price and dials of the G12. SMALL-- so small you should definitely get the third-pary grip. HD (720p) video looks pretty good, too. A home run for Canon.

 

[Piarco]

I've got a P7000 as a "creative compact" alternative to taking my D7000 out, and I've been very impressed with it. The only downside is that slowness in RAW, but as I'll never use it for anything other than single shot it's not too much of an issue.
Having all of the major parameters easily accessible in dials or button+sub-dial combinations in something small is fantastic. But.....

If I wasn't wanting to have some consistency in my two main cameras, the G12 would have been a no brainer for me. Canon have (IMHO) been excellent when it comes to their compact shooters, and the G12 is a fantastic camera. It'd be my first option out of the three, swiftly followed by the P7000. The S95 is great, but I'd only get it if size is an issue.

 

[maflynn]

I love my S95. Image Quality w/o the bulk, price and dials of the G12. SMALL-- so small you should definitely get the third-pary grip. HD (720p) video looks pretty good, too. A home run for Canon.

the G12 is a fantastic camera. It'd be my first option out of the three, swiftly followed by the P7000. The S95 is great, but I'd only get it if size is an issue.

I've more or less discounted the P7000 in favor of the S95 or the G12. I've been doing my research and due dilligence. The S95 has the same sensor so that being the case the G12 is a sligtly bigger camera, but I get a hot shoe and a view finder (that appears to be none to useful) I'm not sure if there's any other differences other then a slighter longer reach in the lens. Unless I'm missing something is the hotshoe worth a hundred dollars in the price?

 

[El Cabong]

The differences in image quality between the S95 and G12 are minimal, and can be attributed to their respective lenses more than their sensors. The larger aperture on the S95 would seal the deal for me; the hotshoe wouldn't be a consideration, as mounting a flash on a compact - even a large one like the G12 - is decidedly awkward.

If I were looking to buy in this camera class, it'd be between the S95 and the Olympus XZ-1 (which notably eeks out a slightly better dpreview rating than its competitors). The S95 would probably win for its compactness, but otherwise, the XZ-1 would be my top choice, since imo it offers the best combination of features (relatively long and very bright zoom, hotshoe mount with accessory port for the excellent VF2 viewfinder, among other things) and manual controls.

 

[darktiger]

I have a G11 and S95... I love the images from my S95, plus it's small to carry around. The G11/12 tend to be twice the size.. so depends on what you want in terms of size/portability...

 

[maflynn]

I've been doing a lot of research and I think for the most part, I've settled in on the Olympus XZ-1. The fast lens is what sold me. The size is a bit larger then the S95, but a tad smaller then the G12. It has a better battery then the S95, similar performance.

If there was a knock on the camera, its the high ISO performance - rather noisy but with f1.8 - 2.5, I don't think I need to worry too much about boosting the ISO to anything over 800.

It has a 28-112mm equivalent lens, where as the S9 has a 28-105mm f2.0-4.9. While the S95 is more pocketable, I found handling both cameras at my local camera store that the XZ-1 felt better in my hands. While more expensive, I think the XZ-1 fits my needs a bit better. This is no knock on the S95, it does some things better then the XZ-1

 

[akdj]

I've got zero experience with the Oly...however, PLENTY of time with both Canons...as I also shoot their DSLRs and like the compatibility....As well, plenty of trips to Disney now that I have a six year old...and Grandma and Grandpa live in Vegas (retired)

The G12 was the first "G" series body I've skipped since either the 4 or 5 (can't remember which I started with)....My wife and I both are avid photographers and tend to get use out of having two compacts at the same time, hence the reason we've consistently upgraded. However...the G12 was skipped in favor of the S95, and plenty of time comparing the two (I've got three brothers, we all shoot...we all favor Canon). IMHO, the S90/95 are a couple of fantastic additions to the Canon lineup. Especially for DisneyLand type shooting, skiing, hiking, et al. The type of photography that you prefer your camera to disappear, due to weight and/or bulk...as the two ARE different, even considering BOTH cameras are VERY small and relatively self sufficient on their own. However...the S95 is a different class, as in perfect to pop in the shirt pocket, front pants pocket, wife's purse...you name it> And, you lose nothing when it comes to IQ in comparison, IMO to to G12. Again, I'm not familiar with ANY of the other cameras you're considering...BUT, I am very familiar with dragging the family through Disney, and how to due it as painless as possible

Good Luck...it's always nice when you don't have to worry about an extra bag for your gear...and I've found that anything bigger than the S95, read..>G12. Even though it's small, in order to protect it, I've always felt the need to have it in it's own separate, albeit small, bag. As always, ymmv...Have a BLAST though! Disney is an awesome place, for sure. Spend as much time with your family though...don't worry about the pics, they'll present themselves...you miss too much yourself if you're too concerned with taking the shot. As well, you can grab a photo card at any of the gift shops, then...throughout the park, you'll find professional photogs taking snaps with different characters. They'll scan your card, take the shot...and at the end of the day, you can check out what they ended up capturing and if you choose, you can buy some, all, or none of the shots. Totally up to you.

J

 

[maflynn]

No knock on the S95, its a great camera and by all accounts it takes great pictures. Being pocketable is just another great benefit.

In my hands as noted, it felt "too" small, perhaps I would get used to that. I love the screen of the S95 as well.

For me the XZ-1's fast lens sold me and how it feels in my hands. Its smaller then the G12 but larger then the S95. One area of concern is that as you go up in ISO, the camera performs worse. So 800 to 1000 appears to increase the noise level. Given that the lens is so fast, this should not be a major problem. I've seen some crisp low light images taken by the XZ1.

I don't think you can go wrong with either camera, both the S95 and XZ1 appear to be excellent.

 

[maflynn]

I've been doing a lot of research and I think for the most part, I've settled in on the Olympus XZ-1. The fast lens is what sold me. The size is a bit larger then the S95, but a tad smaller then the G12. It has a better battery then the S95, similar performance.

However...the G12 was skipped in favor of the S95, and plenty of time comparing the two (I've got three brothers, we all shoot...we all favor Canon)

Well I picked up my new camera, and being fickle me. I actually purchased the G12

After handling both and seeing where each of them had their strengths, I changed my mind and got the G12. I'm happy, its a good camera. its larger then the S95 and XZ1 but I'm happy with the decision.

The more I read about the XZ1, I kept hearing two things, details being smeared and noise occurring in higher ISO. I started getting second thoughts.

I plan on putting the camera through its paces on Easter if it performs as well as I expect it too, I'll keep it. I have a week to decide.