G12 v S95 v P7000 v WB2000

[davros]

Having a problem sorting out which compact to get to compliment my D90. I'll be using it mostly as a hiking/camping and general P&S camera. The video capabilities are not a selling point to me.

Can anyone make first hand comments on the Canon G12, Canon S95, Samsung WB2000 (TL350), or Nikon P7000? The G12 and P7000 have a hot shoe, which will be great if I get back into underwater stuff, but other pointless to me. The S95 I understand is for all intensive purposes has the same guts as the G12, but without the extra zoom and easy access control dials. I haven't really been able to find any good reviews of the P7000 or the WB2000.

Any comments on these is very welcome. I ask as I am getting close to a long hiking trip and I'm afraid I may be swaying my judgement to it's usefulness on only this trip -- bad idea.

Thanks all!

[Wobbles]

Hi davros,
There's a useful comparison of the S95 & P7000 (plus reference to the G12) here http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q42010highendcompactgroup/
I have played with the 2 Canons and other than the dramatic size difference (the S95 would slip in the smallest pocket and you have to be careful not to drop it :eek:) you pretty well summed them up. I ended up getting a SX210IS (predominantly for the big zoom v/s compact size) for the wife as she didn't want/need all the advanced settings.

Cheers
John

[davros]

Thanks for the comments John. I visited a couple of camera shops for a play and they both mentioned that the P7000 has had colour problems - particularly with greens? I don't know if anyone on here has seen found the same problem. I ended up buying the S95. As much as I liked the extra bits the G12 came with it all came down to size in the end.

[and40]

Hi i was weighing up the same option as you until i walked into my local clive anthony's store yesterday and he dropped the price of the g12 to $550 to beat the advertised price from camerpro, needless to say it came home with me. We have a trip coming up of southern australia so hope it was the right decision.

[peterb666]

Soon to be available, the Olympus XZ-1 seems to have blitzed the field.

A couple of reviews... dpreview (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/OlympusXZ1/)
and... dcresource (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/olympus/xz1-review)

There are a few reviews of the P7000 around. Here is a group text of most of your contenders... High end compact camera test (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q42010highendcompactgroup/)

I don't think you would go wrong with any of these cameras.

[Jack LC]

For me the G12 if I was looking to substitute my DSLR due to packing demands but if I just wanted a more pocketable camera for when you are out and do not to carry a large camera I would be considering either the Panasonic LX5 or the Canon S95.

[lindenneill]

Agree with Jack LC.
I have a G11 and its fantastic. The thing I like most is that the regularly used settings all have a dedicated dial on the outside of the camera. Makes quick shooting and setup alot easier. The S95 is pretty much the same quality but in a much more compact package

[JudiN]

Interesting topic - I was considering purchasing the g12 but am still undecided. Will do more research and see what I come up with.:cool:

[flashc]

I’ve owned a Canon Powershot A610 for some time now and have been looking for a replacement. I searched the internet looking for the best compact (any brand) for macro work. The choices I was given were the Canon S95, S100 and the Canon G12.

When the G1x was released, I thought that the G12 would be soon discontinued, so I bought a G12 last week.

I decided on the G12 because it also has an articulated display similar to the A610. This allows me to protect the display when not in use and to frame my shots when shooting at difficult angles. The G12 also has an optical viewfinder (difficult to find on a compact these days ) so both cameras can be used if the battery charge is low by switching off the display.

The G12 shoots RAW and Jpeg files - the S95 and S100 do also but have a fixed display. ( and they both have f 2.0 lenses )

The G12 didn't have a full printed manual in the box. I have read this pdf manual that is supplied on the G12 CD in the box. I haven't memorized it yet because it's over 200 pages and the multitude of shooting parameters and options are sometimes locked out as they vary with the shooting mode that has been selected.

I have a 7D and 100mm L IS macro lens but the A610 and G12 can take a handheld macro shot before I could retrieve the lens from my bag and change the lens on my 7D. The smaller sensor gives me greater depth of field. If you don't expect to print as large as A2, then the compacts are fine.

The A610 and G12 shoot macro as close as 1cm.

The compacts don't have any mirror lockup because they don't have one. ( so vibration is reduced )

The G12 has a built in flash that casts a shadow when shooting at wide angle macro. The flash output is adjustable. To cure the shadow problem, I use my Canon 580 EX II flash on a TTL cord to the G12 hotshoe.

When I first started using the G12, I kept accidently pushing the direction control wheel and other buttons in that area. A lockout switch as on my 7D would have been handy to stop this.

I like the G12 control dials ( as film cameras used to have ) - I have immediate access to the ISO dial and exposure compensation dial even though I only try to shoot at ISO 80 on the G12 and ISO 100 on my 7D for the best low noise quality. I like the wheel in front ( similar to 7D ) that gives me immediate control of the aperture.

I'm mostly happy with my G12 and would buy another even though the G1x has been released with a larger sensor.
If the price of the G12 drops, it will still be a great compact camera.

[Pixeltoy]

I'm with FlashC above. I bought a G12 in Sept 2011 and have mostly happy with it. On the occasion where the subject moves and you want to adjust a setting and shoot quickly this camera won't please. It's not a dslr.
I can't compare to a D7 or any dslr out there as this is my top of the range camera ATM.
Shooting RAW is a pleasure. Onboard effects are handy (tilt shift etc) and the camera fits in my back pocket of my jeans!
Shop around though as I paid $550 in 2011 and I've seen some places asking $600+ even though the G1x is out. Online prices are $450-$550.
I'm now looking at going dslr and can't decide on Nikon or Canon. The G12 will be a perfect backup camera.


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