Canon Powershot G2 - Is Upgrading to G6 Justified?

I have a Powershot Pro G2 which has had outstanding reviews and which
I like very much - particularly in the black version which somehow
suits it more than that finish on an SLR.In my opinion it is
dissapointing that the G6 isn't available in black - but hardly a
critical issue!

With the progression to G3 then G5 I didn't particularly feel that the
G2 had been left seriously behind, there not being a great deal of
difference between 4MP and 5MP.

Now that the G6 has been launched, offering 7.1MP this looks like a
serious move forward.The lowest price I have found is £425 - roughly
$765 I believe.

I can see that The G6 will enable much larger prints than the G2 -
what I am not sure about is whether there will be a noticeable quality
difference in [a]prints sized, say, 7"X5",which I will use mostly, or
up to 10"X8" which I will use less often or [b] PC monitor screen
size.

I have just read the following:

"4.1 Megapixels
Maximum print size (medium quality) for a 4.1 megapixel camera: 2272
divided by 150 = 15.14", so you'd be able to get a medium quality
print of close to 11" x 14" with the option of cropping an inch around
the edges to emphasize your subject some more.

Maximum pro quality print size would be 2272 divided by 300 = 7.57."
In this case, you'd be able to get a pro quality print at 8" x 10"
with a border"

This suggests that the upgrade, tempted as I am, might be pointless.

Advice from members would be appreciated.

Denis Boisclair
Cheshire, England.

I have just read the following:

"4.1 Megapixels
Maximum print size (medium quality) for a 4.1 megapixel camera: 2272
divided by 150 = 15.14", so you'd be able to get a medium quality
print of close to 11" x 14" with the option of cropping an inch around
the edges to emphasize your subject some more.

Maximum pro quality print size would be 2272 divided by 300 = 7.57."
In this case, you'd be able to get a pro quality print at 8" x 10"
with a border"

I printed some 12x18's of my G2 shots, including one that was cropped and
felt they were decent prints, subject was a wedding portrait by window
light, and I used to shoot mamiya for 25 years.

the 4mp had much less noise, at iso 50 what noise? and I don't perceive any
purple fringing etc. will you have that with the g6 or pro1


This suggests that the upgrade, tempted as I am, might be pointless.

Advice from members would be appreciated.

Denis Boisclair
Cheshire, England.

I have just read the following:

"4.1 Megapixels
Maximum print size (medium quality) for a 4.1 megapixel camera: 2272
divided by 150 = 15.14", so you'd be able to get a medium quality
print of close to 11" x 14" with the option of cropping an inch around
the edges to emphasize your subject some more.

Maximum pro quality print size would be 2272 divided by 300 = 7.57."
In this case, you'd be able to get a pro quality print at 8" x 10"
with a border"

I printed some 12x18's of my G2 shots, including one that was cropped and
felt they were decent prints, subject was a wedding portrait by window
light, and I used to shoot mamiya for 25 years.

the 4mp had much less noise, at iso 50 what noise? and I don't perceive any
purple fringing etc. will you have that with the g6 or pro1


This suggests that the upgrade, tempted as I am, might be pointless.

Advice from members would be appreciated.

Denis Boisclair
Cheshire, England.

I guess it depends who you ask. Since you are asking the question of a group
of people who are likely photography enthusiast, the answer is a resounding
yes. I know if I asked my mother, she look at me like I was crazy knowing
full well that there is a perfectly good Kodak Brownie still sitting in her
closet from when I was 11 years old.

I suggest selling your current model on eBay after getting the new one. For
me, that helps to "justify" an upgrade.

Bye.

PS. Just don't ask your Mum.

"Denis Boisclair" wrote in message
om...
I have a Powershot Pro G2 which has had outstanding reviews and which
I like very much - particularly in the black version which somehow
suits it more than that finish on an SLR.In my opinion it is
dissapointing that the G6 isn't available in black - but hardly a
critical issue!
[....]
Denis Boisclair
Cheshire, England.

I guess it depends who you ask. Since you are asking the question of a group
of people who are likely photography enthusiast, the answer is a resounding
yes. I know if I asked my mother, she look at me like I was crazy knowing
full well that there is a perfectly good Kodak Brownie still sitting in her
closet from when I was 11 years old.

I suggest selling your current model on eBay after getting the new one. For
me, that helps to "justify" an upgrade.

Bye.

PS. Just don't ask your Mum.

"Denis Boisclair" wrote in message
om...
I have a Powershot Pro G2 which has had outstanding reviews and which
I like very much - particularly in the black version which somehow
suits it more than that finish on an SLR.In my opinion it is
dissapointing that the G6 isn't available in black - but hardly a
critical issue!
[....]
Denis Boisclair
Cheshire, England.

On 31 Oct 2004 23:56:50 -0800, (Denis
Boisclair) wrote:

I have a Powershot Pro G2 which has had outstanding reviews and which
I like very much - particularly in the black version which somehow
suits it more than that finish on an SLR.In my opinion it is
dissapointing that the G6 isn't available in black - but hardly a
critical issue!

With the progression to G3 then G5 I didn't particularly feel that the
G2 had been left seriously behind, there not being a great deal of
difference between 4MP and 5MP.

Now that the G6 has been launched, offering 7.1MP this looks like a
serious move forward.The lowest price I have found is £425 - roughly
$765 I believe.

I can see that The G6 will enable much larger prints than the G2 -
what I am not sure about is whether there will be a noticeable quality
difference in [a]prints sized, say, 7"X5",which I will use mostly, or
up to 10"X8" which I will use less often or [b] PC monitor screen
size.

I have just read the following:

"4.1 Megapixels
Maximum print size (medium quality) for a 4.1 megapixel camera: 2272
divided by 150 = 15.14", so you'd be able to get a medium quality
print of close to 11" x 14" with the option of cropping an inch around
the edges to emphasize your subject some more.

Maximum pro quality print size would be 2272 divided by 300 = 7.57."
In this case, you'd be able to get a pro quality print at 8" x 10"
with a border"

This suggests that the upgrade, tempted as I am, might be pointless.

Advice from members would be appreciated.

Denis Boisclair
Cheshire, England.

Denis Boisclair,
I too have a Canon G2 which has & continues to severe
me well. In response to your question "Canon Powershot G2 - Is
Upgrading to G6 Justified?" That is largely a subjective question
that only "you" can answer based both on your "needs & wants".

Depending on your intended use & considering that the G6 is
rather expensive, I would ask you if you have considered a DSLR like
the Digital Rebel/300D for a bit more money. Not certain of the price
or availability in Cheshire, England but I do think it's worth your
consideration before moving from a G2 to a G6.

In the US, the Digital Rebel/300D with it's 18mm-55mm kit lens
can be had for about $900 USD which is less than $250 more than the G6
your considering. As another individual correctly pointed out, the G2
has virtually no noise at ISO=50. The G2 is a fine camera with a very
nice MP to sensor size ratio which in large part accounts for it's low
noise.

Here is what helps me greatly when evaluating a prospective
new camera that I am tempted to buy due to some really nice feature(s)
that it my have. I 1st compare all of the features against my needs &
then look at this camera review web site:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html

Not because I think it's the best, but because he takes sample
pictures & posts them for unedited full size download so that "you"
can compare picture quality yourself. My favorite picture subject
that he almost always uses, is the white Marina Cafe building. This
is a great test subject to illustrate digital noise if you look at the
main entrance area which is in the shade where digital noise is
easiest to notice.

Download this picture full size from the G6 & the Digital
Rebel/300D DSLR as well as any other cameras you may be interested in.

Yes I am Canon biased, & do own a G2 & the Digital Rebel/300D
& a few other digital cameras & still use them all for different
applications. Although the Digital Rebel/300D DSLR is Canon's least
expensive DSLR, I continue to be amazed by it's abilities as I learn
to work around it's shortcomings (should have more features).

Also it is powered by the same battery as your G2 & takes the
same CF memory cards. The choice is yours but I will say this much
about any camera regardless of it's resolution, if you learn it's
strengths & weaknesses, you can get incredible pictures out of almost
any reasonable quality camera. Family & friends know I have the
Digital Rebel/300D DSLR & often are drawn to a picture of mine on the
wall that they like & assume it was taken with my Digital Rebel/300D.
They are often very surprised to find out that it was taken with a
much lower resolution non-DSLR camera, sometimes by my trusty little
A40 (2MP) camera.

Never have I felt a need to compete nor felt outmatched by
somebody with a camera with twice the resolution of mine. I'm
strictly an amateur & the only photo competition I engage in is
between me & my camera in an effort to capture an image as best I can
with what I have in the hopes that it can be enjoyed by others &
myself for years to come.

Respectfully, DHB


"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

"DHB" wrote in message
...
On 31 Oct 2004 23:56:50 -0800, (Denis
Boisclair) wrote:

I have a Powershot Pro G2 which has had outstanding reviews and which
I like very much - particularly in the black version which somehow
suits it more than that finish on an SLR.In my opinion it is
dissapointing that the G6 isn't available in black - but hardly a
critical issue!

With the progression to G3 then G5 I didn't particularly feel that the
G2 had been left seriously behind, there not being a great deal of
difference between 4MP and 5MP.

Now that the G6 has been launched, offering 7.1MP this looks like a
serious move forward.The lowest price I have found is £425 - roughly
$765 I believe.

I can see that The G6 will enable much larger prints than the G2 -
what I am not sure about is whether there will be a noticeable quality
difference in [a]prints sized, say, 7"X5",which I will use mostly, or
up to 10"X8" which I will use less often or [b] PC monitor screen
size.

I have just read the following:

"4.1 Megapixels
Maximum print size (medium quality) for a 4.1 megapixel camera: 2272
divided by 150 = 15.14", so you'd be able to get a medium quality
print of close to 11" x 14" with the option of cropping an inch around
the edges to emphasize your subject some more.

Maximum pro quality print size would be 2272 divided by 300 = 7.57."
In this case, you'd be able to get a pro quality print at 8" x 10"
with a border"

This suggests that the upgrade, tempted as I am, might be pointless.

Advice from members would be appreciated.

Denis Boisclair
Cheshire, England.

Denis Boisclair,
I too have a Canon G2 which has & continues to severe
me well. In response to your question "Canon Powershot G2 - Is
Upgrading to G6 Justified?" That is largely a subjective question
that only "you" can answer based both on your "needs & wants".

Depending on your intended use & considering that the G6 is
rather expensive, I would ask you if you have considered a DSLR like
the Digital Rebel/300D for a bit more money. Not certain of the price
or availability in Cheshire, England but I do think it's worth your
consideration before moving from a G2 to a G6.

In the US, the Digital Rebel/300D with it's 18mm-55mm kit lens
can be had for about $900 USD which is less than $250 more than the G6
your considering. As another individual correctly pointed out, the G2
has virtually no noise at ISO=50. The G2 is a fine camera with a very
nice MP to sensor size ratio which in large part accounts for it's low
noise.

Here is what helps me greatly when evaluating a prospective
new camera that I am tempted to buy due to some really nice feature(s)
that it my have. I 1st compare all of the features against my needs &
then look at this camera review web site:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html

Not because I think it's the best, but because he takes sample
pictures & posts them for unedited full size download so that "you"
can compare picture quality yourself. My favorite picture subject
that he almost always uses, is the white Marina Cafe building. This
is a great test subject to illustrate digital noise if you look at the
main entrance area which is in the shade where digital noise is
easiest to notice.

Download this picture full size from the G6 & the Digital
Rebel/300D DSLR as well as any other cameras you may be interested in.

Yes I am Canon biased, & do own a G2 & the Digital Rebel/300D
& a few other digital cameras & still use them all for different
applications. Although the Digital Rebel/300D DSLR is Canon's least
expensive DSLR, I continue to be amazed by it's abilities as I learn
to work around it's shortcomings (should have more features).

Also it is powered by the same battery as your G2 & takes the
same CF memory cards. The choice is yours but I will say this much
about any camera regardless of it's resolution, if you learn it's
strengths & weaknesses, you can get incredible pictures out of almost
any reasonable quality camera. Family & friends know I have the
Digital Rebel/300D DSLR & often are drawn to a picture of mine on the
wall that they like & assume it was taken with my Digital Rebel/300D.
They are often very surprised to find out that it was taken with a
much lower resolution non-DSLR camera, sometimes by my trusty little
A40 (2MP) camera.

Never have I felt a need to compete nor felt outmatched by
somebody with a camera with twice the resolution of mine. I'm
strictly an amateur & the only photo competition I engage in is
between me & my camera in an effort to capture an image as best I can
with what I have in the hopes that it can be enjoyed by others &
myself for years to come.

Respectfully, DHB


"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

That sounds like a sensible post. I read in a guide somewhere, that 4x6
prints will look better by not using more pixels than necessary, something
to do with how the process combines pixels. I upload my pics for processing,
so too large a file size is also a disadvantage. I currently have an A40,
which although only 2mp can make a quite pleasing 8x10. Obviously, if I were
to have to replace it, I could and would do much better for the same price
I paid. The point is there is a difference between what one would buy today
compared with discarding a perfectly good camera for the sake of better
specs as long as one is happy with present equipment.. Of course, we face
the same dilemma with virtually all the electronic equipment we use.
Dave Cohen

DHB wrote in message . ..
On 31 Oct 2004 23:56:50 -0800, (Denis
Boisclair) wrote:

I have a Powershot Pro G2 which has had outstanding reviews and which
I like very much - particularly in the black version which somehow
suits it more than that finish on an SLR.In my opinion it is
dissapointing that the G6 isn't available in black - but hardly a
critical issue!

With the progression to G3 then G5 I didn't particularly feel that the
G2 had been left seriously behind, there not being a great deal of
difference between 4MP and 5MP.

Now that the G6 has been launched, offering 7.1MP this looks like a
serious move forward.The lowest price I have found is £425 - roughly
$765 I believe.

I can see that The G6 will enable much larger prints than the G2 -
what I am not sure about is whether there will be a noticeable quality
difference in [a]prints sized, say, 7"X5",which I will use mostly, or
up to 10"X8" which I will use less often or [b] PC monitor screen
size.
'
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Denis Boisclair,
I too have a Canon G2 which has & continues to severe
me well. In response to your question "Canon Powershot G2 - Is
Upgrading to G6 Justified?" That is largely a subjective question
that only "you" can answer based both on your "needs & wants".

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''


Many Thanks Dave for taking the time to post such an in depth and
thoughtful reply:my thanks also to the other members for their helpful
contributions.

In a 'nutshell'I am looking for the compact camera which will offer
better prints (mostly only 7"x5"- occasionally 10"x8")than the G2. I
have been a long time user of film SLRs and like the way an SLR
handles - BUT although I am tempted by the Digital Rebel and Nikon
D70,I prefer the lesser bulk and weight of a camera like the G2.

I don't understand if the greater number of pixels in a G6 will make a
difference to prints of size mentioned - or the monitor image - or
will they be no more than overkill??!!!

Regards -

Denis

PS and Off Topic - the outcome of the US Presidential Election is
being watched with great interest over he as a foreigner it would
be improper of me to indicate a prefered result!

"Dave Cohen" wrote

That sounds like a sensible post. I read in a guide somewhere, that 4x6
prints will look better by not using more pixels than necessary, something
to do with how the process combines pixels.

Sounds like utter garbage, to me. Printers will interpolate images anyway.
The more pixels to start with, the better. (Although, beyond 300dpi you'd be
hard-pressed to tell a difference unless the printer has outstanding
photo-printing ability. The G2 should be fine for 5"x7" prints. Beyond that,
upgrade to more megapixels.)

Bones, you're probably correct. I was just quoting an article in some weekly
(not a photo) magazine.
However, I have a more serious problem, obviously I read your response, but
my post is not showing up in my newsreader (outlook). Now if it just got
lost that's one thing, but how come others can see it but not me, sounds
like discrimination (just kidding). By the way I was looking at a bunch of
4x6's my friend took with his very new G6. Nice, but a couple looked there
was a little camera shake (I didn't tell him). All goes to show pixels
aren't everything.
Dave Cohen

"Bones" wrote in message
...
"Dave Cohen" wrote

That sounds like a sensible post. I read in a guide somewhere, that 4x6
prints will look better by not using more pixels than necessary,
something to do with how the process combines pixels.

Sounds like utter garbage, to me. Printers will interpolate images anyway.
The more pixels to start with, the better. (Although, beyond 300dpi you'd
be hard-pressed to tell a difference unless the printer has outstanding
photo-printing ability. The G2 should be fine for 5"x7" prints. Beyond
that, upgrade to more megapixels.)