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By nature, I am not usually satisfied with point-and-shoot pictures. I love having control of my images and like being able to shoot where and when I want. I cannot stand the built-in flash and red-eye that occur when using these small pieces of equipment. So why even bother? I decided I wanted one for convenience and I could not stand the one I won last year in a contest. I gave it to my husband after it just sat in a drawer.
Much to my husband’s dismay, after researching through Facebook and Twitter, I decided to buy the Canon G11 point and shoot. I have been getting questions daily about this decision, so I thought I would do a super informal review. You can find formal ones all over the internet.
It arrived just in time for my trip to Disney World in December. And while I cringed at the thought of leaving behind my Canon 5D MKII, I decided to take the plunge. Once I left for the airport, there was no turning back.
Pros:
- I could give it to my husband or others and get in photos (wait – maybe that is not a pro…)
- Much better on a rainy day – it poured all day while at the Magic Kingdom. While the camera is not tiny, it was small enjoy to go in my purse, under a poncho. I would not have brought my Canon 5D MKII out in this non-stop downpour.
- Fun angles with the tilt view finder.
- If I want to shoot manual, I can.
- Shoots RAW. Huge plus for me.
Cons:
- It is still a point and shoot – still red eye if indoors with flash.
- Not great at high ISOs. I would say ISO 400 is use-able, but beyond that, I was not overly happy.
- Flash is really flashy, even when I dialed it down.
- Though you can felt full manual, I did not want to. I knew it would not do what my SLR would and I decided “when in Rome…”
So what is my verdict? I am very glad I bought the Canon G11. I think in certain situations I will use it. I do feel it is better than many P&S cameras I have owned. I like the fact that I can shoot RAW (and I did) and that I could shoot manual (though I mainly used Aperture Priority). But do not expect to see me selling my SLR and lenses.
And as for how I edited these? I ran them through Lightroom to correct basic exposure and white balance. Then I batched them. Normally when I batch, I use Autoloader, and edit after I run the Big Batch Action. But in this case, I ran them through and let them close. I wanted to see if I could let myself give up that control, since after all they are just snapshots. And I did. I was very proud of myself for that.
Spaceship Earth – the girls’ favorite ride…
At Epcot, in China, making masks…
Jenna outside the Magic Kingdom, minutes before it started and never stopped raining the entire day.
Jenna riding the Magic Carpet, over and over. The ride was empty.
Jenna in the pool. It was just 60 degrees. Not exactly pool weather, but…
A night shot… My father-in-law took it. I would not have had this shot with me in it if I had not bought a point and shoot. Everyone in my family is scared of my “big camera.”
Yes, Ellie, who just turned 8, and who is just over 40 pounds, went on Space Mountain! I would have missed this shot if I had brought my SLR instead (due to the rain).
At the airport, before we knew we would be stuck overnight there…
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Nice post. Thanks for sharing the info and the pics, too. Looks like y’all had a blast there.
Love the article!
I’ll never be without a tiny camera. I currently have the SD1200 IS which has nothing manu & no RAW, but I love it. Goes everywhere, can pass it off to anyone to use, does a mighty fine job on what it’s built for. I can’t see me giving away my 1DIII or other dslrs but for everyday poking around fun? Love it!
wow…now i must make plans earlier to go the world…the girlies are all begging. hmmmm…maybe i can write it off as a business expense? no. fine. i guess we’ll just do it ourselves. great fun.
You are welcome. Glad it was helpful. We have tons of fun.
I appreciate this review and your real examples with how you processed them. I need a P&S camera because a DSLR is just to much to carry around all day on vacation. The G11 seems like the perfect balance between great images and camera size/weight. Now, I need to find room in the budget for one!
I love the review…I used to have a G series and loved it! Good to have a p&s on vacay with the family…especially to Disney! Which, by the way, where was the picture taken of your family (at the mouse ears). I have been to the World many times but don’t remember seeing that! Thanks!
Jennifer, the mouse ears are at the contemporary hotel in the back.
I just got a G-11 myself and as I have not had a chance to dive into it yet or even study the manual, I do like it. It was good to hear your take on it. I agree about the ISO, it is much more grainy then my SLR’s. I also don’t like the way they have the controls right there making it hard to hold, always accidently pushing a button that i didn’t want to.. This is basically my first point and shoot worth owning and it is nice because I take more pictures now already just because it is more convienient.
I have tried all the Canon G models (except for the G11)and have never been happy with them. I wish they would improve their high iso performance. That is the one thing that I just really don’t like. I use the Lumix LX3 and LOVE it. The only major drawback is lack of a zoom lens… but the sharpness of the leica lens on it makes up for it… for me anyway! 🙂 Thanks for the review! Now I know not to mess with buying the G11.