Doug Kerr
Well-known member
Our "flagship" camera here is a Canon EOS 40D, which we often keep equipped with a Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens.
We also use Canon Powershot SX110 IS compact camera when we don't wish to carry the 40D (and its bulk and weight becomes ever-0more burdensome with the passage of time (read: age). It does a very nice job, but its noise performance above ISO 200 is very mediocre, and its use in a lot of social situations is hampered by the very long recycle time for the onboard flash unit (which, with the rest of the camera, runs from two AA cells). And it has no viewfinder, a problem in many situations (notably shooting in bright sun). Its ff 35mm EFL range is 36-360 mm.
As you may have noticed from an earlier thread here, we have been considering acquiring a Canon Powershot G12 as a middle-of-the-road machine. One attraction is that is has a Canon flash hot shoe, and we could augment its flash capability with, for example, our Speedlite 270EX.
A recent review of our aspirations for the new machine brought to light that the modest zoom ratio (1:4) of the G12 (ff 35mm EFL range of 28-140 mm) would probably fall short of many of our needs for our "modest size" general purpose camera. (The 18-200 on the 40D has a ff 35mm EFL range of about 29-320 mm).
For various reasons, we have decided instead to cast our lot with a Canon Powershot SX20 IS. It has a smaller sensor than the G12 (6.17 mm x 4.55 mm - "5.6 x"), and with that no doubt poorer performance in various ways, including the matter of noise at higher ISO sensitivities. On the plus side, its lens has an ff 35mm EFL range of 28-560 mm (1:20). And it has an electronic viewfinder, a modality on which you know I am quite keen. And it indeed has a Canon flash hotshoe (as well as a pop-up built-in flash we hope might itself have better recycle performance that that of the SX110). Its native image size is 4000 x 3000 px (12 MPx).
We had looked at its successor, the SX30 IS, but were put off by several considerations. Its lens has a far higher zoom ratio (1:35), and we couldn't help but think there is a performance price to be paid for that. The SX30 also moves from the use of AA cells to a proprietary Canon battery. While that is probably technically desirable, we also see some disadvantages (not the least of which is the cost of a second battery for the machine).
So we have sprung for a factory-refurbished SX20 from B&H ($249.95 delivered).
It is an anniversary gift from Carla on the occasion of our 12:2 anniversary (12 yrs, 2 mo). (She got a spiffy new mouse for her 'puter.) (For her 73rd birthday, two days ago, she got some substantial augmentation to her wardrobe.)
She discusses the matter of the camera as part of our "learn by buying" program.
I'll fill you in on how all this works out.
Best regards,
Doug
We also use Canon Powershot SX110 IS compact camera when we don't wish to carry the 40D (and its bulk and weight becomes ever-0more burdensome with the passage of time (read: age). It does a very nice job, but its noise performance above ISO 200 is very mediocre, and its use in a lot of social situations is hampered by the very long recycle time for the onboard flash unit (which, with the rest of the camera, runs from two AA cells). And it has no viewfinder, a problem in many situations (notably shooting in bright sun). Its ff 35mm EFL range is 36-360 mm.
As you may have noticed from an earlier thread here, we have been considering acquiring a Canon Powershot G12 as a middle-of-the-road machine. One attraction is that is has a Canon flash hot shoe, and we could augment its flash capability with, for example, our Speedlite 270EX.
A recent review of our aspirations for the new machine brought to light that the modest zoom ratio (1:4) of the G12 (ff 35mm EFL range of 28-140 mm) would probably fall short of many of our needs for our "modest size" general purpose camera. (The 18-200 on the 40D has a ff 35mm EFL range of about 29-320 mm).
For various reasons, we have decided instead to cast our lot with a Canon Powershot SX20 IS. It has a smaller sensor than the G12 (6.17 mm x 4.55 mm - "5.6 x"), and with that no doubt poorer performance in various ways, including the matter of noise at higher ISO sensitivities. On the plus side, its lens has an ff 35mm EFL range of 28-560 mm (1:20). And it has an electronic viewfinder, a modality on which you know I am quite keen. And it indeed has a Canon flash hotshoe (as well as a pop-up built-in flash we hope might itself have better recycle performance that that of the SX110). Its native image size is 4000 x 3000 px (12 MPx).
We had looked at its successor, the SX30 IS, but were put off by several considerations. Its lens has a far higher zoom ratio (1:35), and we couldn't help but think there is a performance price to be paid for that. The SX30 also moves from the use of AA cells to a proprietary Canon battery. While that is probably technically desirable, we also see some disadvantages (not the least of which is the cost of a second battery for the machine).
So we have sprung for a factory-refurbished SX20 from B&H ($249.95 delivered).
It is an anniversary gift from Carla on the occasion of our 12:2 anniversary (12 yrs, 2 mo). (She got a spiffy new mouse for her 'puter.) (For her 73rd birthday, two days ago, she got some substantial augmentation to her wardrobe.)
She discusses the matter of the camera as part of our "learn by buying" program.
I'll fill you in on how all this works out.
Best regards,
Doug
