Chris Barker wrote:
> Are you still happy with the G11, Moose? Does it do what you expected, and
> as partly described in you longish email of a couple of weeks ago? Are you
> happy with the build quality etc ...?
>
You weren't quick enough. :-)
Yes, I'm still happy with the G11. There are compromises, as with
everything, especially small sensor cameras, but they are well judged
for my desires. I've read all sorts of comments, both pro and con, about
build quality. No, it doesn't have the metal back cover of prior models,
but everything feels really solid and well made to me. If excellent
quality plastic is the price for the articulated LCD, I'm more than sold.
On my first picture taking jaunt, my fingers were all over the place,
pushing things I didn't want to push, but it didn't take long to settle
down to a nice, solid grip with no surprises even when partying. ;-)
The dpreview test came out today. I haven't read through all the detail
as yet, but am looking forward to it. The other reviewers are useful,
but I still find the detail on dpreview makes them the ones I find most
useful, overall.
As I've said, of particular interest to me is the trade-off between
pixel count and higher ISO IQ. I had a twinge of anxiety as I looked at
the image comparisons of their studio subject, as the G11 wasn't quite
up to the G10 and LX3 at base ISO. I got happier and happier, though, as
the ISO increased.
This last weekend was a perfect case of shootin' in the dark, as it was
held in forest in overcast and rainy weather and inside with low
lighting. It's clear that the G11 is a significant improvement over the
G10 in this area.
The review doesn't really make it clear how decent the G11 is for many
purposes in low light, showing only full pixel samples at high ISOs.
Although it blows away the small sensor competition at the high end, and
even looks pretty competitive with the GF1 at 3200, the samples don't
really show what a nice job it does of maintaining dynamic range and
other overall IQ up there.
<http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/tech/G11-ISO3200/IMG_0167.htm>
The JPEG is a bit subdued (EV and flash EV set @ -2.3), but the ACR
defaults are quite nice. In-camera NR is pretty good. Working with the
RAW file, I can use different settings of NI and others for different
areas and retain more detail in bright areas with less mottling in
shadows lacking detail. The main point is that it makes quite a nice
image for the web and at least 8x10 printing, at ISO 3200!
So why flash with ISO 3200? Well, I should have lowered the ISO between
shots, but I was trying not to fall off the folding chair I was standing
on, avoid kicking over my wine and catch shots of dancing people. The
answer is in some other shots, same time and place. Neither of these
will make the gallery cut, but they show the dramatic difference in
useful flash reach at ISO 3200 vs. 800. Greater sensitivity allows both
ambient light and flash lighting to vastly extend the ramge to cover the
whole room, rather than just what's up close. They are JPEGs right out
of the camera, simply downsampled.
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=Tech/G11/ISO-FlashRange>
I've also compared the G11 to the F30, the old noise champ, by
downsizing review sample shots to the 6 MPs of the F30 and comparing
them. The F30 is still the champ in that narrow area, showing slightly
less noise in JPEGs than JPEGs from the G11 or simple NI processed RAWs
pretty much from ISO 100 to 1600. Still, the difference is quite small
and the G11 blows the F30 away in pretty much every other IQ quality -
it's images are far better looking out of the camera.
> Say a prayer for the rest of us, perhaps.
>
Although held at an Episcopal Church retreat center, this was not an
explicitly religious retreat. Still, many of the chants and songs
concerned wishes and prayers for the well being of all people. You
should have been there for Dona Nobis Pacem sung as a round in the dark
of night, except for the small candles we were holding, in the gallery
just under the roof of the main house. Whooof! Deeply moving.
Much of our Sunday morning session was spent in the small, redwood
chapel, singing chants and songs from many faiths. Again, just wonderful
acoustics to work with our voices and make the experience transcendent.
No way I was trying to take pics during those magic times, but I did
capture the chapel as we were gathering.
Outside
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=FeastOfFools&image=IMG_0224cor.jpg>
Inside
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=FeastOfFools&image=IMG_0227coria.jpg>
Moose
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