If you buy a cheap compact you’ll find it’ll still have its uses if you want to upgrade to a DSLR later. I’ve had a Fuji200EXR for a few years and will keep it when I upgrade (been looking at the D3200, thanks for the tip Bob Blaylock). You can get a used one (the Fuji) off of Amazon or ebay - they are reliable and have a good lens - or the F770EXR which is its replacement.
The G15 is also a great camera, IMO better than the S120 but as you know significantly larger. You get a real optical viewfinder which as you can see from this thread is a valued option not available on most small cameras today. While it will be replaced it’s still a fantastic camera IMO. If it was slightly smaller I would pick one up as my next camera.
They take great images but from my impressions they work best in manual mode rather than in full auto. But since you want to learn how to take pictures I think it’ll work great for you. Full auto isn’t bad on this camera, but you won’t get the best out of the tool.
I don’t have much experience with either, but the G15 should be a fine camera. There doesn’t seem to be much change with the G16 http://thenewcamera.com/canon-g16-vs-canon-g15/ The lens and sensor capabilities seem exactly the same. This is the same case with the S100-S110-S120 - Canon seems to like refreshing their cameras every year.
SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. An optical viewfinder is precisely its defining characteristic.
And a specific type of optical viewfinder, at that. It’s one that incorporates a mirror (the “reflex”/“reflection” part of SLR) to direct the light from the lens up to either a prism or a matte focusing screen, so you see exactly the same image the lens/camera is seeing. (And if anyone is wondering, there are also TLRs, twin lens reflex cameras, that use pairs of lenses, one for projecting the image, one for exposing the film, but those do suffer from a bit of parallax error especially at close distances, where what you are seeing is not exactly the same as what the film is being exposed to, as the two lenses are offset by a few inches.)
That said, in a practical sense, digital cameras with electronic viewfinders or the back of the LCD pretty much accomplish the same thing as an SLR in showing you what the camera “sees.” But they do have differences enough that I think it’s worth making the distinction.
Bumping this thread since I’ve some days left to exchange the camera and I’m wondering if I should do so. I’m rathr satisfied so far, but obviously I don’t know what the cameras I didn’t buy would be like.
After reading reviews and comparisonslike this one I was firmly decided to exchange the G15 for an RX100. So, I went back to the shop, where another seller told me again that in his opinion, the G15 was better, especially in full auto. Coming back a second time to buy an USB cable, I saw the original sales clerk and told him again about my doubts.
Basically, he told me that the sensor’s size wasn’t all that mattered and that many cameras with smaller sensors were better, and insisted that Canon had perfected the art of getting an excellent result with such a smaller sensor. He also told me that colours were “truer” (or something) with the Canon G15 while photos taken with the RX100 might need some editing. He flaunted the G15 depth of field. He also told me (I believe I understood that) that the RAW images might be better with the RX100 if I knew what I was doing, but that the G 15 Jpeg images were typically excellent without needing any adjustment.
So, I left not knowing whether I should exchange the camera or not. What do you all think?
After skimming the dpreview reviews for both, I am leaning toward the G15. The only real advantage of the Sony is the sensor.
G15 has more external controls, which means less fiddling with menus at shooting time.
G15 has an optical viewfinder for those moments when you are trying to freeze a football in the air while two children play catch.
G15 has more range in the zoom and the aperture is wider at full zoom. Along with sensor size, I look at the lens. Unless the Canon has some horrible optical defect, it looks to me like the lens is better.
The Sony had better have a stunningly better sensor to beat the Canon.
(IMHO of course)
The fact that my first digital camera was the venerable G1 helps me decide. This is a good bloodline.
The G15 is a better everyday camera. It has a more useful zoom range, faster lens, and the optical view finder. Yes, the RX100 has a bigger sensor but for most of the photos you’re going to take that really won’t matter. The short answer is that if you like the camera, stick with it and take lots of photos. You won’t be disappointed.
A mid-range DSLR is certainly an excellent choice. If not, you may simply conduct online keyword search by typing cameras under …. You will enter the sum that is the highest you can afford before . I am inclined to agree with Zoid below. It is always more a matter of skill than of a specific camera model. A used DSLR may also work fine. You want a camera that is easy to use. It is probably not advisable to buy an expensive camera if you are not certain that this is the right hobby for you.
I see I’m coming in late to this thread and I hope you have made your decision and are happy with it. I must agree with Telemark about the G15.
And of course, to cut a long story short, it’s important that you like the camera you are using. Very technical!
And just as importantly is to go out and enjoy taking pictures and give yourself a clap on the back every time you do something you really like.
The camera is not as important as what is behind it. And I’m sure some famous person said that sometime!
There’s truth to that, but that’s not quite the whole story. I eventually wound up with the Nikon D800E not because I plan to blow any of my images up, but because of the crop factor. I know the OP isn’t likely to be interested in the D800 as a starter, I’m just saying that higher a pixel count increases your ability to make a good image out of just a small part of the original exposure. But I do agree that pixel count shouldn’t be the main factor in choosing a camera.
I think you should keep the G15 and start shooting with it. It’s a fine, capable camera. Is it a perfect camera? No - but no camera is! For what you want to do, the G15 will work very well.
(Bumped by a nuked spammer, I assume.)
Funny how quaint this thread seems now, 8 years later, when everyone is just assumed to have a pretty decent camera with them at all times. (Some of which approach the quality of the expensive stand-alones mentioned in non-extreme situations.)