Canon G7 vs. A710IS

[avidavidowitz]

Hi all.

I have basically settled on Canon - seems to be the best reviewd on the site.

Question I have is are the extra features on the G7 worth the price?

If people could way in on this it would be a great help! Also, if I am barking up the wwrong tree with only considering Canon and there is something else I should be looking at with similar reviews, please let me know.

Thanks!

[avidavidowitz]

Just realized that I didn't fill out the questionare - so here it is:

Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.

Somewhere between $300 and $600. Already have a large SD card.

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
I'd like it to be as small as possible but I am not willing to go into a major redeye problem just to have an Ultra Compact

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?
7

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
At least 6x

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
8

Do you care for manual controls?
Possibly

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Family shots, vacations shots (not outdoor scenery, but attractions and museums), portraits

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
Potentialy

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Yes - indoor

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
not so much

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
I have heard very good thing about Canon

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Like I said - just Canon for now, but I am open to others

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Image stabilization would be important, Rotating LCD would be nice.

[henryc32]

Hello

I like and have used the A series Canaon cameras for several years and have recommended them to friends. The 2 cameras you are looking at a very similar. The G7 will cost about $200 more. What do you get for the extra $200? In my personal order of impotance it would be:

1. A hotshoe that would let you use an external flash. Important only if your photography requires one (such as underwater photography which I do)

2. Face detection software in the camera. May be important in some people shots, but stills seems like a gimmick to me.

3. 10.3 megapixels in the G7 vs 7.1 in the 710IS. For a point and shoot camera 7.1 is more than adequate. In addition when you add more megapixels to a small sensor like the ones in point and shoots, they just tend to be noiser.

Other than the above, the cameras are pretty much the same. Both have "full" manual controls, same lens, etc.

For your requirements, I do not feel that the extra $200 for the G7 would be well spent.

Hope this helps.

[henryc32]

One other thing. The 700IS takes regualr AA batteries while the G7 has a proprietary Li-Ion. This is also a point to consider, since for the 700IS AA's can always be found, while if you have the G7 and the battery runs down you loose the chance to take photos.

[peppy5]

i vote for the a710 as it's cheaper, it has the rotating screen that you say is nice and the double a batteries that henry mentioned. have you played with both cameras? i have used the a710 indoor and it seemed a bit slow shooting. test both of them and see.

[tim11]

i vote for the a710 as it's cheaper, it has the rotating screen that you say is nice .....

A710 IS LCD is fixed.
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a710-review/camera-back.jpg

[avidavidowitz]

Based on the (scathing) review posted yesterday on the G7, it appears that it is indeed not worth it.

Couple of Questions though:

1. is the 6x zoom on the A710IS also as slow as the G7 is described?

2. Are there other brands and models I should be looking at?


Thanks.

A.

[Gryve]

3. 10.3 megapixels in the G7 vs 7.1 in the 710IS. For a point and shoot camera 7.1 is more than adequate. In addition when you add more megapixels to a small sensor like the ones in point and shoots, they just tend to be noiser.

That's true but let's remember that G7's sensor is 1/1.8" compared to 710 IS's 1/2.5" so it's not the case here. The pixels are about the same size. Maybe due to the sensor or Digic III G7 actually seems to have way less chromatic noise when comparing ISO 400 pics. That is quite nice.
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_g7-review/nightshot400.jpg
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a710-review/nightshot400.jpg
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_g7-review/IMG_0144.JPG
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a710-review/IMG_0092.JPG

I dunno if the optics allow any more details for the bigger sensor. It seems to have SR-coating (for reducing chromatic aberration and ghosting) but I dunno if it makes difference (don't really know what to look for). General image quality seems quite the same as 710 IS

I like the bigger amount of buttons and switches. To be able to change settings faster makes it handier to try more variations and helps in a hurry. Or so I'd figure. And the hot shoe may come in handy.

It's bigger size may be a bit of a bother, but on the other hand, build quality is excellent according to the review.

I have to admit the retro looks of this camera are also what make me want to buy G7, even if it's just a secondary thing.

It's not an easy pick for me, but I do feel like getting the G7. The chromatic noise difference may settle it.


EDIT: Did some picture comparison and info-searching, so I edited the post pretty much.

[peppy5]

A710 IS LCD is fixed.
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a710-review/camera-back.jpg

i stand corrected, thank you.

[cgl88]

So supposing the G7 cost the same as the A710...that if money were no object (or you could shop elsewhere, in another country, for a better price)...would you choose the G7 over the A710?

I'm disappointed the G7 has red eye problems and wonder what, for a similarly compact size and quality, should also be considered.

[tanja]

I'm also looking into these camera's (and the S3 IS) and I hear shutter lag of the G7 is nearly non existent? Grip of the G7 is really bad and so far keeping me from buying it. It looks nice and has good papers, but doesn't the other camera's do aswell?

[SpecialK]

If you are only considering a compact, then you should ignore this post.

However, for the top of your budget, i.e. $600, you could get an entry level DSLR like the Nikon D40 or Pentax K100D (or even cheaper K110D with no stabilization) that comes with fair-to-average kit lens that does moderate wide angle to moderate telephoto. They will be much "better" indoors (no redeye like the A710 and perhaps G7 because the flash pops up away from the lens) near instantaneous shutter, automatic or manual controls, and the ability to add additional lens at a reasonable cost.
Pentax has rebates going on, making it even more of a bargain. You can get a decent 2-lens set up for about $700 (plus SD card not included with any DSLR).

Those are 6 MP cameras which is more than enough. No DSLR will fit in your pocket, however.

[cgl88]

I'm also looking into these camera's (and the S3 IS) and I hear shutter lag of the G7 is nearly non existent? Grip of the G7 is really bad and so far keeping me from buying it. It looks nice and has good papers, but doesn't the other camera's do aswell?

Tanja,

Don't be too concerned about lack of grip. You learn to live with it, and it becomes a non-issue. My 'credit card' camera was a nightmare in terms of holding it horizontally/vertically but the compactness was worth it. My guess is the G7 would be the same.

S3IS is extremely versatile - it will cover just about any situation and does not have the inherent problems of a compact. Personally, I'd go with what SpecialK says and consider an entry-level dSLR instead of the S3 IS.

[tanja]

Thanks, I've looked at the a710 and S3 again today in the shop and I'm about to buy the S3. I might still want a SLR in the future though, but right now I'm looking for a camera that'll fit in a backpack to go out on a mountainbike ride. It's still a little bigger than I aimed at, but such nice features. I do wonder, the camera was introduced februari this year, is there rumours of a upgrade anythime soon? Or is the S3 still considered rather recent?

[cgl88]

The one thing I learned about upgrades is that they will always happen and that when they do it is at a full price.

If you need the S3 now then you should just buy it. It sounds more appropriate for you than the A710 because you'll be carrying it in a backpack. The 12x zoom will be very versatile too.

[Happy_Macomb]

We, too, are stuck between the A710 and the G7 (though we are open to switching to anything else). I want the best clarity I can get -- but I am concerned that the G7, notwithstanding the 10 mps, may be so noisy that the A710 actually has more clarity.

Also, is the redeye really worse on the G7?

And the fact that the A710 LCD darkens for a few seconds after shooting using the flash is a big drawback -- I don't know if that is also true of the G7.

[cgl88]

It's one of those things you'd get used to. I read from users that it's not really a big deal, especially when you consider the cost of the G7 compared to the A710.

I tried out the G7 and the user controls are phenomenal - very intuitive and very retro!! The A is nothing like that. Still, I'm siding on the A-series due to price and would rather shell out G7 $$ for an SLR instead like the pentax.