g11 or s90 Can't decide

jnsuffolk

Lag time is important for me. I have a cheap sony w50 I can actually point the thing and get my kodak moment every time with it.Not sure if the g11 will do that. I have a friend with a g9 and its really slow compared to my cheap sony. On the other hand the s90 is small has alot of what I want in a p&s but I'm not too sure about the lcd. I do like having a viewfinder on thoses sunny days.

Any suggestions

ziggy53

A true dSLR has a significant speed improvement advantage versus a P&S or digicam. The AF mechanism in particular can be several times faster in poor light.

Flash lag can range from much more to much less in a P&S, depending on the method used to determine accurate flash exposure. For those simple P&S cameras that don't do pre-flash exposure sampling, the flash delay is reduced to nothing at all.

Costs are dramatically higher with a dSLR as the system grows in terms of capability and quality.

While complete and comprehensive lag comparisons are lacking, there are a few sites with at least some data:

http://www.impulseadventure.com/photo/shutter-lag.html

http://cameras.co.uk/html/shutter-lag-comparisons.cfm?sort=ShutterLag

NikonsandVstroms

jnsuffolk wrote:

Lag time is important for me. I have a cheap sony w50 I can actually point the thing and get my kodak moment every time with it.Not sure if the g11 will do that. I have a friend with a g9 and its really slow compared to my cheap sony. On the other hand the s90 is small has alot of what I want in a p&s but I'm not too sure about the lcd. I do like having a viewfinder on thoses sunny days.

Any suggestions

Since the S90 is going against the LX3 I expect it to be top notch in that regard, of course this is just guessing but I would be shocked if there wasn't a lot of carry over from the G11 to the S90. Best bet as always is go out and try them if you can before you buy (you never know things like ergonomic until it is in your hand, and that can be the most important thing of all).

As for the size, the G series is a bit big for me personally to carry around so if this is your back up/take everywhere camera the added portability of the S90 could be huge points in its favor

ziggy53

My apologies. When I read the title I was in a hurry and I thought this was a question about the Canon G11 versus the Nikon D90 dSLR.

My response largely does not make sense against the question except you might be able to find the Canon G11 and Canon S90 specifications listed in one of the links, but they are both pretty new so maybe it will take a while to test them. You might be able to make inferences against the previous models.

bloomphotog

The S90 would be my choice. Lag time on modern point and shoots can be largely reduced or eliminated by shooting technique. Pre-focus, exposure lock, manual flash, etc. The lack of a viewfinder can be a big adjustment. Anti-reflective adhesives can help with glare on the LCD's.

The G cameras are a little to bulky for P&S duty, in my book. The LX3 is arguably the standard bearer in the P&S class, and the S90 looks be primed for taking that aging crown. My only big disappointment is the lack of an ultra-wide lens. It's something that gave the LX3 it's edge for alot of enthusiasts.

bloomphotog

The S90 is in at my local camera store. I checked it out, wow...it's tiny! Took a little getting used to, but the AF was nice, the screen was bright, and the controls were sensible. But to be honest, I think I still prefer the LX3, FWIW.