Yesterday, Canon announced the new Canon G11 and Powershot S90. Over the last few years, I’ve nearly always carried some kind of compact Canon camera around with me, but since I sold my last Ixus (very bad decision), I’ve been without something to grab those moments with. So how will they stack up as car photographer’s cameras and which would I choose?
That’s a difficult one, as they both have good points. The G11′s big bonus for me is the hot shoe, giving the ability to actually use it as a backup camera on a shoot should it all go badly wrong. Full manual control, RAW file capture, plus you can attach a Pocket Wizard or Elinchrom Skyport to it and away you go.
The S90, while not having a hot shoe and probably couldn’t be called a ‘backup’ camera, has a superb slim footprint and like my old Ixus, has the kind of size and weight that you need from a true ‘compact’ camera. You’re far more likely to pick it up and drop it into your jeans pocket than a G11 as you pick up your keys. The single bad point for me, and I’m sure Canon will be rolling there eyes over the number of times it’s said, but no video mode is an oversight.
For me, the killer decision would be if the Powershot came with an underwater housing, which I’m unsure of. The G11 does and that together with the hot shoe put it ahead for me right now. Even if you never swim, the housing is superb for letting you simply drop it on the sand on the beach without worrying.
Can these cameras take great car photos? We’re hoping to find out soon and get our hands on them, then we’ll find out if the dreaded shutter lag that many compacts suffer from affects them, whether you can trigger wireless flashes and whether that adjustable screen on the G11 is good enough for those killer low angle tracking shots. So would you rather have a slim Powershot with the same area as an iPhone or a bigger lump in your pants with the G11?
Two Great Cameras for Car Photography?
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