What really is the best camera? Such a tired and old question, but I get asked it almost everyday. Photography is technology dependent. The tool you use effects what your pictures look like. But what effects your pictures even more is if the picture gets taken in the first place. The simple truth is that if I don’t like the way a camera feels. I will tend not to use it. Did you know Susan Sontag’s big complaint about Annie Leibowitz was that she didn’t take enough pictures? If Annie isn’t making enough images, where does that put the rest of us?
Professionally, I use an H3D, Canon 1DSIII, Canon 5DII. Sometimes I will leave the house with one of the big cameras. I actually like the H3D as a giant snapshot camera. But if I am going out to dinner with friends, it is a bit much. Same if I have a 5D with a fat 50 f1.2. A large presence at the dinner table if you know what I mean.
I have been looking for a new smaller more casual camera to replace my aging Elph. Today’s question is which is the best camera for day to day carrying around? Here are the results of my obsessive investigation.
1. The Canon S10. Too small in my hand, and is really not much different than the camera in my phone. Why bother?
2. Canon G12. An odd little beast, too big for the pocket, same tiny chip as the S10. Feels awkward to hold. Looks nerdy.
3. Leica X1. Really nice camera, bigger 4/3s chip. Spendy at $2000. A bit heavy, but feels great to hold.
4. Panasonic GH1 w/20mm 1.7 lens, also with a 4/3s chip, is the winner for the DHS snapshot camera award.
There is some noise in the blacks on the GH1 after 400ASA, but the same noise is in the RAW of the Canons. According to DP Review, Canon uses a noise reduction software in the jpegs to soften it, which also softens the the image. It is light, it is elegant, the 1.7 fix lens is great. Do you really really need that 8x zoom on some of these other cameras? The Leica lens is also fixed, but at f2.8 too slow in my book. The main drawback to the Leica is the price. If I trash a $689 camera, ok, I am sad, but not crushed. If I trash a $2000 camera, that is another matter. The whole idea with a camera like this is not to worry about it so much, otherwise I won’t carry it. The joy of the GH1, is that is has actual DOF falloff, unlike the tiny sensor cameras. Shoot it close to wide open and the falloff is wonderful.
As a bonus, you can go on Ebay and pimp out your GH1 with a sexy sexy leather cover. Contrasting stitching please.
Good information David, I need to either fix or replace my Canon G9. I smashed it on some rocks in the Bahamas. It still works but the wheel that you use to change the settings it hard to turn and I use it almost exclusively on manual. Two things I don’t like about the G9 are the noise and that it does not have any view finder information. The noise makes it almost useless over ISO 200. The viewfinder has no information so to meter anything you have to use the live view. I find that very cumbersome. You addressed the noise issue. How is the GH1 in manual mode to use? Also how does it handle using the live view (it looks like it dosn’t have a eye finder)?
Hi Kyle,
Sorry about the smashed on rocks G9, but that is sort of what I meant about the Leica, and having a camera that one can risk destroying.
The GH1 has noise in the blacks over 400ASA. Any camera with that size sensor will. It is a question of how much you can live with and what you are willing to do about it. I have shot mine at 1600ASA, and if I want reduce the noise, I will clip the blacks, add a bit of noise reduction in LR, then sharpen and put some film grain on it.
Manual aperature is the only way I use my GH1, and it works great. The lack of optical view finder takes about 3 seconds to get used to. If I need more to make the camera more stable, I will push it out away from me so that the neck strap tightens. Seems to work well. Remember you have a 1.7 lens, so that also really helps.
Best wishes,
David