Looking for a Nice Point & Shoot - RAW - Canon G11 or S90?

[rkchristi416]

Hello everyone. I'm looking for a great point & shoot camera that shoots both RAW and JPEG files. My budget is $400-$500. I've been looking at the Canon Powershot G11, S90, and the Panasonic Lumix LX3. I think I've ruled out the Panasonic because I use Photoshop CS3, and I've read that Photoshop CS3 does not support the LX3's RAW files.

I currently use a Nikon D80 for all of my photos, but I am in need of a point & shoot to carry around with me everywhere. It doesn't have to be really compact. I am okay with the larger advanced point & shoot models as well, but compact is good too. I'm just looking for the one with the best quality. I shoot a lot of live music and sometimes SLRs are not allowed, so I'd like one that would be decent in low light. I know that a point & shoot's quality will be nowhere near an SLR, but I have seen some really great concert photos taken with point & shoots. This guy, for example, has taken some really fantastic live shots with a Canon Powershot G9. He's only recently upgraded to an SLR. His photos with the G9 start at about the end of page 7 on his photostream with the shots of The Decemberists.

Does anybody have any experience with either the Canon Powershot G11 or S90? If so, which would you recommend? I had been leaning towards the S90, but then a friend of mine told me that he would definitely get the G11 over the S90. I'm terrible at making decisions, so now I really am torn. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you have another camera you would recommend that would be great too.

Thanks so much!

[Photo-John]

Funny - I would buy the S90 over the G11. They both have the same sensor so they should have the same image quality (if you leave the lens out of it). I just returned an S90 test camera to Canon and I loved it. And personally, if a compact camera doesn't fit in my pocket, I don't have a use for it. The G11 is big enough that I'd rather just pack my DSLR for the better image quality and performance.

As far as RAW goes, you're going to have the same problem with all of those cameras. Adobe Photoshop CS3 doesn't have RAW support for any of the newer cameras. They force you to go to CS4 or Lightroom 2 if you want RAW support for any of those cameras.

[rkchristi416]

True. I don't mind if it fits in my pocket or not though. My friend said there's a bunch of things that would make him go for the G11 over the S90 and that professionals tend to lean towards the G series in overall excellence, and that it has a lot of great features. But I don't know.

Oh, really? I did not know that. That leaves me with a dilemma then. I'm not planning on upgrading any time soon, I don't have the money.
Hahah. Now I have no idea what to do.

[Photo-John]

My friend said there's a bunch of things that would make him go for the G11 over the S90 and that professionals tend to lean towards the G series in overall excellence, and that it has a lot of great features.

I'm a pro and I like compacts that fit in my pocket. The S-Series has always been cool because it's like a mini version of the G-Series, with the same image quality and full manual controls. I haven't used the G11, but I did a review of the G9 (Canon G9 Pro Review) when it came out and determined I'd rather either carry a DSLR or give up a few features for a camera that fits in my pocket. I don't think the benefits of the G-Series cameras justify the size. They're big enough that it's hard for me to keep them easily accessible. You should ask your friend what the features of the G11 are that he thinks makes it worth the extra size and money. The two most valuable features that I can think of are the flash hotshoe and the tilt-swivel LCD. If you're trying to go light to get your gear into a concert, a big flash probably isn't an option. That leaves the titl-swivel LCD, which I do think would be useful because it would make it easier for you to shoot over the crowd.

RAW is nice. But the JPG files from the S90 are really, really good. To be fair, I did shoot RAW with it. But I think you'll be surprised by how good they are. This won't be definitive. But here's a link to all of my S90 photos:

Photo-John's Canon PowerShot S90 Gallery >>

Oh yeah - any Canon camera that has a RAW mode will come with Canon software for editing and managing the RAW files. So it's not like you can't shoot and use the RAW files. Your workflow will be a little more messy, though. Same goes for the Panasonic. The camera comes with software that will allow you to edit and convert the RAW files.

[rkchristi416]

Thanks for the comments. I see what you mean. Maybe I'm weird, but I actually like the sturdy feel of the larger point & shoots. I'll be sure to ask him though. He's a really great photographer, so I trust him... I'm sure he has a reason.

Yeah, I've heard really fantastic things about the S90s image quality.

What about the G9 or G10? Will they work with CS3?