New camera choices...Canon G6/Konica Minolta A200?

[Catch22]

Hey all, I'm fairly new to the site, found my way over from mtbr.com and am hoping to get some opinions. I'm in the market for a new digicam, I'm an avid photographer and really enjoy and take a lot of pride in trying to take good photos. Right now I'm using a 3 year old Kodak Easyshare 3460? 3.1 mp that is nearing it's last leg after a recent fall(will keep it as a beater cam, it's always worked well). I do a ton of outdoor landscape/scenery shots and like to mix in some actions shots here and there (a few pics taken withthe old cam below to give a general idea of what the camera would be used for). I've been doing a lot of looking around and read plenty of reviews on photographyreview.com (nice site, very helpful).

I'm looking for a camera that I could really grow as a photographer with (not much 'training' other than a class I took way back in HS). I'm hoping to start trying some more wide angle shots and want to get fisheye and polarizing lenses to tinker around with as well. I've made a few 8x10 prints using the current cam and would like to do some larger ones in the future. One of my biggest concerns is price, I'm on a tight budget and trying to keep the camera at or below the $500-600 range. Right now I'm leaning towards something along the lines of a Canon G6/Konica Minolta A200. They seem to be a good value overall and about as close to a DSLR as I can get right now without having to make a big sacrifice in price and camera size(hauling on bike rides). Any opinions between these two or any others worth taking a good look at? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Brian

[Photo-John]

Well, you've already read my reviews for the G6 and the Konica Minolta A200. So I'll only add one thing - the Koinica Minolta A200 is as close as I've experienced to an SLR in a "compact" digital camera.

You should probably take a look at the Olympus C-7070, too. We only have one user review so far, but it's from an mtbr user, EastCoastHucker. One nice thing about that camera is it has a real wide angle lens. The G6's wide zoom end is equivalent to a 35mm lens. The Konica Minolta also has a 28mm equivalent wide end. The 7070 is closer in size and shape to the G6. So if you like the G6's form factor but want a wider lens, then the 7070 might be a better choice. I haven't used the 7070. But I expect the Konica Minolta is still faster and closer to an SLR in actual functionality.

You mentioned that you'd like to be able to use a "fisheye" lens. None of the camera manufacturers make an actual fisheye lens for their compact digital cameras. For a real fisheye you'll need to buy a digital SLR. Check the manufacturer sites to see how wide their wide angle adapters are. The Canon wide angle converter is .7x and that will give you an approximate 24mm equivalent on the G6. That's not really very wide. You can look at other manufacturers like Kenko and even Century Optics, who make accessory lenses for camcorders. But I would feel more comfortable with a lens made by my camera's manufacturer. I tried a Century Optics fisheye on my G2 once. The optics didn't match and there was a lot of distortion around the edges. It really wasn't compatible.

Hope that helps you a little more. The photos you posted here are great. I hope you contiunue to share with us even after you get a new camera. Hopefully some more people will give you some more advice and ideas. I am by no means the authority. There are so many options is next to impossible to really tell someone what the right camera for them is. All I can do is tell you about what I know. Right now that's the G6 and the Konica Minolta A200. It probably is about time I get my hands on the Olympus 7070, though

[Catch22]

Thanks for the suggestions John! I'll have to see if I can find someplace in town to get some more hands on experience with each one. I didn't realize that you can't use a fisheye with any of the compacts, not sure if that changes what I'm looking for but good to know. I just figured there must be some sort of adapter to use one(my lack of actual camera knowledge is scarey). Sizewise do you think any of the 3 would fit into a Camelback Mule or should I be searching for deals on a bigger pack while I'm at it as well? Regardless I'll try to post some more in the future, enjoying the site so far!