[Leica] Canon G7; viable choice for a Leica M user?

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

At 2:49 PM +0100 11/6/06, Didier Ludwig wrote:
>The A640 is a consumer point&shoot so expecting low noise at ISO 
>1600 and a bright & clear viewfinder might be too asking much. This 
>is a point&shoot, point. It's finder has to be considered as 
>emergency viewfinder in the case the sun or other lighning 
>conditions makes the usage of the LCD impossible. The sensor is 
>smaller and cheaper than in a DSLR so the camera and the price are 
>smaller and cheaper, too.
>
>Unlike with DSLR's, where the EOS bodies have an advantage in 
>sensor/noise handling, the Canon point&shooters are not superior to 
>their competitors in this term.
>
>More important for point&shooters is, IMO, fast startup, image 
>stabilization (a must for 200g cameras with 200mm teles), anti-red 
>eye flash function, long battery life.
>
>Didier

Again, the Fuji cameras, at least the F10, F20 and F30 and possibly 
others use the Fuji 'Super CCD' and are at least two stops better 
than the competition as far as sensitivity/noise goes.

If you shoot mainly static subjects, cameras such as the G7 and most 
Panasonic models are fine with the image stabilization, but if the 
subject moves only high ISO works in poor light. The Fuji's have very 
good performance at 800 ISO, as good or better than the Panasonics at 
200 and the Fuji F30 goes to 3200 where the quality is similar to the 
Panasonics at 400 (ie, not very good). Another benefit of the good 
high ISO performance is the much better flash performance.

I just got an F20 for my daughter from B&H for $200. In bright light, 
the differences in image quality between P&S camera is not huge; in 
low light the Fuji's win hands down. She'll be taking most pictures

If you want/need a lens wider than 35mm equiv., or longer than 105, 
or need image stabilization, then this series of Fuji's won't work.

-- 
    *            Henning J. Wulff
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