Has mirrorless killed-off the market for cameras like the Canon G series

Dao · Oct 11, 2012

I do not think the cell phone will kill high end point and shoot camera like the G series. Couple thing that high end point and shoot have and Cell phone don't have is the hotshoe and able to shoot raw. For average person just want to take a snapshot and post it online, they do not really need that.

For those who like to get a better optics than the phone, they may opt for camera like the Samsung Galaxy Camera which they can zoom and take photo and then upload it to their social network account right away.

Samsung Presents ‘Camera. Reborn.’ – the GALAXY Camera | Samsung SMART CAMERA Blog

I agree that the mirrorless camera for sure took some of the low end DSLR market share.

Ysarex · Oct 11, 2012

Hopefully there's enough distinction between camera's like the Canon G and P&S cameras that the G still has a future. I agree the cell phones will replace the P&S cameras. The G is a full-featured compact. For all my nearly 40 years in photography I've used everything from studio view cameras, 4x5 field cameras, medium format cameras, 35mm SLR system cameras and my Retina II C folding rangefinder:

I always had this idea that I should have a camera with me everywhere I went. But since I was a photographer and had high standards that camera had to be able to do the job when the time came. My Retina was able to do that. With a collapsing lens and front cover my Retina could fit in a jacket pocket. It was still too big to fit in a shirt pocket and getting the film processed was enough trouble that I never fully realized my goal of always having a camera handy.

Today the ease and speed of digital along with a camera like the Canon G, a full-featured compact, has made my goal a reality. I tried the shirt-pocket P&S cameras -- very convenient but in the end they always came up short. The phone cameras come up a whole lot shorter. Just like with my Retina I need a camera that's able to do the job when the time comes; I have quality standards. It is possible to design and build a compact camera that delivers high quality and hopefully they'll remain available.

Today my Samsung EX1 goes everywhere I go. I don't leave the house without it. The mirrorless systems are an order of magnitude larger because they can't design a lens that collapses into the camera body if they're going to have multiple lenses. They're not convenient enough to carry in a pocket. I don't want to be left with the choice between a worthless phone camera or a larger system camera that's just short of really pocketable. I waited a long time to realize my goal of always having my camera along. There's got to be enough people like me to keep the full-featured compact alive. Samsung has just released the EX2 which I'm planning to purchase.

Joe

usayit · Oct 11, 2012

Village Idiot said:
Getting tired of beating a dead horse? Not going to ask for a mirrorless section?

LOL thanks for reminding me.

PS> Subforum?

Canuk · Oct 11, 2012

I don't think the G series is going anywhere right away. The release of the 1GX and the G15 would confirm that.
A cell phone camera is not even close to the quality of the G series. I use my G12 for walk around when I want to carry something smaller. I also use it for Underwater photography when scuba diving, in an Ikelite housing. I dont see Ikelite making a housing for my iphone anytime soon.

kundalini · Oct 11, 2012

I was >< that close to buying a G series because I wanted a smaller camera. The only holdback was having to be saddled with a fixed lens. Thankfully I bought another Nikon lens instead as a way to put off buying another camera. I got into the MFT a little over a year ago and couldn't be happier. Well, that's not entirely true..... TPF needs to step up to the plate and open a sub-forum for us users. I'm likely to sell my DX camera and just stay FF & m4/3. The cameras and more importantly, the lenses are becoming quite exceptional for such a small package.

I voted for bacon!

Did I mention that TPF needs a sub-forum for this format?