DigiCams: Anyone have Nikon Coolpix 5000 or Canon Powershot G2?

[jon]

Trying to decide between these two cameras. Anyone used these?

[pope]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jon:

Trying to decide between these two cameras. Anyone used these?

---

Yes, I saw both on sale in the same ad. and I'm also interested. Anybody?

[jon]

Which ad?

[hikerwa]

I have a G2, have been shooting with it for almost a year now, my buddy just bought a 5000. As far as I can tell the G2 feels more like a camera, both have a rotating and swiveling display, both have manual features. I use mostly the manual mode with raw images, I have blown these up to over 36"x48". As far as resolution goes I think the nikon is a bit higher, but between the two cameras I have not noticed a huge difference in quality. The G2 seems to have a few more features, like adjusting saturation, color and hue, but I'm sure either is good.

 

There is one important point though, when my friends batteries run low, I still have about 50-70 more shots on my charge, and I have not had any problems with the battery getting cold, it had worked on cold days on Rainier and very hot days in the Southwest.

 

As far as accessories go, if you have a nikon set up already, the TTL flashes and such will work with the NIkon, if you have a Canon Setup, the TTL flashes and stuff will work with the Canon. I unfortunately have a full Nikon System for film, but went with the Canon Digital because of it's saturation and sharpness...

 

just my two cents...

 

Sean

[JoshK]

I have a Nikon 5700, which I'm extremely happy with. It's basically the same "back" as the 5000, but with a larger lens. One very nice thing about the 5000 is it's wide angle capability which goes down to 28mm. This is very very nice for capturing landscapes. I often miss this on my 5700, which only goes as wide as 35mm. Of course the 5000 is also a higher resolution camera (5mp vs. 4mp) which is nice if you plan on printing your pictures.

 

As for the battery life, I've never had a problem with my 5700's battery, and I think it uses the same thing as the 5000. An extra rechargable for it was about $40, and between those I can make it easily through a 4 day trip.

 

-josh

[tomdav]

Both are nice cameras. I've been using a G2 for over a year now and it has served me well.

 

Street price for the Nikon CP 5000 (after $100 rebate) is $664. The G2 has dropped to $550 now that the G3 has been announced. Prices are per buydig.com (after $25 shipping). I don't necessarily recommend these guys, but they generally honor their advertised prices even if you don't bite on the overpriced accessories (meaning you can assume the advertised prices are legit).

 

Things I prefer about the G2:

- battery life (battery lasts 40% longer than the CP 5000 per dpreview, not to mention you can buy a higher capacity "VidPro" spare for your G2 from batterybarn.com for $44 which lasts 30% longer than the stock G2 battery. Yeah, the Nikon battery might seem good... until you've experienced the real thing, i.e. higher end Canon or Sony rechargeable).

- faster lens (particularly at telephoto)

- RAW file format (gives you a digital negative)

- IS0 50 (less noise vs. ISO 100 on the CP 5000)

- infrared wireless remote

- hardly any chromatic abberations / purple fringing (can be a problem on the CP 5000)

 

Things I like about the CP 5000:

- 2cm macro focus (vs 6cm on the G2)

- 28mm wide angle (vs 35mm on the G2)

 

Things that aren't important:

- 5MP vs 4MP (5MP sensors currently have a lot of problems with "noise" - this is reportedly one of the reasons Canon kept the G3 at 4MP)

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either camera. If shooting macros is important to you, I'd lean toward the CP 5000. Otherwise I'd go for the G2 (or the G3).

 

[ 10-29-2002, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: tomdav ]

[hikerwa]

About the printing, if you need to print your pics larger that 24"x36" then you should be shooting film, the difference between 5 and 4 megapixels is not that great. for most of the printing up to 11"x 17" even 3 megapixels would be sufficient.

[jon]

Thanks for the responses. I've read all the reviews but sometimes they are too critical and technical and don't address issues for the kind of shooting that an outdoors person does like cold weather and water.

 

I'm still torn but leaning towards the Nikon for these reasons even though it is $100 more. The 5000 can have an ISO setting of 800 versus the 400 for the G2. The 5000 has a 28mm lens versus the 32mm of the G2, and 38mm for the other Nikons, and even though 28mm to 32mm seems like a small number but is actually a pretty big difference. Plus I have Nikon film cameras which is a good point made by hikerwa.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Jon, if you haven't already committed to buying your camera, check out http://www.tristatecamera.com . Dr. and Mrs. Flash Amazing are shopping for digitals right now, and the model we're looking at (Pentax Optio 330 GS) was at Camera World for $350, but tristate had it for $299. Of course, Camera World will match a low price, even off the internet, so you can score the low price and have a store to return your camera to if it fucks up.

 

The Doctor's dos centavos, for what it's worth.

[philfort]

Before you order from potentially seedy internet dealers, read these reviews of camera shops on photo.net:

 

http://www.photo.net/neighbor/one-subcategory?id=2

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Again, skip the potentially dodgy online ordering. Just find the best price on the 'net, and take it to a store that will match or beat prices. Takes a lot of the guesswork, stress, worry, etc. out of the buying process, and you don't have to wait for the goods to arrive. Best of both worlds.

[tomdav]

Unless you live in Oregon, there's a huge advantage of ordering online - you avoid sales tax. On the Nikon (pre-rebate) that's $70+. Not to mention I haven't found any local shops that will actually match internet prices. At best, Ritz (aka Camera World, Cameras West, etc.) will match "qualified Internet retailers. Qualified internet retailers must be listed on the manufacturer's website". Since camera manufacturers won't allow their "authorized" merchants to advertise below a certain price, this really doesn't save you much. I've purchased 3 cameras online and never had a problem. I always read the fine print to make sure I can return the camera without "restocking fee" if there is something wrong with it. As philfort noted, you should also make sure the merchant is legit (what, you want the lens cap, battery, ac adapter, software, manuals, and us warranty? that runs extra $200). And never, never, ever buy accessories, extended warranty, or anything other the camera from the place you buy online.

 

Jon, forget about ISO 800 (it's a marketing gimmick like digital zoom). Anything above ISO 200 will be unacceptably noisy (unless you buy a $2000+ digital SLR with a large sensor). I always shoot at ISO 50 on my G2 to eliminate noise. If you want to shoot action, you'll need a digital SLR.

[Fairweather]

One consideration that often gets overlooked is ergonomics. The Nikon 5000 is easier to use with a gloved/one hand. I love Nikon grips. You can also buy a little rubber sheild to put over the screen on sunny days.

 

I recently perchased a Minolta Dimage F100 4mp camera. It takes great pictures ana I love the choice of AA lithium or Nimh rechargeables. I also love the little SD cards. Weighs 6oz. Paid $499. A smaller camera is easier to keep warm beneath a parka.

 

Still, I would have bought the Nikon 5000 but for the price.

[Skisports]

Why not get a D100 by nikon its not much more for the cost and you get a much better cammera. The weight is more but you do know how to use a cammera or at least learn how to use one no of this point and shoot.