Looks like my trusty Canon Powershot G3 has died. I’m quite bummed naturally.
It was a very handy camera and very capable once I figured out its limitations.
Sure it wasn’t as fast to focus and shoot, but once I understood how it acquired focus, I knew how to get the best results from this camera under most circumstances.
It can be the difference between getting a picture or not getting one .
Since cameras don’t last forever and you can always count on the newer models to be faster, with less digital noise and bigger file sizes, I’m not devastated. My Powershot G3 has served me well.
Too bad I can’t hand it down to my kids.
Its replacement will probably be the Canon Powershot G11 for about the same price around US $500. (no memory cards)
Pros and Cons
I loved the Powershot G3 because it used compact flash cards.
Need I say why? My digital SLR bodies use compact flash cards.
Looks like I now have to buy Secure Digital cards if I move up to the G11.
Even before the Powershot G3 died, I was tempted to get the same line of Canon Powershot camera but I held out.
I loved the articulating LCD screen you can turn to face forward. This feature allows users to easily do self-portraits.
But for reasons unknown Canon removed that articulating LCD screen in G5, G7, G9 and G10 models.
That articulating LCD screen is back on the latest G11 and just in time.
The other reason I loved the G3 was, it used the same batteries as my digital SLR bodies.
Upgrading does has its downsides.
It’s useful to weigh the pros and cons and research carefully so you are not surprised.
The Powershot G11 uses a Secure Digital card and a different proprietary battery.
Yes, that means yet a different charger.
My closet which is already chock full of all kinds of chargers is crying “uncle.”
Everything I’ve read tells me the 10 Megapixel G11 will be a great improvement.
Ah ha, the decoy memory card! I have to use that technique. I just got taken aback when the cop on the boardwalk told me to watch what I shoot and he also said if he caught me shooting people I’d be in big trouble. And I was using a cell phone camera! I would text my wife and attach pictures of the beautiful ocean and boardwalk. I used to take pics of the really old guys playing chess in central park, NYC – some of the best art shots I ever took. Nobody ever bothered me. Thanks for your advice and support.
Hello Kenny,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. What do you mean, you’re not a photographer? These days who isn’t? 😉 There’s a camera with every cellphone. Our society has become very unfriendly towards photography. It’s only going to get worse I’m afraid. Law enforcement officers can be heavy-handed at times, but with the post-911 hysteria, they now have an easy excuse to infringe on our rights. Keeping a decoy memory card handy is worth considering if you are asked to hand over something…I used to have a decoy roll of film handy when I worked at the newspaper.
Hi,
Love your work. Great advice on taking pictures in public. I am not a photographer but love taking interesting shots of places and people. Unfortunately, post 9-11, I am careful about what I shoot. Once I took a shot of a cop giving a ticket and he gave me a lecture. And I was stopped recently by a cop for taking pictures on the boardwalk and beach in New Jersey. That was a little tough to take. I know I have rights, but don’t want a confrontation. Thanks for the advice. Nice web site -kenny