First Outing with Canon PowerShot G9

Today I took my new Canon PowerShot G9 out for the first real time. I went to a place called the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia. Now understand it's barely spring here. While we didn't get much snow at all this winter, it was not what one would call warm. Despite that, there are some flowers in bloom and there is some greenery at this time of the year. When I took the photos, it was probably 45°F/7°C, breezy, and mostly overcast.

Here's the first of two sets of images I'll post. The second set I'll post presently. Enjoy!

Here's the second and last set of images. Enjoy!

Wow! Those are great, MO ! That point & shoot does some awesome work.

Thank you MHC!!!! It's a really nice little camera. And yes, it's a point & shoot, not a dSLR. It's amazing what a simple little camera can do.

There's a lot more greenery down in your neck of the woods than there is here (yet). My Irises are just starting to come up, as are a few of my tulips, but I think only one of my trees shows any signs of life.

Anyway, those are beautiful pictures - clearly, you have a great eye for photography. I've always been a fan of Canon's digital cameras, particularly for outdoor shots.

Thank you cwa!!!!

nice shots! i personally like the shot of the inside of the gazebo

Thank you sanity!!!!!!

mathogre said:

Thank you sanity!!!!!!

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That's kinda funny if you take it out of context

Nice shots Ogre! I'm actually about 1.3 hours south of you in C'ville (but planning a move back to NOVA). Nice to see another from the area.

On a technical note though and it could very well be this somewhat substandard computer I use at work but do you think the Powershot handles the highlight areas very well? It looks (and like I said it could very well be this PC I'm using) like the highlights are a bit blown own, particularly in the squirrel and the white-leaf flower.

Just wondering as I'm considering getting this camera too.

Best and again, nice shots.

Kat

sanity1082 said:

nice shots! i personally like the shot of the inside of the gazebo

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Ditto. Nice work MO. I best be seeing some new work next month in the photo of the month thread. Keep it up.

MacKat said:

Nice shots Ogre! I'm actually about 1.3 hours south of you in C'ville (but planning a move back to NOVA). Nice to see another from the area.

On a technical note though and it could very well be this somewhat substandard computer I use at work but do you think the Powershot handles the highlight areas very well? It looks (and like I said it could very well be this PC I'm using) like the highlights are a bit blown own, particularly in the squirrel and the white-leaf flower.

Just wondering as I'm considering getting this camera too.

Best and again, nice shots.

Kat

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Hi Kat! Thanks!

<*Waves to Kat just down the road a bit*>

I'm not sure exactly what you mean about the highlight areas. In part that's because I do so little with digital image processing that I'm not sure about the concept. That said, let me tell you what I did.

(Originally I said the day was mostly overcast. It started that way, but the Sun eventually came out in some good breaks. Rain had threatened, but I went to the place anyway.)

For the squirrel, he (she?) was in sunlight and I zoomed on him. I'd have to check if I went into the digital (versus optical) zoom or not. I'm not even sure what the settings were (though I might be able to check them at home tonight). It was a quick opportunity. I heard something and looked over, and the squirrel was eating an acorn. While I hate the bloody things - we have so many around our house - it was still a neat photo op. He was sitting on a rough, narrow stone bridge. The camera didn't bother him when I took the picture, but he didn't like when I moved.

Now the white petal flower was in the shade and I used the macro setting. It was a very tiny flower, and I was probably less than an inch away. There was another nearby, but it was in the sun. I got a picture of that, but it wasn't as good in many ways. Additionally, I had to be careful with it and using it in macro mode as the camera was casting shadows on the flower in some locations.

I don't know if that helps. I think the camera reproduced the scenes accurately. I can't say for certain, but I never got the sense it was doing things it shouldn't have been doing. Also, I'm color blind (it's just shades, but I fail the color dot tests completely), so I could be missing something through that too.

If you want to elaborate, please do and I'll see if together we can answer your question.

bryphotoguy said:

Ditto. Nice work MO. I best be seeing some new work next month in the photo of the month thread. Keep it up.

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Thank you!!!!! There's still time for this month, and I have other photos that could have been put here too. ^_^

Now that I can look at the photos on a decent screen I can comment about the highlight question. I just calibrated it a couple of days ago too.

That's gotta be a boy squirrel btw MO.

The white flower was exposed perfectly. There is quite a bit of detail in those highlights. I don't see any part of the pedals that went pure white. There is a little piece of fur on the squirrel that did get blown out. Same with the left flower of the blue trio below the squirrel.

Blown out highlights are inevitable with any camera on a sunny day. Like film, digital images only have a certain contrast range which is quite a bit smaller than the natural world. On super sunny days it wouldn't hurt to take two photos and underexpose one of them to get some highlight detail back. It's also helpful to have a camera like the G9 that shoots in RAW so you can get some of the highlight detail before the image is actually processed and written for the first time.

I think your photos are great! You are doing very well for a new camera. If those are samples while getting used to the new camera, we will be in for some really fine work after you are accustomed to using it.

bryphotoguy said:

Now that I can look at the photos on a decent screen I can comment about the highlight question. I just calibrated it a couple of days ago too.

That's gotta be a boy squirrel btw MO.

The white flower was exposed perfectly. There is quite a bit of detail in those highlights. I don't see any part of the pedals that went pure white. There is a little piece of fur on the squirrel that did get blown out. Same with the left flower of the blue trio below the squirrel.

Blown out highlights are inevitable with any camera on a sunny day. Like film, digital images only have a certain contrast range which is quite a bit smaller than the natural world. On super sunny days it wouldn't hurt to take two photos and underexpose one of them to get some highlight detail back. It's also helpful to have a camera like the G9 that shoots in RAW so you can get some of the highlight detail before the image is actually processed and written for the first time.

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Okay, it makes sense it's a boy.

Now I understand a bit about highlights. Nice to start to understand it; now I need to do a little research. I'm glad the white flower was done right, and I can see what you mean with the squirrel and the blue flower. Thanks!!!!!!

frazzm737 said:

I think your photos are great! You are doing very well for a new camera. If those are samples while getting used to the new camera, we will be in for some really fine work after you are accustomed to using it.

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Thank you! I hope the future photos will be fine. ^_^

Now I've had a chance to look at it on my Mac. It was the PC monitor that was blowing out the whites, Ogre. Sorry.
They really are nice shots. I've seen some others when looking at reviews for this camera and I think these shots clinch it for me. I'll get one to compliment my 20D (sometimes the SLR's are just too big to carry around).

Best to you <through the megaphone to NoVA>

Kat

Really nice photos - the first one of the tree (weeping willow?) is amazing.

The G9 was top of the list to replace my ageing S50 as an entry into starting to learn more about photography without splashing out on a DSLR, but in the end I decided to settle for the A720 IS for now and put the difference towards my new Mac ;D

MacKat said:

Now I've had a chance to look at it on my Mac. It was the PC monitor that was blowing out the whites, Ogre. Sorry.
They really are nice shots. I've seen some others when looking at reviews for this camera and I think these shots clinch it for me. I'll get one to compliment my 20D (sometimes the SLR's are just too big to carry around).

Best to you <through the megaphone to NoVA>

Kat

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Hi Kat!

No problem using a monitor on one of those, uh, "other" machines. ;D Thank you! Good luck to you in getting one.

rob.h said:

Really nice photos - the first one of the tree (weeping willow?) is amazing.

The G9 was top of the list to replace my ageing S50 as an entry into starting to learn more about photography without splashing out on a DSLR, but in the end I decided to settle for the A720 IS for now and put the difference towards my new Mac ;D

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Thank you!

MO, congratulations on the G9. I have the same camera and I love it.

I used mine extensively on my recent vacation in St. Lucia and hope to post some pics here after I have had some time to go through them and sort out the "keepers" from the "losers".

Enjoy the G9 - it is an excellent and hugely capable little camera.

BTW, I love the second picture of the first set (really interesting subject - almost suggests the fossilized spine of some creature long past) and the last picture of the 2nd set (excellent composition, just excellent). Thanks for sharing!