There have been a lot of new camera's announced in the last few days, such as the Olympus E-5, Pentax K-r and Samsung NX100, but the Canon G12 and Nikon P7000 are what I'm going to focus on today. The G12 and P700 represent Canon and Nikon's way of approaching the high end compact camera market. While Olympus, Samsung, and Sony have put most of their effort into mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (EVIL), Canon and Nikon have yet to release such cameras, favoring the traditional high end point and shoot cameras. From all appearances both are very good cameras in spite of their smaller 1/1.7" sensors. Both share a 10 mega pixel CCD sensor, very likely the same sensor from Sony in fact. Panasonic also has a camera in this range, the LX-5.
For Canon the G12 is just a minor update of the already very successful G series of cameras. The big changes between the G11 and G12 are few in number, and that is not a bad thing, since the G11 was a great camera to start with. The G12 has a new front command dial, improved image stabilization for closeup work (macro), now records 720p video, and supports the new SDXC memory cards. The addition of the command dial sounds like one of the best additions to me, although many people will enjoy being able to shoot 720p videos. The Canon G12 maintains the G11s 28-140mm F2.8-4.5 zoom lens.
The Nikon P7000 is a break away from Nikon's previous P6000, which was a bit of a let down in terms of image quality. Initial reports indicate that the ISO performance, and overall image quality out of the camera is extremely good for a compact camera. The P7000 has a command dial on the back of the camera, like Nikon's entry level DSLRs. The P7000 has a slightly larger zoom range than the Canon G12, from 28-200mm, but it is slower at the long end, with the aperture range from F2.8-5.6. The P7000, like the G12 shoots 720p video, and supports SDXC cards.
Both cameras have a similar specs, and design but the killer is the price of these high end compacts. The price of these cameras, which is higher than some entry level DSLRs, and almost as much as much cameras such as the Olympus ELP-1 and Samsungs new NX100, could be a little high for some people to swallow. Of course these cameras are still smaller than the mentioned EVIL or DSLR cameras, so that is one thing to keep in mind. Of course the hidden cost of DSLR and EVIL cameras is lenses, if you want to cover different focal range than the provided kit lenses. The Canon G12 and Nikon P7000 are aimed squarely at pros who want a highly capable point and shoot, as well as amateur who do not want to step up to DSLR/EVIL camera, but who desire the features and controls that such cameras offer.
If I had to pick between the Canon G12 and Nikon P7000, I would likely go with the Nikon P7000, but as most of my readers know I am a Nikon user. So my choice could be attributed simply to brand loyalty of sorts, although I do like the control layout of the G12 a little better.
Read Additional thoughts on these cameras:
Discussing Premium Compact Cameras
Nikon Coolpix P7000 Review
A big difference between the Nikon P7000 and Canon G12 is that the Canon has a vari-angle LCD and can focus to 1 cm, while the Nikon does not have the vari-angle and can only focus to 2 cm. Macro photographers might be interested in these differences. Both have RAW format.
ReplyDeleteThose are some good points. The close focusing of the G12 makes it great for macro work. As for the swivel screen, that could be an advantage for some photographers, depends on how the camera is used. The P7000 does have a larger 3" higher resolution screen, so one does need to keep that in mind as well.
ReplyDeleteBuyers also have to ask themselves if the nearly $100 price premium of the G12 over the P7000 is worth those differences? Personally I think they will both be great compact cameras, with very similar performance in real world use.
In case some cares about video the p7000 has a stereo mic jack whereas the canon doesn't.
ReplyDeleteThe E-PL1 is priced at 499$ w/ lens kit (http://www.adencamera.com/prod-overview.asp?ProdID=3190&Category=6)
ReplyDeleteI purchased the p7000 yesterday and although happy, i am wondering if for 20$ more the e-pl1 is a much better camera, any insights?
I have not used the E-PL1, so I cannot say for sure which is better. The camera that better suites you comes down to how you use your camera and what you like to photograph. The E-LP1 would have an advantage in high ISO noise, but is less portable due to the larger body and lenses required.
ReplyDeleteWith the P7000 you have a camera with a 28-200mm zoom that is small and easy to pack around. As soon as you get into interchangeable lens cameras portability starts to drop off. With cameras like the E-PL1 and other SLR like cameras picking the lenses that fit your usage is far more important that the camera body itself, so keep that mind. For example, if you shoot macro a often, you'd need to get a macro lens for the E-LP1, whereas the P7000 has macro built in.
If portability isn't and issue and you don't mind having several lenses then the E-LP1 might be a good choice. If portability and flexibility are more important then the P7000 is a nice camera to have.
Thanks Robert. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteDoes the P7000 have scene or special effects such as fish eye, miniature etc like the G12? I really want to go for Nikon but I really like also the special scene modes.
ReplyDeleteThe P7000 does allow you to apply a miniature effect if you process your images in camera. There is no fisheye effect that can be applied in camera.
ReplyDelete50% of shops I've been around recomend G 12, the other 50% Nikon p 7000....
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about cameras, but they mention something about NIKON P 7000 having better lens than the G12...
can you help?
thanks!
The P7000 does have a longer zoom range, which might be why some shops are saying the lens is better. I haven't handled the Canon G12, only the P7000 so I cannot say which one is better than the other in terms of the lenses. I suspect that the quality is very similar.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, & generally
ReplyDeletethe more zoom, the less quality, doesn't it?
In many cases that can be true. That isn't always the case, but sometimes lenses with a longer zoom range suffer more from barrel distortion on the wide end and more of pincushion effect on the long end. In the case of the P7000 vs. the G12 we are taking about 60mm, so I doubt the difference is noticeable at all. It would be interesting to see how each lens performed at 140mm.
ReplyDeleteThe most important differences are to me in favor of the Canon G12 are the articulating rear screen and the ability to shoot HDR automatically, which the Nikon cannot do (to my knowledge.) I would have liked a stereo mic input and a longer telephoto but the other features are more important to me.
ReplyDeleteThe Nikon does not have an articulating screen, but it does have auto bracketing.
ReplyDeleteHi, Robert!
ReplyDeleteWhich of these two cameras offer faster operation times to photographing children?
I haven't used the G12 and I haven't attempted to photograph any children with either, so I cannot give you a solid answer to that question.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any reviews directly compare the subject tracking/face detection of the P7000 against the G12, so that is an interesting question. My guess is that as long as you keep shutter speeds around 1/125s or faster both should perform virtually the same.
I tested both cameras and the Canon G12 has a slight edge over the Nikon P7000 http://www.pixiq.com/article/review
ReplyDeleteMore responsive, articulated LCD, in-camera HDR, etc.
Good comparison, thanks for sharing Peter.
ReplyDeleteWonderful review! Very helpful indeed. I am thinking of getting a new point and shoot camera and I can't decide what to get between Canon PowerShot G12 and Nikon Coolpix P7000. Will definitely consider your review and I hope I won't regret my purchase! Thanks! ;)
ReplyDelete