Need a good digital camera, pref with swivel LCD

December 4, 2007 6:13 AM

Time to update my Canon G2... but I really like the swivel LCD. Does anyone make a high-end digital camera (pref with exchangeable lenses) that has a swivel LCD? If not, why not? Is there some negative to it that I should be aware of?
posted by dobbs to shopping (12 answers total)

Why do you need to update your G2? Did it stop taking photos? If you want to stick with the Canon Gx line, get a G7, which has a flip out screen and still has an f2.0 lens. It's a few years old so it should be relatively cheap if you can track one down.
posted by chunking express at 6:19 AM on December 4, 2007

Are you thinking of the G6, chunking? The G7 is from last November and doesn't have the flip-out screen like the G6.

I think they're moving away from flip-out LCDs as the screens get bigger. It wastes a lot of space to make it a separate component rather than just in the normal body.
posted by smackfu at 7:05 AM on December 4, 2007

Yeah, i'm thinking of the G6. The G7 is when they switched to the slower lens and no flip out screen.
posted by chunking express at 7:18 AM on December 4, 2007

In which ways did you want to upgrade? (e.g. megapixels, lens/zoom, features like image stabilization or face detection, etc.)

I have a Canon S3 IS that I like. The most recent model in this line (S5 IS) still has the flip out LCD.
posted by winston at 7:30 AM on December 4, 2007

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10 and the Olympus E-3 (which doesn't appear to be out yet) are both digital SLR cameras that have swiveling LCDs and appear to support a so-called Live View.
posted by EmptyK at 7:51 AM on December 4, 2007

I want to upgrade pixel wise, mostly.

Thanks for the answers thus far.

Also... any idea why the Canon S5 cameras are going for considerably less on Craigslist than the S3? Weird.
posted by dobbs at 8:01 AM on December 4, 2007

The S3 is generally considered to be a better camera than the S5. Stuffing that many pixels onto a tiny sensor like they did with the S5 makes for a lower quality image. (Each pixel doesn't get enough light).
posted by AaRdVarK at 8:08 AM on December 4, 2007

I miss the flip out screen from the G1 that I used to have. It was the only compact, non-slr that offered that option.
posted by JJ86 at 9:43 AM on December 4, 2007

A little off-topic: I bought the S3 recently from jr.com for $280 (plus $28 for overnight shipping, including brokerage fee, not including PST+GST). I found that right now, with the recent swing in the exchange rate, it's cheaper to buy new electronics in the US than refurbished or used in Canada. (e.g. People selling used S3's in Canada paid $550 for them so they want $350).
posted by winston at 9:53 AM on December 4, 2007

I have the S3, and I love the flip out screen. You might find the adapters at lensmateonline.com helpful as far as giving you more versatility. They're cheap and they let you use filters and other teleconverters.
posted by azpenguin at 10:48 PM on December 4, 2007

I have to point out that if you're getting serious about photography, you won't go wrong by entering the SLR race. They're bulkier than a compact, but the quality is a genuine step forward.

The main thing is that you look through the viewfinder and compose straight through the lens. They have started bringing out some newer models that allow you to preview on the LCD screen. Unfortunately, only the most expensive models seem to have flip-out screens. If you're willing to compromise, the Olympus E-510 seems like a good option. If you're willing to lose the live preview altogether and switch to a viewfinder, the world's your oyster (photographically speaking.)

I did just that when I went from a G5 (mostly the same as the G2) to a Canon 400D. I feel like I've learned more about photography in the past few months than in the few years before that.
posted by Magnakai at 4:56 AM on December 5, 2007

The G6 is terrific, and I really miss the swivel screen now that I've upgraded to the Xti. Watch out for some of the later G-series models - some of them eliminated some features from the G6 (RAW was removed, and the lens is different, I think).
posted by xsquared-1 at 5:35 AM on December 5, 2007