Canon A80 vs. Canon G5?

[nikko]

Ok, so I'm in the market for an upgrade. I've narrowed down my choices to the A80 and G5. I've read reviews on both and they both seem to be great. But I haven't really seen anything that compares the two. Just judging by price, I assume the G5 is "better". Can anyone tell me what the pros/cons of each are? It seems to me the battery situation in the A80 is probably better since they are AA and can be replaced easily. But maybe even that's not right. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[RPB]

i have the A70 and couldn't be happier.
The AA batteries + cf mem were why i chose it.
the only problem i know it to have is redeye with flash shots, but no worse than the kodak dc240 it replaced.

 

[GoSharks]

the g5 has a much better lens than the a80.
g5: f2-3, 4x
a80: f2.8-4.9, 3x.
g5 also has the bigger lcd, more megapixels, supports CF type II, and is a bigger camera.
the g5 is in a totally different class of camera

 

[nikko]

Originally posted by: GOSHARKS
the g5 has a much better lens than the a80. g5: f2-3, 4x a80: f2.8-4.9, 3x. g5 also has the bigger lcd, more megapixels, supports CF type II, and is a bigger camera. the g5 is in a totally different class of camera

I realize that. I'm just wondering what puts it in a different class. For example, what is better about the G5 lens? I understand that's a basic question, but I don't know the answer.

And what I'm also wondering is whether there is anything about the A80 that is better than the G5 from a techinical standpoint i.e. I know the A80 is smaller, lighter, etc...but is there anything it can do that the G5 can't?

 

[beatle]

Originally posted by: GOSHARKS
the g5 has a much better lens than the a80.
g5: f2-3, 4x
a80: f2.8-4.9, 3x.
g5 also has the bigger lcd, more megapixels, supports CF type II, and is a bigger camera.
the g5 is in a totally different class of camera

Ditto. The G5 gives you "more camera." I had the A70 and now I have the A80. It's an excellent camera with more features than I'll likely use. I wouldn't own a camera the size of a G5 as it has to fit into my pocket somewhat.

 

[oldfart]

Both nice. I had an A80 for awhile.

G5 advantages over A80
Longer zoom
brighter lens
more manual control (although the A80 is also good)
RAW format
Hot Shoe for external flash (this is very important to me) I HATE REDEYE PROBELMS
Bigger LCD

A80 advantages over G5
Cost
smaller/lighter
less noise than G5

Batteries can go either way. I've had NiCad AA and Lith Ion setups. The LiON hold a charge longer and are lighter. The AA are heavier, will drain down when not used. The LiON charger and battery are included with the camera. The AA setup you have to buy. The only real advantage of AA is you can easily get a set of Alkalines in a pinch.

 

[berger034]

dude, there is no comparison. go with the G5. you will never regret this decission.

 

[GoSharks]

Originally posted by: berger034
dude, there is no comparison. go with the G5. you will never regret this decission.

the g5 is hardly pocketsized, if that is one of his criterias.

the lens on the g5 is one stop faster at full wide angle -> this will allow you to use an exposure time of perhaps 1/30ths of a second (on the g5) instead of 1/15ths of a second (on the a80) allowing for a sharper image, with everything else being equal.

dont forget raw format and the hotshoe on the g5 either, but all this comes at a price of money and size.