Canon s-series vs. g-series... best camera?

calling all shutterbugs!





i'm shopping for a high-end point-and-shoot camera. i currently have a canon a710(is), and would like to upgrade to a canon model that produces a higher-quality image. basically, i'd like to get as close as i can to dslr quality without actually purchasing a dslr.





i've heard that both the canon s-series and g-series fall into the category of semi-professional point-and-shoots, so i've narrowed my search down to these two models. i'm wondering how the two series compare in terms of the images they produce (especially in low-light conditions). does anyone have any recommendations as to which is a better pick?





thanks so much for your input!|||Both the S90 and the G11 are beautiful, well made cameras that will serve any photographer well when you're looking for something that's not DSLR sized.


Which one to get is depend on you, here are some advantages of each for you decision.





S90: Advantages





- Very compact: quite a bit smaller than the G11, it would easily fit in pockets and cases that the G11 never could.


- More efficient controls: the ring around the lens is amazing and an excellent idea. Especially when in manual mode,


- The f2.0 lens: a full stop faster than the G11's 2.8 lens. This is a LOT of light, and especially important when you want to take photos in low-light situations





G11: Advantages





- Hot shoe: the camera is versatile this way in a way that the S90 is not.


- Vari-Angle LCD


- Remote Shutter Release





http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?i鈥?/a>|||Both cameras have the same 10MP sensor, so image quality should be similar. Initially, when the S90 was announced, I thought it could easily be my next compact camera (f/2.0 lens, RAW, etc) when I'm not wanting to carry my dSLR. However, after reading reviews, I am a little disappointed to hear about it's very poor usability and ergonomics. But, you'd have to handle it to see for yourself. In it's favour is good image quality and an f/2.0 lens (at the wide end only).





The G11 would be my pick...mainly because it's a more substantial (if a little retro) looking camera, has 5x optical zoom (140mm v 105mm), has a viewfinder (S90 doesn't), has the vari-angle (flip out %26amp; twist) LCD and better battery life (390 shots v 220).





At the end of the day, these two models are still point %26amp; shoot cameras, however they do have image sensors larger than most other compact cameras, so their ISO capability is better than most. To get the very best out of image quality though, you'd want to shoot in RAW+Jpeg.





One thing to think about...for not much more cash, you can buy an entry level dSLR like the XS or XSi. If you can use full manual controls on the G11 or S90, you can also easily use a dSLR. These have far better performance and ISO capability than a point and shoot camera. They're not as compact though...