Canon PowerShot G11

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I can only agree with the previous reviewer about this camera's many positive features - I did a lot of research before I bought. I wanted a lighter 'pocket' camera to take with me on the days I didn't want to lug round my two Pentax SLRs, tripod, bag, etc, and yet which would give me reults approaching similar quality. The Canon G11 fits the bill exactly and I'm delighted with it. The fold out, angle adjustable screen is particularly useful for those shots over the heads of the crowd, etc!

One note of caution. I bought the first G11 camera for £400 from an Amazon marketplace shop (Deluxe Digital) - they supplied an open-box 'grey' U.S. import with no prospect of a Canon warranty or Canon-authorised repair....ever! I rejected the camera under the terms of the Sale of Goods Act as not fit for purpose and got a full refund, including postage. This wasted three weeks of my time! I bought the second camera from John Lewis. This time it was a little more expensive (£70), but I have the peace of mind of a full UK Canon warranty, and the knowledge that Canon will continue to carry out any repairs outside the warranty period. The UK-supplied sealed box also contained a booklet of cash-back vouchers on Canon accessories, such as spare Lithium Ion battery, telephoto lens and converter, etc. I'm now very happy!

Overview

The Canon G series, designed for users who are looking for a picket sized compact with SLR functionality. G-series PowerShot has been the flagship of Canon compact digital cameras, featuring RAW and JPEG shooting formats along with full manual options. In 2007, G9 hit the market with a 12.3 megapixels resolution; G10 progressively featured 14.7 megapixels, but surprisingly G11 only came with a 10.0 megapixels resolution.

Lower resolution and a smaller monitor might seem a step back in the consumer's perspective as the market tends to look forward for the principle of 'more and bigger'. Instead, Canon explains that the design was meant to improve the ISO noise performance of G10 as it has been criticized; Increasing the physical size of the sensor while retaining the same level of resolution is one of the quickest way to improve the noise performance, according to Canon technical development team.

DESIGN

The G-series offers the retro look of a classic camera, the metallic design and heavy built body reminds me of my antiquated camera back then, but I know this is one of the elements that many old school users admires.

Ergonomics

Heavy built with a little bit of a "grip" on the right hand side comes really handy when holding this bulky compact. Right thumb lies naturally on the shutter controller and ISO controller. The flash is located on the left hand corner of the left forefinger and always cause blockage while flashing, but this is just me, I believe this maybe caused by my bad posture, not the ergonomic design of the camera.

Accessories

One of the major G-series components is the option which allows consumers to install lens and filters. But in my opinion, if I'm adding a lens onto it I rather prefer the DSLR. Underwater Photographers can even team the PowerShot G11 with the specially designed waterproof case WP-DC34 - an underwater housing allowing full control of the camera at depths down to 40m. The option of external flash is also available for enhanced shooting options.

Tele-converter TC-DC58D (1.4X) Waterproof Housing WP-DC34 G11 Leather Case with Hand Strap

icontrast

You can compare when the icontrast was set to auto. A quite impressive result, as we can see the layers becomes clearer and the color is sharper when it is on.

icontrast off icontrast on

Pros

 The New 10.0 megapixel high sensitive CCD sounds like a step back comparing to 14.3 megapixels G11, but increased performance of noise during in high ISO shootings.

 28mm wide angle with 5x optical zoom, with stability control (IS), combining the new high sensitive CCD make the G11 outstanding in night captures.

 2.8 Inch 461,000 pixel PureColor II VA rotatable monitor, allows the user to take low angle shots in extreme situations.

 1cm Macro allows superb quality, capturing the very details of tiny objects.

 RAW format which allow the editing easier.

Cons

 Most of the Compact Digitals, DSLR has included 720P HD Recordings. It is a pity that G11 does not include the function of HD recording with such an outstanding high sensitive CCD.

 24mm wide angle would complete the camera perfectly, but I think Canon would leave some regrets for prosumer camera users.

Summary

G11 has played an important role in prosumer cameras, it has an outstanding performance on daily shots, macro, night shots and even low angle captures, too bad they did not include HD recording. But nothing is perfect, so I'd say the Canon PowerShot G11 is one of the best prosumer out the market.

Wolu.co.uk