« [BACKUP OR LOSE IT] | Main | [PRINTING DOLLARS AND SENSE] »
February 26, 2009
[REVIEW—CANON POWERSHOT G10]
Price: $750
Superb
The low-down: This 14.7 megapixel camera with a 28–140mm (film equivalent) lens is Canon’s flagship compact. Construction is rugged and handsome, best described as WW3 army surplus in appearance. It is heavy in a reassuring way. There is an optical viewfinder with 77% image area coverage. Unique to this camera are the dedicated knobs on the body top for exposure compensation and ISO settings, as well as the usual Mode settings of Auto, P, Tv,Av and M. The 75mm LCD screen gives an accurate image of the stored file. There is an external flash shoe. Feel and ergonomics are excellent, with Canon’s customary easy access function button. There is movie mode and automated settings for the point-and-shooters, but this is a camera for serious photographers. There is a comprehensive printed instruction manual.
Like: The dedicated knobs for exposure compensation and ISO settings are a brilliant design feature. It is a joy to use. And image quality is outstanding, even at higher ISO speeds. To say we are surprised is an understatement. With 14.7 megapixels we expected noise to be a serious issue, but it isn’t. At speeds up to ISO200 images are flawless, and at 1600 they are simply amazing. There is noise, of course, but it looks like film grain.
Dislike: We didn’t dislike the mass of the camera, but for some people it will be off-putting. If you think that compact means pocketable then the G10 is not for you. We think it feels like a real camera!
Verdict: If we were in the market for a compact camera to supplement the DSLR we would be torn between the G10 and the Panasonic LX3. The LX3 is daintier and has fewer pixels, which we like. It has an outstanding Leica-branded lens that doesn’t have quite the range of the Canon. Image quality is excellent. But we like the look of the G10 and will always prefer a camera with an optical viewfinder. And the brilliant ergonomics would probably win us over.
Second thoughts: There has been some criticism of the G10’s image noise, which we found surprising because our images seemed so clean. Then we compared RAW and JPEG versions of the same photograph – the camera will save in both formats simultaneously – and we were perplexed. There is apparently no noise reduction in RAW files, which is right and proper. There ought not be. But there obviously is in the in-camera JPEG processing. We were fooled because it is so well done. In ISO1600 RAW files the noise is destructive. The colour noise is vivid. But ISO1600 JPEGs are clean without much evidence of detail smudging. We can only conclude that Canon has found a way of removing extreme noise without damaging the image. We tried cleaning up a RAW file and couldn’t do as well as the G10 does in camera, although Noiseware Community edition [free for Windows www.imagenomic.com/download.aspx] did a very good job. We conclude that the G10 is indeed as noisy as we would expect a small sensor crammed with too many pixels to be, but Canon has worked some remarkable magic in the processing. How do we feel about that? Hmmm. We prefer the Panasonic approach of fewer pixels for lower inherent noise. If only the LX3 had the Canon body!
*
Posted by terry at February 26, 2009 08:23 AM
Worth Checking Out
Digital Cameras SydneyComments
The Canon G10 appeals to me because it is compact, has a good zoom and produces quality images whilst allowing for user control. What Does it matter if images are processed in camera so that noise is removed successfully? If the resulting images are of a high quality even compared to a DSLR, isn't that what matters?
Posted by: Stewart at April 27, 2009 11:43 AM
This or the LX3? I am torn!
Does anyone have an opinion on which would be a better street camera? physical noise /af speed / startup speed/ continuous shooting ability?
Thanks in advance,
Chris
Posted by: Chris at May 27, 2009 01:17 PM
I like the sound and look of this camera which seems the ideal sub DSLR camera. Not looking for ritzy credit card version but a real DSLR alternative camera. Are there any competitors worth considering??
Thanks Paul
Posted by: Paul at June 3, 2009 09:54 PM
The only real competitor is the Panasonic LX3/Leica DLux4 [they are the same camera, it's just that you pay double for the Leica!]
Some reviewers prefer the Panasonic because it has fewer pixels and produces cleaner images. But it doesn't have an optical viewfinder and the lens zoom range is short.
My opinion is that the Canon is a more versatile picture taking tool and the Panasonic produces better images. It's a hard one to call.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 4, 2009 10:36 AM