Canon G10
I haven't enjoyed using a camera this much in years, and I take pictures for a living. Smaller than a digital SLR but larger than an ultracompact point and shoot, Canon's G10 is portable yet substantial enough to hold steady. I've had other point and shoots in the past, but this is the first that's given me the right combination of intuitive exposure control and ease of use, so that I actually make the effort to grab it and use it every day. The big bright LCD allows me to forgo the optical viewfinder entirely (something I never imagined I'd do), and the exposure-indicating display is similar enough to those found on the analog cameras I used years ago, with the bonus of its histogram preview. Setting shutter speed and aperture manually makes sense as it would on a full-size DSLR. With the G10 I don't have to be bothered to choose a lens to mount on the front of the camera before stepping out of the house, so I do step out of the house with it, daily. And yet when I'm pushing pixels later on, I'm not disappointed by files that are sub-par.
Traditional camera lovers tend to enjoy the subtly classic design of the G10, reminiscent of the Contax G2 35mm rangefinder, and those same photographers might also enjoy the Panasonic LX3, with its wide Leica lens and sleek body, which is more compact than the G10 and a close competitor. l prefer the G10, partly because its greater telephoto capabilities allow me to take snapshots of unfamiliar birds while out hiking, so that I can identify them later. And it is $200 cheaper than the LX3.
Image quality from its 14.7 Megapixel CCD sensor is impressive, particularly in daylight settings. Movie quality is very good (640x480 px. @ 30 fps), though zooming capability while shooting would be a welcome enhancement. The macro feature is outstanding. Full manual controls are available, as are RAW files, necessary for getting the most out of any digital camera. The G10's predecessor, the G9, is also a worthwhile buy (check eBay, since the G9's no longer on the market), though the pending doom of obsolescence is one step nearer.
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Favorite (15)
soap
Elon, nice write up and perfect timing as a friend and I were just discussing this camera last night.
Do you mind defending the G series against Canon's A series, though?
I've used both, and looking at a comparison like http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_g10%2Ccanon_a1000is&show=all
I'm not sure how to defend the nearly 4x price difference.
elon
@ Soap: Thanks. The G-series is geared toward people who like to shoot in manual mode and then manipulate the RAW files in software such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop or Aperture. It functions like a less-expensive DSLR, without the bulk. If that's not your preference, there's no reason at all to spend the extra money. The A-series cameras don't allow for manual exposure settings or RAW files, but they do allow for exposure compensation and flash control, if you want to have some input. I have an older A620 camera that I found to be great for the price. Unless you plan to make posters, you'll be pleased with the image quality.
Bill
My only complaint about the camera is the long lag between pressing the shutter release and the exposure. Even with pre-focusing, the delay often loses quickly changing situations - enough so that anytime I need to shoot children, I have to use a DSLR.
Kevin Kelly
@Elon said: "The G-series is geared toward people who like to shoot in manual mode and then manipulate the RAW files in software such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop or Aperture."
Aha, that is very helpful to know.
mdNomad
Im a huge fan of Canon... but why didnt they include geotagging like the Nikon P6000? This Canon may have 1.2 megapixel more than the Nikon, but in my opinion the GPS is the kicker for me to switch teams.
ken
@Elon: I have an A590is and that allows me to shoot in full manual mode. i have not tried RAW mode - may be it does not have one. but otherwise not too different from the much more expensive G10.
my complaint withthese smaller cameras is their inability to create shallow depth of field - like my DSLR can. if i could find a compact or sub-compact that can create shallow depth of field, i would like to switch. the value of having the camera on your person at all times is higher!! but alas, nothing other than DSLR offers that!
elon
@Ken:
My bad. Manual is possible with the A-series. I just never used it with mine. Also, the G10 in Macro mode @ f2.8 gives nice shallow DOF, but that's only for very close and small subject matter. Otherwise, I agree.
Max Marbles
I have a big 20d with lens, its cool, but my G9 is great, too. Love, Raw, High 1600 ISO, Manual and Preset Modes. We also have the Powershot a540 and Lumix and as point and shoots they are great. Where the rubber hits the road is how involved do you want to be in creating the shot, if you say lots then get a G9/G10, if you want a quality sharp shot with out the manual input get the others. I always have my G9 with me and it is a fantastic devise, when I see others with the camera, is an instant conversation, they love them, too. I also have the lens hood so I can add a polarizing filter for azure skies and puffy white Oregon clouds. Life is good!
john
NOTE: while the G10 is an improvement over the G9, it lacks one feature I'd really liked: time lapse.
Canon for a while allowed you to take time lapse movies (1 or 2 frames per second) that, while limited in options and hampered by your battery life, were very fun to play around with. The G10 (as far as I could tell) dropped this option.
Jens
A pity that CHDK hasn't been ported. Yet.
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/G10
Pete
@Elon said: "The G-series is geared toward people who like to shoot in manual mode and then manipulate the RAW files in software such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop or Aperture."
I would add: ... and people like me who despise working with Lightroom and Photoshop but do it anyhow because that's the way to get the results we want.
soap
Many many Canon P&S cameras can have RAW mode added to them with the most excellent CHDK. http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK
It is a firmware which runs in parallel to the original firmware, supplementing features through the unlocking of ones (RAW mode for example) and the addition of totally new ones (focus bracketing).
A totally cool tool in its own right.
Brian Christiansen
I have to note an error in the review, in the comparison to the Panasonic Lumix LX3, the review states that at $460 the G10 is $200 cheaper than the LX3. In fact, I bought the LX3 from Amazon near it's release date for $400 even.
I'd like to add from a photo standpoint that I couldn't like the LX3 more. I really love it's f2.8 28mm lens… takes some amazing shots, even in auto. Biggest plus is its low-light capability. We take so many shots without flash compared to previous cameras.
My only complaint is that Apple has been inexcusably slow in adpoting the LX3's RAW file format into their digital imaging software… so we've had to shoot in RAW + JPG, and store the RAWs until I can use them natively. (The camera does ship with software for the Mac to convert the RAW, but I want to edit it natively with my tool of choice).
In addition, the LX3 shoots impressive 720p HD video in Quicktime format.
Kevin Kelly
@soap: Indeed CHDK as a camera hacking tool does sound like a cool tool in itself. It almost seems magical. Can it really deliver all the functions listed? Do you have personal experience in using it? If so, tell us about it!
George
Among other Canons, I still have a G3. It has the unfoldable, swivelable (sorry) LCD screen that I hear disappeared from G series some higher number edition later. Is it still missing or is it back? Because it is one of the most 'cool tool' aspects of my G3 - utility/effectiveness of the very highest order.
Andrew S
One competitor worth looking at is the Panasonic DMC-G1. It uses the new "micro four thirds" format which allows for SLR cameras to be significantly smaller while retaining a good size image sensor (sensor is about six times larger than the area of the Canon G10's sensor).
It's still somewhat bulkier than the G10, and the larger sensor requires pricier lenses, but it appears to be a good option for those looking for SLR quality in a smaller package.
I don't own one but i've played with it in stores. Personally I wish that camera companies would figure out how to fit an SLR sensor into a pocketable camera--I used to use a film Olympus Stylus, a terrific pocketable camera, smaller than the G10, and it had a full size sensor (35 mm film :).
elon
@Andrew:
Thanks for the tip. The DMC-G1 seems worth checking out, even if not as an alternative to the fixed-lens simplicity of the G10.
The Stylus remains one of my all-time favorites, and similar to the G10 in its popularity among photographers looking for relief from the larger systems they regularly use.
Gordon Inkeles
There's a quality edge in so many G10 photos. Canon simply went all out on this camera.
Rémi
I'm a proud owner of a G10 since last December and it is by far the best camera I've ever had, or used.
nikkipolani
Excellent review of the features on the G10. I purchased mine earlier this year when the LX3 shortage shot the price point to $700. Since returning from vacation with the G10, I appreciate its longer reach.
You mention that a nice enhancement would be ability to zoom while recording video -- I have been able to do that with the G10...
My only major disappointment is the lack of control of depth of field, even in Av mode.