Canon PowerShot G9 12.1MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon PowerShot G9 12.1MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Customer Review: Excellent portable photography powerhouse
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had my new G9 for a few weeks, and so far I like it a lot. I have a Canon SLR (the 10D), and it's hard to beat the SLRs for taking a picture exactly when you press the shutter, though the G9 is no slouch in reaction time--and it will fit in my pocket, where the 10D requires its own pack.
I did a lot of research when choosing the G9, but I had some pretty specific criteria I wanted to satisfy: Long digital zoom, RAW-capable (no G8), very portable (jacket pocket, not ultra-portable), and a flash hot shoe. It's a small camera--smaller than the flashes I tend to attach to it (like the Sigma EF 500 DG Super), but after learning how much better an external flash could make my photography look, I never wanted to go back. If you want the best facial tones you've ever seen, bounce a flash off a white ceiling rather than using the internal flash. The results are incredible.
The screen is huge, the video quality is excellent, and the 6x optical + 4x digital zoom brings your total zoom to 24x, and at that magnification you still get a 1600x1200 photo (using digital zoom effectively crops in-camera)--which won't make a very good poster, but is more than enough to make a decent 4x6, and is huge if you're taking pictures for a web page. While you can certainly crop photos later, the extra zoom allows you to tell the camera what it is in the frame you're interested in--and then it can auto-focus on exactly the point you mean, just scan the interesting area for faces, or what have you. A great feature IMHO.
Just turning this camera on is AMAZING. It must be less than a second from when you hit on to when the lens has extended and it's ready to take a picture--actually faster than my old 10D! It has a quiet zoom, and the auto-face-recognition is pretty magical, though it doesn't perform as well on a face in profile.
I love the animated user interface, too--a minor bit of polish for sure, but it's yet another thing to be happy about. :)
Negatives: Well, I have the Canon 10D, the old PowerShot G1, and a Canon MiniDV Camcorder that all use the same battery type (Canon BP511A), and so it was a bit of a bummer having to use a new charger and battery for the G9--though it's smaller, and as a result the camera can be smaller, so it was a minor price to pay. The G1 also had a fold-out swivel screen, which was great, and I do miss it on the G9--though the G9 has a HUGE screen, so again it's a trade-off.
If you're not used to holding the shutter down half-way to prefocus, it's not the fastest at locking on a focus and taking a shot--but just about no auto-focus pocket-cameras WILL focus from scratch really quickly, at least none that I'm aware of. If you do learn to press halfway to set up the shot in advance, it's decently fast for a non-SLR--and you can set it to "Kids and Pets" mode to encourage it to prefocus as much as possible.
In any event, it's my new favorite camera. I'm not selling my 10D yet, but I'm certainly considering it...
Customer Review: Canon PowerShot G9
Summary: 5 Stars
I started long time ago with several film manual 35 mm SLRs and point-and-shoots. Then came a digital era, and I purchased several generations of Minolta DiMAGE pocket cameras. For my downhill skiing trips I wanted a rugged, dependable miniature and intelligent cameras with viewfinder, minimum of controls and ability to shoot movie clips. Back then DiMAGE cameras met my all expectations. I used them at home, daily at work and during vacations. Unfortunately Minolta folded before producing a compact camera with image stabilization. IS is very important for low light shooting from hands. During my September trip to the picturesque Greek Santorini island my DiMAGE X50 had to struggle on it's own with both strong and low lighting of day and night. There thoughts of a better camera with manual controls came to my mind, views were so precious! I carefully studied reviews of DSLRs, looked at them - O boy, they are bulky, and they do not shoot movies! Super-zooms with fixed lenses were not smaller either. Thoughts of falling again during skiing on such camera didn't make me happy - I had few of them. Suddenly I stumbled upon Canon G9 review - it was what I wanted: relatively compact, flat, almost no protruding parts, small Lithium battery, compact but effective optical image stabilization, F2.8 35 mm 6x zoom lens , amazing 3" LCD + viewfinder, ergonomic manual controls, black, takes movies and have newest 12 MP image sensor. I immediately ordered it on Amazon because of better price and assortment of options available; I wanted a decent camera case with it as well. UPS ground parcel came shortly; camera was safely packed and started to work right away. I used camera only for a month so far at home and outside. Quality of the pictures with stunning details exceeded my expectations. Skin tones in portrait shooting came out so good! DiGIC III processor was able to adjust even to strong back light conditions. During night shooting I saw IS kicked in: pictures came out sharp and colorful. I took Halloween pictures in a dimmed light using built in camera flash and got praises from my friends on the web photo album; velvety fabrics came out beautifully. I shot several short movies at standard resolution at 30 fps - they came out crisp and well balanced with good sound from the built-in microphone. I'm wondering: does G9 sensor provides pixel binning for a movie resolution, or is a better sensor? My Minoltas with rise of sensor pixel count would capture exceedingly darker and blockier movies. G9's black paint makes it to look larger and heavier, but it feels just right in hands and don't strain my shoulder on a strap. Lens on power up/down telescopes in and out fast, and hides behind the lens protector - no lens cap needed. Shooting lags for portraits was imperceivable. LCD image is so good, even with sun beaming behind - I didn't glance into viewfinder yet. Shutter release is a feather like comparing to Minolta's; at first I was struggling to find "half way" for the focus check. So far, I charged battery only twice during a month. Soon I will take G9 for a first skiing trip, details to follow.
Overall impression about the G9 camera is excellent, it even exceeded my expectations!
Customer Review: Excellent Camera, the G9 is ia world class digital masterpiece.
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start off by saying; "I know that many die-hard camera enthusiasts have mixed feelings about the G9." I've read all the reviews and more. I for one, do not. My point-of-view is positive and optimistic. And, I'll tell you exactly why I feel this way about the G9.
First, if you're going to compare this camera to a DSLR, then you're absolutely foolish. There is no comparison, and it's absolutely ridiculous to even try. Why? Well the sensor size being one factor, and then the incredible lenses that are available on a DSLR. At this point, you either understand where I'm going with this, or you don't understand digital camera design.
The best way to describe a G9 is to compare it to a Crossover SUV. It's not an SUV and it's not an automobile. Well, the G9 is not a DSLR, but it's also not just a plain point-and-shoot camera. For what it's worth, Canon did a great job taking the best from both sides and blending them to create what I consider the best compact camera available for the enthusiast digital camera photographer. For the size and money, you will NOT find anything better, more equipped, and more capable. I've been taking digital pictures since 1997, and I've yet to find something as well balanced in this form factor. It just doesn't exist. The competition has a lot of trade-offs, and sometimes they are not worth it. I've owned quite a few in the past, and I'm sold on this one. DSLR cameras are great, but they are not reasonable when it comes to everyday use. They are too large and not practical. Unless you're a professional. If you want something to take pictures of kids, take on vacation, use it for artistic flair; then the G9 does extremely well in this area.
One of the most common complaints with the G9 (as wells as other compact cameras), is noise at high ISO levels. Well, that's a common trait that is shared with practically ever compact camera that uses a non-DSLR CCD sensor period! As far as I know, there are only two CCD sensors in this class; the one that SONY manufactures, and the one that FUJI manufacturers. The SONY CCD is most common in every camera. So if all compact cameras use the same CCD, wouldn't they all share the same common issues? The answer is "Yes." However, if a compact camera has more manual flexibility and control, then it can better manage the trade-offs with the small CCD. And the G9 has that ability.
So far, I'm seeing pretty sharp and accurate pictures between ISO 80 and 200. Even at ISO 400; compared to the competition, it's much better. Try doing that with a SONY camera - good LUCK! SONY cameras have a tendency to over-process the pictures and the contrast is FLAT. The pictures do not look real. The G9, takes very life-like pictures in comparison. The colors are accurate and the focus is always sharp, The DIGIC III does not over process the picture to the point where is looks dull at maximum magnification.
Overall, this is a camera that is definitely worth the money. This will not disappoint. It's built like a tank and has SO MANY options and flexibility. If your serious about digital and want something small enough to carry around, then this is your best bet.
Customer Review: Great compromise between SLR and point-and-shoot
Summary: 5 Stars
If you want a camera with many of the features of an SLR but in a more compact form-factor then the Canon PowerShot G9 would make a great choice. That's what I was looking for and I'm pleased with my purchase of a G9.
I've been using a Canon EOS-10D for about 4 years with great results, even though I'm essentially a novice photographer. I find that a great quality camera coupled with an external flash allows me to take very nice pictures. While I love the 10D, I decided that I'd like to get a more compact camera that I could take with me all the time (vs. the 10D which I share with my wife). We also have a Canon PowerShot S500 but I find that the S500 has way too much shutter lag to photograph kids and dogs and lacks features like RAW and a hot-shoe so I decided to purchase a new camera.
Ultimately I chose the G9 because of the following features:
* RAW support
* Manual ISO selection option
* Image stabilization
* Histogram
* 12 mega-pixels
* Large 3.5" LCD screen
* Flash hot-shoe
* Manual shooting modes
* Video shooting modes
I've been using it for several weeks and have been very pleased with the results. The ability to add Canon Speedlite to the camera is one of the best features as bouncing a speedlite on indoor shots was the single biggest improvement I've made to my photography ever. I'm learning how to read a histogram and the G9 is proving to be a great tool as I learn more about photography.
Here are the only drawbacks I've found:
* There is noticeable shuutter-lag. The G9 is much better than my Powershot S500, but there is noticeable lag when compared to my 10D and other Canon SLR's.
* The ergonomics aren't great. The camera would benefit from a slightly larger grip but there are aftermarket grips available to fix this.
* The balance is pretty poor when used with an external flash. This isn't really a knock since the camera is supposed to be small and any small camera will be top-heavy with a flash mounted.
* The onboard flash does a pretty poor job on indoor shots, lighting up the subjects way too much - predictable for any onboard flash.
* The tripod mount is centered on the camera rather than aligned with the lens. This hasn't proved to be a big drawback yet but looking ahead to more tripod use I wish they would have aligned the mount with the lens.
All in all, a great camera.
Customer Review: Best for Photographs not snapshots
Summary: 5 Stars
Amazon delivered the Canon G9 as promised. The Camera has been fun to learn over the last 30 days. This camera is best bought by someone interested taking Photographs, not snapshots! The difference is that snapshots are quick, brainless, and mostly good results at Bday parties, dinners, travelling landscapes, etc. (I own a Nikon coolpix for that purpose) Whereas the G9 is best used by someone desiring to be creative with photographs, take a little longer to set the camera controls; think through the end result, before setting the camera and clicking...
The Camera is an EXCELLENT choice for a portable high end point and shoot camera (that is as near to DSLR as possible). It is an EXCELLENT camera to take in place of DSLR and multiple lenses (6x optical zoom, Hotshoe, manual settings, RAW capability, etc.). It is an EXCELLENT camera to learn about PHOTOGRAPHY and maybe step into DSLR's in the future. IMPORTANT NOTE: The camera has a decent learning curve, and if you buy this top rated camera, you must be prepared to spend time becoming familiar and learning the settings. You will join the Ansel Adams crowd when you buy the G9. Of course, there is a fully automatic setting on the camera for fast P&S shooting, but where's the fun in that?
The downside to the camera is the shutter lag is somewhat noticable, and this requires a "human adjustment" in how you use your camera. Meaning, it is not a fast DSLR, but because the G9 is so good and capable, you may think of it in that way, and have to "wake-up" a moment ... take just a bit longer to snap the Photograph.
I am thrilled with the camera! I would buy this camera again! I researched this camera extensively before I made the purchase, and considered the super-zoom category of cameras. There are many to choose, and my nearest choice was the Canon S5-IS. However this category is crowded with Fujifilm, Panasonic, Sony, and Nikon... so you really must do your homework (Hey, you're reading this review, so you're ahead of the crowd already. Research is as much of the enjoyment of making a new camera purchase, right?) The image quality, the remarkable build quality, great fit and feel in you hands, and the portability (vs. DSLR with mutiple lenses), and the rich rich feature set including RAW (again remember the learning curve)... makes this camera the only and singular camera for me.