Review Canon PowerShot G9

PRICE : 330-370 USD (BODY)

Trying to sell pictures online or make great pictures with the touch of a Pro? See how I accomplished this with the Canon PowerShot G9!

If a picture is worth a thousand words let the compact Canon Power Shot G9 speak for you!

When I first visited the camera section of my favorite electronic's store I felt quite overwhelmed by the quantity and variety of cameras offered. My main purpose was to obtain high quality pictures to post over the many websites that sell stock photo, so I really knew what I was looking for: a good camera that produced decent stock pictures for a reasonable price.

In order to grab my attention my selected camera had to somehow beat the crowd. I had really heard good things about the G9 PowerShot because I frequent a photography forum and was aware of the fact that many professional photographers where eagerly anticipating it's arrival on the market.

I must say that I am not a fan of large, bulky cameras so at a first visual approach the PowerShot G9 was of a nice compact size. When holding it in my hand the grip felt firm and the camera felt sturdy. However, it didn't fit well in my shirt's pocket and it only came with a neck strap while I am particularly fond of hand straps. From an esthetical point of view, this camera was visually appealing and somehow brought my memories back to some older camera styles seen in the past.

Now to the main facts. The Canon PowerShot G9 offered 12.1 resolution megapixels and a 6X zoom. The LCD screen looked wonderful being 3.0 inch large. The RAW file format is great to produce better higher quality digital pictures when compared to JPEG. With an ISO of 400, the camera promised a good outlook on pictures taken in low lit areas, however, I heard from friends that when enlarged pictures may appear a bit too grainy for my taste.

The best feature, at least for me since I am still at an amatorial level, was the fact that the camera took care of the focus, exposure and flash by its self. The camera also offered Optical Image Stabilization which in short means hopefully no more blurry, unstable pictures. This is great for those quick shots where you do not have that much time to concentrate on picture quality.

Canon PowerShot is not all about pictures, it actually can shoot high resolution movies as well and for up to an hour! While this is a plus, I would consider a big minus the fact that the 32 MB memory card included was very likely able to hold barely 5 pictures, creating the need to by a larger one.

When I actually got to try the camera I was amazed by the number of special scene modes it had. My current camera had about 7 while Canon PowerShot offered about 23! Some of them that I found particularly appealing were: Foliage, Kids and Pets, Underwater (yes, the camera is water proof!) Aquarium, and Beach. I did however, miss the sunset feature as sunsets are really one of my big favorites things to shoot. In exchange, I liked the color swap option which allows to select a color and have it replaced by another one of your choice for some real cool special effects.

The advanced face detection mode was interesting and a completely new feature for me. It is supposed to keep on focus multiple faces with the opportunity to focus primarily on one. This is great for those bithday parties and weddings.

With so many buttons and features I must admit I found the camera pretty self explanatory to use, saving me time from peeking at the manual every moment.

Since I own this camera now, my pictures seem to have upgraded from an amatorial level to a professional one.My family and friends are astonished about my work but I realize that the I cannot take fully credit, it is mostly thanks to the wonder of nature and the advance of technology.

For less than $500 the Canon Powershot G9 12 Megapixel Digital Camera is a great buy. I have to admit that the camera was about 100 dollars more than what I really was expecting to spend, however, I see this as a long term investment since many of my stock photos shot with this camera were finally actually bought!

Canon Powershot G9 Plus points

*Great build.

*Good noise results.

*Good macro.

*Hotshoe.

*Manual overrides.

*Neutral Density filter effect.

*Add lens adapters for more creativity.

*Great image quality for a compact digital camera
*RAW shooting ability
*Nice camera design
*6x image-stabilized optical zoom lens
*Compact and powerful
*Flash hot shoe
*Built-in neutral density filter
*Full range of exposure controls

Canon Powershot G9 Minus points

*Some modes don't work.

*Flash doesn't work in connection with the exposure.

*Slow start-up and shot-to-shot time
*Unpredictable flash performance
*Focus lock feel is a little vague
*35mm wide zoom isn’t wide enough
*I would prefer dedicated ISO button
*Exposure inconsistencies between RAW and JPEG

Who Should Buy It

Experienced amateur or pro photographers who want a compact camera to compliment or even stand in for a digital SLR should take a good look at the Canon PowerShot G9. Although it’s not a DSLR replacement, it’s a reasonable option when you don’t want to pack the full SLR rig. It’s also a good choice for backpackers and other outdoor enthusiasts who want a powerful, compact, lightweight digital camera. The G9 will also appeal to people who aren’t ready for or can’t afford a digital SLR but want a full-featured digital camera with minimal compromises.

FeaturesCanon PowerShot G9 Key Features:
*12-megapixel sensor
*6x optical zoom lens
*Image stabilization
*RAW shooting
*ISO 80 to 1600
*Advanced Face Detection
*DIGIC III Processing
*23 Shooting modes
*3-inch LCD
*Optical viewfinder
*Optional accessory lenses
*Video mode

Canon Powershot G9 Specification
-Sensor: CCD - 12.1Mp

-Image Size: 4000 x 3000 pixels

-Lens: 35-210mm - f/2.8-4.8

-Focus: TTL, 1cm Macro

-Exposure: Programme AE/AP/SP/M

-Metering: Evaluative/Spot/CW

-Monitor: 3in LCD

-Movie Mode: Yes, with sound

-Storage: SD, SDHC, MMC, 32MB card supplied

-Batteries: Rechargeable Lith-Ion

-AC Adaptor: Optional

-Video Output: Yes

-Size/Weight: 106 x 72 x 43mm-320g

-Transfer: USB 2.0