A Review of the 14.7-Megapixel Canon PowerShot G10

A Point-and-Shoot that Thinks it is a DSLR

High-end point-and-shoot digital cameras are seeing vast increases in zoom length as well as features. As amateur photographers are electing to move toward a high-end point-and-shoot camera, digital SLRs are starting to get pushed out of the amateur market. While no point and shoot will be as versatile as a digital SLR the Canon G10 sure does give it a try. This camera came out early this month (October, 2008) and I have been lucky enough to get my hands on one of the first models released. I'm going to let you know how it has performed for me and you can decide if it is worth the $500 price point Canon is targeting.

Image Quality: 5/5

Features: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Overall: 4.5/5

Product Overview:

The Canon PowerShot G10 is a 14.7 megapixel digital camera targeted to amateur photographers who want the professional quality and feel of a digital SLR without spending thousands. First I should mention that this camera isn't your typical ultacompact point and shoot. The G10 weighs in at 14 ounces, measures 4.3" x 1.8" by 3.1". This thing isn't going into your back pocket. Thankfully the benefit of this design is that the people at Canon we're able to cram in a tremendous amount of features and a spectacular imagine sensor. The all metal construction means that his digital camera is here to stay. Mine has experience a drop or two I'm ashamed to say, and I feel sorry for the floor.

The lens is offers nice wide angle views which reduces total zoom but is excellent for panoramic shots. The normal zoom is 5x which is about two times better then the average point and shoot digital cameras on the market today.

Features like face detection and i-Contrast are still present in this Canon and have been improved beyond the older G9 model. Another huge feature is that the ISO can be adjusted manually with ease, thanks to a dial on the obverse exterior of this camera. Low light photos are on par with other products in this price range with low noise levels. Daytime photos are as good as I've seen with any digital camera. The video mode comes back in the D10 and it is essentially the same as the D9. You don't buy this camera for the video mode, but all in all it is average.