The Canon Powershot G11

Canon’s Powershot G-series has always been a favorite in the top-end compact camera range all these years and with good reason.  The much lauded G-10 has given way to a new addition, the Canon PowerShot G11 .  As the latest marvel in the family, it defies the ubiquitous adage “the more, the better” by surprisingly sporting a much lower resolution than its predecessor!

Canon has bravely come out with a 10-megapixel CCD sensor that blatantly challenges the previous G10’s 14.7 megapixel-rich one.  At first glance, you’d think this was a huge step backward especially in a later model.  What, you may say, had Canon been thinking?  Canon had done a lot of thinking; so the result is a camera that is a far superior performer than the G10.  Here is why:

Image Quality:

Image quality has always been Canon’s top priority.  Here, Canon believes in a balance between megapixel count and sensor size. It is on this premise that the G11 deigns to correct the G10.

The G10 reveled in loading 14.7 megapixels onto a small sensor.  This resulted in some rather noisy photos at high ISO levels.  The G11 has scaled down on the megapixel load with only 10 MP, allowing the little sensor to breathe in more light and produce exquisite photos with minimal noise even in difficult low-light shooting environments.  Photos are sharp, clear, and fine in these situations, outclassing images from most compact cameras in its category or even in its own family.

Because of this, professional shooters prefer to tout the Canon PowerShot G11 where their DSLR cameras are just too bulky to go.  Photo journalists find this an extremely good substitute for their pro cameras in situations that require discrete shooting and in low light environments.  The superb quality of the Canon lens which offers a 5x angle zoom and the optical Image Stabilizer guarantees lesser blurred photos and perfect shooting in darker conditions.

The G11 is also capable of macro shots, as close as 1 cm and captures these shots in great detail.  As an addition to its arsenal of features that make this compact camera feel close to a DSLR, it also offers the option to shoot in RAW format.

LCD Screen:

The Canon PowerShot G11 takes on from where the G6 left off in terms of the tilt/swivel screen.  A lot of Canon G-series enthusiasts were pretty disappointed when the later models came with a fixed LCD screen.  Many will be happy now to note that this nice little feature is back with the G11.

Just a tad smaller than the 3-inch screen of the G10, the 2.8-inch screen nevertheless rocks! It’s bright and clear and the colors are vivid.  Composing shots with this isn’t a problem even in direct sunlight with its anti-reflection coating.  The flip and twist screen is useful for self portraits and for shots requiring difficult angling.

Build Quality :

You could say that in terms of body, the G11 mirrors the G10.  It has the same classic rangefinder look. Like the G10, it sports a well-built metal body with a lot of chunky dials and buttons to merit the feel of a serious camera for professional users. Although not a DSLR, it is way above the category of most point-and shoot cameras with its myriad features that are just too advanced for the average snappers. However, those who understand their apertures and ISOs will easily take to this almost pro top-notcher.

Other Features:

The Canon PowerShot G11 is capable of video recording but is limited to 640 x 480 resolution.  Compared to other gadgets’ capabilities of recording 720p HD quality videos, the camera’s seemingly abysmal video resolution may at first get your thumbs down.  However, after you’ve actually compared it to many taken at the 720p HD quality range, you may be surprised to find that this camera’s video is generally more outstanding than those.  Why?  That’s because the G11’s VGA resolution is packed with data averaging around 10 Mbps, which can far outstrip HD resolutions at 9Mbps.  You would more likely appreciate high quality VGA videos over crappy HD ones.

A wide range of accessories of lenses and flashes are available for the Powershot G11. A waterproof case, the WP-DC34, can adequately house the G11 for the underwater photographer who needs full control of the camera at depths up to forty meters.

The Canon PowerShot G11 certainly outguns the G10 in most respects.  At high ISOs, photos look great unlike those from other compact cameras except for the Canon S90.  As a well thought-out camera with outstanding features and a body design many photographers like, the Canon Powershot G11 is, indeed, a worthy successor to the G10’s fame.