Canon PowerShot G10

Late year Canon Announces PowerShot G10 .Successor to the PowerShot G9, the G10 is the first device to allow G series framing in wide-angle (28 mm equivalent) with a 5x optical zoom with optical Image Stabilizer.The Canon G10 is largely designed to take account the needs of photography enthusiasts although it can be used with satisfaction in full automatic even by an inexperienced photographer. The Canon G10 now has only one real competitor, the Panasonic LX3.

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In terms of the general PowerShot G10 is not far from the previous G9. But a camera aims to the best of the compact one. Indeed the G10 does not escape more resolution, by the adoption of a sensor type CCD 14.7 megapixels (the G9 has a 12 megapixel sensor), a nice LCD display with a diagonal of 3 inches and a resolution of 461 thousand points (double that of the screen mounted on the G9), 5X zoom which starts from 28 mm (35mm equivalent), while the G9 must settle for a less stringent 35 mm, and the powerful DIGIC image processor IV, which Canon has already tested on the latest digital SLR and has allowed the introduction the G10 AF tracking.

Design and control

First impressions turning and turn the G10 in your hands are very positive. The machine is certainly solid. solid and heavy a few tens of grams more than the already massive G9. but it is something different compared to many compact paper in circulation, comfortable to hold in your pocket for a shooting offhand, but little thing when you want to get serious. The G series is a high production level with a metal casing, an optical viewfinder, good grip and a flash shoe compatible with some flashes of the mark cobra (Speedlite 580EX, for example) to take advantage of modes exposure.
The G10 offers, in addition to the display the optical viewfinder.In our view the presence of the viewfinder is a plus important. The LX3 is lacking, for the sake of miniaturization, and forces the photographer to rely solely on the display.The dimensions are important which is 109 x 78 x 46 mm. Weight, once inserted into the appropriate housing battery and memory card, is approximately 400 grams

All orders are easily accessible and we may just regret the position a little low and too near the edge of the wheel which requires a contortion of the thumb to make the camera settings. Inside the wheel, you will find a classic joypad that allows quick access to manual focus, macro mode, the management of the flash and burst rate. At the center, pressing Func. SET active interface on the LCD screen to adjust other parameters such as white balance or image quality. Finally, 4 direct access keys are available to change the autofocus, the measure of light, the display on the screen and menu.

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The top of the compact has been amended.The upper part of the Canon G10 is full of commands. On the right is the button on / off switch and turn off the camera, the shutter button, which divides the axis with the zoom and a dual wheel for setting the modes (Program, diaphragms Priorities, Priorities times, Automatica) and ISO (sensitivity). A photographer also available to the two (C1 and C2) customizable.

On the left there is a second wheel for compensation. All controls are well designed, solid and easy to read, even with little light.The machine is held firmly in your hands thanks to the little handle, coated with rubber, and space suitable for the support of the thumb.

The scoreboard behind the Canon PowerShot G10 is impressive. Dominated by a large 3-inch screen (460 000 points), the back of the device is dotted with many shortcuts. The screen is very fluid, even in low light. In this case, the tingling is important and the details fade quickly. However, colorimetry is often more accurate than other models, even in low light.The wheel is one of the mainstays of the ergonomics of the G10. It allows you to quickly adjust the settings for shooting, navigate menus or pictures.Despite a size relatively similar to the G7, the new compact Canon expert is slightly heavier (50g).If the Canon G10 deserves the name "compact expert", it is quite bulky, especially compared to the Nikon P6000 and even one of its predecessors (G7).

Zoom Lenses

The Canon G10 adopts a zoom with 5X optical zoom equivalent on 35 mm, a 28 - 140 mm. So the House has chosen to reduce the excursion on the canvas (the G9 offers a 6X zoom, equivalent to a 35 - 210 mm) to improve significantly on that angle. To have a 28mm instead of 35mm opens up new possibilities, especially on the front of photos of interiors and portraits of the group.The brightness of the zoom is f / 2,8-4,5. enough Well, certainly we would have liked a more objective light, but even so it can go. but with an aperture f/2.0-3.0 which is extremely bright.Hats off to the Macro mode of the G10, which offers a minimum focus of 1 cm. But eye exposure and autofocus system, because some macros as strangely time ago.

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The G10 takes about 2 seconds after ignition to show the display lit up and be ready to take. The response of the autofocus system is good, though not exceptional: 5-6 tenths of a second, depending on whether you are using the wide angle or telephoto lens.
With the single shooting mode and recording in JPEG, the G10 can operate at a speed of about a photo every 2 seconds and a few tenths. In RAW format the speed decreases only slightly. In RAW + JPEG mode takes over 2.5 seconds at photos.The optical stabilization system of the Canon PowerShot G10 works well and saves almost 3 speeds. Comfort in making very appreciable.

Manual controls
The Canon PowerShot G10 is a compact special. Among its strengths, the shutter speed - from 15 to 1 / 4000 of a second (the G9 is still a 1 / 2500 second), the ability to take pictures in RAW format (the image is customizable at will during the post-conversion, with the RAW shows in more detail) and classic manual controls for exposure (priority stroke / diaphragms, program and manual) next to those machines.
The G10 also has a wheel on the ISO sensitivity setting and another dedicated to compensation. The user also has a two custom modes.

Image Stabilizer
The machine incorporates a stabilizer, which works well and helps to avoid photo moves (many offer only a compact digital stabilizer, which simply raise the ISO when the light is low, to reduce the time shooting). The optical stabilization system of the Canon PowerShot G10 saves almost 3 speeds. Comfort in making very appreciable.

i-Contrast mode
E 'Canon technology that promises to improve the shadows. It works, but in high contrast images must not expect miracles.

Sensitivity
The G10 offers a range of sensitivity between ISO 100 and ISO 1600. There's more High sensitivity mode that allows up to ISO 3200.

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Face detection
The technology for the recognition and optimization automatically in the faces has been developed. Hours the machine recognizes the faces even if not perfectly in front and more offers Face Detection for Self, the camera automatically takes two seconds after he showed the entry of a new face in the frame.

Video recording
Also on that front progress. Not in terms of resolution (as the G9, the G10 also record VGA movies at 30 fps with sound) but in terms of compression format. Instead of 'AVI on the G9, here is the H.264 MOV format, which allows you to save memory space on the same duration and quality of the movie.

Flash
The G10 is equipped with a built-in flash (not pop-up). The scope of the flash is announced from 30 to 4.6 m wide-angle and up to 2.8 m distance. The menus offer many settings such as exposure compensation to + / -2 IL, slow sync (1st and 2nd curtain) and correction of red eyes. Of course, it is possible to attach an external flash hot shoe on the G10

Power
The Canon PowerShot G10 comes with a Li-Ion 1050 mAh battery of a brand new format and therefore incompatible with previous models. While autonomy is one of the weaknesses of the G series, this new power source is much more efficient. During tests we made a little less than 600 views (and video) through use classic display images on the screen, setting the device, use of flash, burst, use zoom ... Autonomy therefore relatively comfortable.

Storage and connectivity
In the same compartment as the battery, you will find the card slot SD / SDHC (MMC and MMCplus). JPEG weighs between 3 and 10 MB RAW files from 10 to 22 Mb.On the right side, a door conceals the different connectivity, A / V remote control and USB. The G10 does not have HDMI output for easy connection of the device to an HDTV. We recommend to buy fast and preferably with a capacity of 4-8 GB, because the photos saved in JPEG Superfine occupy about 6.5 MB, while those stored in RAW, 21.5 MB (25 MB in RAW + JPEG mode).

Quality
The zoom shows a degree of chromatic aberration at the edges of the wide angle when used. The barrel distortion is evident in the 28 mm, which produces images in the soft corners. The distortion on the canvas, however it is absolutely negligible.

Noise
The adoption of the DIGIC 4 processor was simply a move to contain the noise of the G10 more or less on the levels of previous models in the series G. Even at 200 ISO, however the intervention of the noise reduction takes away details. At ISO 400 noise is beginning to affect apparent.

Specification

• Sensor: 14.7 megapixel CCD 1 / 1, 7 inch
• Optics: 5x, 28-140 mm f / 2,8-4,5
• Stabilization: yes, by moving lenses
• Macro Mode: yes, 1 cm
• Viewfinder: Optical real-image zoom
• Display: 3 inches (7.62 cm), 461 000 points
• Development: 9 points on multizone AF, selectable zone 1 and detection of faces, manual
• Exposure Metering: Evaluative (linked to AF frame function with Face Detection), medium-dominated central spot metering (center or linked to AF frame function with Face Detection AF or FlexiZone)
• Exposure Modes: Auto, P, A, S, M, results mode, scene modes, 2 personalized forms C1 and C2, and panoramic video
• Shutter speed: 60 - 1 / 4000 s
• ISO Sensitivity: AUTO, High ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, high sensitivity mode ISO 3200
• Memory: SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus
• Format: RAW (CR2) RAW + JPEG, JPEG: 4416 x 3312 pixels
• Video Format: 640x480 pixels, QuickTime. MOV, H.264 encoding
• Power: Li-Ion 1050 mAh owner, NB-7L
• Connection: 2 USB, video output, remote control
• Dimensions: 109.1 x 77.7 x 45.9 mm
• Weight: 396 g (with battery, SD card)
• Software: ZoomBrowser EX / ImageBrowser, PhotoStitch, RemoteCapture.

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Pro

Stabilized 5x optical zoom good quality
1 cm macro mode
Good battery life
3-inch LCD screen (460 000 points) of good quality
RAW files editable with DPP (supplied)
Built-in flash and hot shoe flash units compatible with the brand Cobra
Robust construction
Zoom from 28 mm
Ergonomics commands
Customizable Buttons
Presence of the optical viewfinder
Excellent LCD
Buffer memory capacity
Tele conversion lens
Custody WP-DC28 Underwater dedicated

Cons

Slow machine
Loss of detail already at 200 ISO
Noise at 400 ISO
Limited dynamic range
Barrel distortion at the wide angle
No videos to HD format
No HDMI output
No rotating LCD screen
Burst mode disappointed, even JPeg


Conclusion

All manual modes are present and have the wheel at the rear of the enclosure. The RAW mode is also changing as it is now directly editable and modifiable via software professional DPP. The label flash (with flash cobra of the mark) and the superb LCD screen of 3 inches (460 000 points) complete a data sheet already impressive. The other novelty is of course essential sensor 14.7 megapixels. Combined with optics, it delivers superb image quality at low sensitivity (the highest score on our measure of resolution). The management of electronic noise is not good and the G10 delivers perfectly usable images up to ISO 400 or ISO 800. At ISO 1600 the most stringent requirements will probably be disappointed and a digital SLR camera is now much better. It will probably process the images for printing in large sizes.
The Canon G10 is equipped with a new DIGIC 4 processor which ensures a good response from the device. Getting started is quick and recording time does not penalize the photographer too even in RAW mode which is rather appreciable. Only the burst mode hardly meet with a rate of 1.5 fps in JPEG, and only 0.9 fps in Raw ... It also regrets that the device does not have an HDMI output to enjoy images on a standard TV.

In the end, the Canon PowerShot G10 is easily Recommended for its near perfect ergonomics, good reactivity and excellent image quality up to ISO 400.