Shop RadioShack for Great GiftsCanon PowerShot G10
Manufacturer: Canon USA Part number: 2663B001
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Exp. date: 12/31/2009
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- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Canon PowerShot G10 is a solid enthusiast digital camera for those who want something compact to complement a dSLR.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
 |  | In stock | as of 12/08/2009 Refurbished |
CNET editors' review
Canon PowerShot G10 price range: $449.95 - $479.95
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 10/24/2008
- Released on: 10/01/2008
The good: Functional and fun shooting design; great enthusiast-oriented feature set; very nice photo quality
The bad: Should be a little faster shot to shot.
The bottom line: The Canon PowerShot G10 is a solid enthusiast digital camera for those who want something compact to complement a dSLR.
Panasonic's Lumix DMC-G1 offers interchangeable lenses, Nikon's Coolpix P6000 provides GPS--the feature sets on enthusiast compact cameras are all over the place these days. So, should we be disappointed that the whizziest new feature of Canon's PowerShot G10 is its almost-15-megapixel resolution? While this isn't the kind of update that will inspire envy in G9 owners or a must-have feature to experiment with, the Canon G10 holds true to the elements that have made the G series a successful shooter's camera over the years.
The G10 is physically quite similar to the G9. At 14 ounces, it's heavier by about an ounce, and it's also a bit bigger--one- to three-tenths of an inch on all sides, for dimensions of 4.3 by 1.8 by 3.1 inches. As with its predecessors, the Canon G10's metal body feels like a tank. I'm beginning to wish for just a little bit more grip, though, especially since the thumb rest feels kind of slippery.
The dial configuration ranks as the most notable change to the design; Canon stacked the mode dial inside the ISO dial for right-hand operation and added an exposure compensation dial on the left. It retains the four-way switch (for setting manual focus, macro, flash, and drive mode) with a Function/Set button nested inside the navigational scroll wheel on the back. And though the focus point, metering, display, and menu buttons remain in the same positions, they now have an odd, angled design. Overall, I like the changes, and shooting with the G10 feels quick, fluid, and comfortable. The optical viewfinder is relatively large and distortion-free, making it quite usable.
Though Canon giveth with the improved wide-angle coverage, it taketh away in total zoom range. The new optically stabilized f/2.8-4.8 28-140mm-equivalent 5x lens should please landscape photographers, but some folks will miss the 210mm-equivalent reach of the G9. That and the move to a 1/1.7-inch 14.7-megapixel CCD from a 12-megapixel version constitute the most notable feature changes. At least they haven't taken away the stuff I liked in the G9--the built-in neutral-density filter, two slots on the mode dial for custom settings, ability to change the size of the AF area, a hot shoe, exposure lock, raw support, and the bayonet adapter mount--that help distinguish the Canon G10 as a camera for enthusiasts. The addition of Servo AF is nice as well, but it's odd to use while holding the camera out for LCD view, and unlike on an SLR, there's no focus-area confirmation in the G10's viewfinder. I think it'll take some getting used to.
However, most of the new capabilities enhanced by the switch to a newer generation Digic 4 processor--face detection improvements, face detection self-timer, and i-Contrast automatic correction--are probably more important to the audience of snapshot-camera users than the manual enthusiasts who tend to buy the G series models. One capability I wish Canon had enhanced is the movie capture: it's still 30fps VGA without optical zoom.
Unfortunately, performance is mixed compared with the G9. Time to first shot is a quick 1.3 seconds, faster than the G9's 1.7-second start. In bright light, a relatively quick focus helps keep the shutter lag to a zippy-for-its-class 0.4 second. In dim light, that increases to a 0.8 second. Both are improvements over its predecessor. Two shots in a row have a decent 2.2-second gap between, a bit slower than the G9's 2 seconds, and adding flash recycle bumps that to a not-very-speedy 2.9 seconds. Continuous shooting is 1.4fps, down from the G9's 1.7fps. The AF system is pretty responsive, though no one would confuse this with an SLR. The 3-inch LCD is big and bright, but sucks quite a bit of power; the camera's 1050mAh battery is only rated for 400 shots with it on but 1,000 without it.
The primary reason to buy a camera like this, however, is the photo quality, and here the Canon G10 doesn't disappoint. Color and exposures are great. There's some wide-angle distortion at the 28mm-equivalent maximum, but photos have very good center and edge-to-edge sharpness at longer focal lengths. ISO 80 and 100 produce relatively pristine images and if you're alert to it, you'll see some noise-suppression artifacts starting at ISO 200. But photos look quite usable up to and including ISO 400; at ISO 800 they get visibly soft. (For more on photo quality, click through the slide show.)
Though I can't yet compare it with competitors like the Nikon Coolpix P6000 or the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, users of the G9 or previous models who want the higher resolution and who won't miss the extra lens reach won't be disappointed. Only the mixed performance--not bad, just not as fast as it should be for the price--brings down its overall rating. And even if the Canon PowerShot G10 eventually turns out to not be best-in-class for whatever reason, it's still a great camera.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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Time to first shot | |
Raw shot-to-shot time | |
Typical shot-to-shot time | |
Shutter lag (dim) | |
Shutter lag (typical) |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Canon USA
- Part number: 2663B001
- Description: Advanced amateur photographers are a discerning group, and they've flocked to Canon's G-series for its ability to meet and exceed their demands. The third-generation PowerShot G10 is a stunning successor, loaded with uncompromising specs like 14.7 megapixels, a 28mm wide-angle lens, and Canon's DIGIC 4 image processor for notably improved face and motion detection. This is a camera that supports and nurtures creativity, with a full range of shooting and recording modes.
General
- Product Type Digital camera - Compact
- Width 4.3 in
- Depth 1.8 in
- Height 3.1 in
- Weight 12.3 oz
Main Features
- Resolution 14.7 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Optical Sensor Type CCD
- Total Pixels 15,000,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 14,700,000 pixels
- Light Sensitivity ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO auto, ISO 3200 (5Mpix)
- Digital Zoom 4 x
- Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
- Shooting Programs Snow, Beach, Indoor, Sunset, Foliage, Aquarium, Fireworks, Landscape, Underwater, Kids & pets, Night scene, Sports mode, Portrait mode, Stitch assist, Night snapshot
- Special Effects Sepia, Vivid, Neutral, Vivid Red, Color Swap, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Color Accent, Black & White, Positive Film, Darker Skin Tone, Lighter Skin Tone
- Image Stabilizer Optical
- Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec
- Image stabilizer feature Optical stabilization helps prevent blurry pictures, especially for handheld cameras at slow shutter speeds or when using high optical zoom.
- Min Shutter Speed 15 sec
- Exposure Metering Spot, Evaluative, Spot AF area, Center-weighted
- Exposure Modes Manual, Program, Automatic, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority
- Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
- Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps
- AE/AF Control FlexiZone
- Face Detection Yes
- White Balance Custom, Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Flash, Cloudy, Daylight, Underwater, Fluorescent, Tungsten light
- Digital Video Format H.264
- Still Image Format RAW, JPEG, RAW + JPEG
- Remote Control Optional
- TV Tuner None
- Video Capture H.264 - 640 x 480, H.264 - 320 x 240
Memory / Storage
- Supported Flash Memory MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage JPEG 4416 x 3312, JPEG 4416 x 2480, JPEG 3456 x 2592, JPEG 2592 x 1944, JPEG 1600 x 1200, JPEG 640 x 480
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- Flash Modes Auto mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Flash OFF mode, Rear curtain sync, Red-eye reduction
- Red Eye Reduction Yes
- Effective Flash Range 1 ft - 15 ft
- Features AF illuminator, Flash +/- compensation
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 6.1 mm - 30.5 mm - F/2.8-4.5
- Focal Length 6.1 mm - 30.5 mm
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 28 - 140 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual, Automatic
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) 9
- Min Focus Range 19.7 in
- Macro Focus Range 1-50cm
- Lens Aperture F/2.8-4.5
- Optical Zoom 5 x
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
- Lens Construction 9 group(s) / 11 element(s)
- Features Aspherical lens, Built-in lens shield
Additional Features
- Self Timer Yes
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec, 10 sec
- Flash Terminal Hot shoe
- Additional Features AE lock, AF lock, FE lock, Safety zoom, DPOF support, Direct print, MOTION PRINT, Face detection, Audio recording, Focus bracketing, Histogram display, Resizing an image, Exif Print support, PictBridge support, In-camera red-eye fix, USB 2.0 compatibility, Digital tele-converter, Digital noise reduction, RGB primary color filter, Motion Detection Technology, Camera orientation detection
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type Optical - Real-image zoom
Display
- Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- Display Format 461,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
- Microphone Technology Electret condenser
- Microphone Operation Mode Mono
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB, 1 x Composite video/audio output
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SD Memory Card
Software
- Software Canon PhotoStitch, Canon ImageBrowser, Drivers & Utilities, Canon Remote Capture, Canon ZoomBrowser EX
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows Vista, MS Windows XP SP2, Apple Mac OS X 10.4.x, Apple Mac OS X 10.5.x
- Peripheral Devices USB port, CD-ROM drive
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Neck strap
- Cables Included A/V cable, USB cable
Power
- Power Device Battery charger - External
Battery
- Supported Battery Canon NB-7L
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Canon USA
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Canon USA products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://estore.usa.canon.com/
- Address:
One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042 - Phone: 516-328-5000
- Email: mediacontact@cusa.canon.com
