Canon PowerShot G9 Digital Camera

The G9 was bought as a 'take-it-anywhere' compact which would give the same sort of quality as my normal Canon 40D SLR. The major attractions were:

The provision of RAW image files.
The opportunity to manually control nearly all functions of the camera.
A sturdy body which is not TOO small.
A large clearly viewed LCD screen - 3 ins.
Image Stabilisation.
Flash contacts for an external flash unit.

The camera has been used now for a few weeks - mainly during cloudy overcast weather out of doors. The rest of this review really describes how well the camera has handled.

The camera is solid and the extending lens assembly is sturdily built with NO detectable slack/movement when fully extended.

USABILITY
Controls
The camera does support a large number of control buttons - by memory 9 excluding the shutter release and the zoom lever. It really is difficult to get used to functioning of these buttons. There are also separate dials for ISO speed and 'camera mode' some of the buttons open up display menus on the large LCD screen rather than in themselves performing a single function. This can be confusing as the contents of these menus can depend upon the camera mode that has been chosen. Overall just about any setting can be changed but the number of buttons with different functions and the number of options in some of the menus can be confusing. AT LEAST THERE IS A PROGRAMMED OR AUTOMATIC CAMERA SETTING WHICH WILL AVOID THE USE OF SOME OF THE CONTROLS. DEFINITELY ONLY BUY IF YOU WANT ALL THESE FEATURES OR THE QUALITY OF THE RAW IMAGE FILES.

Viewfinder
A typical rangefinder type of viewfinder but not one which I like on this camera. No difficulty viewing the whole frame but a small image - I prefer to use the large LCD for framing the picture which is unusual - in general I prefer to use a viewfinder.

LCD
Very large and bright - shows the shot images very clearly even out of doors. Also the items on the set-up menus are large and clearly visible - easy to set up - once you know what they do!!!!

IMAGE QUALITY
I really cannot find much fault with the images taken by the camera. I have been using RAW image files so I cannot comment on the quality of the jpg files. All I can say is the quality compares very favourably with those taken by the Canon 40D that I own at the lower ISO settings. The colour rendition and exposure is extremely good even under some very poor cloudy winter conditions.

OVERALL
A camera which has in general met the high expectations that I had for it. In general I like the feel of it. My previous digital cameras - Sony Cybershot compact, Olympus C2500 TTL viewfinder,Canon 10D SLR and Canon 40D SLR.
Downside
The complexity of the menus.
Increased image noise as the ISO settings are turned up.
Lowish power of the built in flash - really need an external flash.

Would only really recommend the camera if control is required over most of the camera settings or RAW image files - otherwise many other cheaper cameras could do a similar job.

I already have a Nikon Coolpix digital camera but decided to upgrade because when taking pictures outdoors you could not hear the shutter button and I either ended up taking half a dozen pitures or none at all. No problems with this Canon digital camera you are able to increase the shutter volume independantly so I should'nt have that problem again. Once I got a US UK adaptor and downloaded an English instruction manual (Japanese import) I was up and running and soon found out how easy it was to operate. I think the way the many buttons are so easily set out and so descriptive I would have fathomed it out eventually but the instructions make sure you don't miss out all those extra hidden features like the shutter volume and taking movies with sound. At face value and from other reviews I have read I think I will end up seeing some truly amazing pictures including panoramic pictures using the cameras inbuilt technology. The plus with this camera is that it allows my camera knowledge to grow by having seperate ISO settings and being able to change the lenses. But for now I can fall back on the Auto setting and enjoy 12.1 mega pixel quality pictures using the good sized 3" screen.

Compact size, but feature packed camera. I had a G5 but the G9 is a superb improvement... most impressed. Only thing I miss is the flip out screen, but overall... excellent.

The camera is VERY good. It came with a 2 GB memory card. Overall very pleased. Would consider using the seller again, possibly to get a case for the camera or something else in the future.

Great camera, i absolutly love it! ive managed to take some really profesional looking shots, from a camera i can fit (just) into my pocket.
pro's:
its got every function you could ever wish for.
raw function is great!
picture quality is awsome.
con's:
built in flash not up to standard.
zoom a little slow
can be difficult to hold with one hand

The product is a new Canon G9 camera and of course is excellent. Beware of buying unless you know a product really is from the UK. This supposedly was located in Bristol and priced in sterling, but actually was in the USA and I am faced with paying duty/VAT. I did not know until after delivery.

tout est OK sauf le chargeur il faut acheter un adaptateur pour l'alimenter en france à part cela très bien merci
filhippos

The Canon G9 is the kind of camera that can be used to produce professional looking shots. The Zoom is superb with a range between about 35-mm to 200-mm together with image stabilizing makes it very useable. I purchased this camera about 4 weeks ago and it had impressed me with it's quality and easy of use. I am a professional photographer, this camera is ideal to take on holiday and create photographs that people expect from a pro. At last I don't need to take all my gear with me on holiday! Thank you Canon.

It's got everything an slr's got and more. Don't worry about fixed lenses, this one you can add wide & tele on a adaptor tube. Also filters & lense hood. Also has a hot shoe for a big flash gun. Takes perfect pictures. Don't worry about what the experts say about noise and such, I can't see any of that. I think they are being too picky!!!

I have a Canon DSLR but wanted a pocket camera for times when it is not convenient to carry the DSLR and lenses. I prefer to shoot in RAW and therefore looked for a compact that also shot RAW files, the G9 is one of very few compacts that do this.

The G9 also fits well into my hands, that are not as flexible as they once were, so I can report that I have had no problems obscuring important areas with my fingers. I would have preferred a wider aperture than the 35mm of this model but up till now I have not found this limitation to be to much of a problem. Battery life appears good but I also carry a spare which I have used, when running out during a walk. Overall I am happy with the camera's performance to date using it in photo and avi mode and trying most of its features, but not all at this point in time.

Although this compact appears to meet my basic requirements i have only rated it as good not excellent because it does not replace my DSLR but rather complements it.

Nice size, mid way between slr and digital, can add lenses aswell. Not too complicated, same symbols as old canon powershot 7

I bought the camera to take on holiday to Namibia where I was attending an archery competition. I wanted the ability to take high quality photographs of scenery and wildlife without having to carry a lot of equipment. The G9 performed well in most conditions. It is best when used in good light conditions as it is slow to focus in low light. The movie mode is particularly good and gives hgih quality movies without fuss. It is extremely portable and will easily fit in a pcoket or bag. All controls are easily accessible but it handles better with a grip attached, (I bought one from a specialist provider).
Overall I have bben extremely pleased with the camera and would recommend it as a lightweight alternative to a DSLR.

I was very happy with this camera, mainly because of the very good value. It cost me about 200 euros less than I would have paid for in my local camera shop. Unfortunately, the camera is an import from the United States and is not covered by a repair warranty in the EU. This is absolutely contrary to the sellers claims. When I queried him about this, my emails were ignored. When I gave the seller a negative feedback, I received abusive emails from him, this has considerably diminished my satisfaction with the purchase and I would never buy anything from this seller again.

This is a lot of camera for your money. Easy to handle with user-friendly menus. Fantastic results with clear sharp pictures. I used the beach/snow scene setting a lot in the tropical sun with excellent results. Equally good on the P setting or fully auto for other scenes. The panoramic setting was very successful.
The addition of a remote control option would make this camera even better!

fghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

a quality compact being an improvement on my g5 although without the remote control which would have been a useful addition.

G9 is very good and fast camera. I find it very convenient for travalling because it is small but has numerous functions that are not easy to find even in an expensive SLR.

I trawled through as many camera sites as i could looking to upgrade from just being a point and shoot photographer with a digital camera to haveing an interest in what i was taking and what i could do with a good camera without going to the expense of an SLR.To cut a long story short most seem to point in the direction of the G9 and all it's tricks so i bought one.I have been useing an ordinary 5.2 Mpixil camera so the crossover was quite a big one,12.1Mpixil,6xoptical 4xdigital lens and more tricks than i could discribe until i've had the camera for a while.The end results are so much better and the included software lets you adjust you photos in ways i never thought possible.I beleive a lot of SLR users carry and use a G9 as well and can see why.

The Canon Powershot G9 looks to all intents and purposes exactly like its predecessor, the G7, but underneath the serious matt black exterior are a veritable wealth of changes. This is a 12.1 megapixel digital camera - up from the G7's 10 megapixels - with a 3 inch LCD screen - increased from 2.5 inches - which sees the very welcome return of RAW mode. Canon caused uproar among G-series users when they decided to omit RAW mode from the G7, presumably to try and differentiate it from the budget EOS 400D DSLR camera, so it's refreshing that they've listened to their customers by bringing it back. The swivelling, flip-out LCD screen of the older G6 model unfortunately hasn't also made a come-back, but the larger 3 inch PureColor screen partly makes up for that. The 6x optical zoom lens offers an effective focal length of 35-210mm, there's an optical image stabilizer to help combat camera-shake, plus an optical viewfinder and flash hotshoe. Under the surface the Canon G9 uses the same advanced DIGIC III processor as the company's digital SLR cameras for faster performance and image processing. The ISO range is 80-3200 and there are 25 different shooting modes on offer, including Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority and Manual shooting modes for those who desire greater control. High resolution 1024x768 movies at 15fps, a My Colors mode that allows special in-camera colour effects, 1cm macro mode, and improved Face Detection system complete the specification. So is the Canon Powershot G9 simply a G7 with RAW mode restored to its rightful place, or a worthy upgrade for G7, IXUS and A-series owners alike?

Its amazing!!

good for pro and good for amateaurs as well.

robust frame eASY TO USE ...

ajánlom mindenkinek tényleg qrva jó kis gép...

tamaskar

The Cannon Powershot G9

Best things about the Camera.
It's easy to use and I was taking pictures as soon as it was in my hands.
In Auto mode it finds faces and focus auto focuses on them.
It has a very high resolution 12 mega pixel is great for large prints.
You can buy lens attachments and it has a hot shoe.
It's the perfect for someone who wants professional quality without the price tag of a true SLR.
Saves in both RAW and Jpeg.
Personally I love that it allows the user to set their own white balance, which is essential for taking picture of my artwork.

Worst things about the camera.
It's LCD screen feels like it could scratch easily. (protectors for it can be bought though)
The mini viewfinder is your old fashioned window in the camera type.
It's design is functional, and because it can fit in a your pocket makes it look less pro than other cheaper less powerful cameras.

coming from a compact to this sort of slr compact is like chalk and cheese.
beautiful photos and when i get the hang of all the gizmos im sure that this will be the best 260 quid ever spent.the only down side is the basic instruction booklet even though it has a disc we all like a booklet to sit in our comfy place and have a play.overall fantastic value for money.

I could not decide which camera to buy, I spent about two months researching two cameras, both Canons. One being the Canon 400 EOS and the Canon Powershot G9.
In the end I went for the Powershot G9. I am still learning but I would say that the camera is quite easy to use and I have managed to take some really good photographs. You can check out some of the pictures I have taken on http://www.flickr.com/photos/23284064@N04/

I had high hopes for the G9, partly they were fulfilled but only partly - The 3" screen is superb (but get a screen protector) and outdoors low ISO the camera performs admirably - However, my reason for buying it was as a snapshot wedding camera but unfortunately the noise is way beyond useable (for me anyway) - If you are looking for the best 'general' camera that you can put in your pocket then this might be for you, the 6x zoom, IS, screen, RAW and manual controls make this a superb camera, general shooters will not be bothered about the ISO performance so I hightly recommend it - However, if you are buying this for its low light performance, don't bother, check out the new Ricoh GR - If you don't need a pocket camera then go for a DSLR like the Alpha A100/200 - You will get far far better results