Digital Camera: Canon PowerShot G10 147MP Digital Camera5x Optical Zoom 3 inch PureColor LCD II ViewfinderBlack

I used to like this camera, did a pretty good job. Maybe it was a little fuzzier at full resolution than I liked but it was still pretty good.

What makes this camera a 1-star? A well known problem with the G-series - they suck in dust onto the sensor. I tried taking it apart myself but I couldn't get to the sensor (the 3 screws holding it are glued down). The alternative? Probably a 100-pound-plus repair bill and NO guarantee it will work afterwards (my G7 was destroyed when I had it repaired by a canon repair shop - often the G series only perform half the functions after a "repair").

KEEP AWAY FROM THE G-SERIES UNLESS YOU ARE HAPPY WITH A LIFETIME OF ABOUT 1 YEAR. I'VE HAD 2 G-SERIES CAMERAS NOW AND THEY BOTH FAILED AFTER A YEAR.

A Superb Quality Compact Camera with a Vast Range of Capabilities posted on 2010-07-11

I take a lot of photographs whilst out and about and on holiday, an 'artistic snapper' if you like. I have a venerable Toshiba PDR-M81 4.2Mp camera for lightweight/compact requirements where I can accept damage/loss (as I have a couple of spares due to me liking it so much !) and a Canon EOS 400D when the amount/size of equipment is not a factor and where the risk of damage/loss is 'low'. After seeing the specification/reviews of this camera I identified it as something that might fill a potential 'hole' in my camera line-up for occasions when I want something compact but am comfortable taking around something of value (ie the risk of damage or theft is minimal - this camera is not cheap !).

Having bought a Canon G10 and used it for a bit I'm so glad I got it. It fills my aforementioned 'capability gap' perfectly, takes excellent images, is easy to use in what one could refer to as the 'basic' mode and offers a copious range of capabilities. The camera has been around a while now, much written about it and it has also recently been superseded. Despite this I still thought it worth posting my views as from what I read the G11 isn't THAT much of a leap forward so any readers of this review might well be able to satisfy a temptation to get the older G10 at a lower price !

Aside from the size, the main factors which made this an excellent choice for me are the very useful zoom range of the lens, the sensor resolution, the ability to take RAW images and the wealth of features/adjustment possibilities on offer - plus it's a Canon of course.

I can't emphasise enough how wide-ranging and comprehensive the range of features and customisation/adjustment settings are - it really is mind-boggling and I doubt anyone has mastered an ability to remember how to perform every possible setting; but the beauty of the G10 is that it can be used perfectly well as a straightforward 'point and shoot' camera, without having to resort to fiddling with buttons etc. From my experience it is best to just peruse the manual in order to get a feeling for the capabilities, and how to access the essential functions, then use the camera almost immediately to get the feel of it; I am gradually over time discovering the extra capabilities it has, how to set them and what I can adjust.

I think the key consideration to always remember when using this camera is not 'what can it do' but, due to it's superb capabilities, 'what buttons do I have to press to achieve what I want' - I have consistently found it has the answer to any photographic 'requirement' I've thrown at it. You can either do this at your leasure with the user guide at hand or (and I know this sounds a bit stupid) whilst out taking photos 'in anger', 'playing' with the buttons and seeing what happens...

The best example I can give is the excellent 'Stitch Assist' function. I like taking sweeping panoramic images and this mode offers an easy and intuitive way to take multiple images which can be readily compiled (using photo software) to produce an overall image far bigger than one image 'frame'. Whilst taking photos in a large garden, I found myself thinking 'now it would be far more useful if I could take my images not just left-to-right (as offered when the mode is selected), but also from right-to-left, top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top'. No user guide at hand of course, but I instinctively fiddled with the control dial and lo-and-behold a stitch shooting direction menu appeared on the LCD offering those 4 shooting modes plus a clockwise mode (to form a 4-frame rectangular image) - MARVELLOUS !

I do not intend to go into great depth about everything else the camera can do, but here's a short list of the things I particularly like :

The build-quality - it's very robust and well-finished (but this does create a 'niggle', see below....).
The overall zoom range plus the minimum/maximum focal length capability.
The battery life is excellent - I can almost always go out with just the camera and a well-charged battery knowing it will last the day.
That fantastic stitch assist function !
The readily available exposure compensation facility via a dial (this is easily the setting I adjust most often) - no buttons to press or menus required to access it.
It has a viewfinder.
The useful size of the LCD.
The image quality in bright sunlight doesn't seem to require me getting a polarising filter fitting - the contrast and colour of blue skies, water etc is quite acceptable 'as-is'.
The video quality and that sound is recorded.
File playback can be performed on the LCD without turning on the camera/activating the lens.

On the down-side, I do have a couple of niggles :

It might be pocket-sized but it's much heavier than I was expecting so can't comfortably be stored in a pocket (I want good build quality and a light weight ie my cake and be able to eat it, which is unreasonable I know !).
The location of the 'Exposure Lock' button - I have lost count how many times I've unintentionally activated the function (I don't have the same problem with my EOS despite the button being similarly placed - it's the overall body size and overall layout of the G10 which makes the button more 'vulnerable' when taking photos).
I would prefer that the 'mov' (ie QuickTime) video file-format was a more widely used type such as 'wmv' or 'avi'. This would make the files more readily playable on computers and portable playback devices (eg I can view images from the G10 on my Epson multimedia player but not the video).

There might be other cameras out there that offer similar levels of quality and capability to the G10, but for me this camera is a real winner and well worth considering if your budget can stretch to buying it.

Canon G10 posted on 2010-06-17

Purchased at short notice for a walking holiday the Ccanon G10 has proved to be an excellent, simple and versatile camera, producing good quality A4 prints.
Rapid delivery thanks to Amazon ensured it arrived in time. I have been very pleased with my purchase.

G10 Camera posted on 2010-06-13

Love it.....Still getting used to it though...feels sturdy enough to last a lifetime...photos are great..

Canon PowerShot G10 posted on 2010-05-18

I purchased this product on the advice of a professional photographer. My aim was to have a camera which would allow me to develop an interest in photography and have facilities to explore as my knowledge grew.

I have owned the camera for about a month and have used it and have aslo taken tuition from the person who recomended the camera.

I am very pleased with the product and commend it to you.

Products

Canon IXUS 75 Digital Camera - Black (7.1MP, 3x Optical Zoom) 3.0" LCD

Canon IXUS 70 Digital Camera - Silver (7.1MP, 3x Optical Zoom) 2.5" LCD

Canon IXUS 950 IS Digital Camera - Silver (8.0MP, 4x Optical Zoom) 2.5" LCD

Canon EOS 400D Digital SLR Camera (incl. EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Kit)

Canon PowerShot G9 Digital Camera - Black (12.1MP, 6x Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch LCD

Current eBay Offers

Canon Powershot SX20 IS digital camera *BRAND NEW*

£249.99
End Date: Thursday Sep-09-2010 8:28:02 BST
Buy It Now for only: £249.99
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Canon PowerShot A620 7.1 MP Digital Camera & Mem Cards

£72.00 (13 Bids)
End Date: Thursday Sep-09-2010 9:08:50 BST
Bid now | Add to watch list

CANON POWERSHOT A60 2mp DIGITAL CAMERA FAULTY

£14.95
End Date: Thursday Sep-09-2010 9:25:57 BST
Buy It Now for only: £14.95
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Related Sites

Digital Camera Memory
Compare digital camera memory prices.

Add Website