Canon PowerShot G11 Review
Product overview
- Best price:
- £394.99 (Camerabox limited)
- Launch price:
- £569
- Launch date:
- 19th August 2009
- Manufacturer link:
- www.canon.co.uk
Technical Specification
Image sensor: 1/1.7” CCD, 10MPImage Processor: DIGIC 4 with iSAPS technology
Lens: f/2.8-f/4.5, 6.1 - 30.5 mm (35mm equivalent: 28-140mm). Optical 5x. Digital approx. 4x (with Digital Tele-Converter approx. 1.4x or 2.3x and Safety Zoom¹)². Combined approx. 20x
Lens construction: 11 elements in 9 groups (1 double-sided aspherical element)
Image Stabilisation: Yes (shift-type)
AF System/ Points: AiAF (Face Detection / 9-point), 1-point AF (Any position is available, fixed centre or Face Select and Track)
AF Modes: Single, Continuous, Servo AF/AE¹
AF Point Selection: Manual selection using FlexiZone AF/AE, Size (Normal, Small)
AF Lock:On/Off Selectable
AF Assist Beam: Yes
Manual Focus: Yes
Focus Bracketing: Yes
Closest Focusing Distance: 1cm (W) from front of lens in macro
Metering modes: Evaluative (linked to Face Detection AF frame), Centre-weighted average, Spot (centre or linked to Face Detection AF or FlexiZone AF frame)
AE Lock: Yes
Exposure Compensation: +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments, Enhanced i-Contrast for automatic dynamic range correction
ND Filter (3 stop)
AEB: 1/3 - 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments
ISO sensitivity:AUTO, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Shutter Speed: 1 - 1/4000 sec (factory default)
15 - 1/4000 sec (total range - varies by shooting mode)
White Balance: Auto (including Face Detection WB), Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater, Custom1, Custom2. White Balance Correction
Viewfinder: Real-image zoom, optical viewfinder
Dioptre Correction: Yes
LCD Monitor: Vari-angle 2.8” PureColor II VA (TFT), approx. 461,000 dots, 100% coverage, brightness adjustable to one of five levels. Quick-bright LCD
Flash modes: Auto, Manual Flash On / Off
Slow Sync Speed: Yes. Fastest speed 1/2000 sec
Red-Eye Reduction: Yes
Flash Exposure Compensation: +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments. Face Detection FE. Safety FE.
Flash Exposure Lock: Yes
Manual Power Adjustment: 3 levels with internal flash (up to 19 levels with external EX Speedlites 270EX and 430EX II. 22 levels with 580EX II¹)
Second Curtain Synchronisation: Yes
Built-in Flash Range: 50cm-7.0m (W) / 4.0m (T)
External Flash: E-TTL with EX series Speedlites¹, Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX, Canon High Power Flash HF-DC1
Shooting modes: Auto*, Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual, Custom (2 modes), Low Light¹, Quick Shot, SCN (Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Sunset, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, Color Accent, Color Swap, Stitch Assist), Movie
*with Scene Detection Technology and Motion Detection Technology
Photo Effects: My Colors (My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color)
Drive modes: Single, Continuous, Self-Timer, FaceSelf-Timer
Continuous Shooting: Approx. 1.1 shots/sec.¹, AF: Approx. 0.7 shots/sec.¹, LV: Approx. 0.8 shots/sec.¹ (until memory card becomes full)²
Image Size: (L & RAW) 3648 x 2736, (M1) 2816 x 2112, (M2) 2272 x 1704, (M3) 1600 x 1200, (S) 640 x 480, (W) 3648 x 2048. Resize in playback (M3, S, 320 x 240)
Compression: Fine, Normal
Movies: 640 x 480, 30fps, 320 x 240, 30fps
Movie Length: Up to 4GB or 1 hour¹
Still Image Type: JPEG compression, (Exif 2.2 [Exif Print] compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system, RAW.
Red-Eye Correction: Yes, during shooting and playback
Self Timer: Approx. 2 or 10 sec., Custom or FaceSelf-Timer
Memory card type: SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus.
Batteries: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-7L (NB-7L battery and charger supplied)
Battery life: Approx. 390 shots, approx. 420 min. playback
Dimensions: 112.1 x 76.2 x 48.3 mm
Weight (body only): Approx. 355g
PhotoRadar review
It's no DSLR and it's not really compact either, so where does Canon's PowerShot G11 fit in the digital camera market?
The PowerShot G11, successor to the ever-popular PowerShot G10, is Canon’s new top-of-the-line compact. As far as its place in the market go its features outweigh what you’d expect from a compact camera and are much more in-line (but just short of) what we’d expect from an entry-level DSLR.
So what’s the point?
The G11 is a fantastic, discreet travel, street and documentary camera – if you want a well-built compact with tons of manual freedom and exceptional picture quality, you’ll love it.
If you want all the versatility of a DSLR, you can get an entry-level one around the same price and it won’t actually be much bigger. Similarly, if you just want a clever compact, the G11 isn’t for you - its bulbous size and 112x76x48 mm proportions mean only MC Hammer is likely to fit one in his pocket.
What’s new?
The G11 confirms that the megapixel race is well and truly over (thank goodness) with Canon equipping the camera with a ‘high sensitivity’ 10MP sensor, as opposed to the G10’s 14.7MP sensor. Might sound like a downgrade but it’s not – Canon say that image quality and noise are improved by up to 2 stops, and our test pictures back this up. The 10MP sensor works in conjunction with Canon’s new Anti-Noise System, enhanced DIGIC 4 processing and i-Contrast technology, which prevents high-light blowout while still allowing you to capture low-light detail.
Also worth mentioning is the addition of a tilt and swivel LCD, although this is 2.8inches and the G10’s LCD was 3inch.
Usability
Like the G10, the G11 is one of those cameras that you’ll really want to use. It’s classic styling and study shell make you feel like you should sling it over your shoulder and shoot a lot.
The G11 features the same quality 28-140mm wide-angle zoom lens is the same as the G10, which is a good thing and it’s versatile enough to shoot most subjects without feeling like you’re compromising.
I found the tilt and swivel LCD to be a really nice addition too, and would even go as far as to say this added to a range finder type feel.
Other than the superb image quality, I’d say the best thing about using the G11 is how assessable the top-of-the-camera controls are: unlike with most compact cameras, it feels like a camera build for serious photographers who want to take creative photographs and need to be able to change settings quickly. There are three dials: ISO speed, shooting mode and exposure compensation, which are a bit cramped together (but we wouldn’t want the G11 any bigger…).
The main control on the back of the camera is a d-pad with button in the centre, which isn’t so great. It’s small proportions mean its easy to accidentally change settings – flipping to manual focus without noticing for example. Would probably grate in time.
The swivel flip-out LCD has made the G11 even more suited to street photography and is wonderfully bright – a good job as the viewfinder is useless – it’s irritatingly small. Quick shot mode, where the G11 takes pictures almost instantly after pressing the shutter and constantly updates AF and AE to capture fast moving subjects is a bit of a waste because you have to use the viewfinder, rather than LCD.
New for the G11 is Low Light mode, which allows you to shot at ISO 12,800 in 2.5 MP resolution for great indoor shots without flash, an obvious bonus.
Test shots:
Best Price: £394.99
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Posted by Rachael DCruze on Tuesday, 1st December 2009 at 11:29am GMT.
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