Canon PowerShot G12 Review
The Canon PowerShot G12 is associated with an awesome class of unwanted cameras that specialise in fixed lenses, advanced manual controls, and larger imaging sensors than competing point-and-shoot compacts. This camera may be the ultimate professional's pocket cam, or the student's first weapon of. We happened to totally just like the new Canon camera on multiple levels. It's just about the most advanced fixed lens cameras out there, offering enough dials, buttons, and wheels to help keep any photographer happy. The G12's manual controls are addictive, menu operation and navigation absolutely are a breeze, as well as the camera now flaunts 720p HD video. We got almost no gripes about the killer Canon PowerShot G12, though we're sure the camera will get together its match after we review the Nikon Coolpix P7000 in the future. There are the venerable Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 browsing the wings as well. Let's wait and watch what are the G12 has to offer first.
Canon PowerShot G12 Design
2010 brings us the latest control dial found in front in the Canon PowerShot G12, which were only available in handy in a many shootings environments. Apart from a textured, rubberized thumb pad in the rear of your camera, the G12 is architecturally identical to last year's PowerShot G11. Nothing at all is wrong because of this, for through a gander for the Canon PowerShot G12's omnipotent body construction, few fixed-lens compacts can compete. The Canon PowerShot G12's main competitors are the Nikon Coolpix P7000, and we'll participate in a full comparison within our P7000 review.
Fo the time being, let's bask within the awesomeness option Canon PowerShot G12, beginning with the camera's topside. Over here, we get an Exposure Compensation dial for knocking around exposure on the fly. We're also treated to some miniature layer cake of useful controls—the base dial controls ISO as the smaller diameter top dial dictates your camera shooting mode. We then employ a small shutter button/zoom rocker combination, and an on/off switch. We loved this control setup last year about the PowerShot G11, and that we think itrrrs great all the this current year. Nothing is really like superseding a labyrinthine menu system for the expense of an simple dial flick.
At the spine, the canon eos PowerShot G12 hosts a configuration of 4 buttons that surround the control dial alongside the LCD—Focus Frame toggle, Metering, Display, and Menu. Migrating these controls onto the camera body enables the four-way directional pad to be stocked with two different, independent focus settings—Manual Focus and Macro—while still incorporating Flash and Self-Timer settings. We obtain an AE Lock button while in the top right corner, Playback button beneath ISO dial, as well as a Shortcut button within the far left corner. The HDMI and AV/USB terminals are housed using a solid plastic hatch along the side. A Toss a hot shoe on the top for Canon Speedlite flash compatibility, and the Canon PowerShot G12 means serious business.
For monitors, canon's PowerShot G12 provides an optical viewfinder with dioptric adjuster plus a 2.8-inch foldout swivel LCD that has a 461,000-pixel display. What you previously the only real major hiccups in the PowerShot G12's design. For starters, the viewfinder is obstructed because of the lens at full wide-angle. It isn't really a major honking plate of lens in the field of view, but it's enough to affect perspective. Also, we could used more pixels inside the LCD. Impart us with an excellent 920,000-dot display for the G13. In other news, the PowerShot G12 incorporates a lens mount for compatibility having a teleconversion lens. Lastly, it and SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot is located in a secure hatch on the bottom on the camera. Despite its few flaws, the Canon PowerShot G12 was just about the most exciting cameras to shoot with, because of the camera's stellar design.
Shooting together with the Canon PowerShot G12
If it hasn't dawned with you the Canon PowerShot G12 is geared toward the advanced photographer, it's going to in this particular section. The G12 offered oodles of modes, options, and settings that allowed us to shoot efficiently having a primary target creativity. Our favorite features was the camera's Digital Level meter, which monitored if we were holding the camera for a level position. This worked horizontally and vertically, and coupled with the G12's grid guideline, shooting symmetrical scenes became easy. We also loved the revamped Self-Timer mode that worked with the front Control dial, allowing us to customize approximately 30 seconds and 10 consecutive shots.
There were result-oriented Scene modes to try out with also. The Canon PowerShot G12 offered the brand new Super Vivid, Posterize, HDR, and Nostalgic modes. Nostalgic altered the saturation with the image via the front Control dial instantly, and HDR took three images at different exposures, blending them together. We will use Super Vivid and Posterize in HDR mode too, but be sure to employ a tripod or employ a rock steady hand. If we needed to blend the pictures later in Photoshop, the G12 offered Exposure Bracketing as you concentrate Bracketing modes. There is a good DSLR-style Quick Shot mode, which filled the LCD with image information like White Balance, Image Quality, Exposure Compensation, etc., for adjusting in seconds.
Canon's PowerShot G12 retained identical 5x optical zoom 28mm wide-angle lens this season, but a 24mm wide-angle can be been nice. Also, Canon needs a new Manual Focus system, because the resolution in the LCD screen is still not fine enough to tell whenever a subject is targeted. Luckily, the G12 had excellent AF, so we had the ability to move the debate frame and customize the scale the lamp. Canon's Hybrid Optical Image Stabilization worked well in still and video mode, and right up there with Panasonic's Mega OIS system. The Neutral Density filter actually allowed us to pick out wider apertures and slower shutter speeds in the majority of lighting, and became a nice touch to get call at nature.
The Canon PowerShot G12 is advisable shot in Program AE, Shutter, Aperture, or Manual mode because we have the chance to shoot in RAW. When just shooting in JPEG mode, we got a Dynamic Range Correction adjustment, many color filters, along with the capability to shoot in 4:3, 16:9, 3:2, 1:1, and 4:5. We only got a Shutter Speed that dipped right down to just a few seconds, and the Aperture range was a mere f/2.8 – f/8.0, so ISO must be boosted in really low light. However, there we were qualified to shoot inside a Whitman's Sampler of shooting environments, but it appeared like the canon eos PowerShot G12 had a response for pretty much every photographic riddle.
Canon PowerShot G12 Still Image Quality
When it reached quality imaging, the Canon PowerShot G12 could not we will down, but we knew that which you were getting in after having reviewed G-series models in past times. Furthermore, Canon carried covering the 10-megapixel 1/1.7-inch CCD from last year's G11, much wasn't changed when it came down on the nitty gritty in the infoSync labs. Just for this, we know very well what Canon does, and that is not messing with a thing. We've always admired the PowerShot G cameras when it comes to image quality.
However, it's actually a double-edged sword, and now we feel Canon may have pumped in the jam here a little more forward. What about a more substantial sensor? New processing. The Canon PowerShot G12 even receives identical Digic 4 processing as recently. So we neutralize together with the Canon PowerShot G12—plus one for maintaining great image quality, minus one for not attempting to revamp the imaging system.
Now let's talk photography. Canon's PowerShot G12 never exhibited any surefire evidence bringing about an elementary, no-frills imaging performance. Therefore, fringing, ghosting, stepping, and dramatic contrasts were never an issue. We found that in bright light, the canon eos PowerShot G12 produced images that rivaled entry-level DSLRs and Micro Four Thirds cameras. In low light, you exhibited a noticeable level of noise, nonetheless it wasn't off of the charts. We did discover that the G12's RAW images exhibited more definition versus JPEGs, but more noise in low light. In bright light, RAW images transcended JPEGs when it arrived at detail and clarity.
We did loads of long exposure shooting under faint moonlight, and the Canon PowerShot G12 was able to expose impressively. At ISO 1600, the noise became a challenge, so we made sure to hold it below that value. You will see some ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 images in your samples, and at full resolution, the photos is not used in more advanced applications. However, for just a 1/1.7-inch CCD, the G12's noise population is significantly low. Colors, tonality, gradation, and sharpness are this camera's strengths in shooting environments with decent lighting, and then we can without danger say how the Canon PowerShot G12's image performance matched the PowerShot G11's.