Canon PowerShot G7

I give it 5 stars to counter the idiot first reviewer. It's obvious to any G series owner that this camera drops the flip screen and RAW format. Get over it.

Making up for the loss of the flip screen is a higher resolution, bigger fixed screen. It's much nicer than the screen on the G6. I didn't like the loss at first, but i realized i never used it that much except as a means of protecting the screen. It's actually nice to take the camera out , turn it on, and start shooting without having to flip the LCD back into place.

The loss of RAW does not affect me. I'm someone who takes many photos especially of my newborn but I don't do a lot of post processing. RAW files are huge. The pics generally are good enough and digital has always allowed me to take more than necessary and delete any bad ones. The pics taken with the G7 are great quality. I think this is an issue affecting primarily pros who use this as a second camera, but there is great software out there for jpegs. And most people couldn't tell a jpeg pic from a RAW pic. I think Canon erred on this as i don't think this is the issue that will force people to buy its more profitable dslr cameras. DSLR will always be superior for those action shots or low noise high ISO pics. Maybe it will return in the G8 if the series continues. No matter what, Canon is taking a beating in every review for this.

Instead of focusing on what this doesn't have that the G6 had, let's focus on what this one has instead. IS. Image Stableizer. This is very important. It allows you to take the flash off and take hand held shots in low light. No more blurry pics.

Digic III. Allows faster processing and overall performance. Face detection is also new and seems to work nicely.

Hotshoe. Very few non dslr cameras have this although i'm sure the average consumer doesn't care.

6x zoom. Screen. And ability to take wide screen pics.

The camera feels very solid and seems smaller than the g6 and of course looks better with the black. The controls and menus are laid out easier IMO. 10 MP isn't that big of a deal to me although i'm sure it has it's mass appeal. I think 8 might've been better, but i'm not complaining.

Macros are much easier to take with this camera vs the G6. Again, IS helps big time.

Lens cap. What lens cap? This one doesn't need one. Prior G cameras had that loose one that always seemed to pop off.

Battery life seems shorter though so you may want that extra battery this time. (never bought an extra for G6). And it takes SD media which i really don't care for but it is more compatible for me since my laptop has one built in. The movie mode is much improved as well although i have a camcorder for that...it's still nice to have.

Bottom line, 599 is a lot to pay for a camera these days (i paid more for the G2 at the time and thought it was pretty cool back then). But this is a step short of stepping into the expensive and bulky dslr world. You get a lot of tech in this camera. I've owned a G2 and a G6 (that died on me) and this is quickly becoming my favorite by far. It's much faster due to the processor. And you get all the manual controls you could want plus the option to add external flash. For point & shoot consumers, just put it on auto which makes my wife happy.

This is truly an excellent Point and Shoot from Canon. I have been using it for a week now, and it provides consistently excellent images time after time across all shooting conditions. The excellent 6x optical zoom allows 28 to 200 zoom (35 mm equivalent) which is an excellent range for a point and shoot, and the Image Stabilization works like a dream. Some have complained about this camera lacking RAW. I shoot primarily with a dSLR and have NEVER used RAW so it is a feature I (and 95 percent of people toward whom this camera is marketed) will never need and will never miss. If you need RAW then this is not the camera for you. On the other hand, if you need RAW you probably should not be looking at a Point and Shoot camera anyway. Canon has wisely done away with RAW in both of their high-end compact cameras (The G7 as well as the S80.) The camera is a bit larger than the standard pocketable point-and-shoot fare, but it is small enough to toss in your purse, backpack, or cargo pants pocket. Easily fits in a coat pocket. There is no purple fringing in any of the shots I have taken so far (about 500) and there is no barrel distortion nor vignetting noted. This will most likely become my camera of choice at present when not using my dSLR. In fact, I plan on bringing only this trip to Europe with me at the end of the month, in lieu of dragging along a whole camera kit. Very Very happy with this major image upgrade, and wonderful feature set of this camera.

ADDM: After return from a week in Europe, I can report that the camera performed up to expectations, and that the images are just as stunning as those that I would expect from my dSLR. All landscape photos are sharp; museum and interior photos are sharp and exposed correctly, and the different modes (shutter, aperture etc) are easy to use on the fly. This remains my current recommendation for the best point-and-shoot out there right now.

NEW ADDM 8/20/07 Canon Today announced an updated version of this camera to be available in October of this year and called the Powershot G9. It incorporates a 12 mp sensor and puts RAW back into the camera. If you are planning on buying a G7, you might want to wait a few months and purchase the G9 -- it will be available for 499.99 list price when released. If you don't need RAW, then there will be no other major features that would make it your while to wait (there is practically no difference between 12MP and 10 MP at this level of camera).

All of my live I have been a SLR user, from film to digital. I'm not a pro, but consider myself a serious amateur. I take tons of pictures, especially during my travels around the world, and was tired of carrying all of my photo gear (Canon 30D, three lenses, flash and accessories) with me all the time. It's not only the burden and weight in your shoulder or neck -try walking with it in the middle of a tropical hot day for a couple of hours; besides, you can't freely leave it in your hotel's room, say, by night or for long periods. Not to mention street robbery, and conspicuous looking. At the end, you become a slave of it, restricting your movements; and there are times you painfully wished you haven't brought it with you at all. So, I decided it was time to try something that will fulfill my photographic needs, but could fit just in my pocket. During a long time, I looked in the internet and in magazines for a little camera that could satisfy almost all of my requirements, without sacrificing quality. I studied lots of items, brands and prices: the immense majority wouldn't do it at all. Recently, Canon launched the Powershot G7. I bought one and can't be happier with my decision. I'm full aware of its limitations against an SLR and try to overcome its shortcomings, namely its tiny sensor. I still use my SLR for my important work, but now I only travel with the G7 in my pocket and get very sharp, colorful and big pictures from every trip; photo quality is outstanding. My only and very strong complaint is its lack of RAW. I can't find a good reason why Canon did without it in this otherwise superb camera. It's not the cost: RAW is software, not hardware. And even if they considered its proprietary CR.2 RAW a costly value, they could have used Adobe's free licensed DNG (by the way, ¿why doesn't every brand include this? It's a mystery). It doesn't require additional space in camera's mechanism and if they didn't want novice photographers to be overwhelmed with it, they just could have buried it in some place of the menu. Otherwise, I definitively recommend this camera as a second one for your SLR or even a first if you don't need all of the later features.

When the G7 was announced, I hoped it would be the "crossover" camera I've been waiting for. My dream crossover is the one-piece compact or mid-size camera that zooms to at least 200mm, and can produce clean 8X10's under a wide range of lighting conditions. It's the one I'd take on a long trip so I didn't have to lug my DSLR and lenses around.

I've fiddled with my G7 now for about a month. It's better than any non-DSLR digital I've used, but I'm still lugging my DSLRs.

In good light, the G7 can produce images that rival a DSLR. The glass is great and the 10 mp sensor gets good resolution. It's weaknesses are noise and limited dynamic range. Getting the most of this camera is sometimes a little tricky. It tends to blow highlights in high contrast situations. Fine tree branches and hair against a bright sky get broken up. Turning down the constrast one notch and under-exposing by 1/3 a stop helps preserve the highs and some of the fine details. You can introduce more light and contrast later in photoshop. Pay attention to the histogram. The results can be impressive, but you do have to work it. I can live without raw, but I do miss not having an Adobe RGB color space.

The image stabilization works well. The G7 focuses fairly quickly. I appreciate the 210 mm long zoom length, but miss having 28mm at the short end. Being able to shoot an unlimited number of continuous full size images with a compact is very cool. The in-camera flash is limited, but the hot shoe comes to the rescue. I've gotten some really nice indoor shots using a Canon external flash, albeit at the loss of the G7's portability (my external flash is twice the size of the G7!).

All in all, I'm a bit disappointed. I thought Canon would produce that extremely versatile fixed lens zoom this year that would be a worthwhile DSLR substitute. While the G7 is as good or better at ISO 200 and 400 than any other non-DSLR camera I've used, you've definitely got noise at ISO 400, and many of the ISO 200 images are noisier than I care for. The G7's dynamic range is at least as good as any other compact I've shot, but I have to believe Canon could have done better. I think they fell victim to the pixel-wars, and packed too many pixels into too small a sensor. I didn't want more pixels. I wanted bigger and better pixels and a bigger lens, that captured more light, preserved more tonal gradation, and produced noise-free images at ISO 200, and maybe even 400.

The G7's a better one piece zoom. But it's not what I hoped for.

About six months ago I bought the SD700IS point and shoot Canon camera and I love it. It is quick. Responsive. And takes a pretty darn good picture. So even I was surprised when I encountered the G7. It is larger and heavier but offers so much more than the 700IS.

The appeal to me was it degree of manual operation which include, Program, Shutter and Aperature priorities and Full Manual. None of the Canon cameras in the SD line offer this flexibility. The other of course was the 10 megapixel sensor.

After a little over a week with the camera I can say it is one sweet machine. It fits in your hand and has great weight. Enough to feel substantial but not overwhelming. Some have said that the camera feel slick and they have to be careful with it. I would agree.

Power up is quick and the lens retracts with good speed.

It has an amazing macro function that is worth the price of the machine alone. I love this feature.

In addition you can vary the flash output in every mode but Auto. A very good feature for those of us who tend to be too close to their subjects.

I wonder if the ISO dial at the top was really needed or whether that function could have been accomodated within a menu.

And so far the pictures have been excellent for clarity and colour.

SLR's do not interest me. They are too cumbersome and I have been there and done that. With point and shoots I take ten times the pictures and have a 100 times the fun. But I have to say that graduating to the G7 has been a great decision.

It gives you more opportunity to be creative and to control more of the shot and the environment in which the camera is operating.

One thing: This is not an intuitive camera. It takes time to learn. Keep the manual close by for you will undoubtably be referring to it frequently for the first few weeks.

All and all an excellent purchase.