Canon PowerShot G9 Digital Camera Review

G9 captures the last of fall colors

2007-11-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

Ever use a camera where you just can't cut out the ambient haze due to too much moisture in the air for long distance shooting?

Today I was out a bit at lunch trying to capture the last of the fall colors with my (by now) not-so-new canon g9. At one point I had a little trouble finding the built-in filter that I wanted, but it worked out well once I found the one that cuts glare and haze.

The G9 seems to have just enough options that I don't get confused or frustrated, but I still have plenty of tools and tricks that keep things fresh and solve any color or light problems that I've come across.

Fortunately I didn't have to go home for one of my older, but more familiar canons.

send me your fixes, ideas, problem solves, and I'll use them! My email is Baronr33@yahoo.com. - Baron

Personal Review of the G9

2007-11-14T03:18:00.000-08:00

My Review:

I've had my Canon Powershot G9 for a few weeks now and have only 2 complaints, and I'm picky. I am an experienced amateur and have two older Canons, but I bought the powershot G9 for it's compact size, and the basically point and shoot rangefinger. This powershot has incredible versitility, with no limitations for general photojournalism and art photography. Image quality is very, very good for a non-SLR, and the ability to shoot in RAW format is really what I needed for certain publishing applications.

Anyone worried that the G9 will have greater noise issues due to the greater megapixel count- it isn't a problem. Even at high ISO, the G9 seems to take slightly better pictures than the G7. The Powershots G9 and G7 are still pretty noisy at high ISO compared to a dSLR or even Fuji's Finepix f-series, but for overall picture quality and features I'd still go with the Canon.

Pro: versatile, creative, crystal image, fast steady autofocus.

See the the left and also below for more links, specs, and accessories.

Powershot's shooting modes

2007-11-14T03:05:00.000-08:00

Last time I covered the Canon G9's camera basics, so here's a bit about the G9 Camera's shooting modes:

25 Shooting Modes, Including 9 Special Scene Modes

Auto
The camera chooses all the settings so you can concentrate on your subject.
P Program
Access advanced exposure compensation features while shooting mostly automatically.
Av Aperture-priority
You define the aperture to either isolate your subject or have clarity throughout the entire picture, and the camera will choose the corresponding shutter speed.
Tv Shutter-priority
You select the shutter speed to stop or blur action, and the camera finds the appropriate aperture. With slow exposure times, Canon's noise reduction system activates to ensure low image noise.
Manual
The ultimate in creative control, you set both aperture and shutter speed manually.
Custom
Define and store your own settings to achieve the effects you prefer.
Stitch Assist
Build awe-inspiring panoramas by neatly aligning sequential images.
Movie
Shoot in High Resolution for up to 1 hour or 4GB, QQVGA for up to 3 minutes or Time Lapse (640 x 480 at 1 second/2 second intervals) for up to 2 hours.
Special Scene Modes
iSAPS Technology is an entirely original scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the fast DIGIC III Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.
Portrait
The camera sets a large aperture, focusing the subject and artistically blurring the background to make your subject "pop."
Landscape
For front to back sharpness, the camera sets a small aperture.
Night Scene
For impressive sunset or nightlife shots, the camera properly exposes the background and uses slow-sync flash for the subject.
Sports
Ensure highly accurate autofocusing when shooting fast-moving subjects.
Foliage
Capture brilliant shots of autumn foliage, greenery and blossoms.
Snow
Shoot clear snow scenes without darkened subjects or an unnatural bluish tint.
Beach
Get clear shots of people at a sunny beach without darkened faces.
Fireworks
Grab brilliant images of skyrocketing fireworks.
Aquarium
Achieve proper flash-free exposure and natural hues at indoor aquariums.
Underwater
Capture underwater images with reduced backscatter effect. (Note: Optional waterproof case WP-DC21 required for shooting any underwater images. Waterproof case not included--must be purchased separately.)

There are more that I got tired of listing. You can find the complete details here:

Canon Powershot G9 Camera

2007-11-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Canon Powershot G9 camera Description and Review:

Ambitious photographers have been eagerly anticipating the next model in its evolution. The wait has paid off handsomely with the introduction of the Canon PowerShot G9 Digital Camera. The Powershot G9 stands above the competition with 12.1 megapixels of resolution, 6x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer, and RAW mode for the ultimate in creative control. In my opinion, the ophisticated design and high-quality construction complement the technology and make the Canon powershot G9 one of the best Canon Cameras ever made.

12.1-megapixel resolution gives you plenty of rich, deep detail to work with. Blow up images to poster size, or enlarge and crop any section without fear of pixilation.

Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology sets the focus, exposure, and flash automatically, leaving you free to compose a group, capture an unguarded moment, or coax the perfect smile. Plus the new Face Selector Button lets you select the primary face.

What's in the box:
Canon PowerShot G9 digital camera, lithium battery pack NB-2LH, battery charger CB-2LW, MMC Plus card MMC-32MH, neck strap NS-DC6, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, USB interface cable IFC-400PCU, AV cable AVC-DC30
I also recommend getting a Kingston 2 GB SD memory card so that you don’t immediately run out of memory on the card included with this camera. You’ll be taking so many pictures that it fills up quickly!

The Canon Powershot features Face Detection technology, giving the you best possible results in any shooting situation. The Face Detection AF/AE sets the focus point and exposure for the faces of your subjects, so that you don’t have to futz around with balancing or deciding between multiple focal points. The Canon Powershot G9 camera’s Face Detection FE adjusts the flash to correctly illuminate your subject to provide the best balance between picture elements, eliminating the common problems of over- and underexposed faces.
The Canon Powershot G9 Camera includes DIGIC III technology, so images are of superior quality The poweshot G9 camera operates at top efficiency and battery life is enhanced using this technology. What's more, DIGIC III enables Canon G9’s Face Detection Technology and red-eye correction to give you better, more true-to-life people shots. Simply press the Shutter Button halfway down, and the camera automatically pinpoints the faces in the scene and chooses the ideal focus point. The Powershot camera controls exposure settings and flash to keep every face looking bright and natural.

The camera is equipped with a long 6x optical zoom. Canon's own Optical Image Stabilizer Technology keeps images steady and blur-free all through the zoom range--even in low light--by detecting motion and generating a corrective signal. Because it is an optical system, more corrective movement is allowed and there is no degradation of image quality.

The PowerShot G9's RAW mode lets you shoot images without JPEG compression. It gives you clearer images and complete creative control in editing. RAW images are transferred directly to the computer where they can then be edited using image adjustment software or a processing application to adjust your images as you please. The camera can also be set to allow the simultaneous recording of both RAW and JPEG images while shooting.

What's in the box:
Canon PowerShot G9 digital camera, lithium battery pack NB-2LH, battery charger CB-2LW, MMC Plus card MMC-32MH, neck strap NS-DC6, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, USB interface cable IFC-400PCU, AV cable AVC-DC300
The Creative Freedom You've Wanted
Compatible with a wide range of accessories including EOS Speedlites, Canon supplementary lenses, and a waterproof case.
The Canon PowerShot G9 is compatible with many shooting accessories, not only wide and teleconverter lenses, a waterproof case, and High-Power Flash designed for all of the PowerShot models, but also the Speedlite EX series that is compatible with all EOS series SLR cameras. (Shooting accessories are not included; they must be purchased separately.) Attach a Speedlite 580EX II to the hot shoe, then you can set and control the flash on the "Flash Control" menu in the camera. With the 580EX II, the G9 is able to have extra functions such as autoflash metering, FE lock, and Flash exposure compensation. Canon's Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 enables you to have multiple slave flashes and wireless control. A waterproof case is also available for your underwater shooting.
The Complete Print Solution
Print/Share Button for easy direct printing and downloading, plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print with select PIXMA Photo Printers, CP, and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers.
The PowerShot G9's Print/Share button makes direct printing easier than ever. Simply connect the G9 to a Canon CP, SELPHY, or PIXMA Photo Printer or any PictBridge compatible photo printer, press the lighted Print/Share button, and print! Also use the Print/Share button to transfer images to a computer (Windows and Macintosh).
Print your own ID photos in 28 different sizes or use the Movie Print function to output multiple stills from a recorded movie on a single sheet with a Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printer.

Product Description
For those who want more than just a point and shoot experience without the complexity or bulk of a Digital SLR, the Canon Powershot G9 stands above the competition with 12.1 megapixels of resolution, a 6x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer, and RAW mode for the ultimate in creative control. Sophisticated design and high-quality construction in a relatively small package complement the technology and make the G9 a camera to be reckoned with. Built-in Flash modes - Auto, Auto w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off; FE lock, Safety FE, Slow Synchro, Second-curtain synchro White Balance Controls - Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater), Custom1, Custom2 ISO Sensitivity - Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent Memory card slot supports SD/SDHC, MultiMediaCard (MMC), MMC Plus, and HC MMC Plus Cards A 32MB MMC Plus Card is included, however we suggest purchasing an Optional 2GB memory card. It will allow you to store a lot more video and images, as well as take advantage of the camera's high Resolution abilities. Interfaces - USB 2.0, NTSC/PAL RCA Video and Audio Out Print directly to Canon CP/SELPHY Compact and PIXMA Photo Printers as well as PictBridge compatible printers via the included USB 2.0 cable without the need for a computer! Approximate Unit Dimensions - (WxHxD) 4.19 x 2.83 x 1.67; Unit Weight - 11.29 oz. (Body without Battery and memory card)

Gateway 2MB digital card:

Secure Digital cards are storage technology for digital devices such as Digital Cameras, MP3 players, PDA's, Digital Voice Recorders and Cellular Phones. About the size of a postage stamp these tiny storage cards are reliable and durable. Applications List : Digital Camera MP3 Player PDA Cell Phone(s) Digital Voice Recorders Digital Voice Recorders e-Books Global Positioning Systems (GPS) MP3 Player Digital Photo Printers Palmtops