Home > Consumer Reviews > Canon PowerShot G10 14.7MP Digital Camera - 5x Optical Zoom, 3 inch PureColor LCD II Viewfinder - Black

I liked my G9 so much I decided to put that one on e-Bay and pay the extra for the G10 to see whether I could obtain even better results. (Yes, I know the G11 is imminent but I am not convinced that is worth THAT much extra cash to perfect something that seems pretty perfect to me!) I wanted to buy the G10 as it appeared to be a 'fine tuning' on the G9. Most important for me was the more convenient manual overriding of settings. I won't bore you with the details but I rate this even better than my G9 which was excellent. Results seem even better. I think the G11 is being desgined to appeal to the true professional who wants the ultimate compact; the G10 is more than fine for us mere mortals! ;-)

You can't really compare this camera to a digital SLR, but then if you wanted an SLR you wouldn't be reading this would you? This is a compact camera that can fit in a coat pocket or the corner of small bag. It may not always do the job as well as an SLR, but it will certainly take better photos than an SLR that you left at home because it was too big to carry.

It's basically a digital rangefinder style of camera for those who want more than a point and shoot snapper and want manual control options. It may not be cheap, but it's not silly money either. OK, the f stops are limited and the optical viewfinder isn't great, but you don't have to use it. However, those who have used optical viewfinders will appreciate the difference from SLR viewfinders. It's a different way of making photos, and although it may not appeal to everyone it's a technique that has kept many famous photographers using Leicas when far better technology has been available for years.
In normal lighting conditions the camera is capable of results are little short of amazing. The lens quality makes good use of the 14.7 megapixel images, and you can produce the sort of photographs that would have required a medium format camera back when film was the only viable option. My only regret is that this camera was not available ten years ago, there are so many times when it would have been very useful over the years.

In short, the camera isn't perfect, but there is not much on the market in this style of camera to compare it against. It's capable of excellent results under the right conditions and it's well made. Those who choose it, do so for what it is, not for what it isn't.

I was recommended this camera by a friend who has the G9, as I was looking for a camera to serve as both a point and shoot for family snaps, but with decent video plus the ability to take more technical photos as well. This camera really fills the bill perfectly for this.

I looked at a lot of cameras, and most shops recommended the G10 for what I wanted, but some pointed me towards smaller point and shoots with supposedly better zooms or other features, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on my final choice.

One of my concerns was the zoom, other reviewers having pointed out that the 5x zoom is a step down from the G9 and other cameras. In fact, there is a 5x optical, but this is combined smoothly with a digital zoom to take you up to 20x, and frankly, unless you have a specialist interest or are a professinal spy, 5x is more than adequate for adjusting the framing of a normal photo, or capturing something that is a bit further away than you want. Since the megapixels are so high, there is actually impressive clarity even at 20x on the camera for things like birds. If you really need a higher zoom than this, if for example you are doing long-range wildlife shots, then you probably aren't looking at this sort of camera anyway.

I was also concerned that the video quality might not be that good, as it is not HD. Again, though, this depends what you want it for. I wanted to intersperse photos with short clips for the family, landscapes etc, and for this the G10 is perfectly adequate. You can zoom the focus for video, unlike some other cameras (though you can't zoom whilst actually filming) and the resultant video is perfectly acceptable. If you want an HD dedicated videocam, then get one, but if you just want to do a bit of filming, then the G10 is fine.

The G10 really comes into its own however as a high end camera, with complex programme modes which are both of a high standard and easy to use; it does everything you would expect from a decent SLR. The histogram on the P mode in particular gives easy access to exposure adjustments. Like any complex camera, there is a lot to find your way around with, particularly if you are moving up from a straight point-and-shoot digital, and I am still exploring many of these settings, but the nice thing is that if you just want a snap you can flick back to Auto mode and get a simple but high-quality picture anyway. The anti-blur devices do not eliminate all camera shake by any means and you still need to put some thought into getting decent pictures, but the technology does not get in the way of this. Other reviewers have complained about noise in low light, and yes this is not a noise-free camera, but it didn't cause me any problems, and I don't anticipate many times when ths will be an issue, unless you regularly shoot in ultra low-light situations.

The G10 is certainly bulkier and heavier than most point-and-shoots, but it is still a pocket camera that you can grab for a quick journey and whip out when you see something interesting, without feeling that each photograph must be a carefully thought out event in itself. The children were quite comfortable in using it too, and took some very respectable photos including difficult subjects like butterflies.

I download onto a Mac with no compatibility or speed problems at all, direct to iPhoto - I haven't needed to use the software supplied. If you need to know more, you will have to read the manual on-screen though as there is very little in the way of printed help.

After using it for a month with great success, this is certainly in my opinion a five-star camera, as long as you don't expect it to be something it isn't. As a general purpose high-end point and shoot with SLR features and good video capability to boot it does eveything I want flawlessly. There are better cameras around if you want to pay more, and no doubt in three years there will be 200 megapixel cameras with 500x zoom and HD video for half the price, but at present this is a great buy for an all-round camera.

I have used SLR cameras for 50 years always with three or more Lens. This Canon G10 is as good in all aspects and better in its results on picture definition The combination of Lens quality and automated ISO settings and the 14.5 MP makes this possible .This is the way forward for camera design.Small in size but powerful with the same specification as the the SLR range.

Having only used average consumer cameras before purchasing this, I was looking for something more versatile to get my teeth into. I'm an amateur photographer, so I needed something that would get some nice "arty" shots, but I also take reference photographs for 3D modelling and texture work, so I needed a camera that produced a faithful image.

The G10 easily ticked both of those categories, with manual mode great for fine tuning exposure and aperture, and RAW recording was the icing on the cake. The fast switch-on time (just over a second) is also great, it helped me out the other day taking pictures of fast-moving trains in that I could spot the train and quickly flick the camera on, rather than standing wasting the battery for half an hour in case one went past.

All in all, a great camera and a purchase that I don't regret one bit (a rarity for me!)