Product Description

Given the success of Canon's highly acclaimed G Series, it's no surprise that ambitious photographers have been eagerly anticipating the next model in its evolution. The wait has paid off handsomely with the introduction of the PowerShot G9. In image quality and functionality, the 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 complement the technology and make the G9 a camera to be reckoned with.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6887 in Camera & Photo
• Color: BLACK/SILVER
• Brand: Canon
• Model: G9
• Released on: 2007-08-31
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.70" h x 2.80" w x 4.20" l, .71 pounds
• Display size: 3

Features

• 12.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
• 6x image-stabilized optical zoom; 3.0-inch LCD display; optical viewfinder
• Face Detection technology and in-camera red-eye fix
• 25 shooting modes, including 9 special scene modes; Print/Share button
• Powered by NB-2LH lithium-ion battery (battery and charger included); stores images on SD or MMC memory cards (32MB MMC memory card included)

From the Manufacturer

Given the success of Canon's highly acclaimed G Series, it's no surprise that ambitious photographers have been eagerly anticipating the next model in its evolution. The wait has paid off handsomely with the introduction of the PowerShot G9. In image quality and functionality, the 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. Sophisticated design and high-quality construction complement the technology and make the G9 a camera to be reckoned with.

Big Impact in a Compact Package
The PowerShot powerhouse: A class-leading 12.1-megapixel digital camera with unique Canon DIGIC III Image Processor, 6x optical zoom, and Optical Image Stabilizer.

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.

With DIGIC III, your images boast superior quality, the camera operates at top efficiency and battery life is enhanced. What's more, DIGIC III enables Canon'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 camera controls exposure settings and flash to keep every face looking bright and natural. Red eyes can be corrected during playback.

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.

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.

Creative Power in Your Control
Full range of shooting and recording modes including JPEG + RAW for the ultimate in creative control.

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.

25 Shooting Modes, Including 9 Special Scene Modes

Shooting Modes
Advanced presets for the best possible photos under certain conditions.

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.

C 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 (1024 x 768 at 15 fps), VGA (640 x 480 at 30 fps/30 fps LP), QVGA (320 x 240 at 30 fps) for up to 1 hour or 4GB, QQVGA (160 x 120 at 15 fps) 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

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.)

ISO 3200
Expands the user's ability to shoot in dark settings without using the flash.

Indoor
Reduce blur and improve color accuracy when shooting handheld indoors.

Kids and Pets
Reduced focusing time freezes fast-moving subjects, so you won't miss those special shots.

Night Snapshot
Get natural-looking pictures with brighter backgrounds and subjects lit by flash.

Color Accent
Choose to retain a single color in your image while other colors turn monochrome.

Color Swap
Select a color and replace it with a color you specify for special effects.

A View That's a Pure Pleasure
Optical viewfinder plus large high-quality 3.0-inch PureColor LCD II screen for bright, accurate color with greater viewing from a wider angle and with an anti-glare, anti-scratch coating.

The PowerShot G9 gives you an extra-large 3.0-inch LCD screen for excellent control when framing your shots. But size is only part of the story. Canon's PureColor LCD II offers more spectacular color, resolution, and contrast even at an angle (compared to PureColor LCD). The screen is highly durable and easy to see in any light with a scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coating. It is a perfect feature for gathering friends and family around to see your images.

3.0-Inch LCD Screen
Canon technology maximizes quality and performance.

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.

DIGIC III features Face Detection technologies, giving the you best possible results in any shooting situation. Face Detection AF/AE sets the focus point and exposure for the faces of your subjects. Face Detection FE adjusts the flash to correctly illuminate your subject to provide the best balance between your subject and the overall scene, eliminating the common problems of over- and underexposed faces.

And new Face Selector AF enables you to lock on and follow a specific face. The selected subject is tracked wherever the face moves in the frame.

The PowerShot G9 features ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings that reduce the effects of camera shake and sharpen subjects in low-light situations, giving you greater shooting flexibility.

Red-eye correction detects and corrects red-eye during playback. In unusual cases where red-eye is not automatically detected, it can easily be corrected manually during playback mode.

The Creative Freedom You've Wanted
Compatible with a wide range of accessories including EOS Speedlites, Canon supplementary lenses, and a waterproof case.

The 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 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.

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

Customer Reviews

Perfect SLR alternative

I've owned the G7 for about 1 month now and I've really learned to appreciate all its advanced features - but recently I received my G9 and I will be returning the G7. What I like about the G9 over the G7:

1. Bigger screen (3.0" vs 2.5") - with no apparent decrease in battery life.
2. Picture quality is better. I have done many parallel tests using the exact settings on both cameras (with the exception of the 12 vs 10 MP of course) and the results have been clearly more favorable towards the G9 in terms of light metering and sharpness. The G9 has a new metering system as well as a more advanced focusing system too.
3. RAW option is great. Even though most pics will be taken using JPEG (to conserve memory space), you know it when you've got a great landscape with just the perfect lighting conditions that you know may result in a printable pic, in which case you will want to have a raw copy for processing it to the highest potential.
4. Timelapse photo functionality is a very nice to have option which the g7 lacks
5. The physical handling of the camera is better, the front has more grip.
6. Some other design aesthetics have also gone into the g9 which I prefer.
7. Noise levels are exactly the same as in the G7. I tested both up to 400 ISO (I would not use anything higher that that) many times and the speculations found on the internet forums that the higher number of pixels would result in more noise is simply incorrect - at least in my ability to see it in my tests.

* the only thing I dislike in the g9 over the g7 is that new usb connection door mechanism. It feels like it may one day break even with proper use. The "slide out" door (like the battery door) mechanism was so much better in terms of use and possible durability.

If I were a G7 owner (and you could not return it because you've had it longer than 30 days) I would not upgrade as the g7 is a superb camera - but if you were looking to buy a new camera the g9 is a better choice over the g7. The g9 is the perfect camera alternative to a bulky SLR - without the loss of total photographic control or quality. Highly recommended.

Incredible camera; very worthy upgrade from the G7
If you're a photographer who cares about image quality, and can't always lug around a DSLR, buy this camera. You will have no regrets.

I've had its predecessor, the G7, for about a year. It has been my normal always-in-the-bag camera. The G7 was limited at ISO 400; the G9 isn't. My normal workflow with the G9 is to use CS3 to import RAW images (fixing chromatic abberation on the way into CS3 in 16-bit mode), and then to use Noise Ninja to clean up image noise. With this workflow, ISO 400 and ISO 800 are completely usable. (You can also play with some other settings in Adobe Camera Raw, like Recovery.)

And for everyone: you really should never, ever use a built-in strobe on a camera. The G9 (like the G7) has a hot shoe. Use it!

Canon fixed a bunch of the G7's problems in the G9, the most glaring of which is the G9 now has a battery meter! (I can't tell you how much that lapse bugged me.) The new LCD monitor is much, much bigger -- and gorgeous. And best of all, the camera body is the exact same size and shape, and fits in my underwater housing. (Update: not all the buttons work. The most glaring problem is possibly the zoom can't be changed, and that you can't change to macro mode underwater. I'll probably get the new housing, but the existing one is functional.)

Nits: the new cover for the USB connector is a downgrade, but one that I can put up with. The lens is unchanged, and has a fair bit of barrel distortion at its widest angle. You can clean up the barrel distortion somewhat in CS3, but straight horizontal lines become slightly wavy. I'm being hyper-picky here, but please know that you're not replacing a DSLR with a prime wide angle lens. You're just buying a small camera that you can take anywhere.

Buy it. Shoot lots of pictures with it. Be happy!

Review compared to G7
I had the opportunity to get my hands on the G9 a week ago and have used it exclusively for the past week.

Based on my personal observations (And I loved the G7):

I see practically no differences in Image Quality at all. I thought the G7 was superb, and I find the G9 to be superb.

The 12 MP is practically indifferent from the 10 MP on the G7. Sure it gives you slightly more pixel to play with for cropping and printing, but negligibly so.

The design is virtually the same -- the screen is a bit larger, but for all practical purposes it looks and feels the same. I don't see any difference in "brightness" on the screen -- it looked great on the G7 and it looks great on the G9.

THere is a slight contour change on the front with a barely noticable front grip molding -- maybe 1/16 inch more than the original. I honestly can't feel a difference although some users have.

It does have RAW - a feature I don't need nor do I plan to use. But its nice that it is there for those who want it.

The ISO and noise appears to be the same -- the G9 excels at night neon shots - just like the G7. I see no difference in noise between the two cameras.

The shutter lag is exactly the same as the G7 - I don't see any difference like some reviewers have mentioned... it seems exactly the same.

Some say that the optical view finder works better - that it is clearer with less parallax. I have never used an optical view finder on a point-and-shoot in my life, so I can't compare this feature. I will add that here, though, since others have found it a useful improvement.

I also don't see any difference in battery life -- maybe its more problematic if you use RAW, but I've gotten the same 450 plus shots out of the battery, just like the G9.

The design of the lens and the connections are the same, so I expect those of us who carry it around in our pockets are going to have the same dust problems we had with the G7.

Finally in similarities -- the camera feels the same and weighs the same. It responds the same when you start it up, and it makes just as much noise as the original. The trademark Canon grinding lens noise is intact.

in differences: that old 2GB card that used to get 800 shots at 10 MP now gets 600 shots at 12 MP.

The autofocus seems slower on the G9.

Macro shots do not focus as quickly or as well on the G9. There are some shots that I routinely was able to quickly use macro for on the G7, that now require quite a bit of futzing to get sharp and focused in the G9. I suppose that is one of the changes because of the larger sensor, but I don't know. I actually thought there might be something wrong with the camera, but looking at another G9 at a different camera shop (so it wasn't the lot number) I was able to reproduce the same difficulty focusing with Macro as on my personal G9, so it's apparently a camera thing.

The long and the short of it -- I don't think it is worth the Upgrade if you have a G7 unless you really really want the RAW. For all other practical purposes, it's the same on a day-to-day usage level.

If you are new to the Canon Powershot G line, then skip the G7 and purchase the G9 -- it is like "G7 SuperCharged" -- while in general the two are identical. THe G9 is actually less expensive than the G7 as well.