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: #57 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Canon
• Model: G9
• Released on: 2007-08-31
• Dimensions: 1.70" h x 2.80" w x 4.20" l, .71 pounds
• Display size: 3
• Included Software: Yes

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

Good - but not a DSLR replacement
I bought this to take with me when a D300 would be impractical - biking, playground with kids, etc. For this purpose, its compact form factor is certainly better than a DSLR, however, with all its adjustments, it is still basically a point and shoot with all the disadvantages - slow handling (zoom, focus, shutter) and awkward composition via the LCD. It has an optical viewfinder that is all but worthless.

The controls allow for fairly quick access to key exposure adjustments, but the sensor size limits the DOF range (not much difference between max f/2.8 and min f/8) so Aperture priority mode is not that useful over Program. I avoid using direct flash, and other reviews have covered the usability of ISO over 400, thus this is basically an outdoor use camera, which serves my purposes fine. The G9 has allowed me to get some shots while biking that would never have been possible with an SLR, and shooting RAW is critical to bringing out the best image quality in post processing.

The built in neutral density "filter" is useful in shooting longer exposures during bright daylight, and the size allows for easy placement for bracketing exposures for HDR without needing a tripod. Image quality at ISO 80 is excellent.

In summary, if you are looking for a point & shoot, there are better values than the G9. If you are looking to learn photography, you'd be better served with an entry level SLR - it will be quicker and more satisfying to use. If you are an advanced photographer looking for convenience, the handling of the G9 will be disappointing - but there are times when this is probably the only option vs not carrying a camera at all and missing a shot.

pretty good
Pros: capable of shooting RAW, Image Stablization, clear video, panorama mode (keep wb/shutter/aperture the same), battery life is good, nice shot mode (flash, but keep the shutter slow to capture the background)

Cons: I don't like the LCD screen, too grainy. Price. Neck strap.

I was gonna use it as my DSLR backup, but it really is just a good point&shoot. Not ready for a backup for DSLR.

Overall, I have no regret, it's a nice camera.

Very sophisticated point and shoot
Like alot of reviewers here, I bought the G9 as a sophisticated point and shoot upgrade, not wanting to lug around a heavy DSLR, yet wanting more sophisticated pictures than most point and shoots can handle. I have found that I use a camera alot more if it is easy to carry around, and the G9 fits that bill very well. It's not like my little Elph, which almost goes unnoticed in a shirt pocket; but it will fit into a jacket pocket quite easily and takes vastly superior pictures to the Elph.

Do not be under the impression that the G9 will shoot the "same as" a DSLR, however, because it won't. But in most circumstances (other than low light, as others have mentioned) the large majority of people will be fairly awed by the pictures this beautiful little camera can take. It IS that good. Start to get over 400 ISO, however, and, well, then it gets a little grainy and noisy.

The camera can be set on full auto and take "very good" pictures, but I would not waste my money on the G9 if that is all you are going to do with it. This camera is definitely for the more creative types. I think it works best in aperture priority or shutter priority modes, although there are so many different settings on this camera it can take days to wade through the instruction manual to cover them all. I've had mine for about a month and I'm still not through it yet, it's been easy to "use" but difficult to "master", but I happen to think that's a good thing.

I would highly recommend the Lensmate brand adapter for the G9. It solves two problems inherent in the G9's design - first, it protects the zoom lens when it is extended, second, it makes the camera much easier to hold and manipulate. It is also made out of aluminum and is of much higher quality than the cheap Canon plastic adapter. Also, the Lensmate adapter is threaded so you can use filters, which I do, a UV and a polarized, when required. I keep my Lensmate adapter on all the time, even though it adds slightly to the G9's bulk.

Also, do yourself a favor and spend the $6 on an G9 LCD screen protector. Peel it off and stick it on, poof, no worries about scratching the beautiful and bright screen (and it is really beautiful at 3"). 'Nuff said.

A few other options for the G9 I found extremely worthwhile: the high quality metal grip and thumb rest by Richard Franiec. Again, they make the G9 so much easier to handle and shoot. I also bought the G9 leather case (these are only sold by Canon in Japan for some reason, but you can find them on ebay). I especially like how "60's retro" the already retro G9 looks with this case. It is a two piece design and with only the bottom part of the case attached (screws into the tripod mount), the camera is still functional and it does a good job of protecting most of the camera body.

I also bought a Sandisk 4GB Extreme III HDSC card for the camera, with a card reader. It'll hold plenty of pix and vid for my needs. A 2GB card is probably sufficient, and if you tend to lose cards you might want to stick with that instead since it's cheaper than replacing a 4GB card. The card the camera comes with is so small it's really basically useless.

Lastly, I considered getting some Raynox lenses for the G9, but decided against it as the effective lens on the G9 is already 35mm-210mm equivalent. Adding a supplemental/larger lens to the G9 (unless I was doing macro work or just had it set up on a tripod and didn't care) would just make the camera bulkier, meaning I would use it less. Again, the point of this camera is to take it with me wherever I go. So I'm happy with the camera set up the way it is.

I have not had the chance to use the video on this camera yet, and I've heard people complain about the inability to use the digital zoom function with it... Oh well, that is not the primary reason I bought the camera and it is not that important to me.

As far as the pictures I've taken so far, I'm extremely pleased with them. I took the G9 with me on vacation to a New England beach destination this summer right after I got it. Again, I was not expecting DSLR quality, jaw-dropping photos, but the G9 really delivered nonetheless. If you are a decent photographer, "non-professionals" will be very, very impressed with your pictures.

I hope this review helps you decide if the G9 is the right camera for you, and if it is, what other options you might want to consider getting along with it. Good luck and happy shooting.