Canon PowerShot G9 - Expert Reviews

Award: Highly Recommended!

Review summary: Until the arrival of the G7 last September the majority of observers had written off Canon's 'prosumer' G range, presuming that the arrival of affordable digital SLRs had effectively killed the market for high-end compacts such as this. Barely a year ...

Pros: Excellent resolution and respectable edge-to-edge sharpness across the zoom range, Raw mode, Raw+JPEG option, surprisingly fast - and useful, Classic 'rangefinder' styling looks great, fit & finish superb, Marginally improved handling (better grip) ...

Cons: Still missing some features 'G' users could once rely on: fast lens, vari-angle screen, Although image quality is good, you'll only get the best results shooting raw, Some shadow noise visible even at ISO 80, Noise Reduction effects start to creep in ...

Verdict: I should start by giving Canon a little credit for so quickly responding to at least some of the criticisms of the G7; the G9 may be a relatively minor upgrade but it does knock a few of the rough edges off its predecessor and - most importantly - ...

Review summary: The G9 is a development of the 10-megapixel PowerShot G7. The G9 might look very similar from the outside but it incorporates a series of improvements, which should greatly increase its appeal

Pros: Strong features list, Good performance for a compact, Good-quality build

Cons: Three-tiered multi controller could be better, Quite expensive

Verdict: Don't expect quite the same overall picture quality and responsiveness of an SLR. The G9 is ideal for casual snappers that want the best, or keen photographers looking for a portable camera that doesn't sacrifice manual control

Review summary: The PowerShot G9 feels and works like a professional camera, but it's small enough to fit in your pocket

Pros: Strong features list, Good performance for a compact, Good-quality build

Cons: Three-tiered multi controller could be better, Quite expensive

Verdict: The top of the camera has a conventional mode dial, and a second dial at the far left for setting the ISO. This is unusual in a compact because the ISO setting is usually chosen with a button or a menu. These controls feel really firm and positive but ...

Review summary: Canon's PowerShot G9 was announced in August 2007 alongside the EOS 40D and a raft of new compacts. There was no G8 - Canon skipped direct to the G9 which makes it the successor the last year's G7. It comes just 11 months later and like previous ...

Pros: 6x optical zoom with IS and decent macro ; Flash hotshoe for Speedlites and wireless ; Dedicated ISO dial and control wheel ; Great manual exposure and RAW support ; 6x optical zoom with IS and decent macro ; Flash hotshoe for Speedlites and wireless ...

Cons: No flip-out screen, nor much grip to speak of ; Noise at 400 ISO and above ; Modest AF speed and slow continuous shooting ; A650 IS and EOS 400D compelling alternatives ; No flip-out screen, nor much grip to speak of ; Noise at 400 ISO and above ; ...

Verdict: Ultimately the PowerShot G9 may not be without its faults, but there's simply few if any alternatives which offer this degree of control and flexibility in a pocketable form factor. There are certainly smaller compacts out there, but none have the G9 ...

Review summary: Without revolutionizing its class, Canon offers an expert compact that is rather nice to use and equipped with interesting functions; RAW mode, stabilized lens, and a large screen. It's just unfortunate that there is no true wide angle and noise ...