Many people had written off the G series of high-end PowerShots after the G6 (which debuted in 2004) was not upgraded last year, so the release of the G7 came as something of a surprise.
Having a long and illustrious history at the top of Canon’s PowerShot line, the G series offers SLR-like performance in a robust, compact chassis, as well as premium features such as quick lenses and external flash capabilities.
Even while the G7 follows the tradition by integrating all of Canon’s latest gizmos (such as the new Digic III engine, face identification, and image stabilization), there has been considerable debate over some of the company’s decisions, specifically the removal of raw mode and the use of a slower lens.
In order to determine if the new model is a suitable successor to the G6, or whether Canon has truly squandered the legacy of one of the most renowned cameras in the brief history of digital photography, we must first determine whether the new model is a worthy successor to the G6.
Because two years is a relatively long period of time in the world of digital cameras, it should come as no surprise that the G7 is a considerably different beast from the model it succeeds, both visually (there is no grip, which allows the body to be substantially smaller) and inside.
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Interestingly, many of the adjustments are steps down’ rather than up; several of the fundamental characteristics and features that set the G series apart from Canon’s previous small camera ranges have been deleted or relegated to a lower level of functionality.
Of course, there are several places where the specification has been ‘tweaked’ in comparison to the G6, but not all of these changes will be welcomed by those considering an upgrade.
Canon PowerShot G7 specifications
| Street price | • US: $480 • UK: £330 |
|---|---|
| Body Material | Metal/Plastic |
| Sensor | • 1/1.8″ Type CCD • 10.0 million effective pixels |
| Image sizes | • 3648 x 2736 • 3648 x 2048 • 2816 x 2112 • 2272 x 1704 • 1600 x 1200 • 640 x 480 |
| Movie clips | • 1024 x 768 @ 15fps • 640 x 480 @ 30 / 15fps • 320 x 240 @ 30 / 15fps • 160 x 120 @ 15fps • AVI Motion JPEG with WAVE monaural audio |
| Lens | • 35-210mm (35mm equiv) • F2.8-4.8 • 6x optical zoom |
| Focus | • TTL autofocus • AiAF (Face Detection / 9-point) • Single / Continuous AF • Manual focus • Focus lock • 1-point AF (center or flexizone) • 1 cm minimum focus range (macro) |
| Metering | • Evaluative • Center-weighted average • Spot (Linked to center or selected AF point) |
| Shutter speed | • 15-1/2000 sec |
| Aperture | • F2.8-F8.0 (wide) • F4.8-F8.0 (tele) |
| Shooting mode | • Auto • Program AE • Shutter Priority AE • Aperture Priority AE • Manual • Custom (2 modes) • Stitch Assist • Movie • Special Scene |
| Sensitivity | • Auto • High ISO Auto • ISO 80 • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 |
| White Balance | • Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Tungsten • Fluorescent • Fluorescent H • Flash • Underwater • Custom |
| Image parameters | My Colors (My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, B&W, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color) |
| Continuous | • Normal: approx 2fps • AF: approx 0.8fps |
| Flash | • Auto, Manual Flash On / Off, Slow Sync, Red-eye reduction • Second curtain sync • Range: 30cm – 4.0m (wide) / 2.5m (tele) • Hot shoe |
| Storage | • SD / SDHC / MMC card compatible • 32 MB card supplied |
| Viewfinder | • Real-image zoom • Dioptre correction |
| LCD monitor | • 2.5-inch P-Si TFT • 207,000 pixels • Adjustable Brightness • 100% coverage |
| Connectivity | • USB 2.0 High speed • A/V out (NTSC/PAL switchable) |
| Power | • Rechargeable Li-ion battery NB-2LH/NB-2L • Charger included • Optional AC adapter kit |
| Other features | • Orientation sensor • DPOF • PictBridge • Index view • Histogram • 4x digital zoom • Sound memo • Direct print (Canon & PictBridge) • 2 and 10 sec self-timer (plus custom) • 25 languages |
| Optional accessories | • Speedlite 220EX/ 430EX/ 580EX • Tele-converter (2.0x) TC-DC58C • Wide-converter (0.75x) WC-DC58B • Lens adapter/Hood set LA-DC58H • Waterproof Case WP-DC11 • Waterproof Case Weight WW-DC1 • Soft Case DCC-600 • High Power Flash HF-DC1 • AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC20 • Rechargeable Li-ION battery pack NB-2LH • Car Battery Charger CBC-NB2 |
| Weight (no batt) | 320 g (11.3 oz) |
| Dimensions | 106.4 x 71.9 x 42.5 mm (4.2 x 2.8 x 1.7 in) |
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