Excellent "pro-sumer" 4 megapixel digital camera

Author's Rating:

Pros: Crystal clear 4MP images, 3x optical zoom, long battery life, lots of great features.

Cons: Sometimes slow focus, battery charges in camera, external charger not included.

The Bottom Line: 
Bottom line, the Canon PowerShot G2 is an outstanding camera, offering tremendous features and outstanding image quality.

Author's Review
I've been taking photos for over 30 years. 3 years ago I got my first digital camera, a Kodak DC280 and took about 9,000 excellent 2MP (megapixel) pictures. Now 3 years later I felt it was time to upgrade to a higher resolution camera and after careful research, I chose the Canon PowerShot G2.

There are many professional reviews out there on the G2 and other digital cameras (links given later) so I won't go into the technical details in this review. Instead I will concentrate on my personal experiences with this camera and give you a non-technical user review.

First before I start, let me tell you that before I purchase any electronics, I spend hours and hours researching the available products, reading professional and end user reviews, comparing features, and shopping for the best price.

The Canon PowerShot G2 is a great digital camera. It can satisfy a number of consumers from the basic point-and-shoot user to the "pro-sumer" who wants additional control of his/her pictures.

The camera is full of features, top features are:

4 Megapixel CCD: The CCD in a digital camera is responsible for capturing light, color, brightness, etc from the lens and reporting it to the camera's computer. The camera then combines all this data and writes it to a memory card that is later viewed as an image. The advantage of having more, rather than less pixels is if you choose to print an image, more pixels will yield prints comparable to fine 35mm cameras. Also the 4 megapixel CCD provides a dramatic difference in image quality compared to the standard 2 megapixel class of cameras.

3x optical zoom: The 3x optical zoom lens giving an 35mm equivalent focal length of 34 to 102mm.

Macro mode allows for extreme close-ups allowing you to get as close as 2.7 inches from a subject.

Movie mode will take 30 seconds movies with sound at 15 frames/sec.

Multiple resolution options: The camera can be set to 4 different resolutions and 3 different compressions. Maximum resolution is 2272 x 1704 and smallest resolution is 640 x 480.

Vari-angle LCD: The vari-angle LCD swings out and rotates so you can shoot from any angle easily. This can be an advantage if for example you want to hold the camera way over your head and take a picture (perhaps at a parade) without the need to look through the viewfinder. It's also helpful if you are taking a self portrait or group photo as it can swing and rotate to face the front of the camera given everyone a view of what the camera 'sees'.

Memory capabilities: The camera accepts both Type I and Type II CF (CompactFlash) memory cards. A 32MB card is included which allows for about 15 high resolution pictures. To give you some perspective, a 256MB card sells for about $110 (Nov 2001) and can hold 123 highest resolution , superfine compressed images.

Modes: This camera has a number of modes to shoot with. Again without getting too technical, fully automatic modes allows the camera to decide if the flash should be used, what shutter speed to use, what aperture, etc. Other modes include portrait mode which enforces a depth-of-field, shutter priority, aperture priority, or completely manual.

Wireless remote: The camera includes a tiny wireless remote than can be used to take a picture while looking at the camera. This is great when you are taking a group photo. You just swing the LCD out so everyone can see what the camera sees, then when everyone is ready you point the remote at the camera, push the button then seconds later the camera takes a picture.

Image reviewing features: When reviewing pictures in the camera, the LCD is used to display each image. A push of a button will show images on the screen. You can also select an image then zoom in on the image.

Included items & software:

Battery: The camera comes with a rechargeable lithium ion battery which seems to last a long time between charges. It's rated to last at least 400 shots when using both the flash and LCD.

Cables: The camera comes with a USB for easy downloads and a RF cable to connect the camera directly to your television if you want to display the images in the on your TV. Finally, the camera comes with an AC adapter that is used to charge the battery and operate the camera while plugged in.

Software: The camera comes with several software programs to download and manipulate images. One program worth noting is a version of Photoshop that is typically regarded as high quality imaging software.


Personal experience:
Moving from the Kodak DC280 to the G2 was a little difficult at first. This camera as notes is loaded with features and it took me a few days to get used to all the extra options. To use the camera I remove the lens cap, flip out the LCD and turn the camera on. Seconds later an image appears on the LCD. I frame my subject using the LCD, zoom in or out as necessary then push the shutter release. The camera focuses then takes the photo. If I want to get fancy I can access a menu on the LCD to change the flash, white balance, resolution, etc.

When I get home, I connect the cable to the camera, turn it on and a program starts on my PC to download the photos. I select the photos to download and click 'download'.

Conclusion:

Pros: This camera takes outstanding digital pictures. Zooming and macro capabilities are great and the colors are very vibrant and true. Printed images really do rival 35mm cameras. Movie mode is a great extra when you want to capture a few seconds on something really interesting like your niece singing her ABCs for the first time. The long lasting battery ensures you can go a whole day without running out of power.

Cons: The biggest problem I see with this camera is sometimes the focusing is a bit slow and I've missed a few shots because of it.

Here are some links offering professional reviews:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong2/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2001_reviews/g2.html
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_g2-review/