Gear Review – Canon Powershot G10

By Bill

From October 24 until November 9, 2008, I traveled to Slovenia and Scotland for a long photographic holiday.  During my travels I worked with colleagues whom I have met through the Internet and who share my love of light. During my holiday, attending the first PTR Seminar, I had with me the Canon Powershot G10.  And, I had high hopes for the camera having taken some shots with it prior to departure.

My interest in the Canon Powershot G10 is simple.  I was looking for a small camera that would produce high quality images.  Small, because the whole business of carrying around 25 pounds of DSLR equipment is a pain both from the standpoint of long walks through airports, finding a place to store the gear onboard, packing the gear in ground transportation, and lugging the stuff across sometimes very difficult terrain under extreme weather conditions. A camera that weighs less than one pound, including its battery charger, is something that I have yearned for over the years, and the new G10, which had just replaced my G9, which I described as the “perfect travel camera” promised me even better quality because of it redesign.

The Canon G-series of cameras have been known to me since 2003 when I acquired the Canon Powershot G7, and my experience with the Canon Powershot G9 that I acquired last year.  It was the G9 that made me realize just how good compact cameras have become.  One can read my review of the G9 here.

So, with along with my Canon 1Ds Mark II, and three L series lenses, I found room for the little G10 in my camera bag as I boarded my aircraft in Tampa, Florida.  From Tampa I flew to Washington, D. C., then to Frankfurt, Germany, then to Ljubljana, Slovenia.  A flight delay meant that I had to wait in the Frankfurt airport for 10 hours, along with all my camera gear.  Another reason I detest traveling with heavy stuff.

Well, I finally got to Bled, Slovenia, on October 25 and the next morning my colleagues and I were out doing photography. And, after hiking up a long trail to capture light a sunrise, I soon found myself leaving all that DSLR stuff in the car.  Yep, I’m a wimp, I hate heavy stuff on my back.  I gave that up years ago when I retired from the US Army!

And would you know it, the first thing my friend Herman Cater did was start up a very steep slope and here I was lugging 25 pounds of camera gear on my back!  But, along with me was the G10, and soon I learned to leave the Canon 1Ds Mark II and three lenses in the car.  No more breaking my back on long hikes!  And sure enough, the little camera did very well indeed.  As in this shot, taken at the top of a pass with the wind blowing at 45 MPH, and snow coming and going, and in freezing conditions that make a guy from Florida feel like he has been to the end of the earth.

But, one comes alive on such trips, that is what travel is about, and soon, despite the cold and the wind and the long walks up steep trails, the place itself brought out delight and magic.  The scenery was simply breath taking.  Indeed, I was at a very special place that I wanted to remember.  And I am glad I had the G10 in my coat pocket and managed to get this shot to remember.

While in Slovenia, one of my desires was simply to roam around the City of Bled.  What a wonderfully beautiful place the city is.  Everyone I met was friendly and helpful.  And the charm of the city was found at every corner.  Clean, with flowers everywhere, the people of Bled are proud of their city, and for good reason. And roaming around gave me the opportunity to take shots that interested me, like this window, and it’s out turned frame.

But, I am digressing again, I need to write a bit about the camera.

First, it is built solidly, out of metal, and when I say solid, I mean solid.  And I love the look of it, a classic design, with a retro look that reminds me of old Leicas of the past. When one sees the camera there is the desire to pick it up and hold it.  I really enjoyed the new body design over the G9, it fits better in my hand.  And, the new wheel on the top of the camera for making exposure adjustments was especially useful and right where it should be. Canon moved the ISO wheel beneath the camera mode dial, a significant improvement. And most of all, I very much like the 28-140mm lens which is almost perfect for a travel camera.  The G9′s 35mm-210mm lens is simply not wide enough for doing landscapes.  While I miss the extra reach of the G9′s 210mm lens, in reality the 140mm on the G10 works exceedingly well.  It is especially good for portraits.

The single largest advantage of the camera for travel is that it is small.  And, with a 4Gb SDHC card on board one can shoot nearly all day with a battery that won’t let you down, even after 300 shots!  Small means that it is inconspicious, which is really important when one is wondering around a foreign city or any city for that matter.

The other thing I quickly learned about the camera was that its exposure meter is spot on!  What a delight to be able to have a live view of the histogram and be able to set the exposure with the push of a single button and then reframe the shot.  And, wow, I am really impressed with it’s dynamic range even in poorly lit conditions.

And, BTW, it was great to drink a Coke out of a bottle.  WOW, a real coke, not one in plastic.  Bring back bottles.

Many have been concerned about the fact that the camera has noise at higher ISOs, well, my response is that all compact cameras display that tendency, although some say that the new Panasonic LX3 is the right approach, less megapixels, meaning that the image quality will be better at higher ISOs.  However, Canon has done something special with this camera, the 15 megapixels it has crammed into the small sensor produces incredible resolution, and frankly I can shoot all day long at ISO 80 with no issues.  If you are in lower light, use a tripod, or fill flash.  And with that extra resolution, one gets good landscape shots with it.

After a week at the PTR Seminar in Slovenia, I journeyed on to Scotland, my favorite spot on this gentle earth, where I did 10 days of photography in the Ardnamurchan area.  WOW what a special place it was.  But, on my way, just at sunset, the light begged me to stop at Rannoch Moor and capture this shot.

I had little time to capture the light since finding a place to park along the highway is difficult and if I had gotten out my camera bag in the back of the car, I would missed the shot, so without coat, without gloves, without tripod, I ran to this spot with my G10 and grabed the shot.  That is the magic of a small camera that is always with you and easy to access, cause it is most likely in your pocket or lying somewhere close by.  The trouble with a big DSLR is, well, it’s always somewhere hard to get to, tucked in a camera bag, usually in the trunk of the car!

As the days went by, the weather in Scotland was wonderful and provided me different kinds of opportunities for finding light.  And, you know what?  I kept picking up the G10 instead of my 1Ds Mark II!  I even tried something different in this B&W shot.

And, as my journey continued, more and more I opted to shoot with the G10 instead of my Canon 1Ds Mark II simply because it was so easy to use and so much there when it needed to be. As in the next shot, which required several attempts to reach the spot through some really terrible terrain, I mean boggy and rugged.  After nearly three hours of hiking I finally got to this Croft House Ruin at Sanna.

And I am really glad that I did not have to take 25 pounds of camera gear with me on that hike!

And as the days wore on, the light was good, and the G10 did not let me down.

But I digress.  This is a review and maybe it is time to talk about the goods and bads of the camera.

Summary of Findings and Conclusion

The Canon Powershot G10 is exactly what it is represented to be, a compact camera.  It is not a professional DSLR and it will not produce images of comparable quality. An expert who has reviewed the signal noise from the camera says, “The G10 at ISO 80 seems to have roughly the same S/N as the 1D3 at ISO 1600 (a little better in highlights, a little worse in shadows).”  He goes on to say: “The G10 sensor is about the best in the business. Its problem of course is that it doesn’t have enough of those square microns — sensor dimensions 7.6mm x 5.7mm, instead of FF 36×24, 20 times smaller in area.”  In sum, one cannot expect a camera with such a small sensor to record images equivalent to sensors 20 times larger!

Course the foregoing paragraph flies in the face of what Michael Reichmann has said about prints he has made from the G10 which compare favorably with images done with a Hasselblad medium format camera! Michael is highly respected for his reviews and opinions. I have not yet made prints from images done with the G10 but I will be doing so during the next few days.  I hope what Michael has said works for me as well.

Noise

The camera, in my opinion, is useless at ISOs above 400.  I would not use the camera at anything other than ISO 80-200 unless I were prepared to deal with significant amounts of noise and the detrimental results of using noise reduction software. That is not to say that it is impossible to take a photograph with the camera at ISO 800, for example.  And, depending upon the circumstances, it is an option. One photographer whom I have communicated with by email has some examples here.

Construction

The G10 construction is superb, it feels and looks like a solid, well made camera.

The camera is not weather sealed; and while my G10 performed well at temperatures below zero, it did show moisture behind the LCD panel after a morning walk in heavy rain.  While most users won’t be out shooting in conditions that I find myself in on some of my journeys, it is prone to environmental conditions.  I highly recommend that one carry it in a good weather-proof case when not in use.

Lens

The new 28-140mm instead of the 35mm-210mm on the G9 is a substantial improvement.  I found the 35mm limit of the G9 very restrictive when doing landscape photography.  And, I have very much enjoyed the “Wide” setting, although I am disappointed that Canon won’t allow me to shoot in RAW when using the setting.

The camera is prone to barrel distortion.  However, I think what has been reported by some users as a major issue has more to do with the fact that the photographers are not keeping the camera level and square with the film plane when making images.

LCD Panel

The new LCD panel is a substantial improvement over the one on the G9, it is simply stunning and allows one to examine details in shots with ease.

Ergonomics

In my opinion the ergonomics of the G10 are superior to the G9.  It is much easier to hold and use.  Moving some dials helped me immensely and adding others makes a great deal of sense to me.

One cannot use with camera while wearing gloves.  Not an issue unless you are in freezing conditions and the wind is blowing 45 MPH!  Then it is an issue.

Buttons are easily pressed, meaning that at times one is trying to make an adjustment but winds up with the wrong selection showing.  This occurred to me repeatedly while using the camera.  Folks with big hands will find the selection wheels to be an issue.

Viewfinder, WYSINWYG

The viewfinder is not accurate.  In other words, what you see is not what you get.  I don’t understand why Canon engineers can’t fix this issue or provide me with a viewfinder that fits in the flash slot that is correct.  Many of us prefer to shoot with the viewfinder, that is my preference and I find it difficult to do.  As well, when extending the lens to 140mm the barrel of the lens appears in the viewfinder making it even more troublesome to use.

Exposures

With the help of the live histogram it is nearly impossible to overexpose a shot using the G10.  I note an improvement using the G10 versus the G9 which often required that I keep the exposure to -2/3 to avoid overexposure.  The G10 may require a -1/3 exposure in high contrast situations, but the live histogram is a great aid in compensating as it was with the G9. With some practice using the histogram, one is able to take shots without underexposing.

Image Quality

Image quality is superb in both RAW and JPEG modes for a compact camera.  Converting RAW files is only possible using the DPP software provided by Canon.  Currently Adobe does not support a RAW plugin for the G10, but I am told that Adobe will offer a DNG converter soon that will enable one to convert RAW files and use them in CS2 and CS3. Note:  Adobe has just released its latest DNG converter and it does support the G10.  It is free and can be downloaded from Adobe.

Shutter Release

The G10 has an instant shutter release, a significant improvement over the shutter lag on the G9.

Colors

Colors appear natural and vivid using the G10.  One issue that does affect colors is that one does not have a choice when shooting, one must use sRGB.  I wish Adobe 98 were available.

Conclusion

The Canon Powershot G10 is an outstanding compact camera that offers beginning and advanced photographers an excellent tool for capturing light in limited circumstances.  It is not a professional DSLR and is not represented by Canon to be so.  It is a significant improvement over the Canon Powershot G9 with it’s better ergonomics, it’s much improved LCD panel, instant shutter release, the wider 28mm lens, and its outstanding exposure metering system.

It is a delight to use.

In sum, Canon has produced a winning camera that will appeal to many, but in my opinion, Canon could have done far better.  I await what the market will provide in the next two years.  This is not to say that I don’t recommend the camera, it is simply that I know Canon has the capacity to produce the best of the best cameras in the world and with some thought the G10 could have been a benchmark for small cameras. Other manufacturers are offering some good alternatives presently.  I am especially interested in the new Panasonic LX3 and the Leica version that will be out by the end of the year.  But, in all fairness to Canon, after looking at photos done with the LX3, the G10 images are superior.

My personal wish list for the next G-series camera include:

1.  A better quality lens, f/2 and at least 24mm.  20mm would be better.

2.  Weather sealing.

3.  Either a larger sensor or less pixels.  Engineer a noise proof camera even if it means a whole new design.  I do want to shoot at higher ISOs in some circumstances but the answer is not to cram too many pixels on such a small sensor.

4. Give me a viewfinder that is correct.

5. Buttons should be larger so that people with big hands or guys like me who shoot in freezing conditions can use gloves while operating the camera; and put them further apart.  BTW, this is also an issue for me when using the Canon 1Ds Mark II as well.

6.  HD Movies instead of 640X480.

In my view, the Canon Powershot G10 is the perfect travel camera.  But, I would be remiss if I did not point out that there are other alternatives.  In particular, I am very impressed with photographs I have seen done by Jim Radcliffe using the Leica D-Lux 4 which you may view by clicking here.  In fact, I am so impressed with Jim’s shots that I may buy one.

But, let me tell you, when it comes to overall quality, the Canon Powershot G10 is special.  It, in my opinion, would be an excellent choice for anyone who embarks on a travel adventure.

And, as I ended my latest photo travel adventure, the light danced for me at Loch Leven and the G10 captured the moment brilliantly.

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