Received mine last week and have really enjoyed it. I'm still learning about all of the features but the pictures have been fantastic. For the average person this camera is more than enough.

DOES NOT LIVE UP TO HYPE AT ALL...so far.

THIS IS A GREAT CAMERA... IF YOUR FAMILY VACATION PLANS ARE A TRIP TO THE CENTER OF THE SUN.......other than that it is a very very noisy low light camera.

So I agree with the other reviewer, if you are a bright light outside type, then get it,..... no problems there...nice!!!

If you bought into the low light DITCH-IT 4 processor hype, then it is a real let down.

My old 1 megapixel powershot (8 years old) did just as well, in the low light noise area...with zero image stabilization.

I will do some more tests, but so far this camera is a major let down.

Requires a lot of light, and looks like it has the RAW measles above ISO 200.

Honest, wait for more reviews to come in, by the way, I have a Rebel, an XTI, and an XSI as well. Also 4 other Canon Digitals, I am (was) a Canon fan, and thought this would be a breakthrough product...but it wasnt.

Simply cannot deliver on the hype.

Unless someone can get a better handle on the low light noise settings, it wouldnt take a Nostradamus to predict this camera will get yanked faster than the G9.

As usual if you try to compesate with one board flash, it has the Frankensteins lighted lightning labratory garish effect.

I dont really shoot JPEGS much so I dont know about those yet.
Pretty much shoot raw. XSI was less noisy in raw mode.

I really had hoped this would be the first practical digital do all art museum camera. I will try some more tests at the Detroit Art Institute on all types of light and media, but for now any hopes I might have had are shattered.

If you do have good indoor lighting at ISO 100 and 200 under good light the color is wonderful very nice pictures. In most museums they wont let you use flash, same with other artsy places. Wide angle is nice great museum camera from that perspective......but low light and Image stabilization are a must.....

It's important to understand this camera within context: This isn't a digital SLR replacement or a pocket d-SLR. This is an excellent camera for someone who is a dSLR shooter as a backup, or even someone wanting to graduate from a point and shoot to allow them more control over the camera.

The Powershot G10 incorporates a few new features over it's predecessor, the G9. It loses it's 6x optical zoom down to 5x optical zoom, but packs 14.7 megapixels, features a wide-angle zoom compared to the G9, and uses Canon's new Digic IV processing engine.

The Pros:
* RAW capture. RAW photos don't feature any of the conversions that JPGs do, but also takes up a lot more space. Your typical RAW photo out of this camera will be 15MB, versus 4MB for a high quality JPG. It's nice having this flexibility.
* Supports Canon's Speedlite external flash units.
* Manual controls over aperture and shutter speed for additional controls. This is the single biggest advantage to the G10: if you have a SLR of any type, you're used to changing f-stops, shutter speed and other things on the fly to take better and more creative photos.
* Shoots VGA video. I would have like to have seen 720p video myself.


The cons:
* Expensive spare batteries. $70? Seriously, that's insane.
* Early adopters will find out that Adobe products (Lightroom, Photoshop) and Apple Aperture won't support the G10's RAW - yet. *fingers crossed* You can use the included Canon software, which I find unweildy and a pain to deal with.

I do recommend picking up a 4gb SDHC card, such as a Kingston or Sandisk. Class 6 cards are recommended to handle those large files that you'll be shooting. Also, this won't fit in most camera pouches (I couldn't get it to fit in any of the Lowepro pouches without me feeling like I'm smushing it in there) so you're better off going to a camera store and trying them out.

In the few days that I've had this camera, I feel happy for having it, and it definitely feels like a more "adult" camera than my previous Powershots (not to say that they weren't any good, it's just that I've gotten to the point as a photographer where I *need* the flexibility that this camera can provide.) If you're looking at making the jump to something more advanced, then give this camera a try. You won't regret it.

I am a professional photographer who shoots with many different cameras. My SLRs are Canon. I also shoot digital and film with Leicas. I bought the G10 in the hopes that Canon's use of the Digic IV processor would yield low noise images. I was wrong. The noise starts to ruin the photos at levels of ISO 200 and above. That's not acceptable in today's camera market. Unless you plan to shoot outdoors in bright conditions all the time, don't bother with this camera. The ergonomics are good and the build quality is top notch, but the imager is just not up to the job. Perhaps someday the megapixel race will end and manufacturers will go back to 6 or 7 megapixels with super-low noise at high ISO. They would do us all a favor if they moved in this direction. I did not own a G9 so I can't compare them.

I returned the camera the same day it arrived after shooting test images in RAW format, giving the camera the best possible chance of pleasing.

It is possible to have great image quality in a pocket camera. Just look at the Sigma DP-1.

I have used point and shoot cameras for their size and convenience, as I am always on the go. Most recent camera has been Canon SD800IS - a great camera for spontaneous shots. My needs are growing and photo editing is becoming a more important element of making photos effective. The JPEG files that cameras output, like my Canon SD800IS, look fine, however, because the camera has already processed its RAW info in making the JPEG, the options left for photo editing afterward are limited.

The Canon G10 was my choice for moving to a more advanced camera with RAW file output, higher quality optics, and without the bulk of the Digital SLRs. There are other cameras that compete with the G10 - Given all the pros and cons I decided on the G10 based on its feature set and positive Canon G9 reviews.

My experience with the Canon G10 (acquired Oct 8, 2008)
+ Images on auto settings have been far superior to my SD800IS
+ Menu and settings are easier than my SD800IS
+ Startup time for first shot is fast - similar to what I enjoyed with my SD800IS
+ Construction quality and feel of the camera is solid (but doubles the weight)
+ The lens has an automatic self covering protector - not shown in most web photos
- Canon registration via web is missing option for G10 cameras
- Canon G10 cases (listed on their website & camera manual) not available for sale
- Canon RAW lacks support for Photoshop and Aperture
- Canon's software can convert their RAW to TIFF, but 15 MB files will grow to 83 MB

Overall, Canon's G10 will be an excellent camera
+ small enough to keep in my briefcase or carry around for spontaneous opportunities
+ powerful enough to capture high quality images.

When Canon provides more flexible support for RAW (or I learn other ways to get their files into Photoshop and Aperture), I'll probably give the G10 5 stars.

shot with G10 all afternoon. I have the canon 5d and 20d and 30d, so was looking for a more portable camera that shoots raw. the detail at iso 80 is quite good. I agree with other posts that above iso 400 isn't the greatest unless you work on noise reduction later. The Lumix 3 looks much better. I really like the range though, 28-140. The depth of field using the small lens/sensor, ie 6mm focal distance for the 28mm field of view, make the Dof quite good at f5.6 of f8 (f8 is fully closed down). I plan to use it for landscapes with a tripod, and suspect it will work well. (see Darwin Wiggett and his G9 landscapes). It also has a 3 stop ND (neutral density) filter setting to help blur water or clouds in scenes, as well as a nifty panostitching feature that makes it easy to overlap, line up, and lock up exposure and WB settings for the pano, so it merges later in software easily.

I also like the Custom 1 and custom 2 dial settings, to quickly go to your favorite settings.

Nitpicks: i wish the grip was more rubberized, and easier to grip.
The viewfinder is tiny, especially for me with glasses, so I will likely just use the LCD.

I was quite nervous about the G10. I would have hoped Canon would keep the resolution (megapixels) low in order to decrease noise, and when I saw the 15MP resolution, I assumed the photos would be sub-par. Nevertheless, I needed a full-manual compact camera and took the plunge.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the G10's performance. Indeed, the image quality is not the same as the shots from my 40D (digital SLR), but it is very good. The images are clear, sharp and vibrant. There is only minimal artifacting and noise at ISO 80 - 200. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I think ISO400 is fine for everyday shots. ISO800 is fairly noisy, and 1600 is a last resort setting. (But, make no mistake, the image quality at these settings is as good or better than all other compacts I've seen, including my Fuji F31fd, which is legendary for good low-light performance.)

If you are looking for an advanced point-and-shoot camera, I believe you won't find a better one than the G10. There are a few very expensive ($1000+) rangefinder and APS sensor compacts, but I haven't tried them.

One last thing to keep in mind when judging this camera. Because of the high resolution, the noise is going to be finer and more subtle when you look at an overall image. If you zoom in to 100% resolution on a 7MP photo, you are seeing twice the image area as when you zoom in to 100% on a 15MP photo. If you want to compare the G10's image quality to that of other cameras, make sure you zoom both images to the same size, and not just to 100%. Only then can you make an accurate comparison of the image quality.

If you're in the market for a general purpose advanced point and shoot digital camera, try this one for size.

- The controls are nicely laid out - all the things you need to compose your shot (exposure settings, macro/normal button, flash on/off etc) are all readily accessible on the right side of the camera body
- It's lightweight yet feels sturdy
- It lends itself well to accessories such as teleconverters, external flash units, and even a waterproof shell
- The LCD screen is huge and bright and contains plenty of useful information like (for example) a live histogram, exposure settings, gridlines to help you shoot straight, and even an exposure meter when shooting fully manual
- At 28mm wide you can get a big group of people into the shot quite easily
- There's plenty of shooting options that will cover most needs

I gave the G10 4 stars because I'm being nitpicky:

- When shooting through the viewfinder, there is no info at all about your exposure setting, number of shots, battery life, etc. Nothing. Just the view. (I do like how the image magnifies accordingly when you zoom)
- The aperture opens up only to 2.8 and closes down only to 8.0, when shooting full manual mode.
- And sadly yes, there is a fair amount of pixel noise when shooting in low light without either a flash or tripod. This could be a problem for those of us who have been scolded for popping off flashes where we shouldn't.

I did not expect this camera to rise to the level of a high quality film SLR or DSLR. When I bought it I was in the market for a good street photography camera - something light and surreptitious enough to photograph unique things I would come across in my daily romps in the city. Something that I could tweak a bit instead of relying on the camera's preset exposures.

For that use the Powershot G10 suits me just fine - even exceeding my expectations at certain levels. It's worth a try.

I'm a hobbyist who long ago owned a Konica SLR and shot lots of slides. In the digital age, I've only owned point-and-shoot cameras and have become frustrated by their lack of flexibility and quality. I looked long and hard at SLRs but don't yet feel I can spring for the price. I also wanted something more easily portable. But I wanted complete control over shutter speed and aperture, and I wanted to be able to shoot in RAW for more post-processing flexibility. I decided to spring for the G10.

Since purchasing this camera about a week ago, I've taken about 2,000 shots. (I went a little nuts!) Here's what I've learned so far:

-- Although the auto settings produced very good pictures, this camera really comes into its own when you shoot in Manual mode. I was able to routinely get some vivid fall sunset scenes on a lake with beautifully saturated color and contrast by tweaking shutter speed and aperture settings separately.

-- I'd say that the noise at 400+ without post-tweaking is considerable, though nowhere near what I used to see on 400 ISO film back in the day. It was easily reduced post-processing using a noise-reduction program that works within Photoshop, and I ended up with some beautiful indoor shots with minimal effort. I even took some night landscape pictures with a bright moon at 1600, and was pleasantly surprised at the results after tweaking them afterward.

-- I was able to get extremely sharp photos in macro mode (closeups of bees in flowers, that kind of thing), again without a tripod. I'm still getting the hang of focusing on the exact part of the flower that I want; I find it more cumbersome to do it with this camera than I did with my old SLR (where you just turned the lens with your hand).

-- The camera did a good job out of the box at face recognition. The built-in flash on auto settings was just OK; it didn't hideously over-expose the faces, but it didn't look entirely natural either. Again, moving away from the auto settings and using fill flash judiciously helped me create some much more natural and attractive portraits. I would imagine adding a separate flash attachment would help even more. I found my favorite portraits were taken with no flash at all and some light tweaking with contrast in Photoshop.

-- The optical zoom met my needs well. I loved having the wide-angle capability for landscape shots, and I got some gorgeous, very clear pictures of a bald eagle at the top of a tree with the telephoto zoom. The camera clearly showed me when I was moving beyond the optical zoom into digital zoom, and my pictures of the eagle deteriorated accordingly. I will probably turn off the digital zoom.

-- The camera comes with all kinds of built-in scene settings (snow, night snapshots, sunsets, underwater, etc.), most of which I haven't yet found that helpful. I did get a couple of fun foliage shots using the sunset and foliage settings, but in both cases I could've gotten the same results simply tweaking in Photoshop afterward. If you don't want to mess with post-processing programs or playing with the camera's controls, I could see how these scene settings could be useful.

-- Photoshop CS3 can't open the RAW files from this camera yet. This is a big drawback for my purposes. I have opened the RAW files in the Canon software that comes with the camera, but it's not nearly as powerful or intuitive as Photoshop. So for now, I'm exporting the RAW files to Photoshop as TIFFs, and they're enormous -- 85 MG. The quality is marvelous, however, and I'm hoping that Adobe will quickly add support for the G10.

I'll try to add some photo examples to this review. I noticed they get a little washed out when saved for the web; the originals are much more vivid.

As point-and-shoots go, this is about as good as it gets for my purposes. I gave it five stars, though I'd like to give it a half-star demerit for the lack of RAW support in Photoshop (a problem I hope will soon be corrected). If you're not quite ready for the leap to an SLR but you want more control and quality than the common point-and-shoot camera, this is an outstanding choice.

Ask yourself why you want a new camera and that will help you decide if the G10 is for you. Me, I was looking for a replacement for an older P&S. Grandma photos. Walkabout photos. Textures and ideas for my quilts. The occasional "WOW!" shot. I want to tuck it in my purse or belt pack and keep it with me at all times, as I have with various P&S digitals for over a decade. Anything more, I can haul out the 35mm Canon EOS system I used when shooting motorsports. (Alas, that spends most of the year in the very heavy camera bag loaded with all the stuff one tends to acquire with a SLR. Not convenient to haul around except for special occasions.)

I bought my G10 three days after it was released and have taken several hundred shots with it since under many different conditions. It's a bit on the heavy side but the construction is very solid. The neck strap is a bit short for the way I prefer to carry my cameras (across my shoulder/chest) but that's easily fixed with an aftermarket strap. A Lowepro Edit 100 case works well and has space for my cell and ID so I'm not unduly encumbered when out hiking.

Leave the camera set on "Auto" and you can shoot excellent photo after excellent photo (assuming you know the basics of composition and photography). If you decide to take more control, it's easy to do.

This camera has one huge advantage over a DSLR -- you'll carry it with you and when you do you'll take photographs. What could be better than that?

My last top-of-the line P&S was a Nikon. It met my needs for three years. If this does the same I'll be thrilled.

Bottom line: know what you want in a camera before you buy one!

for me this camera is the ultimate image-making device in that it is small enough to almost always have with me, takes beautiful stills up to ISO 200, and stunning video. its fast to operate, has very solid build quality, and with image stabilization i can shoot at 15/100 handheld no problem. it is a truly serious product and can take truly serious photo's. also, for me the price is so low that I can upgrade when a new model comes out and not feel guilty at all. $500 for RAW AND VIDEO?!?!?!

could have said the same thing about the G9, but this is truly a major improvement over the previous model. personally i think the biggest improvement is the body design. functions are more streamlined, and it feels better/more solid.

i highly recommend it. you won't be disappointed.

I had high hopes that the G10 would be vastly improved over the 1 year old G9. The wider lens and improved monitor are big pluses but cramping yet more pixels into that tiny chip didn't help matters at all in the image quality department. Besides the high noise levels above 200 ISO the lens doesn't stops down further than f8. Mine got returned.

At this price point I think many would-be G10 buyers may be better off considering a Nikon d40, or similar small Canon. Yes these are larger cameras, but only slightly, and the gain in image quality is far superior.

I am a photo enthusiast, and primarily use a 40D. I love the camera, but it is not always practical to carry around. I also have used several compact cameras that are very easy to carry around, but aren't good for much more than a snapshot. I wanted something that was portable enough to take to things like the state fair or a party at a friends, while also providing great pictures.

This camera is perfect for that. I've had the camera about a week and shot 250 photos or so, mainly test shots to see how the camera performs in various scenarios, as well as to just learn my way around the camera.

The photo quality is very good. Not DSLR good, but that is to be expected.

I feel that the camera takes pretty usable pictures up to ISO 400, but if you plan on making very large prints (above an 8X10) it may be better to stay below ISO 200.

I wish the camera had fewer megapixels and better ISO performance, but no camera is perfect.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a portable high quality Point & Shoot camera.

Most of the criticisms in other reviews relate to high noise over ISO 200, and that is true. But below 200 they are very good. Luminous Landscape just posted a comparison of the $500 G10 against a $40,000 Hasselblad H2 with a 39 megapixel back and was amazed to find little observable difference in 13x19 prints. 8 professional photographers could not distinguish reliably between them. That is a lot of performance for a camera the size of a cigarette pack and 1/80th the price of the other camera.

I like the controls. ISO and over/under compensation are dials on top of the camera. No more hunting through the menu to make those adjustments. Image stabilization makes it possible to shoot at relatively low shutter speeds. RAW and full manual controls make this a very versatile and easy to use camera.

I rarely shoot at ISO 400 or above so I don't think the noise at higher settings is a major flaw. I previously used a Canon Proshot 1 that cost twice as much as the G10 and it only went up to ISO 400. I suspect Canon included 800 and 1600 in case you had to use them but you will need them less because of image stabilization.

Overall a great camera to take traveling.

There is a 'MIX' of customer reviews here and I fully understand some of the frustration and yet I can't help but wonder if some of the reviews are also 'PLANTS'.

I've used my Canon G10 for just over two weeks now. Thus, I am not an expert and I certainly do not shoot for or claim such as a profession. I travel for a living and I love photography; especially taken of the adventures I so blessed with.

I have had several of Canon's EOS line SLR's. They are excellent cameras and while I've also had both Nikon and Sony cameras as well, nothing has come close to the Canon line. They simply excel in digital imaging.

The G10 is built like a tank. Ultra rugged and strong. No plastics here.

I found its colors exceeding the quality of my Canon 50D. Even when I used Canon USM IS lenses. I received slight 'BLUR' from my 50D last weekend when my wife and I decided to take some 300-400 pictures of the Napa Valley's Fall colors.

She used the Canon G10 and I used the Canon 50D. Her colors, her sharpness and her black of blur or backlit situations was stunning for what is essentially a POINT & SHOOT camera.

Keep in mind this camera runs a simple $499. With a superior optical system, excessive megapixel range and a shutter as fast as one could ever hope for. The camera is ready always for that next shot.

Battery life was very good. Charging time fast. The entire fit overall for the camera could not be better. I told my wife the Canon G10 was indeed the BMW's of camera performance for that style or type of camera.

Personally I think it's underpriced. More so, this is a POINT & SHOOT. High-end of course but still a POINT & SHOOT.

This was and is an excellent choice. Built in Japan (not China) for quality and small enough to carry around without the weight or size of a SLR.

Doesn't get better...

I needed to replace my P&S camera and after doing a lot of reading I narrowed it down to the Lumix Z28 and the Cannon G10 and SX10IS (since I could not get my hands on a Cannon SX1IS). I use a Nikon DSLR for most Important things but It is too bulky when I travel or vacation and also my wife finds it hard to use. I also wanted to be able to shoot video that was at least decent so I would only have to lug around one camera so it was a must to be able to zoom while shooting video as well.

My first choice was the Pannisonic FZ28, it seemed to have everything I was looking for however, after one day of shooting it was obvious that there were some major problems such as CONSTANTLY WONDERING AF WHILE SHOOTING VIDEO, INABILITY TO TRACK FOCUS WHILE SHOOTING VIDEO, WASHED OUT SHOTS (stills) and a few other operational and menu issues that were unacceptable.

That left the two Cannon cameras. I chose the SX10IS over the G10 due to the fact that the G10 WILL ONLY DO A DIGITAL ZOOM WHILE SHOOTING VIDEO Yes, The optical zoom does not work for video. I see this as a "deal breaker" for me since digital zooms add far too much noise to the immage to be usable. Plus, the added focal length, cost diff. and articulated VF on the SX10IS influenced me as well. Too bad about the G10 since I really want to like it. Only down side to the SX10IS is no ability to do RAW format. Hope there will be a hack to fix that in the future.

IN THE G10, CANON HAS CREATED A COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERA THAT IS A WORTHY AND EASY TO CARRY COMPANION TO MY DSLR. THIS IS THE ONE THAT HAS MY MOST DESIRABLE FEATURES AND QUALITY AT A FAIR PRICE.
IMAGE QUALITY AT 100 AND 200 IS SHARP AND SHOWS LITTLE NOISE. 400 IS NOISIER BUT IS ACCEPTABLE AND ESSENTIALLY OF LITTLE OR NO CONSEQUENCE ESPECIALLY IN 4 X 6 PRINTS. IMAGE STABILIZATION FUNCTIONS PROPERLY AS IT SHOULD. THE WIDE 28 TO 140 LENS IS FAST AND LOSES LITTLE APERTURE AT FULL ZOOM COMPARED TO MOST OTHER SIMILAR CAMERAS. AN OPTICAL VIEWFINDER, HIGHER RATIO ZOOM RANGE AND INTERNAL FLASH ARE WELCOMED FEATURES MISSING ON AT LEAST ONE MUCH HIGHER PRICED CAMERA.
RAW CAPTURE AND RAW/JPEG FURTHER ADD TO VERSATILITY AND HIGHEST IMAGE QUALITY CUSTOMIZATION WHEN NECESSARY OR DESIRED. A SHARP, REAL MACRO RANGE ALLOWS FOR CAPTURE OF VERY FINE DETAIL OF SMALL OBJECTS.
FEATURES SUCH AS ISO, EXPOSURE COMPENSATION, AND SHOOTING MODE ARE NOW TRADITIONALLY SET USING CONVENIENT DIALS INSTEAD OF CUMBERSOME MENUS.
USERS WITH LESS CRITICAL STANDARDS AND/OR LESS EXPERIENCE CAN USE A OR P WITH EXCELLENT RESULTS, BUT WILL FIND THEMSELVES SOON LEARNING AND UTILIZING THE ADVANCED FEATURES THIS GEM OF A CAMERA OFFERS.

What is cool about this is that I pre-ordered this item and Amazon delivered exactly on the 10/1/2008. Wow! Three weeks later they repriced this item lower and I immediately received the refund after contacted their service rep. What a service!

When I shopped for a point and shoot last Xmas I was looking for a form factor and boy it was a mistake. I bought a Lumix 10M pixel camera that even today I will not spend fifty bucks for it. That was a lesson learn.

What I like about this G10 is that now I can carry it every day to work and it takes great picture. Small enough to lug around and cheap enough to hide under a seat and let bang around in the car. I shoot mostly in the auto mode since most of my shots are candid and spontaneous. I own many canon pro L series lenses and a body so I got use to very good quality photos. This camera delivers consistent exposure though I think its red color spectrum is over saturated. It has plenty of shooting modes and manual controls that are very handy for pro-amateur users who have time to play with it. Its big live view screen is very handy especially when you do manual exposure. It came with a photo editor/import program that is smart enough to categorize photos on the day it was shot.

What I don't like about this camera is that it is very slow. If you are expecting that multi bursts like a DSLR can do then forget it. when shooting a movie you can zoom in or out but its autofocusing does not work and that mean totally ruin your movie. Of course that mean you zoom with your legs for it to work. and then the white vertical streak band on the left or right hand side of screen when you shoot a movie and if your camera is facing the sun light couple degree off. In the normal shot it also show but it will a be reddish glow like lens flare in final image. In the movie however it what you see is what you get.

Aside from those annoying flaws I still think it is worth the money for a camera that takes great picture in any kind of lightings. If you buy this camera for pixel count then I think you can look for a cheaper model since I barely see any difference with more pixel. For any P&S camera I think the lens is too small to gather all subject's details.

The Canon Powershot G10 is a solid successor to the Powershot G9. Very well built with a beautiful bright display. The retracting lens makes this an easy camera to carry around. This high-end "prosumer" camera has many features of the larger DSLR cameras in a more compact package. The image quality is very, very good. Full manual controls allow the photographer to experiment with the more creative aspects of digital photography, but the automatic settings assist with creating wonderful photos too. The Powershot G10 is best suited for someone looking for more features and better image quality than a smaller, cheaper camera can provide, without the large size (and potentially large expense) of a digital SLR camera kit.

While I love reader reviews, when it comes to purchasing, I like a review by a 50 years in the business camera PRO and this is what you get when a head to head is done between a $50,000.00 Hasselblad and a $495.00 Canon G10. See the surprising results at:http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/kidding.shtml

He also does a fine Canon G10-Panasonic LX3-Nikon 6000-Canon G9 comparison on the same website.The Canon G10 is a clear winner.

I am what one may call a "serious amateur" photographer. My first serious camera was a WWII-vintage 35mm Leica rangefinder that my dad, while in the U.S. Army, got from a captured German Oberleutnant (he said he won it from him playing cards!). I still have that camera, though it needs work. My first "modern" SLR was a Canon F-1 I got back in the early 1980's. Wife Number One got that - along with all the lenses and accessories - in the divorce.

At this stage in my life, I still care about the quality of pictures I take, but I no longer have the money or the desire to carry around a bulky DSLR body with a satchel full of lenses, flashes, filters, etc. Forgive me, O gods that guard the purity of the photographic arts - I want a point-and-shoot! But I don't want a toy, either.

My first choices would have been something like a Leica DLUX 4 10.1-megapixel Digital Still Camera or a maybe a Sigma DP1 14MP Digital Camera. Both - sorry to say - are a little too rich for my blood right now. That left me with plan B - either the Panasonic DMC-LX3K 10.1MP Digital Camera with 2.5x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) or the Canon Powershot G10 14.7MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom.

As much as I have liked Canon products in the past (I have owned Canon scanners and printers as well as cameras over the years and have always liked their products), I was highly suspicious of the Canon G10 on the grounds of its 14.7 Megapixel resolution. How much digital noise would I have to endure so Canon could claim victory in the latest skirmish of the megapixel wars? I was also very intrigued by the Panasonic for its lens - extremely fast for a point-and-shoot at f2.0 and its unusually wide angle of 24mm (35mm equivalent).

In the end I got the Canon G10 for the following reasons:

1. Most of my shooting is either portrait or outdoor scenery shots, where short to long telephoto (60mm-200mm equivalent) is most appropriate, so the extreme wide angle of the Panasonic was less useful to me. If you are someone who takes lots of family group shots in close quarters, you may feel differently, however.

2. The Canon, though with a slower lens than the Panasonic, was nevertheless able to pass my "art museum test." In other words, I could take excellent hand-held shots indoors of art objects in available light at fairly low ISOs of well under 400, sometimes at nearly 200; shots clear enough to show the depth and detail of every brush stroke. I found that to be good enough for me. But if you are someone who likes to do available-light shots in candle light or outdoors around camp fires, the extra speed of the Panasonic's lens may then become crucial.

3. The Panasonic, though admittedly an excellent camera of its type, was awkward to use, at least for me. It was a tad too small for comfort (I am a big guy, 6'4", 280 pounds, with hands like catcher's mitts). The camera always felt on the verge of slipping out of my hands, especially when holding it in my left hand while messing with the controls with my right. And mess around I did, since the controls were not particularly intuitive in their operation. I'm sure one could get used to just about anything, especially if one reads the manual and practices with it long enough. But I am of the school that believes that good interface design means NOT having to read the manual!

4. The Canon G10, in my opinion, just fits. Big enough and properly shaped for my hands to feel comfortable gripping, but just small enough for carrying in a coat or jacket pocket (though admittedly too big and heavy for a shirt pocket). What's more, every major control is plainly marked and positioned right where God intended for it to be. I found that the Canon passed my "users manual test" as well. Only with the most obscure and least-often-used functions did I have to break out the damned book to figure out how they worked. The camera feels satisfyingly solid, with very good build quality; it just feels good in the hands. I found I felt comfortable with the camera very quickly, could take pictures right away, without hassling with learning the manufacturer's perverse sense of control interface logic.

5. I found the image quality to be generally excellent, with great detail present and surprisingly low noise at ISOs below 400. Left to the camera's automatic white balance sensors, I found the color balance just a tad bit cool for my taste, but what do I know... I'm an old Kodachrome guy. In any case, it is easy to set your own custom settings for color temperature to suit your preference. Even if forced to take shots at ISO 400 and above, all is not lost. For Photoshop users, I recommend PictureCode's Noise Ninja (http://www.picturecode.com/) plug-in. For users of The GIMP (excellent open source free photoshop alternative), try GREYCstoration (http://cimg.sourceforge.net/greycstoration/). Both of these software plug-ins do an excellent job of cleaning up noise without obvious objectionable artifacts. These tools enable shots at high ISO to be much more usable, unless you insist on those poster-sized blow-ups.

In sum, the Canon's worst shortcoming, noise at high ISO (a problem with ANY digital point-and-shoot that sells for less than a grand), is more than outweighed by its sheer usability, its excellent feel, solid build quality and intuitive interface, as well as image quality good enough to satisfy just about anybody. I will step out here and say that on prints 11x13 and smaller, it would take a keen eye indeed to tell the difference between most images from a G10 and those from a DSLR selling for more than twice the price.

What's more, the Canon G10 offers, for those who want to explore the deeper capabilities of the camera, a wide array of automatic shooting modes as well as excellent creative control options, including RAW image support (although Canon's implementation is STILL proprietary and not yet natively supported in Photoshop), shutter or aperture priority, full manual exposure mode, and precise control not only of depth of field, but independent focus and exposure locks, too. This is an easy camera for a novice to just pick up and use, but is sufficiently advanced for the serious amateur or pro when he or she needs high quality with low bulk, and for that novice who wants to grow into his or her new hobby.

For a novice, this camera may seem a touch pricey, but at less than $500 is truly a steal compared to the prices of other high-end point-and-shoots to which the Canon G series is often compared.

got it last week and it is stunning...
- the image quality is really great (even with iso 400 do not worry).
- love to do macro shots (flowers), traveling light up in trees and getting wonderfull quality.
- the lcd quality is great the first camera where i can see on the spot if to erase the shot or to keep it.
- the little control up on the right( -2...+2) is really great, you can do a shot go a bit down a bit up and one of the three shots is perfect.
- even the build in flash gives nice results indoors
- anyway it is a great camera i'm nearly happy that someone stole my dslr bag and i cannot aford a new dslr....

very good camera, lots of fun, easy to carry around, tons of great features, do not regret a $ i spent

thanks for reading

My title sounds like I'm damning this camera with faint praise, but it's actually seriously intended. By "its type," I mean a high-quality, traditional rangefinder-type configuration (specifically including a viewfinder) with advanced amateur or better controls, RAW capability, hot shoe, and a decent lens.

In the digital world, with current technology - no matter how much you spend - that involves compromises. Do I wish that Canon had opted for a sensor with fewer megapixels? Yes. Would I like a better viewfinder? Yes. Are there noise issues, even at fairly modest ISO values? Yes. Is it a bit of a brick? Yes again.

It's still the single best camera of its type on the market. I had high hopes for the Nikon P6000, but those were dashed by its write performance and loss of settings when shooting RAW. The G10 has a well-implemented feature set, good controls, and very good image performance over a range of reasonably bright conditions. While its imaging performance falls off in other conditions, so does that of lesser cameras as well - the difference is just not that dramatic.

The best alternative right now is probably Panasonic's Lumix DMC-LX3. While it does not have a viewfinder and involves other compromises I would not make, there is no doubt whatsoever that its imaging performance is excellent - and surpasses that of the G10.

Long story short: Until better sensors come along, the G10 is the best you will find. Fortunately, as the hype is subsiding because of the emergence of reviews showing the real performance of this camera (i.e., including its limitations), prices are starting to come down just a bit as well.

We received this camera recently and love it. It takes excellent photo's. I really like the menu and navigation setup on the camera,we actually prefer the size of the camera as comapared to the ultra compacts. It's well built and made in Japan not China. Auto settings work well,as well as SCN settings or if you have the knowledge the manual controls allow you to take further control. Pictures can be a little noisy at high ISO's and and photoshop won't work with RAW FILES but overall we love this camera.

While I love reader reviews, when it comes to purchasing, I like a review by a 50 years in the business professionnal photographer with photographs to illustrate his review and this is what you get when a head to head is done between a $40,000.00 Hasselblad and a $500.00 Canon G10. See the surprising results at:http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/kidding.shtml

He also does a fine Canon G10-Panasonic LX3-Nikon 6000-Canon G9 comparison on the same website.Again the Canon G10 is a clear winner.

This camera is amazing! It took me all of about a day to figure out the settings and shooting modes. The color accent is so much fun. This camera is an amazing point and shoot camera and also a high end camera. I would recomend this camera for anyone who wants a high end camera without having to buy a SLR.

No luck, I got a defective one, which there is always a very fine light-blue line appearing on the upper left corner. After I returned it, I am now waiting for my full refund and buy with a lower price. This is a versatile camera. If you are not planning to buy a big DSLR, Canon G10 is a great substitute as being compact with full manual option.

I bought this camera, waited, got ticked off at the price drop then it arrived. Charged the battery (doesn;t that suck with electronics, you get the thing and then wait till the battery charges 8 hours) I get it, plug it in and turn it on. And let me say, I was laying on my stomach on a bed with the camera facing down. When the camera turned on it was about 2 inches from this throw blanket thing. On the screen I could count every thread with no blur. I said out loud. "Wow.....that;s ****'in ridiculous"
I think went on to use the camera in the last 2 days. I've taken outdoor shots, art gallery photo's, night shots etc. The best thing is, in galleries, flash camera's are not allowed. This thing sucks light from some cosmo's unknown, leaving me with perfect shots and leaving them thinking....You jerk.
The camera starts up in less than a second, it's not big and bulky at all. It cannot fit in your pocket, so don't buy this camera if it's just for you and your friends to post pictures on myspace. (p.s. your lame) buy this camera if you want photo's that capture every imagine perfectly. Has a screen that makes me want to watch movies on (it's a 3" LCD that is simply amazing). I'm taking this to Rome soon. And I know that it will capture the best pictures possible. And then a little gypsie will steal it. And I'll be sad. But when I rebuy another, this will be the one I buy.

The G10 will respond right away, it won't jam like the typical point and shoot cameras that the moment is gone by the time you get to take the picture. Various shooting modes and the lighting techniques from cloudy to tungsten light make it very nice for setting the mood. The only problem as I have read from previous reviews, at night it's quite grainy. Most of this is solved with flash but sometimes you don't want it. I recommend you adjust the exposure and shoot manually.

The G10 is an amazing camera. I bought it a week or so ago based on Michael Reichman's (luminouslandscape website) and Thom Hogan's (bythom[...]) reviews. I am an advanced amateur/prosumer -- I sell fine art landscapes, and have been photographing for about 35 years.

The G10 is heavy at about a pound, but I like the heft. It is quite compact (at least from my perspective) -- the lens fully retracts and it will fit in a large jacket pocket. I have a medium-large Zing pouch I put it in and carry in my backpack, or alternatively put the Zing pouch on my belt loop.

I'm astonished at the image quality and functionality offered by the G10. I haven't shot any jpegs, only RAW (using DPP to process RAW; the RAW images will no doubt be more malleable with other software when they support the G10 -- DPP is fairly limited). In RAW, at ISO 80 on a tripod, I think the detail rendered by the G10 exceeds or at least equals the Canon 5D. It may have a weaker or virtually no AA filter.

The lens on the G10 is fantastic. There is very little resolution fall off, even wide open, edge to edge and into the corners.

In my mind, the closest equivalent to the G10 is a Fuji 645 medium format rangefinder (remember the small zoom range Fuji 645 compact?), but the G10 is better in almost every way. The G10 is far lighter and more compact, offers a great zoom range (and is sharp throughout the zoom range) and image stabilization, and has enough resolution to produce fine art quality prints, up to 18" or 24" in the long dimension without stitching.

I think the G10 is opening up a whole new world of landscape, street photography possibilities, and what about the incredible macro versatility?

There is a substantial drop off in image quality from ISO 200 to ISO 400 on the G10, but ISO 400 is still very very good (again shooting RAW), much better than the panasonic LX3 that I tried for a week or two at ISO 400.

I must be crazy. I can't believe a compact with such a small sensor can render detail this well. I'm seeing the G10 as a whole new tool that will open up different possibilities and different ways of seeing (and have different limitations than a Canon DSLR). I haven't been this excited about a photographic tool since I purchased my Canon 5D over 3 years ago.

The Canon G10 offers "automatic" settings that I haven't tried. For an advanced photographer it offers a wealth of manual controls and customization, which I'm still learning. One very nice touch is that the custom settings on the top dial (there are two) allow you to save the zoom settings and manual focus setting -- so I have one saved at a 35mm focal length equivalent and another at a 50mm equivalent. This allows quick, street shooting, similar to what one can do with a Leica rangefinder, though the G10 has a much different look given the virtually infinite depth of field due to the small sensor.

I'm a semi-pro photographer. I own several Canon SLRs. I wanted an easy-to-carry, feature-packed, "sneaky cam" -- something that I could take great shots with that would not bring attention to me. This camera is absolutely perfect. 0 complaints. I LOVE that most of the camera settings have a dial or button right on the camera (I hate software menus); ISO, Exposure, Aperture, shutter, manual mode dials are all easily accessible.
If you're looking for a camera that shoots in RAW and takes stunning pictures, this one is for you.

I have many Canon cameras--35mm film and DSLR models. I bought the G10 to give to someone. However, I soon learned that this model is flawed. It's a great camera for shots in perfect outdoor light situations, but when the ISO increases the images are the worst pixilated images I've seen. For example, at ISO 400 and minus 1 stop exposure, even RAW images aren't recoverable. At ISO 200 you'll have to work in Photoshop to get a good image.

Generally, photographers consider that the small sensors used in P&S cameras barely make the grade--they can't handle low-light and the on camera flash is an out of control light-source. The G10 goes a long way to prove how bad it can get with a P&S.

That said, the reason I purchased the G10 from Amazon is because of their no-hassle refund and I'm glad I did in this case.

The G10 gets trashed in reviews by people who expect it to take its nearly 15 megapixels on a tiny sensor and give results akin to a full-frame DSLR. Well, that's just plain dumb. If that's what you expect, think again. If you want the highest possible image quality even at high ISOs, you should save up the $$$$ for that DSLR. Or, better yet, learn photographic technique and processes and buy an 8x10 view camera with a heavy tripod and get the best in image quality.

The G10 is what it is. It is a well-built, versatile, small camera that is highly capable in highly capable hands and still very functional to those less capable. It's a camera for the person who uses bigger cameras who doesn't always want or need to carry a bigger camera. It produces satisfying results and it has a super good lens that covers the most useful focal length range (35mm equivalent 28mm to 135mm--I know, it says it goes to 140mm but 135mm is a traditional focal length and 5mm +/- doesn't matter at all when you get into the telephoto range).

My background includes three plus decades in photography as a former professional to present enthusiast. Taking up digital photography some time back, I discovered there's not much difference in the practice compared to using film. Many people try to complicate things, but photography is still pretty basic. You don't have to be a deep thinker, you just have to see things. I like equipment that doesn't get in the way of seeing. I've been using the G10 for the past week and I'm impressed with the results I've gotten. I also like the way it handles. For a number of years, I have used Canon EOS film cameras and more recently DSLRs. The ergonomics and functions of the G10 seem fairly familiar to me. I've also used Leica rangefinders when I wanted something smaller and quieter for candid photography on trips or when attending events. The G10 fits nicely into this niche and for a heckuva lot less than a Leica M8 digital.

I've shot 35mm Tri-X and HP5+ film pushed to high ISOs in order to accomplish pictures under low light without using flash. I'm familiar with grain. It's not my enemy. It's not a bad thing. It just "is". So when people complain of noise at high ISOs with the G10, I have to respond, "So what?" The important thing is not that there is grain or noise in the picture, it's whether or not the picture you took was worth taking. Image quality is secondary under those circumstances. The G10 pictures are perfectly fine under these circumstances.

But if you have to ask about image quality at the lower ISOs, the G10 does a great job. JPEGs straight from the camera are excellent. There are two custom functions that can be set to your preferences. I have one set for black and white and one set for super vivid color. I also have been shooting in RAW and I've gotten good results here as well. I'm still playing with RAW conversions from this camera. The conversion process seems a little more cumbersome than how it is done with my Canon DSLR's software. I'm still in the learning process in the regard. I'm probably complicating a process that is really not that complicated.

Who would benefit from using this camera? Just about anyone from the vacation/family/holiday chronicler of events to the seasoned professional looking for a "pro"-grade point and shoot (a contradiction in terms, I agree). It produces great results shooting in bright light at low ISOs and the results under low light at higher ISOs is only a cause for concern if your expectations are too high.

This is one great camera. Bought it just prior to my trip to Okinawa. It's controls are very intuitive and make it easy to experiment. I took about 150 shots per day during my trip to make it the most memorable vacation ever. This is my 4th digital camera (2nd Canon) and is by far the best one yet.

This is my fourth G Series Canon Camera. I am drawn to it because I have been always in need of a secondary camera to supplement by Canon DSLR. I would much rather have a smaller point n' shoot with larger image sensor size than one with more megapixels. Canon is caught up in this race created by false "marketing" that more mega pixels means better pictures. We do not need more mega pixels. Canon should concentrate on other aspects such as image sensor size, camera response time, AF response time, higher ISO capability with less grain, etc. Having said all this, the camera really feels solid in the hand ... well built and substantial. Most people will love it. DSLR owners will be a little more reluctant to sing its praises!

This camera is just amazing. It's what I needed to start with as my first digital camera. The learning curve has been interesting and fun and smooth. It is like a good first girlfriend: teaching me things quietly and sweetly and beautifully every day I take her out on the road with me. And I wouldn't trade her away for a million bucks. My next camera will have to be even more awesome and even easier to operate and learn from than thins one; and it will have a hard act to follow.
I would suggest that you folks would make the handbook with glossy paper and with plenty of color; possibly color coding the sections in the book and the buttons on the back of the camera to correspond with the explanations in those sections.
T. J. Bury III

Calling all control freaks. If you are used to having control over your photographic experience but are tired of lugging your heavy, clunky DSLR with you or, worse yet, not having a camera with you at all times, then this is a great alternative. Let's be clear about one thing...THIS IS NOT A DSLR! But this is the best alternative that will fit in your pocket. (jacket, not pants) Don't miss anymore shots! This is a great little camera.

Face it, when one buys a camera these days, one buys a computer. Don't let that stop you because you can set it to AUTO(ISO)-AUTO(mode) and "grow from there." Once I read pages 47 and 49 of the 300-page manual I really felt that I "had a grip" and the rest quickly fell into place. I would suggest exploring the seventeen scene modes, which some people wrongly call "amateur modes" --those are devised by people with expertise not only in photography but in this camera as well. Tip for newbies: no features can substitute for a basic photography course. :-)

For the serious: it can shoot in raw mode, has a hot shoe and tripod mount, and does AWB. One has several choices for how to auto-focus and where to meter light. To pick an example of the internal processing capabilities: you can show one color and have the rest of the shot in black and white.

This is a mature product with well thought-out controls. It's a rugged little unit that I just pack without its own case. My only beef was that the power switch on mine requires a hard press, but now I'm glad because that may be keeping it from coming on inside my suitcase.

One feature that makes my life easier: when I get to my destination I can just change the time zone instead of the date & time.

Since I don't need a case to carry any sundries such as a spare battery (because the charge lasts a long time, especially for a camera with a CCD sensor), I just use the included strap. I can sling the strap over a shoulder and then pull a polo-style shirt on over it. The shirt keeps the camera from bouncing around too much, and the strap is long enough to allow me to pull the camera out of the neck and shoot a picture. It also conceals the camera.

The G10 software will not install on my tiny "netbook" computer due to the netbook's limited resolution (1024x600 maximum). But the netbook will still read images, either from the camera or directly from the SD card.

I set out to find the best compact for times I don't want to lug SLR equipment, and I am convinced that I found it. I am an inveterate Nikon chauvinist but readily chose this over Nikon's new p6000.

Bought this camera in a BEST BUY store in lower broadway here in Manhattan. That was a very silly decision of me to buy it in that store. I will get back to this a little later. I had great hope for this camera as i shoot a lot of macros of jewelry and fine watches. Previous cameras were either lost or given as a gift so i decided to buy this G10. I also considered a Canon XSI which would produce the best in-door pictures with its big sensor and sharp optics if bought seperately. Clearly i opted for this one trying to get something compact for carrying aroung in a bag on a day-to-day basis. My verdict? I`m greatly disappointed. I chose a P-mode and tried to adjust things in a camera settings. My first disappointment was when i didn`t find a Sharpness setting. That`s too bad, then i couldnt find a contrast mode... Was that for real, i kept asking myself. Ok, lets give it a try. All the pictures i took indoors came out flat, dim and ugly. Even compared to my previous Lumix fx8 that i gave to my father on a trip overseas were bad enough. Panasonic simply beats G10 by a margin. I returned the camera even though they charged me 15% of restocking fee. That was my fault, i should have bought in a dedicated camera store like Broadway 17St or J&R... I lost roughly 75$$ but still was eager to return it. Now i`m exploring reviews of Panasonic LX3, i will probably go for it.

I bought the G10 so as not to bring around a DSLR (400D). After looking at lots of G10 samples on the Internet, I felt that the ISO performance matches my F31fd. I'll do my review in the good and bad point format.

I'm a hobbyist and don't print photos. All my photos are for web view typical 1024px wide.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Image quality
- Image quality is very good for a P&S camera. The colours for my photos turned out really well. And there's RAW for more tweaking.

Focal length
- Great range at 28-140mm. My typical usage on a DSLR is 28-88mm equivalent. I rarely go up to 140mm.

Lens speed
- It's great at the wide end f2.8. But goes down to f4.5 on the telephoto. Focusing on this end is slow. I've a lot of blurred people shots when shooting at f4.5. I've to turn the ISO up very high.

Noise
- I felt that it's comparable to my F31fd, which means it's great. Your noise tolerance might be different. For me, and my web images, I can go up to ISO 800. The drawback is contrast and color starts degrading at higher ISOs. My view on noise is: As long as it doesn't distract the viewer from the photo, it's alright.

Dials
- The exposure, ISO and mode dials are brilliant. I shoot at wrong ISO on my DSLR frequently, not on the G10.

Design and build
- Excellent. Feels really good in hand.

Battery life
- Excellent. It can go up to 400 shots.

File transfer speed
- True USB2.0 speed. It's very fast.

Menu
- Clear and simple

LCD
- Large, clear and bright.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bad
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Focusing speed
- This is major drawback. Even at f2.8, it focuses as fast as I can say "focusing". It's worse at f4.5. I'm very impatient and always press the shutter full without looking at the LCD focus to get the shot. It's very challenging to do people shots, almost impossible when the subjects are slightly moving, unless again the ISO is very high.

Speed of the camera
- When reviewing images, half pressing the shutter will take a split second to go back to shooting mode. After shooting, the image takes another split second to appear on LCD for review. I'm pampered by my DSLR which offers instant switching between review and shoot mode.

Speed of the zoom
- There are seven stops. It seems to take forever from wide to telephoto. If I see a great shot and my camera is not in the correct zoom range, I have the dreaded feeling of missing the shot.

14.7MP
- There's no real advantage here with respect to noise. There's no difference in noise level from shooting 5MP and 14.7MP at any ISO. Image quality is the same if I shoot big and scale down. You can print larger images though, but I don't print.

Optical viewfinder
- 77% coverage. It's almost useless to use it for framing. Every time I accidentally move the viewfinder to my eyes to use it, I feel disappointed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

To be honest, even though it takes great pictures, I was very disappointed by all the functional speed issues. I'm very surprised that most of the reviews I've read on the Internet said it was a snappy performance camera. Maybe my expectations are too high comparing it to a DSLR's speed.

It's not fair to compare the image quality to a DSLR so I won't. But given its small sensor, I must say it produces spectacular photos.

But the thing is, sometimes a great picture moment only appears for an instant. If the camera isn't fast enough to capture that, spectacular photos doesn't matter anymore.

For me, an impatient guy, the drawback on speed is enough to balance all the good points.

I would recommend this camera for shooting things that don't move a lot, e.g. landscape, holidays with posing people etc.

Face it: when one buys a camera these days, one buys a computer, and it has to be learned. Don't let that stop you because you can set the G10 to AUTO(ISO)-AUTO(mode) and "grow from there." Once I read pages 47 and 49 of the 300-page manual I really felt that I "had a grip" and the rest quickly fell into place. I would suggest exploring the seventeen scene modes, which some people wrongly call "amateur modes" --those are devised by people with expertise not only in photography but in this camera as well. (The "night snapshot" mode is neat!) Tip for newbies: no features can substitute for a basic photography course. :-)

For the serious: it can shoot in raw mode, has a hot shoe and tripod mount, and does AWB. One has several choices for how to auto-focus and where to meter light. To pick an example of the internal processing capabilities: you can show one color and have the rest of the shot in black and white.

This is a mature product with well thought-out controls. It's a rugged little unit that I just pack without its own case. My only beef was that the power switch on mine requires a hard press, but now I'm glad because that may be keeping it from coming on inside my suitcase.

One feature that makes my life easier: when I get to my destination I can just change the time zone instead of the date & time.

Since I don't need a case to carry any sundries such as a spare battery (because the charge lasts a long time, especially for a camera with a CCD sensor), I just use the included strap. I can sling the strap over a shoulder and then pull a polo-style shirt on over it. The shirt keeps the camera from bouncing around too much, and the strap is long enough to allow me to pull the camera out of the neck and shoot a picture. It also conceals the camera.

The G10 software will not install on my tiny "netbook" computer due to the netbook's limited resolution (1024x600 maximum). But the netbook will still read images, either from the camera or directly from the SD card.

I set out to find the best compact for times I don't want to lug SLR equipment, and I am convinced that I found it. I am an inveterate Nikon chauvinist but readily chose this over Nikon's new p6000.

I have spent hours fooling around with this camera, taking pictures, checking the manual, taking more pictures, etc. All the stuff in the manual makes the camera seem overly complex, but if the more you mess with it the more it all makes perfect sense. Meanwhile, the pictures are great! Got a nice picture of Zeke, my 11-yr old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and my pal Williamson, a "pro-sumer" photog, said that the picture actually made Zeke look young. I can take decent pictures using the large LCD display without having to use my grampa glasses. Big improvement over the postage stamp display on my Minolta DiMage X, which I have been using for the last few years.

Man, I can hardly wait to get this thing out on some motorcycle rides. It's easy to change the picture resolution. I'll run it at about 1 Mb for general shooting, and then bump it to the highest rez .jpg for pictures where we all line our bikes up and have some mountain in the background.

I like this much better than my wife's Nikon D70S.

Seeya
ATB

This camera takes wonderful pictures, and does not have the bulk of a DSLR. The outdoor pictures are professional quality - the indoor pictures are still very good. My only complaint would be that the flash on this camera leaves indoor pictures with something to be desired.

The Canon G10 is a wonderful, powerful point and shoot camera with full manual control. It combines a great mix of attributes that add up to a fantastic camera to carry everywhere. I have been toting it all over Manhattan and have shot hundreds of pictures now. Having the creative control to set aperture and shutter speed allows one to fine tune exposure in a way that has not really been possible with point and shoots. The fact that it shoots large raw files is an added bonus. I am a little put out with Adobe for not including G10 support in a version of camera raw that works with CS3. Grrrrr. It is really nice to be able to work a raw file and have the same flexibility that I do with the files from my D200. The battery seems to have been conjured up by the enegizer bunny, it just keeps going and going. It literally will go for hundreds of shots between charges. The control layout also works very well. The exposure compensation dial on the left side is so easy to manipulate when you are shooting in either full auto, aperture priority, or shutter priority. ISO and shooting mode on the right are also easy to access. The controls all feel very solid and provide positive feedback as they are manipulated. The camera fits nicely in a coat pocket and I recommend the Kata DP 415 belt pouch as an alternative. This camera is perfect for a photographer looking for creative control and best in class image quality. The only people I would advise to steer away from this model are those for whom size is a much bigger priority than image quality. If you are just a casual shooter looking for a snap shooter there are probably better alternatives.

I was hoping to find a camera that felt like a camera, handled more like a digital SLR, but was still highly portable. I researched and researched several and kept coming back to the G10. I read reviews from every camera rating service I could find and then I read the reviews by the typical user. I took this very seriously having already purchased two pocket-sized digitals which were "okay," but not what I wanted and in my job I have experience with the Nikon D70, D90, and D40 and didn't want a full-sized DSLR. In the end, I decided that even if the camera produced "noise" above ISO 200--it was the camera for me. So, I plucked down my credit card to Amazon and ordered last week. It came a few days later and this weekend I got to spend several hours snapping away. I will say I am SOLD on this camera. While I'm not a professional, I do quite a bit of photography as part of my job. I made the right choice. Thanks Canon.

If you want modern features with the ease of point and shoot (especially when you put it in AUTO mode) get this camera! I also highly recommend this accessory: the Canon 430EX Speedlite Flash. Why? If you take pics indoors you'll never have a dark photo again. Those small built-in (camera) flashes just don't perform well - unless you're in ideal lighting circumstances.

Make the investment in both this camera and the 430EX flash and you'll be set for a very long time.

Canon Powershot G10 14.7MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized ZoomI see complaint after complaint about "grain" at higher ISO's. Think film, with photo film at ISO100 for fine grain (even lower with slides and B & W) and increasing grain with 200, 400 and 800 speed film. It is simply a trade off; an option is longer exposures with 'slower speed film'. Technology is pushing back some of these problems but don't forget Hubble took 10 DAYS for the deep field pictures. The G10 is an excellent camera if you don't expect miracles.

I bought this camera on November 11 or 12 and paid $464 for it. The price has dropped almost daily and is now $420. I thought about sending it back and re-buying it at a lower price but think it would be a good business decision for Amazon to give me a credit for the difference in price at 30 days, which is now.

I had the G10 for a week and it took amazing pictures in the daytime, easily DSLR quality shots. The were very crisp, and when set to "Vivid" mode they were perfectly saturated and gorgeous on my 50" plasma HDTV. Unfortunately, the shots I took at night, in dim light, and indoors were a different story. They were all plagued by noise, or strange smeared looking detail-less photos because of the extreme digital noise reduction that takes place inside the camera. In less than optimal lighting the camera tries to compensate for the high amount of noise brought on by too many pixels packed into a tiny point and shoot sensor on longer exposures by using DNR right when you shoot.

Another huge flaw for me was the lack of ability to shoot HD video. Last years model had this feature, why remove it now in a time when HDTVs are now more popular and affordable ever! On top of that the video format used in the G10 is a horrible .mov apple format that won't work with Windows Movie Marker, one of the most easy to use and not to mention free programs around. Before, I was able to pop my SD card out of my camera, and into my PS3 and watch the movies I took on my HDTV instantly. Now with the G10 my PS3 doesn't even play the video format, and the PS3 supports nearly ever popular video file(avi, WMV, mpeg2, mpeg4). So that sucked for me big time because my other three Canon cameras do just fine, with a much more popular .avi video file.

The G10 was going for $455 a few weeks ago(12/10/2008), and now can be had for $375 on sale if you watch the prices enough... looks like the word is getting out. As a matter of fact it's more expensive to by last years G9 model new. That's saying something. Hopefully these camera companies will stop the megapixel race or buff up their sensors. In the mean time I recommend you either get a much cheaper regular point and shoot like the Canon SD 790, or a true entry level DSLR like the Nikkon D40.

Also to note, my camera shipped with a slight lens error, and I sent it back for a replacement through Amazon's excellent customer service, and that worked fine. Yours probably won't, it's very rare and can happen to any camera, but I just thought I would mention it.

I've never written an Amazon review for any product before, but I feel that Canon has done such a superb job with the G10 that they deserve some kind words.

I am the former Color Editor at Popular Photography Magazine. I normally use a digital SLR, but I wanted a smaller, simpler camera for use in taking photos from an aircraft. I needed a camera that I could hold securely in one hand while flying the aircraft with the other. I have a Canon Elf, but it's almost impossible to hold the camera in one hand as it's just too small.

I guess I bought the G10 for its grip-ability. I assumed it would take reasonably good photos because I've always been happy with the digital Elf, but I was unprepared for how good it is. If you're a serious amateur or a pro, you will be more than happy with the photographs the G10 produces. The results are stunning. The feature set is just as good. Your every need has been anticipated and a control positioned closely at hand. Easy ISO setting, exposure compensation, and control of flash output for sync-sun shooting are all easily at hand. There are even two custom settings that allow you to pre-program the features you'll need for special applications. I use one which sets the shutter speed at shutter priority at 1/1000 sec. and the focus pre-set at infinity for air to ground photography. I use a the second custom setting with the shutter priority set at 1/100 sec for taking photos that include the spinning propeller. High shutter speeds freeze the prop making it look as if the engine has stopped. I programmed it so it also kicks in the neutral density filter and again the focus set at infinity.

Frankly, the results from the G10 are so good, that if I didn't have such a large investment in another brand of Digital SLR lenses, I would switch to Canon SLR's because of the G10. It's always the lenses, not the bodies that keep you with a particular brand of camera.

I could go on and on telling you how wonderful the G10 is and how much it's like a digital Leica, but I think you already get the idea. Just go buy one!

I have owned this camera for a few weeks now, and love it. I stepped up from the Canon SX100, and have found this camera to be worth the extra money. The auto mode works extraordinarily well. I was afraid that the G10 would be more complicated than I could handle, but I just use auto and experiment as I choose.
The video is remarkable. My camcorder ran out of room on the card, so I recorded a singer on the G10, and, all things considered, found the music very listenable. It is small, so I can carry it anywhere, in contrast to a larger DSLR. The images are sharp. Macro is fun to play with as well as the digital zoom. The SX100 had 10X zoom, and I did lose a little bit, but with a tripod, the G10 goes up to 20X, though the images are rarely useful....but sometimes it all comes together. The li-ion battery lasts forever, and I am sure the cost for a spare will come down. Not having to fiddle with a lens cover is great. All in all, a great investment in fun. Hugh

I have owned this camera for a few weeks now, and love it. I stepped up from the Canon SX100, and have found this camera to be worth the extra money. The auto mode works extraordinarily well. I was afraid that the G10 would be more complicated than I could handle, but I just use auto and experiment as I choose.
The video is remarkable. My camcorder ran out of room on the card, so I recorded a singer on the G10, and, all things considered, found the music very listenable. It is small, so I can carry it anywhere, in contrast to a larger DSLR. The images are sharp. Macro is fun to play with as well as the digital zoom. The SX100 had 10X zoom, and I did lose a little bit, but with a tripod, the G10 goes up to 20X, though the images are rarely useful....but sometimes it all comes together. The li-ion battery lasts forever, and I am sure the cost for a spare will come down. Not having to fiddle with a lens cover is great. All in all, a great investment in fun. Hugh

My main reasons for buying this camera were the advantages it has over my Canon S80. I like the RAW mode, the flash hot shoe, the ND Filter, and the better ergonomics. I had skipped the earlier G models because I prefer the wider 28mm (equiv.) lens. My main worry, after reading reviews here and elsewhere, was the reported high noise at ISO 400 and above. What I wanted to know was whether I would have to suffer higher noise on the G10 than on my lower resolution S80. The answer is no.

Maybe the G10 has high noise compared to some other camera or compared to some objective standard. I find the G10 image quality is a step up from my S80, and the S80 is pretty darn good.

I posted a side-by-side comparison. See for yourself.

I have owned nothing but Canon's for years and have a Rebel as well as a number of the pocket point and shoots Canon makes. The G10 is the best of both. Compact yet with all of the controls that I need and want. The pictures are very sharp and yet the camera will still fit a big pocket.

Great product by Canon

A tool can be rated as to how well it lets you accomplish your task with a desired result.
NOTE that in the description quoted from Digital Photography Review in Amazon's write-up, DPR's "Image Quality" rating of only "8" was OMITTED (!) as was the "Overall Rating," which was "Recommended" instead of "Highly Recommended."
What a coincidence! Amazon just omits things that do not suit them.
Digital Photography Review was NOT overwhelmed by the G10's performance. Perhaps because using ISOs over 200 results in too much noise. Perhaps because subjects with less than great contrast tend to produce softer images. Maybe because using f/stop numbers higher than 5 tend to soften images a bit because of "diffraction." I also own a Canon G6 (7 MP). It has a "pixel density" of 19 MP/cm2. The G10 has a whopping pixel density of 34 MP/cm2. My old Canon 5D DSLR has a pixel density of 1.5 MP/cm2. As you may know, high pixel density is a detriment to capturing great images.
I purchased the G10 as a "grab-and-go-backup" for when I didn't feel like "shlepping" all of my DSLR gear ... I also purchased (and reviewed on Amazon) the nice Canon A650 IS.
The bottom line is that VERY FEW compact digital cameras will produce images even close to DSLRs - your grab-and-go image will ALMOST ALWAYS be imperfect if you are a stickler.
SO, why take any small camera with you that will produce lesser images- you'll smack your forehead and say "I could have taken my DSLR!" just like in the V8 commercial. BUT, if you simply MUST take a small camera, why not take a small camera that costs less than the G10? Like the Canon A650 IS, still findable on the internet for less than on Amazon.
Yes the G10 has some very ergonomic controls and is flexible,
although it is not "pocketable."
Yes it has a very nice LCD screen. And if all you've ever taken pictures with are Canon's Elph digicams, the G10 will be a big step up.
If all you take are images that will be 6 x 4 inch prints, this G10 camera will do the job (though you can get cheaper and LIGHTER
digicams to do that job). Even 8 x 10s will be OK much of the time with the G10. With a tripod, even larger prints are do-able
with reasonable quality.
I have a big bunch blue ribbons for photography from camera clubs, juried exhibitions (and sales), and galleries.
Only ONE of all of those blue ribbons was awarded to me for an
image that came came from a compact digicam. That ONE came from the Canon G6.

SO, as far as the G10 being a REAL DSLR backup? .... maybe not so much. Given the choice, you'll always take the DSLR if the image quality matters to you. That leaves the G10 in the drawer.
BAD camera? NO. GREAT camera? NO.

Excellent Point and shoot and the many features included.
When I'm in a hurry, I use it as a point and shoot in the program mode.
I've been using the camera to shoot B&W photos with external filtering and a polirizing filter. Love the red eye correction, I don't have to open Photoshop to fix it. The camera works well synchronizing with my external flash (Vivitar 285) using a remote flash trigger. It's amazing how much I can zoom into the photos thanks to the 14.7 MP capability. I am still learning features off the 300 page manual!

Canon Powershot G10 14.7MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom I am a serious amateur photographer. I want a camera that will perform in all types of situations. The G-10 is a successor to the prior top