I just noticed the reviewer who was upset that the new Canon G7 does not offer a RAW format. As a professional photographer... just wanted to offer a couple of comments on that subject. In my humble opinion, shooting in RAW format, in many cases, is a waste of time... even in most professional work situations. The extra steps in workflow, required by the RAW format, are simply not justified in the majority of photography work situations. I have sold many prints, posters, and stock images produced from jpeg files. I have also been published in magazines and travel books using jpeg images almost exclusively. Many photographers have come to view the jpeg format as the "amatuer" format and RAW as the "professional" format, which I believe is really not accurate. I know a lot of professional photographers who make extensive use of the jpeg format (no matter what camera they are using). I have not found a photogographer or editior, yet, who can actually tell the difference in a print produced from a RAW file and one produced from a high quality jpeg file out of the same camera. I have had this same discussion with a former photographer from National Geographic. He stated that he could not tell the difference in a print from a jpeg file and a RAW file either. He said that he, always, shoots in jpeg format. Yes, I understand the additional ability to "tweak" an image in RAW, but if the image is correctly exposed to begin with... very little "tweaking" should be necessary anyway... and working in jpeg is a much faster and more efficient workflow for me. Just my opinion, but I could care less that the G7 does not offer a RAW format. It seems like a great camera to me. Looking forward to trying one out. The feature set seems to be extraordinary.

For all the vast improvements made to this camera line -- if you are a serious amateur photographer who uses RAW file format -BEWARE: Canon has REMOVED the RAW file capabilities from this camera update! I own a Canon G5 and was SO excited to see the improvements listed with the new version of the Power Shot camera; most importantly doubling the megapixels and addressing the camera 'shake' issues that are a serious problem with macro and night photography with the G5. However upon reviewing the data I did not see RAW listed as a file format, only JPEG (a lossy file format). So I picked up the phone and called Canon directly. Their response was, "Canon HAS removed the RAW capabilities from the Power Shot G series cameras. Canon has decided to reserve RAW format only for their more professional SLR series cameras". Well Canon has just lost a sale with me. I'm not interested at this time in their more cumbersome Rebel with interchangeable lenses (nor in one of their even more expensive SLRs). I am a serious photographer that wants a camera with RAW capabilities that is small enough to throw into my bag and run out the door on a whim. I went digital to get away from a large bulky heavy camera and all of the equipment needed to take good photographs. For now, I'll keep my G5 and hope Canon decides to correct this misguided mistake with the next generation Power Shot G8. And if that day doesn't come.... Well I will just have to look elsewhere. Don't mess with me Canon!

I give it 5 stars to counter the idiot first reviewer. It's obvious to any G series owner that this camera drops the flip screen and RAW format. Get over it.

Making up for the loss of the flip screen is a higher resolution, bigger fixed screen. It's much nicer than the screen on the G6. I didn't like the loss at first, but i realized i never used it that much except as a means of protecting the screen. It's actually nice to take the camera out , turn it on, and start shooting without having to flip the LCD back into place.

The loss of RAW does not affect me. I'm someone who takes many photos especially of my newborn but I don't do a lot of post processing. RAW files are huge. The pics generally are good enough and digital has always allowed me to take more than necessary and delete any bad ones. The pics taken with the G7 are great quality. I think this is an issue affecting primarily pros who use this as a second camera, but there is great software out there for jpegs. And most people couldn't tell a jpeg pic from a RAW pic. I think Canon erred on this as i don't think this is the issue that will force people to buy its more profitable dslr cameras. DSLR will always be superior for those action shots or low noise high ISO pics. Maybe it will return in the G8 if the series continues. No matter what, Canon is taking a beating in every review for this.

Instead of focusing on what this doesn't have that the G6 had, let's focus on what this one has instead. IS. Image Stableizer. This is very important. It allows you to take the flash off and take hand held shots in low light. No more blurry pics.

Digic III. Allows faster processing and overall performance. Face detection is also new and seems to work nicely.

Hotshoe. Very few non dslr cameras have this although i'm sure the average consumer doesn't care.

6x zoom. Screen. And ability to take wide screen pics.

The camera feels very solid and seems smaller than the g6 and of course looks better with the black. The controls and menus are laid out easier IMO. 10 MP isn't that big of a deal to me although i'm sure it has it's mass appeal. I think 8 might've been better, but i'm not complaining.

Macros are much easier to take with this camera vs the G6. Again, IS helps big time.

Lens cap. What lens cap? This one doesn't need one. Prior G cameras had that loose one that always seemed to pop off.

Battery life seems shorter though so you may want that extra battery this time. (never bought an extra for G6). And it takes SD media which i really don't care for but it is more compatible for me since my laptop has one built in. The movie mode is much improved as well although i have a camcorder for that...it's still nice to have.

Bottom line, 599 is a lot to pay for a camera these days (i paid more for the G2 at the time and thought it was pretty cool back then). But this is a step short of stepping into the expensive and bulky dslr world. You get a lot of tech in this camera. I've owned a G2 and a G6 (that died on me) and this is quickly becoming my favorite by far. It's much faster due to the processor. And you get all the manual controls you could want plus the option to add external flash. For point & shoot consumers, just put it on auto which makes my wife happy.

I just recieved my new Canon G7 and have to say Im very pleased with it after a few days of use.

As noted by several people this camera is not a DSLR camera, but then hopefully nobody thought it would be. :-)

The camera is plainly easy to use, and deliver beautiful very printable files able to make big prints.

For best results I suggest setting teh camera to AV and shooting at F. 4-5.6 as this is the range where the lens is the sharpest.

Camera is highly recomended.

This is truly an excellent Point and Shoot from Canon. I have been using it for a week now, and it provides consistently excellent images time after time across all shooting conditions. The excellent 6x optical zoom allows 28 to 200 zoom (35 mm equivalent) which is an excellent range for a point and shoot, and the Image Stabilization works like a dream. Some have complained about this camera lacking RAW. I shoot primarily with a dSLR and have NEVER used RAW so it is a feature I (and 95 percent of people toward whom this camera is marketed) will never need and will never miss. If you need RAW then this is not the camera for you. On the other hand, if you need RAW you probably should not be looking at a Point and Shoot camera anyway. Canon has wisely done away with RAW in both of their high-end compact cameras (The G7 as well as the S80.) The camera is a bit larger than the standard pocketable point-and-shoot fare, but it is small enough to toss in your purse, backpack, or cargo pants pocket. Easily fits in a coat pocket. There is no purple fringing in any of the shots I have taken so far (about 500) and there is no barrel distortion nor vignetting noted. This will most likely become my camera of choice at present when not using my dSLR. In fact, I plan on bringing only this trip to Europe with me at the end of the month, in lieu of dragging along a whole camera kit. Very Very happy with this major image upgrade, and wonderful feature set of this camera.

I have been a Canon fan ever since digital cameras first came out. I've bought other brands, but always came back to Canon. I continually upgrade and have quite a few Canons, including the A710 IS with image stabilization. I was intrigued by the thought of a 10 megapixel and the reviews of the Canon G7. After receiving it, I was just incredibly impressed. It outdoes my other Canons. In the plain auto mode, the photos are superior and incredibly clear. They are so sharp, they look like professional photographs. I take photos in my classroom where the lighting is not very good and the G7 photos come out bright and clear. It is the one camera that I can just print without having to first adjust with the image editing programs. Even the movie clips come out clear and with detail. I took night photos in a parking lot of my car and you could see all the details and the night snapshot option was amazing. I haven't had a chance to use everything yet, but what I have used was very impressive. This is now my camera of choice. (And now what to do with all my other Canons!).

What this camera offers is exceptional image quality, exceptional high performance zoom, exceptional control, in a modest sized camera.

The 10mp sensor/lens combination produce tack sharp photos, with top-notch color. The image stabalizer is a tremendous enhancement for non-flash photography, but is also a tremendous enhancement WITH flash! This allows the use of slower shutter speeds to help the background come out in the photo, while also allowing some available light to strike our subject, giving us a more realistic, less "cardboard cutout" look.

The camera looks sharp, and has a solid feel in the hands and while operating the controls. The battery system has reasonably good performance, and is the same battery found in the Digital Rebel XT & XTi series.

The new memory card system is superior to the older CF. SD & SDHC are much, much less prone to accidental damage to improper insertion, damage that may very easily exceed $100 in repair bills (and weeks of lost shots).

Compared to previous G series, this one is much smaller, although not pocket size, a bit big for many purses. While lacking a rotaty LCD, the new, wide angle LCD allows the camera to be much thinner, while still giving reasonable performance at odd angles. The loss of RAW is a real loss, even if only a small percentage of people would use this feature. However, the upgrade to the new Digic III processor should be somewhat of an offset.

Overall, the finest sub-DSLR on the market today.

The wireless Remote is missing in this version. The G6 had it. It was very convenient to shoot with yourself in the picture with a remote rather with a self timer. The PowerShot G series had a tradition of having wireless remotes and it was one of the few cameras that had it for those that wanted one. Unlike other cameras, the G series was historically known to be packed with the most features, including RAW and remote. Powershot G aficionados knew this. Canon has broken with the tradition of the G series and opted to scale down like the other brands. The unique G series was one of the few that offered SLR like features to a consumer camera. The feature packed items and picture quality was what it made it a unique series. I hope Canon brings back those features on the next G. Despite what people say that they do not use Raw, they should not have broken with the tradition because it was a very unique line.

This is a great new camera from Canon. Ideal for those who want the manual capability of a dSLR without the clunkiness (and cost). Or, a great second camera for those who already own a dSLR. The build quality is outstanding. The body is made of metal and the LCD is one of the brightest/clearest I've seen. Another great feature is the continuous auto focus option--it focuses constantly without you having to hold the shutter button half-way down. The camera is definitely larger than say an ELPH but the functunality can't compare!!

I purchased this camera based on the reviews here and From PC Magazine and CNet. Since I know very little about using it, I was very impressed with the pictures I took. ( Everything was set on auto ) I was impressed with the software and the ease of use downloading the pictures to my computer and printing. I have not read the manual. I just read the quick start guides. I plan on learning to use this camera and I am sure I will be just as impressed. Hope This Helps anyone Like me who knows so little about these cameras.

All of my live I have been a SLR user, from film to digital. I'm not a pro, but consider myself a serious amateur. I take tons of pictures, especially during my travels around the world, and was tired of carrying all of my photo gear (Canon 30D, three lenses, flash and accessories) with me all the time. It's not only the burden and weight in your shoulder or neck -try walking with it in the middle of a tropical hot day for a couple of hours; besides, you can't freely leave it in your hotel's room, say, by night or for long periods. Not to mention street robbery, and conspicuous looking. At the end, you become a slave of it, restricting your movements; and there are times you painfully wished you haven't brought it with you at all. So, I decided it was time to try something that will fulfill my photographic needs, but could fit just in my pocket. During a long time, I looked in the internet and in magazines for a little camera that could satisfy almost all of my requirements, without sacrificing quality. I studied lots of items, brands and prices: the immense majority wouldn't do it at all. Recently, Canon launched the Powershot G7. I bought one and can't be happier with my decision. I'm full aware of its limitations against an SLR and try to overcome its shortcomings, namely its tiny sensor. I still use my SLR for my important work, but now I only travel with the G7 in my pocket and get very sharp, colorful and big pictures from every trip; photo quality is outstanding. My only and very strong complaint is its lack of RAW. I can't find a good reason why Canon did without it in this otherwise superb camera. It's not the cost: RAW is software, not hardware. And even if they considered its proprietary CR.2 RAW a costly value, they could have used Adobe's free licensed DNG (by the way, ¿why doesn't every brand include this? It's a mystery). It doesn't require additional space in camera's mechanism and if they didn't want novice photographers to be overwhelmed with it, they just could have buried it in some place of the menu. Otherwise, I definitively recommend this camera as a second one for your SLR or even a first if you don't need all of the later features.

First, the issue regarding the lack of RAW capture, promulgated by apopleptic geeks who don't even own the camera is OVER. Nobody cares what you think, so ZIP IT.

Canon frequently reminds me of General Motors: when they get it right, the results can be unbeatable, but when they mess up, they go for the gold--think T80 and Aztec.

I thought it would be worth doing a superficial comparison between the G7 and the Konica S3, widely regarded as one of the best fixed-lens rangefinder cameras ever. Both have an anodized black aluminum finish (no paint flaking), but the Canon is about 20% smaller (not including the Konica's lens protrusion), and is only slightly lighter, giving it a robust feel. The optical viewfinder suffers greatly in comparison. Even though the Canon has dioptric correction, the lack of parallax correction marks puts it on about the same level as a $30 film camera. This camera gives the user no choice but to "chimp", which is a terrible way to hold a camera, serving to reduce the effectiveness of the image stabilizer.

I like--at least conceptually--Canon's "My Colors" feature, but it's far better on paper than in use. In fact, the "Color Swap" function simply doesn't work the way the manual describes it, and is essentially useless. My biggest operational complaint is how deeply buried in menus some of the image adjustments, such as sharpness and contrast are, almost to the point of "Easter Eggs" on some DVDs. This negates having a dedicated dial for sensitivity as far as I'm concerned.

I do give Canon points for the virtual aperture/shutter speed "dial" readouts in the LCD, depending on the mode selected. The Matrix metering, like most of its type, overexposes by about 2/3 of a stop, and the dynamic range is quite narrow, meaning lots of blown-out highlights. And despite the presence of sensitivities above ISO 400, forget them if you plan to make prints--noise is quite visible at ISO 800 and off the charts at 1600.

The deal breaker for me was a 10 megapixel camera unable to produce sharper prints than my 4 megapixel Panasonic FZ 15. If you check the tests done by dpreview, you'll see that the PS 640 images are marginally sharper than those from the G7, both using the same chip.

To be fair, I really give the camera 3.5 stars overall, particularly at current pricing. Hubris is the only word to describe the intial $600 price tag on this camera. If the price eventually hits $400 I'd give it the extra half star so it would then have the same rating I gave the Samsung NV7.

My favorite aspect of the G7 is the absence of a globby grip, which would make the camera twice as thick as it would be otherwise. That is the worst thing to afflict camera design of the past 20 years. In part this was done in order to accomodate a quartet of AA batteries. That's my second favorite aspect--the compact battery pack. Some of the digicam review sites have a bizarre affinity for AAs, which I find perfectly idiotic. If you had a Jaguar would you run it on kerosene or Amoco Gold? It's a dumb idea to design circuitry to function with 50 year old battery technology, when the requirements of the device could be better served with a power source designed for the job. Both Sanyo and Energizer have done marvels with the old AA, but not nearly enough. And Duracell? Straight to the recycler--they are the worst batteries ever produced.

Damning with faint praise or praising with faint damns--either way the G7, which does have a really nice brochure, talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. It fails to impress not because of what the computer nerds are whining about, but because it isn't a good enough camera.

Bought the G7 about 10 days ago and it is amazing , I also own a digital rebel xt and the photos from the G7 look every bit as good as the Rebel! no real problem with noise although I try not to shoot over 400. Some of the prints from this camera are now selling in a art gallery since I do fine art b&w photography.
It feels, looks and acts like a real camera, I will not be parting with this one!

I'm a photographer and I was looking for something smaller than a DSLR, but very similar to a DSLR. When I heared about this camera,I immediately bought it.
I've only used it for two days so far. Great 2.5 inch screen that looks like a HDTV. The screen makes me look at the screen instead of through the viewfinder eventhough I always look through the viewfinder. Neat stuff added to this camera too. I can display the rule of thirds, look at the histogram and even tells you when you need to change the settings. There is also a hot shoe for light attachment and it can also attach lens.
Also there's a hihh resolution video in this camera. It's awsome!
If you're a photographer and tired of using those giant DSLR and want something that fits in your pocket I would recommend this camera.

About six months ago I bought the SD700IS point and shoot Canon camera and I love it. It is quick. Responsive. And takes a pretty darn good picture. So even I was surprised when I encountered the G7. It is larger and heavier but offers so much more than the 700IS.

The appeal to me was it degree of manual operation which include, Program, Shutter and Aperature priorities and Full Manual. None of the Canon cameras in the SD line offer this flexibility. The other of course was the 10 megapixel sensor.

After a little over a week with the camera I can say it is one sweet machine. It fits in your hand and has great weight. Enough to feel substantial but not overwhelming. Some have said that the camera feel slick and they have to be careful with it. I would agree.

Power up is quick and the lens retracts with good speed.

It has an amazing macro function that is worth the price of the machine alone. I love this feature.

In addition you can vary the flash output in every mode but Auto. A very good feature for those of us who tend to be too close to their subjects.

I wonder if the ISO dial at the top was really needed or whether that function could have been accomodated within a menu.

And so far the pictures have been excellent for clarity and colour.

SLR's do not interest me. They are too cumbersome and I have been there and done that. With point and shoots I take ten times the pictures and have a 100 times the fun. But I have to say that graduating to the G7 has been a great decision.

It gives you more opportunity to be creative and to control more of the shot and the environment in which the camera is operating.

One thing: This is not an intuitive camera. It takes time to learn. Keep the manual close by for you will undoubtably be referring to it frequently for the first few weeks.

All and all an excellent purchase.

I was just about to buy this camera when I found out that you couldn't shoot in the RAW format.
After shooting exclusively RAW for the last year and knowing all the benefits of it, I can't bring myself
to buy this camera now.

Using the hot-shoe results in an approximate 1 second (!) lag between shutter button press and capture - Very disappointing.
Unless this can be fixed and will be, I would not recommend buying.

When the G7 was announced, I hoped it would be the "crossover" camera I've been waiting for. My dream crossover is the one-piece compact or mid-size camera that zooms to at least 200mm, and can produce clean 8X10's under a wide range of lighting conditions. It's the one I'd take on a long trip so I didn't have to lug my DSLR and lenses around.

I've fiddled with my G7 now for about a month. It's better than any non-DSLR digital I've used, but I'm still lugging my DSLRs.

In good light, the G7 can produce images that rival a DSLR. The glass is great and the 10 mp sensor gets good resolution. It's weaknesses are noise and limited dynamic range. Getting the most of this camera is sometimes a little tricky. It tends to blow highlights in high contrast situations. Fine tree branches and hair against a bright sky get broken up. Turning down the constrast one notch and under-exposing by 1/3 a stop helps preserve the highs and some of the fine details. You can introduce more light and contrast later in photoshop. Pay attention to the histogram. The results can be impressive, but you do have to work it. I can live without raw, but I do miss not having an Adobe RGB color space.

The image stabilization works well. The G7 focuses fairly quickly. I appreciate the 210 mm long zoom length, but miss having 28mm at the short end. Being able to shoot an unlimited number of continuous full size images with a compact is very cool. The in-camera flash is limited, but the hot shoe comes to the rescue. I've gotten some really nice indoor shots using a Canon external flash, albeit at the loss of the G7's portability (my external flash is twice the size of the G7!).

All in all, I'm a bit disappointed. I thought Canon would produce that extremely versatile fixed lens zoom this year that would be a worthwhile DSLR substitute. While the G7 is as good or better at ISO 200 and 400 than any other non-DSLR camera I've used, you've definitely got noise at ISO 400, and many of the ISO 200 images are noisier than I care for. The G7's dynamic range is at least as good as any other compact I've shot, but I have to believe Canon could have done better. I think they fell victim to the pixel-wars, and packed too many pixels into too small a sensor. I didn't want more pixels. I wanted bigger and better pixels and a bigger lens, that captured more light, preserved more tonal gradation, and produced noise-free images at ISO 200, and maybe even 400.

The G7's a better one piece zoom. But it's not what I hoped for.

Just received my camera a few days ago. I started shooting immediately. Was very easy to use. The LCD screen is great and very bright. Lots of people have been complaining about a flip screen. In my case I am glad its not since I have a 20 month old and I am not sure what he would have done with a flip screen if he ever got hold of it. So for me its a plus.

The picture quality is great. Its a great looking camera as well. I still need to read much more about its capabilities but I am sure I will be impressed. I did own a Canon SLR and I did not want to buy another bulky DSLR. I settled for the G7 since it comes close to a DSLR without the bulkiness.

I got the Canon g7 as an early Christmas gift two weeks ago. So far, I have been very pleased with it. I upgraded from a Canon A70 (3.2 MP). I did not expect an SLR and did not want one, although some people tried to talk me into one. Some of my shots are taken from the back of my husbands motorcycle and I just can't imagine trying to change out lenses there or dealing with the bulk of an SLR. I simply wanted the best point and shoot we could find and I believe I found it. I used the aquarium setting to take pics from inside a vehicle and got no glare or reflection at all from the glass. I also actually shook the camera up and down just to see what would happen to a pic and it was very good, except when using a lot of zoom. I look forward to using this camera a lot and trying new things with it that I've never had in a camera before.

I just got my camera and I love it. I was able to start shooting immediately; it is very easy to use. The LCD screen is good and you are able to see it. I know there have been complaints about the flip screen but I had a flip screen before and never really used it.

There are a lot of shooting modes maybe not as much as some other smaller cameras but enough that you will have fun experimenting with them. The camera is fairly compact (smaller than a DSLR) but it is no elph, it does have some weight. It also feels a little slick but once you get use to holding it you shouldn't have to worry.

The zoom is awesome and the image stabilizer works very well. The pictures have been great in color and clarity. I also find that it focuses quite easily and well.

This is a fun great camera that is close to a DSLR but without the bulk!

This is a good camera as far as it goes. BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE A WIDE ANGLE LENS! Therefore it is not a "serious camera". There is "a way" to ADD a wide angle feature with the Canon WC-CD58H Wide Angle Lens conversion kit. That is a VERY good idea...but I wonder if this "add on" lens obscures the photos? Please let me know if you tried the wide angle kit out. Thanks.....The ONLY point and shoot cameras that I know of with a true 28mm or smaller wide angle lens are: 1) Canon SD800 IS, 2) Kodak Easy Share V570 or V705, and 3) The Panasonic DMC FX01 and FX07. If you buy one of those, or the Canon G7, please let me know your experience with them.

So, you ask, "who needs a 28mm or 23mm lens?" You do! Most people concern themselves with how LONG is their telephoto lens. But, most people who "know" know that it is the WIDE ANGLE lens that is most important---most of the "best shots" are made with a WIDE ANGLE lens. For example, you're in Europe and you are trying to "get a shot" of that Cathedral of Notre Dame over there. You NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are in the California Poppy Fields and you want to get the expanse of the golden-yellow poppy flowers with the huge blue sky filled with white clouds above---you need a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are sitting at thanksgiving dinner and you want to take a photo from the foot of the table with everyone sitting on the left and right---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are in the garden of the California Mission and you want to take a photo of the ENTIRE garden surrounded by the mission walls---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. It's Christmas day and you want a photo of the ENTIRE GROUP of visitors in front of the Christmas Tree---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. This is where the 28mm lens (or 23mm on The Kodak cameras) comes in! So, you NEED A CAMERA WITH A WIDE ANGLE LENS! Otherwise you'll be cutting off heads and leaving Aunt Sylvia out of the "Christmas Group Photo" this year---and she'll disinherit you and you'll live a life of poverty and misery everafter! :o) If you agree or disagree or know of ANY other digital point and shoot camera that has a WIDE ANGLE lens or if you want me to send you a sampel of a "ture wide angle" photo by email, please write, Email:boland7214@aol.

People who complain about this product should go to DSLR. I want more compact cameras that are full featured and I can carry around. I had a Sony V1 which was good and later upgraded to the Panasonic 12x zoom 8mp. Unfortuntely that camera wasn't that compact and had terrible noise at low light. When the Canon G7 came out I just had to have it and I think I found the right camera for me: 10mp is more than most people will need, 5mp is fine. 6x zoom is great and while I wish it started at 28mm, 35mm is fine. The manual controls are all there and you can actually use them (you don't need to navigate menus to do it). But the real great news for me is the Marine Case. I scuba dive and I had to have 2 cameras - one for underwater and another for everything else. This camera is the best thing you can fit into a consumer-priced marine case: Low light performance is almost as good as Sony N1 but you get better macro (1cm) and ALL manual controls work in the marine case.
Do you want a pro camera? Go to DSLR.
Do you want the next best thing that allows you to carry everywhere? Buy the G7.

This review does not have anything to do with the camera itself; the camera is the best point-and-shoot that Canon has yet to come out with; it has to do with one of the businesses advertising on this page. The company FOTOCONNECTION advertises on this page that they sell this camera for $439 on their website. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BUY FROM THEM! I attempted to purchase the G7 from them and immediately I received a call from a "salesman" attempting to con me into buying a battery and warranty since, as he put it, the battery that comes with the camera "only lasts 15 minutes and what happens if you receive the camera and it's broken?" I rebutted that I know for a fact that the battery lasts about 5 hours before it needs a charge as I've been researching this camera for over a month now and if I received the camera broken then I would return it and get my money back. He said I wouldn't without a warranty. After that whole fiasco had ended I waited a week for the camera to be shipped out and everyday I checked their website, looking at my account which said my order was "processing." Yeah right...processing. I called exactly a week after I placed the order and wanted to know what was going on since my order status hadn't changed in a week and after being bounced around from person to person for 10 minutes someone finally said that the camera was discontinued. The next person I talked to actually told me it would be 6 weeks before they came in again and he proceeded to make an attempt to sell me a more expensive package for the G7!! After looking into their reputation on the BetterBusinessBureau website I found out that they have had almost 90 complaints in the last 12 months alone! Do yourself a favor, buy this camera from someone reputable, NOT FOTOCONNECTION!

I own a G2,G5,& G6 so I have some experience with Canon G-series cameras. This camera is a big disappointment. It has a less capable lens; it does not provide Raw photo format; it does not provide a remote for the timer; its focus is "soft". It does have more pixels;it is smaller in size; and the LCD is very bright. But for the high price charged for the camera it represents downgraded capabilities for top dollar. Individuals interested in such high end non-DSL cameras will be happier in the long run finding a G6 on eBay or similar sites or buying a different make camera such as a Nikon, Fuji,Sony,etc.

I did a lot of online research and had a lot of things I wanted from a digital camera. I am extremely happy with my purchase of the Cannon G7. It is easy enough to use right out of the box. Without spending lots of time on the manuals, you can take good pictures. I have only just begun to play with the settings but it takes great closeups and great photos in low light. I love how quickly you can shoot your next photo and the warmup time necessary once the camera is turned on is negligible.

You get a lot for your money with this camera. It is a little bigger than many other digital cameras but it feels very solid and is still small enough to fit in a purse or pocket. The battery life is excellent.

I prefer using the viewfinder to take photos and it has a focus on the viewfinder. The image stabilization works very well. The software to upload and save photos is easy to use. So far I cannot think of a single negative in regards to this camera. It isn't as cheap as many other digitals but it is worth the difference in price.

If you want a more robust camera that allows you to choose some settings and options, this is the camera to choose. You don't have to be a professional to customize your photos and take good quality photos in a variety of conditions. If you want to point and click and nothing more, go with something else.

There are some things I wish were different, but they're relatively minor. First I'd like to say that the lack of RAW format is not a big deal. This is after all a compact, point-and-shoot camera. I get the feeling that the reviewers complaining about the lack of RAW probably wouldn't use it anyway. I think some of them just want to show off how sophisticated they are. I wish the battery could be removed without first removing the quick-release mount. I wish the grip were better, especially a place to put my thumb. The shutter is loud and a remote would be great to have. I use an inexpensive monopod for stability. The camera is tough and rugged and it takes really nice photos, and I like the included software.

WOW! Is the word I would use to describe this camera.
I had a cheap 4y/o coolpix before I purchased this camera.

I was skeptical about spending this much on a camera. I wanted to take more professional type pictures and the wife wanted a point and shoot to fit in her purse.

I never thought I would have to study about digital photography to use all the features, but it had paid off. I get stunning photos in low light,
fast motion, etc.

The wife can just set it to auto, and still gets picture quality that is awesome.

While it does lack some features of a DSLR, I don't miss them. I get funny looks from the DSLR users when I whip out the compact camera, when I show them the print quality, they are stunned.
When I show them the feature set and let them toy with it, they are floored that a compact will do what this camera does.

While I know some people talk about the RAW stuff and the noise at high ISO levels and so on....but,
if you want a quality product with great prints when set to auto this is great.
If you want to get a little more involved and use the custom settings or the manual settings..lens attachments..you still can!!

I think this is a very well rounded product. While it doesn't replace the DSLR for serious, serious photographers, it help to bridge the gap for people who want to try...but not to hard.

This was my Christmas present to me. I passed my Canon S-30 (3.2 M pix, 3x zoom) on to my wife, replacing her aged film snapshooter. The G7 is an evolution of the S-30, with all the features plus some new ones. The ergonomics are better, the optics, imaging and stabilization are just what I was looking for. It's especially nice that I can set a grid on the viewer to keep my subjects aligned and proportionally placed.

Unfurtunely this camera is uncomfortable to use. The worst fault: you can see part of lens while you are wathing trhu viewfinder. The neck strap is very thin. A wrist strap could be better.

I did a lot of research and I wasn't disappointed. Extremely flexible for those who love as much manual control as possible. I also find the menus very intuitive with good labels and descriptions. The style is a little utilitarian, but that wasn't a major factor for me. It's also a little heavier and bulkier than "ultra-slim" cameras I've tried out, including canon powershots, but you can still carry it in a pants pocket.

You can't go wrong with this one. Just make sure you have somew time to go through the manuals because it is very involved. It is intuitive however even for a total rookie like me. Yoou can start using it out of the box but if you want to take advantage of all the goodies, it will require some time. Something to grow in to. A great addition to a new hobiest!

Foi a melhor compra dos últimos tempos! Essa máquina só falta falar! A qualidade das fostos são fantásticas. Muito fácil de utilizar. Recomendo comprar junto um cartão de 2gigas com 133x de velocidade. A máquina é robusta e com uma boa empunhadura. Todos os comandos são reguláveis como uma máquina profissional.

I bought this camera to replace my Canon Pro 90IS - yes, a dinosaur in today's terms, but great in its day. I took the G7 to Hawaii and the camera performed flawlessly. The battery life was never an issue. I love the smooth action of the lens extender.

The only negative at all is when I use a large flash for indoor shots. It does make the camera a bit awkward to handle. Nevertheless, the pictures come out great.

The Canon G7 Digital Camera is a superb instrument that can help the serious amateur or professional photographer get the best out of his or her work. It is fast, it has high definition everything, it is easy to use, and it has a number of settings (in addition to "automatic") that makes it easy to get the best out of various picture-taking situations (including underwater). Optional accessories include an underwater housing (I have purchased one - it is amazing - useful in rainy or misty weather as well as underwater), telephoto and wide angle lenses (though the 6X built-in optical zoom will handle most telephto needs, the easy to mount 2X telephoto accessory doubles that to 12X optical zoom). The shoe on the top of the camera makes Canon flashes work seamlessly with the camera, though the built-in flash is fine for short distances. The camera is so sensitive that the flash is usually not needed, even in dim light. The optical anti-shake feature works exceptionally well. Some critics have pointed out that you can not save images in RAW format (a format that advanced professionals use to get non-compressed data in case they want to modify the images before they are compressed into usual formats), but with the options you have with this camera, it is unlikely that most users will ever need RAW and most would not use it if it were available. I have compared the features of the Canon G7 with the recently available Leica of about the same size and shape, though many times more expensive. I can not imagine why anyone would purchase the Leica when this one is available at a fraction of the Leica price (and I am a Leica fan from before digital days).

I have used this camera for about a month now and I can say that it is really great. When set to auto, I have yet to take a bad picture. Like another reviewer said, you will need to study up on photography to really make use of the features. If this is your first digital camera, the amount of information packed into the camera/manual is tough to swallow at first. Keep at it and just shoot, shoot, shoot. Try a setting, shoot and see.
Picture quality is top notch. That is a FACT. LCD is amazing. Macro mode is top of the line. And the zoom is great as well. It is a bit of $$$ compared to other P&S's, but to me it was well spent.
All in all, this camera is a good in-between for P&S's and DSLR's. Features of DSLR, size of a P&S.

I'm basically a point and shoot amateur, and this Canon G7 has all the features that I think I'll ever need and then some. It is slightly larger & heavier than my Powershot S400 and has a steeper learning curve (I'm still very much on the beginner's slope) but does what I want it to do. It is a nice compromise between Digital SLR and tiny pocket cameras. Battery life is excellent. For reasons I can't comprehend, the camera comes with an inadequate storage chip, not interchangeable with Powershot S400, so be prepared to buy a gigabyte memory chip for an extra $60-100. The battery is also incompatible with other Canon minicameras so you wil want a spare (about $50.00) The 10 megapixel and shake correction allow me to make much larger prints. The monitor is spectacular, the best I have seen on a pocket size camera. 6x optical zoom adds versatility and resolution. In spite of minor complaints I give it 5 stars.

The G7 seems to be a culmination of all the improvements in the G-series, PLUS two fabulous new features. The first is manual focus, which I haven't really used to its full potential yet, (but still - really cool) and the other is "image stabilization". This is a ground-breaking, cant-live-with-out-it bit of technology that helps you take a better picture. I often shoot in poor lighting situations and now my pictures are sharper and clearer.
Other good things about the G7: Smaller, Great zoom but also the lens closes up all the way inside - no need for a lens cap. Black not silver, fancy graphics, buttons incorporate a dial feature, all the settings are easy to get to. Takes a quick picture.
Things I don't like: No swivel monitor like the G6 (I only miss it a little, but I would have it if I could), batteries are smaller and don't last as long as the G6.

I got one of the first batches of G7s, and I'm glad that I did. Most of the reviews have not been able to get over the lack of a RAW option -- and have missed the point of the camera altogether: it is designed to be the perfect backup and complement to Canon digital SLRs.

I own a Canon EOS 20D with all the trimmings. Carrying the 20D, a strobe, and a few lenses isn't a subtle undertaking; I'm very grateful my wife puts up with me hauling this junk all over the place. But anyone who does this knows why I've been on the hunt for the holy grail -- a little pocket camera that can go anywhere

I've bought a lot of pocket cameras over the past few years, and they all go through the same "cycle of life:"

1. I look at a new lovely, shiny, beautiful little camera. It fits in my pocket! And it has umpty-ump megapixels! I have to get this one! (Wife rolls eyes.)
2. I take the new toy everywhere, and shoot lots of pictures.
3. I look at the pictures and quickly decide: (1) any picture using the built-in strobe is totally useless, and (2) even the daylight pictures look terrible. (Wife listens to me complain.)
4. At the next possible opportunity, I get rid of the darned thing. I actually have pretty good taste, so the recipient is grateful (and has what they want and need). My wife is really happy she doesn't have to listen to my whining anymore.
5. I go back to hauling around a heavy backpack and looking like a character from "What The Duck!"
6. Return to step 1.

The G7 is the first pocket camera that might actually break the cycle. The two main reasons are: (1) I can actually use my external strobe. My wireless transmitter fits in the hot shoe, and I often set one or two strobes on their little "mini stands" (Canon folks will know what I mean). The whole package is subtle enough to not get me yelled at. The pictures that I get as a result are very, very nice. One example: [...]

The second reason is that the lens is actually good enough to do a decent job. Yes, I wish it could go wider (I'm a total fisheye junky!), and yes, I wish it could go longer (I also love my 70-300 DO), but the lens takes great pictures and is useful enough for 90% of what I want to do.

All other aspects of this camera pale in comparison with those two. Yeah, the image stabilization is great. Yeah, it takes nice videos. Yeah, it lacks RAW. Yeah, you have to buy a spare battery. Yeah, the G6 might have been a better camera in its day. But, I can take the G7 anywhere, and the images it takes are pleasing.

And to everyone crying about the G6: Yes, the G6 was a great camera, but I didn't buy one. It was just a little too big to carry around everywhere. Please, go visit a G7 and hold it in your hand. You'll want to own it. You want more than my silly opinion? Luminous Landscape wrote a somewhat mixed-to-negative review of the G7, and then gave the camera back to Canon. A little while later they wrote a postscript sheepishly admitting that they went ahead and bought one with their own money -- for many of the reasons I've outlined above.

RAW, shmaw, this is a great camera. Anyone who has a Canon digital SLR (and an external strobe) should own one.

p.s. One other glaring omission: the silly thing doesn't have a battery meter! It's a lot like the old VW bugs -- you knew you ran out of gas when your motor conked out!

p.p.s. I adapted this note from a review I posted on "Trusted Reviews."

Overall I was very impressed with the Canon G7. It does a lot of things right within the context of its price, size and its likely intended constituency.

This is the best camera that I have had! It takes great pictures.

This camera is almost everything the G series needed. My only remaining want is RAW but that is ok. The jpgs are awesome. Moreover, the handling and ergonomics are awesome. Image quality, lens sharpness, contrast, saturation, etc. are all outstanding. I also shoot the 5D and 1DMKIIN and prints up to 8x10 are very very close to these professional SLEs. High ISO performance is good. Between 200 and 800 it is outstanding. The controls are great. Go to manual mode and you have analog dials and gauges as in days of old--with match needle--displayed on the rear LCD. Also this camera is smaller and heftier feeling than other G series. It feels and handles more like a Leica or 1950s style rangefinder. Highly recommended.

This camera is great... I own a nikon d70s and this can almost do everything. Great to carry along when you don't want a huge body. You have to pay a lot for a good product.

I bought this camera because i didn't feel like carrying my DSLR with me all the time.
The body is very solid, and feels great. The size is perfect, and the design just awesome.
The menus are easy to understand. It doesn't take a lot of time to learn how to use, if you have basic photographic skills and knowledge.

The ISO wheel on top is a very nice feature. Seems like Canon got it at last.
I don't really miss the RAW capability, remote controll and the LCD screen of earlier G series models, because I use it mainly for street photography, and for this use, there's basically no other camera on the market as good as the G7( at this price, I must add).

The TTL light metering system works flawlessly on this camera, and having the posibility og choosing spot metering, and setting on AWB, the JPEG images hardly need any retouching( the optical IS works very well, and I'm able to shoot sharp pictures at 1/8s)

PROS:
- Excellent image quality. The light metering and IS work very well, and the coluor rendition, contrast and sharpness are great throughout the entire range( with one exception; look at cons)
- Nicelly designed camera. Not only does it look great, but it feels good in your hands, and the menus are easily accessible. Nice and big LCD screen
- Very good build quality. Solid camera that can take a beating.

CONS:
- Max. aperture at the tele end is above the diffraction limit of this camera. A faster lens or lower pixel density would be better, in my opinion.
- The noise levels above ISO 400 are very high, making pictures unusable at ISO 800 and 1600.
- Very soft corners at around 50mm focal length( 35mm equiv.). Of course, all zoom lenses are soft at some focal lengths, so I won't hold that against Canon.
- Manual focusing is not very good. Would prefer a bigger lens with focusing ring.
- The optical viewfinder is my biggest dissapointment. It's way too small, and the parallax error is something Canon should have done something with in the designing stage.

In all, it's a great camera, but I would have paid a couple of hundred dollars more for a camera without the flaws I pointed out. It's still the best in it's class

I've had my G7 for several months now and have traveled with it extensively and taken thousands of pictures. It's got a wonderful build (feels almost Leica-like) and is just the right size for me -- bigger and heftier than the tiny pocket ELPHs, but eminently pocket-able. I just have a few quibbles and no, they're not about the lack of RAW capabilities. Most importantly, image quality deteriorates very noticeably above 200 ISO. I have a D20 which takes gorgeous pictures at 1600, so I got spoiled. G7 has a neat little ISO dial on the top, but the quality of high-ISO shots is disappointing. 400 is barely usable, 800 or 1600 are bad. Manual focus button is on the top of the rocker wheel and it's very easy to hit accidentally. I miss the remote shutter trigger and the swiveling LCD from my long-outdated G3, but not enough to complain. Buy it with a 2GB card and a second battery and you'll be ready to go around the world.

The fact is that the RAW format gives photographers such useful advantages that this point cannot be dismissed with outright insults or slimy puns. RAW allows photographers to adjust the exposure and color temperature of a photo, something you cannot do with JPG. If the lighting was low when the photo was taken then you can brighten the entire shot or vice averse if the lighting was too bright (to some extent). Looking for a travel or backpacking camera? Most don't want to carry a DSLR on the trail or globe trotting so size does matter. There are many things a photographer can do to make a beautiful photo but, as many here would like to suggest otherwise, nature does not always provide perfect lighting. Imagine your in Madagascar and want to take a photo of that beautiful lemur. You take the best shot you can, great composition and focus but the lighting is a little dim at that moment. Do you toss that photo and hope to return to Madagascar again someday? No, you set your camera for reasonable shutter speed to avoid a blurry photo and know you can fix the exposure back home. Why someone one would need a G7 for popping shots of their friends at parties or of their grandchildren is beyond me. And sure, if you're a pro and can control your lighting there may very well be no need for you to use RAW format (except of course color correction) but for those of us who want a portable camera with manual controls and take photos in natural unrehearsed setting with uncontrolled light RAW format is essential and unfortunately the G7 falls short.

My last camera was a Panasonic DMC-FX01K. I had returned a Canon SD450 due to the awful, video camera-like photos it took. I had given up on Canon point and shoots after seeing the poor quality of the latest Elphs. I've been pretty happy with the Panasonic and have taken some remarkable photos for an ultra-compact, but the noise on low-light photos was really starting to bother me and there isn't much in the way of available customization. I've been wanting to step up to a more serious camera with lots of manual features like my old Nikon Coolpix 880, but didn't want to go the DSLR route because I don't have any urge to lug a big camera and all the lenses around.

So far, the Canon G7 is making me really happy. I still have a lot of learning to do, but the pictures I've taken in the last week or so are very high quality. The amount of detail captured is something to be seen. Even using the zoom at full extension, the photos are remarkably detailed and you can take some pretty extreme close-ups at 6X. Evidently you can use the digital zoom to a certain point via cropping without having any detrimental effect on picture quality, but I haven't played with it yet. Macro mode works very well too.

The picture quality a level of magnitude or two higher than my Panasonic. Colors are rich and appear to be extremely accurate. The photos look like they've been taken with a high-quality SLR and there's none of the "video camera" quality I saw in Canon ultra-compacts. There is a small amount of noise at ISO400, but still better than any film camera. Yes, ISO800+ pretty much sucks, but everything below that level is just fine. If you're really concerned about noise, there are some good cheap or free programs that will do a good job of removing noise from jpegs.

The flash in default setting is a bit too powerful for most situations, but you can turn down the flash intensity. Pictures are sometimes a bit over-exposed, but turning down the EV setting 1 or two steps and makes things much better. Image stabilization works very well.

Unless you like to spend a lot of time in Photoshop, RAW isn't a big deal. If you take good enough photos, you really don't need it. DSLR people might not be to happy about lack of RAW, but those coming up from normal point and shoots won't miss anything. I also couldn't care less about the missing articulated LCD screen from the old G-series cameras. I find those things to be a pain. The ability to add wide-angle/telephoto lenses and filters is a great plus. The camera also features the ability to show you (with the shutter pressed halfway down) EXACTLY how the photo will look after you take it. No guessing is necessary.

This camera isn't perfect and it isn't a no-brainer to take great photos. However, it takes some astounding quality photos and has most of the features/quality of a full-blown DSLR without much hassle. The rather steep price is still much cheaper than a DSLR. I don't think you can get better photos out of a point and shoot. I'm giving it 5 stars because there literally is no other compact camera that will come closer to a DSLR's flexibility and image quality than this one.

Great compact camera for travel, family photos. Easy to follow menus once you understand the Canon menu system. A lot of red-eye in many indoor pictures, somewhat small camera for my large hands but takes good quality pictures. I wish for a compact flash with bounch made for the camera. Image stabilization works well. Pricey for the features.

Having been a long-time Canon user, (most recenlty with the G5) I was excited to read the reviews and hear the raves about the latest entry into the fabled "G" series.

I was not disappointed - this camera delivers! Fairly easy to use and provides foolproof pictures.

So far, I've used it in the Auto mode for casual shots on-the-go and in the studio for a demanding subject.

Overall, an excellent choice for those not wanting to enter the dSLR world.

This camera rocks. It has many features and can be customized almost infinitly. If you want the best option for a point and shoot camera, the C7 is what you want. well worth the money!! Best Camera you can get without getting a DSLR. There are so much stuff on it I will need a to take a photography class to learn how to use them all.

After researching ourselves, and testing out friends' and family's purchases, we decided on this camera. We love it because of the quality of the pictures and the camera. I had been looking for something small, convenient, and point and shoot. My husband was looking for something to expand his photography skills with more manual settings. We found it and more in this camera, and have been thrilled ever since. We are very impressed with all aspects, including the look of the camera and the quality feel.

Stellar camera - for its features and it's size, there's just nothing in the same class. I wanted something that would give me better image quality and more control than an average point-and-shoot, but wasn't the size of a DSLR. That's exactly where the G7 fits in. It's a bit of a jack of all trades, and though it's not a master of any, it can definitely fake it - I do wish it shot RAW, as i enjoy post-processing, but that's the largest of my complaints. Great quality shots, easy to use interfaces, and a gorgeous camera are what I got from the G7 - I'm not disappointed.

The Canon G7 is a great camera for the serious photography buff, but not quite professional - the photographer that is, not the camera. Found the instructions to be easy to implement and am enjoying getting used to all the features and shooting whenever and wherever possible. Enjoy keeping up with my grandchildren, so I'm no spring chick but love photography.

I've had the G7 for about a month and love using it so far. This is the first semi-professional camera I've owned, and I love the included features and photo quality. Price from Amazon was also excellent and cheaper than store prices. I was afraid the camera would be bigger than it is, but it's actually a convenient size - not so big to be obnoxious to carry around, but big enough to be comfortable in my hands when taking pictures. Highly recommend the G7 to anyone looking to upgrade from a standard digital camera without the extra size and complications of an SLR. The zoom is great, too!

For what this camera has to offer, it is a waste of money. Even though I don't care much for RAW format (rarely use it anyway), but it's a factor that separate the higher-end cameras from the lower-end one. The fact that it doesn't have RAW, it shows that Canon did not put anytime in designing this camera. Nowadays, I feel like camera manufactures take advangtage of the Image Stablization (or anti-shake) system. In my opinion, I don't think it really works. I mean, a blurry shot will be blurry regardless if the IS system is there or not. Camera manufactures just use Image Stablization as a way of marketing and try to make more money off of the camera they are selling. Also, I need to mention about the noise level of this camera. It's terrible!!! There were lots of noise in the picture even at ISO 100!!! I think this is due to the fact that Canon is trying to fit 10 MP into a 1/1.8" image sensor. This is no good. This camera would have been better off at 6-8 MP instead of 10 MP.
Anyway, enough bad things about this camera. The Canon G7 does offer a very nicely built camera. It feels very solid in the hand. There are many manual controls in the camera for the user to do creative things like taking long-shots at night. The LCD screen is very nice with high resolution. An external hot-shoe flash terminal is a plus. It is compatible with all Canon's flashes. The color being reproduced by this camera is very vibrant and accurate (like a Canon cameras). Very fast responding time due to the Digic III image processor. Overall, I think that anyone spending this much money for this camera, they might as well get a DSLR instead. Or, may I recommend the Fujifilm Finepix S9100. The Fujifilm S9100 is a better camera for the money.

Upgraded from a Sony DSC W1 to a G7.If you haven't heard, the Sony takes blurry pictures. Enough about the Sony.The G7 does NOT take blurry pictures.Some say this camera is not for the novice,and I disagree.In auto mode it's the same as a point and shoot but then in program or manual mode it has all the settings that would cover almost any lighting or shooting condition. Bad thing..price...Other than that I think the only camera that could top it would be a DSLR and price plus size would be a problem for me

Great camera, however it was damage. It was return, and I got a quick refund from Amazon. Amazon customer service was great and they understood the issue. I guess they check the camera to verify what I was describing.I ended up getting this same camera, from a dealer/store on my own and not online, personal choice, nothing to do with Amazon service. I also purchase a Canon Printer and it is in my office.

The camera seems to be everything it was advertised to be. I have not checked out all of the myriad options, but don't really plan to. The features I bought it for (zoom, digital stabilization, face recognition, hot shoe for external flash) all work perfectly.

I love this camera. Easy to use and the 2.5 inch screen has amazing quality. The ISO knob on top is like no other and the features are endless. For a point and shoot camera, this is the best and closest you will get to an SLR without spending the money and sacraficing space. The best camera if your looking for features, speed, realiabilty, and size.

Hey I actually do not have this exact camera, I have the much older G2, but I just want to plug in and say as an amateur photog with little idea of how to do much more than point and shoot at things I like, I have been completely amazed at how often the capabilities of the G2 have earned me major praise from folks on my picture quality. I've been offered one job doing photography, and am the one person who's private photos of a festival have been specially invited to be submitted for future promo pieces. Not even counting the many folks who want copies of my pics, 8x10 blowups, or say that should be a postcard, etc. etc.

Even with a broken viewer button on my camera, I've been so impressed by my G2 photo quality that I'm loathe to "upgrade"... and if I do, I'm sticking with the Canon G series.

So, if you're an average photog, who likes to have people rave over your photos -- don't go anywhere else, stay with the canon G series. (uh, and remember to learn how to focus on a digital camera, or use the flower button for closeups... that's it, all else is done for you).

Or, if like me, you want good quality photos of yr kids to keep forever, again, buy this.

I originally had a Leica on order, but got tired of waiting for it to ship, so I ended up getting this instead. I am thrilled with the results. The camera takes amazing pics--good lens, good electronics, nice sensitivity. Especially nice is the ability to go fully automatic (for the wife) or play with much as I can with my 35mm SLR.

This is the perfect camera for me. I take alot of close-up detail shots and the images come out great. It is smaller than my old G3 (which I loved, but was pretty chunky).

Just like what you're doing now, i spent a good few days reading the reviews and tech specs before purchasing this camera. I've only had it for a few days and i couldn't be happier. In a nutshell, the quality of the camera and pictures are incredible. I am upgrading from a point and shoot canon s400 4.0 mega pixels... and it's night and day.
If you're outgrowing your regular digital camaera... this is the perfect transtion. Believe me. You will learn how to utilize some of the easy to use manual features that will take your photography to the next level. Already i've experimnented taking a few pictures in auto mode and then in manual mode and it's mind blowing how significantly better the manual pictures turned out. No more auto for me. I am going to study the features and improve my pic