| |
Canon PowerShot G11 reviews
You can find here the most interesting reviews / ratings from the well-known expert sites about the Canon PowerShot G11 Camera. Here are the reviewers:
|
- 16 December 2009 - |
|
- 4 |
|
- 07 December 2009 - |
|
- 0 |
|
- 01 December 2009 - |
|
- 0 |
|
- 23 November 2009 - |
|
- 0 |
|
- 21 November 2009 - |
|
- 0 |
|
- 16 November 2009 - |
|
- 4.5 |
|
- 06 November 2009 - |
|
- 3 |
|
- 30 October 2009 - |
|
- 0 |
|
- 26 October 2009 - |
|
- 0 |
|
- 22 October 2009 - |
|
- 4.5 |
DPReview 's conclusion / rating - 16 December 2009 |
“ Although the G11 faces competition from more sides than its predecessors did, it's still a unique offering. There are more readily pocketable cameras out there that offer similar image quality and, once you're resigned to wearing it around your neck, there are not much larger cameras that will trump it for image quality (though they are more expensive). There are even cameras that offer greater zoom ranges in smaller, less expensive packages. However, there's nothing to match the G11's all-round capability - its strengths are its balance between size, flexibility and image quality.
The G11 combines some of the best compact camera image quality with excellent levels of manual control, an optical viewfinder, flip-out screen, raw capability, superb battery life, flexible lens range and the ability to mount dedicated flashguns. It may not be the smallest camera out there (in fact it's one of the largest to use such a small sensor), but, if you can live with the compromises this all-round ability brings, then there's little that can touch it.
The lack of HD video looks odd on a contemporary high-end camera and the removal of some of the G10's minor features might appear a touch petty and see the G11 marked down a little for features. However, the addition of a flip-out screen and its more consistent performance in a wider range of situations means the G11 improves on the G10 enough to just gain our highest rating... ”
Complete review here
Steves Digicams 's conclusion / rating - 07 December 2009 |
“ Canon's latest generation "G" series model continues to impress us. We have long liked this line of PowerShot cameras, and although we do wish Canon would add a few things (like HD video for example), we are still very happy with the quality, performance, and feature set offered by the G11. If you are in the market for a versatile camera that offers dSLR like features, without wanting to deal with the bulk and lens swapping, the G11 might just be the ticket. With a street price of US $450 or less, the Canon PowerShot G11 offers an outstanding value, and we have no problem giving it a high recommendation... ”
Steves Digicams's rating: |
|
- 0 |
Complete review here
Ken Rockwell 's conclusion / rating - 01 December 2009 |
“ Everyone who owns a G-series Canon loves it. I loved the G11 I borrowed so much that I didn't even bother with an SLR.
I prefer the Canon S90, which does the same thing, or better, for half the size and weight, and a lower price, but that's just me. The G11 is a fantastic camera, and you people know who you are.
I wouldn't use a G11 for people, sports or action, I'd use an SLR for that, like the Nikon D40 or Canon Digital Rebel XS. If you're going to carry it around your neck, the Nikon D40 feels like it weighs about the same, but it performs much better... ”
Ken Rockwell's rating: |
|
- 0 |
Complete review here
DCResource 's conclusion / rating - 23 November 2009 |
“ For the last several years, camera manufacturers have been caught up in a race to see who could produce the camera with the most Megapixels. The PowerShot G-series -- Canon's flagship compact cameras -- went along for the ride. The PowerShot G7 had 10 Megapixels, the G9 (there was no G8) was 12 Megapixel, and the PowerShot G10 had a whopping 14.7 Megapixel CCD. While "more is better" may work for some products, it's not a good fit for the tiny sensors used by compact digital cameras. Thus, the image quality on the G-series models got worse with every iteration, especially at higher sensitivities. Canon did something very unusual in the world of consumer electronics: instead of raising the resolution on their newest camera, the PowerShot G11, they actually went in the other direction -- by nearly 5 million pixels. While less-informed shoppers may be put off by the fact that the best Canon compact is "only" 10 Megapixel, the truth is that the resolution is more than enough for almost everyone, and the improvement in image quality is well worth the "sacrifice". The G11's superb image quality combined with its performance, rotating high resolution LCD, manual controls, and expandability make it a top choice for those looking for a full-featured compact camera... ”
Complete review here
Imaging Resource 's conclusion / rating - 21 November 2009 |
“ Camera enthusiasts get more of what they expect from the Canon G-series with the Canon G11: High image quality, good lens quality, and a swiveling LCD screen. We still don't have the f/2.0 lens back, but instead we have a 5x zoom that starts at a useful wide-angle of 28mm equivalent, and has a still-respectable f/2.8 maximum aperture. The Canon G11 is built sturdily, and has excellent controls. The three dials on the top deck are tightly sprung, making them difficult to turn, which is just right. The Canon G11's swiveling LCD screen is beautiful and convenient, but you do well to be aware that it's a little too beautiful at times, exaggerating some colors a bit. It's also wise to note that despite its rugged appearance, the Canon G11 is not necessarily well-sealed against water or dust; though Canon does offer a waterproof/dustproof case for this fine little machine.
Shooting with the Canon G11 is very enjoyable. Though they are few, the dials add a tactile sense back into your photography, especially the EV compensation dial. What I like most is the machine-like feel of the G11: it doesn't try to be beautiful; instead it seems designed and built to get the job done. I have to adjust my hold on the Canon G11, though, to shoot in my normal mode, which is vertical. It's too easy to press one of the many buttons that are clustered right where my thumb needs to rest. Instead I have to hold most of the Canon G11's weight in my left hand when shooting vertically.
Optical quality really is quite good, with remarkable corner sharpness at all focal lengths, which is one of the main reasons to consider the G11. Zoom is a little slow to start, which bugs when you're trying to compose shots quickly. And shutter lag and shot-to-shot times, while average for the category, could still be faster for a deluxe camera released here in 2009. The drop to 10 megapixels should have resulted in some speed increase, but we think it could be the more aggressive noise suppression that's keeping speeds low. The drop to 10-megapixels was also supposed to result in less noise overall, which we do see, but it's not mind-blowingly better. It's the chroma noise that's most significantly reduced, resulting in smoother shadows and less detail lost to noise suppression that brings the G11's image quality up, which requires less post-processing on the photographer's part. We'd like to see more noise reduction options, as well, as we currently see on most mid-range digital SLRs, rather than the all-or-RAW approach that the G11 takes. As for viewfinder accuracy, it's as bad as ever at only 79 percent coverage, so just use it as a pointer, knowing that you're doing to capture a lot more than you see in the viewfinder. At least the LCD view is a true 100%.
Ultimately, the Canon PowerShot G11 is the G10 done better, with better low-light performance, better control over noise, an articulating screen, great battery life, and the same great lens. It's a sure Dave's Pick... ”
Imaging Resource's rating: |
|
- 0 |
Complete review here
Camera Labs 's conclusion / rating - 16 November 2009 |
“ The PowerShot G11 continues Canon’s strategy for recent G-series models by essentially taking the previous version, adding a handful of new features and reinstating some from earlier classics. In the former camp, the G11 now features scene detection, new Low Light and Quick Shot modes, along with an HDMI port, while in the latter category we can finally welcome back a flip-out screen, not seen on the PowerShot G-series since the G6 back in 2004. Indeed it seems amazing we’re still playing catch-up in some respects with a model that’s over five years old – who knows, next year we might even see the return of an optically bright lens, especially now the recent S90 has dipped a toe in that particular pond.
The headline feature of the G11 is its low light capability with Canon taking a sensible reverse-turn on its earlier obsession with Megapixels. It works too, with the G11’s lower resolution allowing it to perform at least one stop better than its predecessor, and while the Low Light mode ain’t pretty at a reduced resolution of 2.5 Megapixels, it’s still impressive to shoot in near darkness without a flash at 12,800 ISO.
Interestingly though this doesn’t necessarily make the G11 a better camera than its predecessor. Sure the flip-out screen is a nice addition, but if you can force yourself to shoot at the lowest sensitivities, you can exploit the earlier G10’s higher resolution for slightly more detailed images without incurring too much noise. Canon seems to realise this and the G10 should remain on sale alongside the G11 at least until stocks last. So that makes the decision easy: if you’re happy shooting at the lowest sensitivities, get the G10, but if you want better quality at higher ISOs or fancy the flip-out screen, then get the G11.
But that’s just considering Canon’s world. While Panasonic may not have updated its LX3 this year, the G11 is not without new competition in the high-end compact market. The past year has seen the introduction of the Micro Four Thirds format with the highly compelling Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic GF1 targeting the same audience who’d normally be weighing-up the Lumix LX and PowerShot G models.
The G11 may have improved noise levels over the G10 and most traditional compacts, but can’t compete with the physically larger sensors of the E-P1 and GF1. The G11 may also have a nice built-in 5x zoom with stabilisation, 28mm wide angle and great close-up capabilities, but the E-P1 and GF1 have the benefit of removeable lenses and a range which already includes ultra-wide zooms, telephotos and fast primes. Sure, fitting anything but the pancake primes will make the E-P1 and GF1 bigger overall than the G11, but they’re still much smaller than a DSLR. And while neither the E-P1 nor GF1 have a flip-out screen nor a built-in optical viewfinder, they do have 720p HD video, a killer feature that’s sorely lacking on the G11.
Of course the E-P1 and GF1 also cost over 50% more than the G11, but while this would normally make them an unfair comparison in other categories, the fact is all three are targeting the same market: generally well-heeled photographers who are willing to adjust their budget for a quality compact with manual controls to act as a partner for a DSLR, or in some cases, a replacement.
This places the PowerShot G11 in a tricky position. If you’re willing to shoot at the lowest sensitivities, the earlier G10 will out-resolve it, and if you’re really serious about decent low light performance, you should be looking at a camera with a bigger sensor, like the E-P1 or GF1. Or if you’re after a compact with a different feature-set to complement an existing DSLR, the PowerShot SX20 IS or S90 are also compelling options.
That’s not to say the G11 is a poor camera – on the contrary it’s a really nice piece of kit which handles well, performs better than most traditional compacts in low light, and comes recommend if it fits your needs or budget. But we believe much of its target audience would be better-served by a Micro Four Thirds model, or an alternative PowerShot such as the G10, S90 or even SX20 IS.
Canon has to think very carefully about the future direction of the G-series. It’s been a wonderful range but as the company dawdled at reinstating killer features of models-past, the competition has moved on to deliver the enthusiast’s dream of a big sensor and removeable lenses in a compact body with the bonus of HD video – and even at a 50% higher price, that’s a tough proposition to beat... ”
Camera Labs's rating: |
|
- 4.5 |
Complete review here
DigitalCameraInfo 's conclusion / rating - 06 November 2009 |
“ The PowerShot SX120 is the big winner in terms of price: at $250, it is about half the price of the G11. But the SX120 was no slouch, scoring nearly equal or better than the G11 in our tests of noise, color and image stabilization. The G11 had the edge in our resolution tests, though, because the images remained sharp across the zoom range, while the images captured by the SX120 at the longer zoom settings were a little soft. It is worth noting that the SX120 has a longer zoom lens, though, going out to 10x rather than the 5x of the G11... ”
DigitalCameraInfo's rating: |
|
- 3 |
Complete review here
DigitalCameraReview 's conclusion / rating - 30 October 2009 |
“ When Canon brought out the successor to the G10 and dropped resolution from 14.7 to 10 megapixels, some eyebrows may have been raised. The trend in compact digitals has been to keep bumping up resolution (while not necessarily keeping pace with physical sensor size), but Canon heard some grumbling about the G10's noise performance and, to their credit, responded.
The G11 is a wonderful combination of a lens with very good optical performance, good auto focus and shutter performance, and lowered resolution on the same physical-sized sensor that produces excellent noise performance for a compact digital. Image quality from the G11 is the best overall of any compact digital I've ever reviewed - at 100% enlargements the images are quite clean, without the artifacts that seem to pop up to one degree or another in the other guys.
The viewfinder is poor for image composition due to its inaccuracy (77% coverage), but that's about the end of the gripes for this camera. It's bigger and heavier than the typical 5x point and shoots and the MSRP is bumping entry-level DSLR territory at $500, but the camera offers something for everyone - full auto controls, scene shooting options, face detection et.al. for the new user, and manual controls with DSLR-like adjustability (and RAW) for the more experienced shooter... ”
DigitalCameraReview's rating: |
|
- 0 |
Complete review here
Luminous-landscape 's conclusion / rating - 26 October 2009 |
“ Is the Canon G11 a good buy? I believe so, considering that one gets a really solid camera with decent lens, articulated LCD, manual controls, and decent image quality at low ISO. But, while the higher ISO (anything above 200) are better than its predecessor the G10, on an absolute scale they are not really acceptable to my eyes for anything except record shots and snapshots. The extra resolution of the G10 seems to me to be a trade-off that many photographers might end up preferring.
And as for comparisons with the new generation of pocket-sized large-sensor cameras, these cost quite a bit more money (up there with entry level DSLRs) but they produce far superior image quality.
Having said all of that, for the money the G11 offers good value for many photographers, and its articulated LCD and optical viewfinder make it somewhat unique in this marketplace. That's the primary reason for my "Recommended" stamp. But don't expect the drop to 10MP from 15MP on the previous model to be a magic bullet. It isn't. The game has changed, and for low noise, high quality images there are now new and interesting alternatives in the medium-sized pocket camera arena. There is also a new strong competitor to the G11, in the shirt-pocket sized camera segment, in the form of Canon's own Powershot S90, which uses the same sensor and image processing chip as the G11, and which will be reviewed on these pages shortly... ”
Luminous-landscape's rating: |
|
- 0 |
Complete review here
PhotographyBLOG 's conclusion / rating - 22 October 2009 |
“ Priced exactly the same as its still current predecessor in the G10, the G11 offers the advantage of a flexible LCD screen plus higher ISO options. If neither is particularly important and a higher resolution will serve better, then the older G10 is the one to go for.
With the G11 taken on its own terms, although the lens in use can't be swapped, the broader than average 28-140mm equivalent focal range makes for a wealth of creative possibilities from landscapes to portraiture.
But perhaps the most notable thing about the G11 is that Canon has stopped playing the numbers game and is trusting the camera's target audience to realize that there's more to digital photography than ever increasing helpings of megapixels with each successive product.
For us though, it doesn't quite hold up to its manufacturer's claim of this being the ‘ultimate' compact - particularly when you've had the opportunity to swap lenses as on the competing Olympus Pen and Panasonic GF1 Micro Four Thirds models, the latter being a near ringer for the Canon in terms of size, shape and form. But then, with those models lenses cost extra, and with the G11 you have mostly everything you'd want in one neat package, which shouldn't be underestimated... ”
PhotographyBLOG's rating: |
|
- 4.5 |
Complete review here
|
|
Comments (4)
Video reviews (3)
Camera info
Digg
del.icio.us
Reddit
Google
Home
Simulator