Bob Atkins Reviews The Canon Powershot G11

[Andy Dixon]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/canon_powershot_g11_review1.html' target='_blank'>http://www.bobatkins.com/photograph...11_review1.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"I don't do a lot of P&S digicam reviews here, but the Canon Powershot G11 is interesting for a number of reasons. First Canon made the rather bold decision to lower the pixel count from 14.7MP in the G10 to 10MP in the G11. This runs pretty much counter to the industry practice of cramming ever more pixels onto the sensor, no matter what it does to the ultimate image quality. Second, the Canon Powershot G series has long been held up as a leader in P&S type digicams and G series cameras have been used by many photojournalists who want to shoot digital but for one reason or another can't use a DSLR. The G11 boast a "low light" mode with ISO settings up to 12800. That's pushing things even for a DSLR, so I was interested in just how a digicam with a tiny sensor (and tiny pixels) can do in low light. "</em></p><p><img height="330" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1262257405.usr11334.jpg" style="border: 0;" width="432" /></p><p>It's expected that when a manufacturer releasesÂ*a new generation of aÂ*camera,Â*itÂ*has even more pixels that it's predecessor.Â* More is better after all, right?Â*It's interesting then that Canon decided to buck the trend with it's Powershot G11, and actually reduce the number of pixels from 14.7MP in the G10, to 10MP in the G11.Â* Take a look at the review to see whether Bob Atkins thinks this has been a good move by Canon or not.</p>

[Jason Dunn]

My Panasonic GF-1 would eat this for lunch. Muwahahahahaha! :D

(seriously though, better pixels is better than more pixels - good move by Canon)

[Reid Kistler]

Canon's G series has always seemed like it would appeal to a limited audience: fairly expensive, advanced features (manual controls; RAW capture; hotshoe), but relatively few "consumer features."

But Canon keeps updating the series, so it is clear that somebody is buying them. My guess would be the so-called "Prosumer" group, or perhaps genuine professionals who don't want to carry a DSLR on a particular day / assignment.

As a S3 IS owner, can vouch for the appeal of the articulating viewfinder, and agree with the reviewer's comments concerning the decision to REDUCE pixel count - as Jason noted, "better pixels" are "better than more pixels." Unfortunately, it does not seem that most buyers are able to grasp that point...

[Jason Dunn]

Unfortunately, it does not seem that most buyers are able to grasp that point...

Perhaps, but the good news is that this is a trend that I'm seeing get more and more popular with camera makers, so I hope to see it continue...

[Jonathon Watkins]

Ooooh yes, great move. I will be getting the S90 with the same sensor. I'm *all* for fewer, higher quality pixels in my compact 'cary everywhere' camera. :-)