Canon PowerShot G9

The Canon PowerShot G9 replaces its controversial predecessor, the PowerShot G7 with a few new twists to that cameras feature set and the replacement of the feature omissions in the G7 including RAW shooting.

The Canon PowerShot G9 replaces its controversial predecessor, the PowerShot G7 with a few new twists to that cameras feature set and the replacement of the feature omissions in the G7 including RAW shooting.

The G-series of Canon compacts are Canon’s premium enthusiast-level compacts providing D-SLR-like features and control s within a more compact and portable body. First, though, the G9 provides an advanced, high-level specification in a blocky but robust all-metal body (barring the plastic top plate) package.

The G9 is extremely well built, one of the best I believe in terms of build on the market at this level. But the more compact blocky design (over the bulkier G5 and G6 and heralded by the G7, which also lacked a handgrip and the very useful vari-angle LCD) is improved.

Of the changes built into the G9, first up is a slightly larger 1/1.7-inch sensor with 12.1 effective megapixel resolution (the G7 had a 1/1.8-inch sensor) and that’s an extra two million pixels over the G7.

A neat hand grip on the front is backed up by a rear thumb rest (with integrated exposure lock control) that helps keep things stable when shooting one-handed, for e

xample, and a slightly speedier focusing and reduced shutter lag are welcome improvements.

The face detection AF has seen improvements too and previous model’s issues over focusing have been ironed out but the FlexiZone AF system will still hunt or have trouble on less contrasty subjects.

You now get redeye reduction in playback mode and an Auto ISO shift system plus there are two custom white balance settings instead of one. However, in terms of overall features, there are not many other changes apart from the items tweaked as above and a new (and key) RAW shooting mode. Otherwise, things are pretty much the same.

The G9’s other main features include the excellent 6x optical zoom lens (more on the lens later), ISO 1600 top sensitivity, and optical image stabilisation. You also get 25 shooting modes including a full suite of manual shooting modes, two custom settings, and a hot shoe for use of accessory flash units. Incidentally, another tweak is compatibility with Canon’s ST-E2 wireless flash transmitter, very useful for off camera flash control in, say, a studio for example.

A small optical viewfinder is a bit blurry, even with its dioptre adjustment and it’s blurry at all focal lengths too, disappointingly, hat remains just as it did on the G7.

Image parameters (or My Colors) include vivid, sepia and black and white and a positive film setting that mimics the look and quality of slide film akin to the image parameters Fuji uses to mimic its Velvia and Provia film emulsions within its D-SLR and high end compacts.

The “usual” array Canon capture technology is here of course and includes Canon’s most advanced DIGIC III image processing engine, iSAPS (or intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) “expert system” that helps get the most from each shot you take, at least in theory.

And so to the lens. Previous G-series models – before the G7 – had fast F/2.0 to F/3.0 optics, not so here, once again, an otherwise crisp 35-210mm, F/2.8 to F/4.8 zoom lens provides a very useful focal range even if the aperture’s available are less flexible. It sports optical image stabilisation, but the same lens as found on the G7 so we’ll see later if it can resolve the extra pixels on the new sensor. But image improvements have also been made elsewhere.

The shadow noise apparent within images on the G7 has been better controlled on the G9, and as a result, there is a step up in terms of captured detail. Now, on the G9, better image and noise reduction processing has helped, but you’re still only getting the equivalent of around 10-megapixels worth or detail.

In terms of handling, the top plate sports the excellent control layout that includes a neat ISO dial for direct sensitivity adjustment, a large mode dial for switching between the various scene modes (including neat swirling animated menus as the cameras rotating adjustment dial is turned) and the shutter and aperture priority and manual modes. A rather small and fiddly lens-zoom rocker switch joins this ensemble with the small, central-within-the-zoom-rocker shutter release nestling within.

The focus-to-shoot pressure on the shutter release has been sorted out and now there’s a distinct pressure gap that makes it much easier and more of a pleasure to use the shutter release. The new large screen means the controls have been even more squeezed, but they’re clear and easy to use and the new thumb rest means if you want to snap single handed shots, there’s now somewhere to rest your thumb without it interfering with the back plate controls.

A lithium ion battery pack (first introduced with the G7) gives a shooting capacity of around 240-pictures, the G7 shot around 220 but the older G6 had a 300-shot capacity, so still room for improvement here. Add in the larger screen though, and the G9’s a bit better balanced in that respect.

Images are stored on SD/SDHC/MMC external storage cards that slot into a port next to the battery under a flap on the cameras base. An AV-Out port and USB 2.0 (High Speed) port reside under a flap on the camera’s right shoulder and both these properly hinged and sprung flaps are suitably sturdy.

Overall, then, I believe the advanced feature set will appeal to its target market of enthusiasts requiring a reliable but compact (read, not a D-SLR) high quality camera. Kit such as an active histogram display, the ubiquitous FUNC(tion) control for fast access to shooting parameters such as white balance, image quality settings and the like are all great to use.

The key G-series reason d’etre of high quality images that was omitted from the G7 has been restored here, namely RAW shooting. RAW plus JPEG is very nice to have too, of course and in terms of overall image quality, things have improved.

With the G7, image quality was good rather than great, but here I’m glad to report, it’s much better and not just because of the reduction in that shadow noise, detail is very good and noise well controlled up to ISO 400, but as you might expect, ISO 800 and 1600 are so noisy that you have to ask why Canon has crammed even more pixels onto an already photosite-packed sensor?

Another problem was noise reduction processing, which does become evident (if you’ve switched it on) on your images, is simply noise and fine image detail get removed together, so you have to watch out or put up with nosier images than perhaps you’d like at high ISOs and remove the noise later on PC.

Focusing is a bit of a mixed bag. AiAF and Face Detection worked quickly and generally got things right, however the FlexiZone AF set up performed less well on lower contrast subjects and would simply not focus (and beep annoyingly at me) on some simple subjects.

Performance is nippy otherwise with shutter lag and start up times very good indeed; the white balance (WB) has seven presets and easy to use custom settings, and performs well on the pre-set options (sunlight WB mode for sunlight and so on) but the auto WB struggles to get it right and images are affected by a warm “glow”. You can even use the built-in flash in continuous shooting, but the pre-flash metering increases shutter lag to a noticeable half a second.

A closest focus point in macro mode of 1cm provides excellent close up capability and means the lens is practically touching the subject at that point but is testament to the lens’ power on the G9 although the apertures available are a little restricting distortion (both barrel and pin cushion) are well controlled. However, this is also a problem if you need flash in macro work as the lens casts a shadow over the subject when it’s so close to the camera. However, the new wireless flash adapter helps here, as it’ll allow firing of accessory flash units off camera.

There is a lot of control on offer for colour, saturation and other parameters, so you have plenty of to hand if you need to play a bit more with results and bracketing, flash bracketing and a built-in neutral density filter all help out too.