Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch articulating LCD
The PowerShot G11 is a compact camera that will find favor with professionals and advanced amateur photographers due to its superb image quality, full manual control of settings, and RAW shooting capability. If it’s not practical or safe to carry a large DSLR a high-specification compact such as the PowerShot G11 is a fantastic choice. It’s great for photographers looking to capture high resolution, high quality, and low light images without having to carry a large SLR system in their kit bags.The G11 features face detection technology that can detect and track numerous faces within the frame to ensure the correct exposure and focus for them. An enhanced i-Contrast system optimizes the dynamic range of subjects to deliver shadow details whilst avoiding highlight blow outs.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Very satisfied with G11
I researched, and researched cameras as I wanted to upgrade from the Canon SD550 Elph that I have used for years. At my suggetion, my husband purchased the G11 for me for Christmas. I opened the box on Christmas Eve as we left for a trip. I was amazed at the quality of the photos I was taking “out of the box”–no reading, no research. I did know the basics, but using the Auto setting and/or the low light setting produced beautiful photos. Plus, I used the camera for an entire week, taking nearly 300 photos without needing to recharge the battery. Very satisfied with the zoom. I read a lot of negative reviews in my research, but I have found nothing to complain about. Don’t believe those negative reviews if you plan to use the camera for enjoyment and you are an above average photographer. The only adjustment I had to make is the larger size and heavier weight of the G11 over the Elph. It still fits in my purse, and the superior photo quality is the trade off.Lowepro G-Res 10 Camera Pouch (Black). Buy the $19.99 camera case to keep it safe. I’m glad I waited to buy the G11.
5 Stars Easy HDR Captures with the G11
I bought the Canon G11 specifically to have a camera that would allow me to get into HDR photography without spending an arm and a leg for what is essentially a hobby. so far, I have not been disappointed. It is easy to use, takes beautiful photographs at very high resolution, and has just about any feature you would want unless you’re looking for a point-and-shoot with HD video capability.
The large, bright LCD screen swivels out and around so you can bend over to shoot a ground shot, fold it back into the camera for hand-held, and most importantly fold it up when finished shooting to protect the screen. It has nice selection dials on top to adjust ISO, exposure, and shooting modes quickly by hand rather than fishing through menus. The menus are well organized and have easy to read letters and icons. It took only about 20 minutes to explore it all and get the camera set up the way I wanted it.
High Dynamic Range photography requires that you shoot 2 or more shots at different exposures to get a full range of detail and color in the highlights, mid-range and shadows. The G11 makes this very easy. Set the camera in Aperture priority mode, with the aperture set wider for shallow depth of field and smaller for a greater depth of field.
Use a tripod. The Manfrotto Modo is literally perfect for this camera and will let you get all the way down to the ground for macro shots or up to or above eye level depending on your height; it’s affordable and lightweight with a great joystick handle and bubble level built in. Any tripod will do for HDR with the G11.
In the menu, select autobracketing and increase the range of the 3 shots it will take to -2, 0 and +2 exposure stops. Then, click the timer button and select a 2-second timer delay. Those two steps are key, and you have to select them again each time you turn the camera back on. Getting a 4-stop latitude with 3 exposures will give you great results for HDR. Using a 2-second timer with your tripod eliminates the need for a remote or cable release to keep the camera absolutely still when taking the 3 exposures, which it fires off automatically in autobracket mode.
I shoot JPEGs at the half-resolution Large setting, which gives you big images with smaller file sizes. I know some photographers also recommend shooting RAW + JPEG for HDR, but right now I am not doing that. I expect it would give me more latitude in editing, so I may try that in the future. Right now, I use auto-white balance, which is fast and accurate. I also use Aperture priority to make sure the depth of field does not change when it’s taking my 3 autobracket exposures.
That’s it. Now you can take your 3-shot sets back to the computer, and open them up in your HDR software to make your composite. I use Photomatix Pro, which is generally regarded as the best HDR software. [...] has a great tutorial on HDR and you can get a discount code for the software there. With Photomatix, you don’t really need to use Photoshop; however, if you already own Photoshop CS2 or higher you can “merge to HDR” your three photos and then do tone mapping. Photomatics does all that with just two buttons, and has lots of sliders for tweaking the results. Trey Ratcliff also recommends noise reduction software after tone mapping an HDR; I haven’t gotten that yet, but with the right tweaking you might not need it.
The G11 has a bunch of presets for different shooting conditions. I have never seen a camera with modes like “Aquarium,” “Fireworks,” and “Underwater” but the G11 has them. It shoots SD video, but it’s higher resolution than most SD video I have seen. Not HD, but close. It has many of the features of a DSLR, but costs much less than a DSLR with comparable features. I debated getting this or the Nikon D40, but went with the Canon G11 because it has autobracketing, which the D40 does not.
The smaller, lighter Canon Powershot S90 is $100 cheaper than the G11, has an actual control ring around the lens, and is a lot more low profile, but has all the same features except an actual viewfinder and no swivel LCD. It’s easier to carry around, but seems like it would be just a little harder to use because it has a pop-up flash where you would want to hold it with your left hand, and the other option is to hold it with your thumb over part of the LCD screen. Also, without the swivel LCD, it’s harder to get low or ground shots or over-the-head shots. That said, it’s the same camera basically as the G11, and that includes the DIGIC 4 processor, which is the same used by the $2,700 Canon 5D Mark II. The G11 and S90 also use CCD sensor chips, which are a little better than most CMOS chips, and with the DIGIC 4 processor you get better low-light performance out of them.
For a more all-inclusive review of the G11, I recommend Ken Rockwell’s excellent website, where he has reviews on just about every camera and lens Nikon or Canon have made plus many others.
To sum up, I am very satisfied with my G11 Powershot. It is a suitable DSLR replacement for most photography opportunities, and produces great results for HDR compositions. Here’s a link to my small Flikr HDR collection; and as always, there are much better examples of HDR out there, but this is what I’ve been able to do in just a few days with the G11:[...]
Again, here’s a great tutorial on HDR Photography: [...]
5 Stars Sweet Travel or General Purpose Camera!
I have owned a number of Canon G cameras including the G3 and G9. I think this is a very worthy successor to the line. After a month of ownership, about 750 pictures and thousands of miles travelled with it, I can report that I am very pleased with it. My primary needs for this camera are something compact that I can throw in a carry on bag for travel or something that I can conveniently grab at home for a party or for Internet images. It must have excellent image quality, offer advanced features and controls and accept an external flash. The G11 meets all of these requirements and offers a few bonus features such as a built in ND filter, very good video (but non-HD which I don’t care about) and a superb swivel display.
I find camera operation very straightforward and I really appreciate the abundance of dials for ISO, Exposure Compensation, Modes and more. For me, it feels faster than software menus and is easily double checked visually. Power up is fast as is autofocus and I have rarely found myself waiting for the camera to catch up to me. This makes it well suited for travel or child photography where you must seize the moment. The lens range is excellent, particularly the wide end of 28 mm which again is very useful for travel where you may be shooting in tight interiors or trying to capture groups of people or large vistas. As with all lenses of this type, there is noticeable barrel distortion at the wide end which is correctable in post processing. Shooting small product images for auctions or sharing on the Internet is easy with the macro mode and the swiveling screen. The flash does a fair job of throttling down for close range. Macro shots might work better with a bounced external flash such as the 270EX though. Speaking of the 270EX, it makes a perfect mate for this camera because it is so small but still offers bounce capability. I am able to squeeze it into the Tamrac travel case that I use for the camera.
The creative possibilities with the G11 are tremendous since output is really very good and the artistic control and features are so comprehensive. Kudos to Canon for the brave move of downsizing the megapixel count and focusing on image quality. The improvement in ISOs above 80 is very significant - I used it repeatedly at ISO 400 on a recent trip. With my old G9 I would not have considered using this setting because of the cost in image noise and quality. Battery life in my experience is very good and reliability overall for the camera looks promising since I used it in rain, sub-zero and hot temperatures without a hitch.
If there are any drawbacks to the camera for me, they are that the controls are a little crowded for my average male hands and the multipurpose rotary dial on the back could use improvement, it is too cramped and spins too easily. The camera is otherwise so good that I don’t mind working around this.
5 Stars Canon G11 Terrific Camera
This camera has great features and controls. It has great manual controls and the ease of changing white balance is very handy. I seem to always take a great picture every time. The color swap and color accent are very creative options. My canon 5D is a great camera, not as handy and not always with me like the G11. The 5D doesn’t have many of the features either that are found on the G11. The image quality is excellent! At 3200 ISO the grain makes an impressionist image. All the controls are in the right place making shooting in the dark easy. ( you may say I am shooting in the dark now) If you compare it to a pro level Canon with an L series lens it is a bit unfair ….. you can’t put it in your pocket…if its not with you you miss the shot! Get the point? and shoot!
5 Stars So glad I bought this!
After comparing my friend’s pictures with the G10 to my older Canon point and shoot, I decided I wanted a better camera. I bought the Canon PowerShot G11. I do a lot of travelling and I want to take great pictures suitable for framing. I read the book a few times and practiced before I went on vacation to New Zealand. I took several “money shots” and the camera worked perfectly. The zoom is incredible. I also like using the features under “Program” setting, like enhancing greens and blues. I ordered the Magic Lantern guide for the G11 and I hope this will give me even more tips on how to take great photos. I consider this to be a good camera for someone who is getting more serious about digital photography. I have no regrets buying this camera. You should do it! I bought it on Amazon.com. Oh- I also recommend buying the Sandisk Extreme III HD 8 MB card.Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch articulating LCD
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