Canon G12: the prosumer digital camera

This year’s spring brought us 2 cameras from the G series the G2 and the G10, addressed to different targets. It only took a few months until Canon came out with a new G model which is in the competition in one of the most competitive niche markets: prosumer compact.

The G12 is the successor of the G11. Even if I had not mentioned this it would have been very easy to notice because both models seem to have the exact same design. Canon preferred to be traditional here in order to reduce manufacturing costs so it could concentrate on the technical specs.

Technical specs

Canon G12 makes photos with the help of the 10 MP CCD sensor which offers a 5x optical zoom and a focal distance of 28-140mm. For white balance the camera uses 8 predefined settings, but you can also select your own values: Automatic, Cloudy, Custom, Daylight, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Tungsten, Underwater and Flash. Along with JPEG, photos can also be saved in RAW format, and their maximum resolution is of 3648 x 2048 pixels.

G12, Canon's weapon for prosumer market

One of the G12’s great points is the presence of the HDR function, which allows a significant diversity of brightness in a photo, whether we are talking about a sunset or its direct rays.

Images can be previewed on the 2.8 inch diagonal LCD, which has the advantage of being telescopic which eases maneuverability from the point of view of the user quite a lot.

Video clip fans will appreciate the possibility to record in HD format, an option that is slowly becoming a standard in high quality cameras. The Canon G12 records in 720p format (1280×720, 24 or 30 frames per second). Unfortunately the format is less inspired: .MOV, specific to the QuickTime player, a less used player in the present.

Data storage is done exclusively through SD (SD and SDHC) cards. Canon decided not to use the xD format while also not offering Compact Flash compatibility. In any case the availability of SD cards on the market is sufficiently big not to produce any problems here.

Rear view of Canon G12

A camera from the prosumer compact niche has to have a specific simplicity. The size of the G12 is one characteristic to this niche: 48.3 x 112.1 x 76.2 mm. In addition to this its weight of only 350 grams will never put problems when using the device.

The LCD screen has pivot function

Availability and price

The price of the new Canon G12 is $499 retail box, not the cheapest compact DLSR camera but, on the other hand, the price will represent an important factor in the client’s decision (for one that looks at a DSLR but finds it too prohibitive), especially in today’s economic context and the powerful offers coming from Nikon and Panasonic in this niche market.

Canon G12 comprehensive video review: