Canon PowerShot G2

	*	4 megapixel CCD (3.87 effective) for 2,272 x 1,704 pixel images
	*	Auto, Scene Program, Program, and Manual exposure modes
	*	Unique tilt/swivel LCD panel
	*	Accepts Type II CF cards (MicroDrive compatible)
	*	RGB (vs earlier CMYG) CCD filtration for improved color.

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Manufacturer Overview

Canon U.S.A. has long been a dominant player in the film and digital camera markets, well-known for its high-quality optics, technical innovations, and aggressive product development. Since the beginning of this year (2001), Canon has released a full complement of new digital cameras, all designed and engineered to live up to Canon's competitive standards. On the high end, the PowerShot Pro90 IS incorporates a 3.34-megapixel CCD; 10X optical zoom lens with image stabilization; and no less than 12 (!) EOS-based shooting modes. Canon also introduced two new point-and-shoot digicams for the amateur market -- the PowerShot A10 and A20 -- identical except for their 1.3- and 2.1-megapixel CCDs, respectively. Canon also came through with two new ELPHs -- the 2.1-megapixel PowerShot S300, with a new retractable 3x zoom lens, and more recently, the PowerShot S110, with the same high-quality chip, but a shorter 2x zoom. The ultimate vacation cameras, Canon added an optional underwater housing (safe to depths of 100 feet) and a dye-sub printer kit, the CP-10 Photo Card Printer, which outputs credit-card-size prints directly from the cameras in less than 60 seconds ($199 list).

Canon's latest addition is the PowerShot G2. One of the new generation of 4-megapixel digicams, the PowerShot G2 is an excellent upgrade to Canon's popular G1 model, introduced almost year ago. The G2 offers an impressive range of automatic and manual controls, with a full Auto mode for point-and-shoot simplicity, three preset scene modes for specific shooting situations, and a full Manual mode that allows the user to select from five ISO equivalents and eight white balance settings, set the aperture and shutter speed, determine spot or center-weighted metering, and adjust image contrast, sharpness, and color saturation in-camera. Its improved manual focus function features an automatic spot enlargement area, plus an on-screen distance scale to make focusing clear and simple. You can even select which portion of the image will determine focus and spot metering readings! At less than $900, the PowerShot G2 is sure to be a hit with professionals, corporate users, advanced amateurs, and even beginning photographers who want a high-quality camera they can grow into.


High Points

• 4-megapixel CCD delivering image resolutions as high as 2,272 x 1,704 pixels. (3.87 megapixels effective)
• Real-image optical viewfinder and 1.8-inch, color LCD monitor with swivel design.
• 3x optical zoom, 7-21mm lens (equivalent to a 34-102mm lens on a 35mm camera) with auto and manual focus.
• Three user-selectable focus points.
• Digital telephoto as high as 3.6x.
• Full Automatic, Program AE, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual exposure modes, as well as four preset exposure modes.
• Manually adjustable aperture settings from f/2 to f/8, depending on zoom setting.
• Manually adjustable shutter speed settings from 1/1,000 to 15 seconds.
• Variable light sensitivity: Auto, 50, 100, 200, or 400 ISO equivalents.
• Center-Weighted Average and Spot metering modes, with an adjustable Spot area.
• White Balance adjustment with eight settings.
• Built-in flash with five operating modes.
• External flash hot shoe.
• Continuous Shooting, Stitch-Assist, Auto Exposure Bracketing, and Movie recording modes.
• Contrast, Sharpness, and Saturation adjustment.
• Vivid Color, Normal Color, B&W, and Sepia options.
• Remote control and utilities for operating the camera from a computer.
• JPEG and RAW still image file formats, movies saved as AVI / Motion JPEGs.
• Images saved to CompactFlash Type I or II memory cards, 32MB card included.
• DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compatibility.
• USB cable for high-speed connection to a computer.
• Canon Digital Camera 6.0 software included.
• Powered by Canon BP-511 rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack, with AC adapter included.

Changes from the Canon PowerShot G1
As one of the most popular high-end "prosumer" digicams of the past year, many of our readers may already be quite familiar with the Canon PowerShot G1. The G2 is clearly based on the G1's design, with a very similar body design and control layout. There are a number of enhancements (beyond the obvious 4 megapixel CCD) that have been added though. We address all of these in the text of the review, but for convenience, have also listed them here, in this table we received from Canon technical manager Chuck Westfall. (Thanks, Chuck!)