Canon powershot G10

The basics

Advanced amateur photographers are a discerning group, and they've flocked to Canon's G-series for its ability to meet and exceed their demands. The third-generation PowerShot G10 is a stunning successor, loaded with uncompromising specs like 14.7 megapixels, a 28mm wide-angle lens, and Canon's DIGIC 4 image processor for notably improved face and motion detection. This is a camera that supports a...

The good

Canon’s semi-pro G-series gets its first wide angle (28mm) camera with optical image stabilisation, and it’s a beauty. Hewn from black metal, the G10 is both war-zone-tough and catwalk-friendly, thanks to a crystal-clear lens, face tracking and (naturally) RAW format shooting. The 5x zoom is optically stabilised for blur-free shots. A new i-contrast feature grabs details from shadows, while the 14.7-megapixel sensor rolls out a red carpet of realistic colours and pixel-perfect detail. The 3-inch LCD is deep and rich enough to dive into, and comes with surprisingly simple menus.

The bad

Now that SLRs have Live View, movie modes and lower price tags, there’s less of a reason to stick with compacts, even ones as well built as the G10. Burst shooting is also sluggish at about 0.7 frames per second, so it’s not ideal for sports photography.

The bottom line

If you’re a pro who needs a second camera or just a gadget-head who demands the best, this camera is for you. No, not you with hefty credit card bill, but you with slightly more dosh than you know what to do with.