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Canon PowerShot G5 5MP Digital Camera w/ 4x Optical Zoom

Canon PowerShot G5 5MP Digital Camera w/ 4x Optical Zoom

List Price: $799.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: disappointed
Review: I bought this camera to replace a 2mp camera that allowed no control over aperture and speed and to give me the greater resolution that would allow larger than 8x10 prints. I was very pleased with the menu structure and layout of the controls but I was very surprised to see the lens barrel visible through the optical viewfinder, obscuring the lower left part of a shot unless the camera is zoomed in. The lens is outstanding, and shots taken at ISO 50 are wonderfully free of noise even in low light. What killed the camera for me is the autofocus. For some reason it often has a hard time finding focus. In several situations from macro to landscape and at various light levels the autofocus would hunt for seconds and then occasionally would give up and lose focus entirely. The conditions mentioned in the manual that might cause difficulty with focus were not present. Of course, I could focus manually but that can be a tedious task using the LCD display (and not just with this camera), especially in bright light. The camera has a good feel and is easy to use but I finally gave it up from the frustration with focus. I bought an Olympus C-5050 which is not quite so easy to use but the autofocus is rapid and reliable. I frequently see a shot where I must get the camera out and on it quickly and the G5 couldn't be counted on.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Look elsewhere
Review: I am huge Canon fan and have found the G5 disappointing -- Pros: Compact body, good battery, EOS dial features, up to 1GB memory, works with Speedlite EX flashes, good stop action photos, good menus, good electronics. Cons: The higher ASA does not work. Flash, particularly EX needed to shoot indoor photos, lots of grain, viewfinder gets the lens in the window! This camera needs a lot of lite to get a crisp image, indoors or out. Focus is soft. I had a digital elph S100 and found that to be better focus. Get an Elph or SLR but bypass the G5. This hybrid is lacking.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Canon G5
Review: Wasn't sure if I wanted to buy the camera due to critical information that people have gave the product dissing it and giving bad opinions so I talked to a few professional photographers on the G5 and they had said it was well worth the money for being the best Digital advanced point and shoot so far by Canon,having 12 Eos based features as well.
As an amateur photographer I have no regrets at all, it is an awesome camera!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Disappointed me when i opened the box.
Review: Not only do i agree with the cons of this camera expressed from the other reviewers, the thing that disappointed me the most is that there is not even a simple case for such an expensive camera. A case is absolutely necessary for this camera and now because it is not included, i have to go to a store again, which i don't like because i am a busy person. In addition, one of my friends spent a great deal less money on an other brand camera but gave me much better quality pictures(i compared all the pictures in my computer). Because of all these reasons, i do not suggest buying this camera with such a high price until it is improved.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great camera!
Review: I upgraded from a Kodak DC280, which I loved. Kodak just didn't make anything that I felt was an upgrade to the 280. I compared all brands on market and went with this one. I am very happy so far.

The zoom and clarity is great. There is alot to learn as far as the functions go, but that is to be expected. It does have a pretty easy "point & shoot" capability also.

I wouldn't suggest this camera for a digital camera beginner, but it is a very nice upgrade for someone with a little more knowledge and higher expectations.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: full featured "compact" digicam with 5MP!
Review: this is a full-featured camera that you use as a point-and-shoot and still have the flexibility to be more creative when you want. this fills the niche between the excellent canon s50 5MP digicam and the d-SLRs.

pros:
- excellent resolution from a small lens - 5MP power!
- 4x optical zoom
- good metering and good tonal balance - maintains shadow detail
- good natural light white balance, strong and balanced colours
- allows control over cameras internal processing algorithms - saturation, tone, sharpness
- fast lens (F2.0 - F3.0)
- low noise at ISO 50 (keep in mind that ISO 50 for this camera is actually ISO 100 for everyone else; likewise, ISO 100 is in reality closer to ISO 200, etc)
- shooting priority play mode - simply half-press the shutter during playback and you're ready to shoot
- impressive range of manual controls
- very good shot-to-shot times, considering the larger files due to the higher resolution
- nice metallic black finish - i definitely prefer this to the silver finish of other compact cameras
- great fold-out LCD: nice and bright PLUS it folds away when not in use (less likely it'll get scratched)
- fairly good startup time, especially for an extending lens camera
- the manual focus has magnified loupe and ruler readout
- flexible continuous shooting modes (buffer after processing)
- RAW file format maintains 12-bits of data
- ability to turn JPEG shot into RAW during record review
- Compact Flash Type I/II and official Microdrive support
- voice annotation feature
- has a hot-shoe that allows the use of an external flash
- invervalometer (time lapse capability)
- AF assist lamp works well
- has an included IR remote control
- nice optional accessory portfolio to choose from
- excellent battery life
- USB connectivity

cons:
- where's the nine-point AiAF that's standard in Canon's own S50?
- you'll need to remove from tripod to open the battery/CF compartment
- AF Assist lamp doesn't have enough power at telephoto zoom
- viewfinder partially obstructed by lens barrel
- zoom controller does not have enough steps / multiple zoom speed

you would choose the G5 over over the s50 if you value flexibility over compactness (and you don't want to go all the way to the d-SLR range).

you would choose this over the G3 because of the higher resolution, which more than makes up for the higher noise levels of the G5.

this is a fantastic camera - highly recommended. enjoy!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Save money and get yourself a G3 or Nikon 4500
Review: All the hype about DIGIC and G5 is just that..The ISO settings at 200 or 400 don't really work well..the photos are grainy in low light when compared to a Nikon 4500.
Canon has taken a step back with G5. I am not impressed with the feature set at all

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent camera
Review: Excellent Camera for advanced hobbiest. I've had it for 2 months now and love it to death compared to my G2. Pictures are great at ISO 50 and 100 but noisy above that. Camera allows full manual control for great pictures but the auto features are lacking somewhat. If you like manual control and great pictures, but can't afford a dSLR, then this is it. If you're looking for a point and shoot auto mode camera you shouldn't even be in this price range anyway.

joe

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Canon G5 is GREAT
Review: I got my Canon G5 on 7-23-03 and I love it. I took some photos as a test to compare it to my Canon G1. WOW, what a difference.
The depth of field has improved a LOT. Now, you can photograph the same road, and see a 1/2 mile down the road in clear focus rather than a blurry end. You can pick out license plate #s two blocks away from where you took the photo. Ever taken a photo of a purple flower and had it come out blue and awful? I took photos of some purple flowers and they came out crisp and gorgeous deep color purple. Like to photograph insects? WOW, you get to see them CLOSE UP. The macro function is astounding. You can see the detail of fly eyes and misquito wing structure. The detail on my cats teeth is totally awesome using the macro function. I can see every bit of smile and every little scale on his tongue. Like photographing nighttime views over a moonlit water? MAN, it is so awesome using the night scene mode. You can get moonlight over the ocean and buildings lit up over the bay in clear focus with no pixelation. They must have fixed that.
About the fringing and the noise - if you take photos with a film camera, you know how tough it is to get a good photo at dusk or in shadow. The digital camera is doing what you tell it to, if it isn't coming out right, try a different time of day or use the flash! If you are photographing a building against the sun, DUH, it's going to have fringing around the edges. The sky will look white if you photograph an object with the sun behind it. Try using the white balance controls - this camera has so much you can test and try out. Read the manual. Try every function on the camera before you give up. Having trouble focusing? The dumb Conversion Lens Adapter LA-DC58B made especially for the Canon G5 is to blame, in my opinion, because when I take it off, WOW, OMG, the photos are perfect. I think the adapter blocks the focusing beam.

Pros - quality, crisp, clear closeup/macro photos, great depth of field in focus, rich color tones, tons of functions

Cons - a lot to learn in order to use it properly , but the best things in life require work, time, and dedication.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This camera rocks
Review: I don't agree with the review of some people who rated the G5 with very low score. I just bought my Canon G5 and the camera is awesome. The pictures I took with the Canon G5 are very beautiful. Canon in my opinion make some of the best digital camera out there. I use Canon, Nikon and Olympus digital camera before and Canon is by far the best. The only other camera I would be interested in buying is the Canon 10D, but the camera is out of my budget at this very moment. ...


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