Canon PowerShot G12 Digital Camera (High Sensitivity 10 MP, 5x Zoom) 2.8 Inch Vari-angle Purecolor LCD

I'm a professional photographer and brought this camera for those occasions when lugging around a 5+kg DSLR/lens combo just isn't practical.

So after much interent research (as we all do these days) I decided to go for the G12 and am very pleased I did. I also own the Lumix LX3 but the G12 feels so much nicer to hold and use and the manual controls are a dream (no fiddly menu system).

The inclusion again of the front jog wheel is genius (why did Canon ever remove it?!?!) and the ability to use my flashguns and ST-E2 on the hot shoe are just an added bonus.

Image quality is fantastic and noise is kept in check even at higher ISO settings for a sensor this small. Of course it's not going to out-perform a 1D MkIV with a £1.5K prime lens but that's the compromise for portability.

It may be that I'm too used to large DSLRs but it doesn't feel that big to me either and fits in my trouser pocket just fine. Perhaps I just have big trousers!

I do have a great selection of cameras, Canon 7D, Lumix TZ 20, Leica V-Lux 2 plus a couple more, so I was initially hesitant to buy this camera as it sort of looked like overkill. Yet having owned the never failing G2 for nearly a decade I finally took the plunge.

First of all I fell in love with the looks, and you really need to hold one to really understand why.... the retro style knobs and little orange lights indicating the settings really got the better of me. Just a glance at the top of the camera and you can see and set the ISO, shutter speed and exposure. The camera still sports the canon DSLR like dial on the rear and another one just in front of the shutter release.

Yet having said that, we do buy cameras ultimately for image quality. And all I could say when looking at the pics was WOW!! This camera has got such a great IQ, and unless you go to full size view, you could find yourself wondering whether the pics are from the 7D or the Canon G12, which costs a fraction of a half descent lens for a DSLR.

This is really a great camera, no wonder it holds its price. It is and feels rock solid, and is truly a masterpiece of technology.

The viewfinder is not a digital one, so really it does not see through the lens,(no information is displayed on it either) which could result in some close up photos being offset, yet once you go beyond a few meters than this tends to become more accurate. I personally hate digital viewfinders, as they do tend to tire the eye. The fold-able screen is packed with all the details you could wish for. (not touch screen)

This is a great camera for pros as it really compliments a DSLR. It is also very appealing to the enthusiast, who wants total control over his shots (even though the auto mode copes extremely well).

The G12 does offer loads of features which can be looked up on dpreview or other sites, yet I would like to mention the miniature mode which produces some great effects.

Whenever I read a review of a camera, my main priority is image quality, as its useless to have a gazillion of features yet so and so quality.

All I can say is that this little jewel will perform and live up to your expectations. The added DSLR features are a great bonus.

If I had to loose this camera I would get another G12 without hesitating.

I do hope that this unbiased review could guide you in selecting the right camera for your needs, and wish you happy shooting :)

Thought long and hard over this. Wanted compact so was looking at LX5, GF1, Canon S95 and the G12. Finally decided on G12. It is not exactly compact but loved the chunky feel of this little brick. Build is excellent apart from slight niggle about control dial on rear of camera. Using as point and shoot gives very good results but really gets interesting when you realise that this is a serious little camera. Jpegs good but for best results use RAW setting. Very useful ISO range. LCD screen excellent in bright and low light, viewfinder is ok but field of view is limited especially when using filter adapter. Focus fast and accurate with various settings including focus check,lock, face select. Do spend time to learn how to fully exploit all the buttons, dials, menus crammed into this camera and you will realise that you have got yourself a bit of a bargain and enjoy this great little camera. So if you want to move up from a point and shoot or have a DSLR and lots of lenses and dont want to lug all that kit around buy the G12