Ive purchased the G12 this week. My Ixus 60 was getting a little long in the tooth, and didnt focus properly any more. Maybe i shouldnt have dropped it... Anyway, browsing for a new compact with loads of features brought me to the G12. Its ability to shoot in RAW mode, and the ability to choose a wide range of settings was particularly appealing to me.
Its equipped with a 28-140mm lens with Hybrid IS. It can do some digital zooming, but i avoid that most of the time. In my experience digital zoom usually just adds noise to a photo.
Compared to the 7D it feels really tiny and plasticly, but its very sturdy. I was a bit concerned about the swivel-screen on the back, but i guess Canon knew what they were doing when they designed it. It works great, and is easy to use.
One of the settings for display gives you the entire range of info. Diafragm, Mode, which format you are shooting in, a level, a grid, etc. Very handy. I find myself using it a lot, instead of the viewfinder which i think is too small.
You dont have to dive into the meny to change most of the settings. Everything can be found on top of the camera. Exposure, ISO and shooting mode are at the tip of your fingers. The buttons give a nice "click", so there is little chance of mistakingly changing settings. (Which can happen on the 7D and 5D, for instance.)
One of the big plusses on this little camera is the ability to use one of Canon's flashguns. Since most photographers hate to use the built in flash, either on a DLSR or a compact, a very usefull feature. Files shot in RAW can be processed with Canon's DPP, which is provided on the CD.
I havent really been able to put it thru its paces yet, but here are two shots ive made;
A very nice add-on for my set-up. I have it with me at all times. I also got a Powershot 210IS for the missus, ill get to that one in another post.
