Informal Review of the Canon G11

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By nature, I am not usually satisfied with point-and-shoot pictures.  I love having control of my images and like being able to shoot where and when I want.  I cannot stand the built-in flash and red-eye that occur when using these small pieces of equipment. So why even bother?  I decided I wanted one for convenience and I could not stand the one I won last year in a contest.  I gave it to my husband after it just sat in a drawer.

Much to my husband’s dismay, after researching through Facebook and Twitter, I decided to buy the Canon G11 point and shoot.  I have been getting questions daily about this decision, so I thought I would do a super informal review. You can find formal ones all over the internet.

It arrived just in time for my trip to Disney World in December. And while I cringed at the thought of leaving behind my Canon 5D MKII, I decided to take the plunge. Once I left for the airport, there was no turning back.

Pros:

  • I could give it to my husband or others and get in photos (wait – maybe that is not a pro…)
  • Much better on a rainy day – it poured all day while at the Magic Kingdom.  While the camera is not tiny, it was small enjoy to go in my purse, under a poncho.  I would not have brought my Canon 5D MKII out in this non-stop downpour.
  • Fun angles with the tilt view finder.
  • If I want to shoot manual, I can.
  • Shoots RAW. Huge plus for me.

Cons:

  • It is still a point and shoot – still red eye if indoors with flash.
  • Not great at high ISOs. I would say ISO 400 is use-able, but beyond that, I was not overly happy.
  • Flash is really flashy, even when I dialed it down.
  • Though you can felt full manual, I did not want to.  I knew it would not do what my SLR would and I decided “when in Rome…”

So what is my verdict? I am very glad I bought the Canon G11.  I think in certain situations I will use it.  I do feel it is better than many P&S cameras I have owned. I like the fact that I can shoot RAW (and I did) and that I could shoot manual (though I mainly used Aperture Priority). But do not expect to see me selling my SLR and lenses.

And as for how I edited these? I ran them through Lightroom to correct basic exposure and white balance.  Then I batched them.  Normally when I batch, I use Autoloader, and edit after I run the Big Batch Action.  But in this case, I ran them through and let them close.  I wanted to see if I could let myself give up that control, since after all they are just snapshots.  And I did.  I was very proud of myself for that.

Spaceship Earth – the girls’ favorite ride…

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At Epcot, in China, making masks…

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Jenna outside the Magic Kingdom, minutes before it started and never stopped raining the entire day.

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Jenna riding the Magic Carpet, over and over.  The ride was empty.

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Jenna in the pool.  It was just 60 degrees. Not exactly pool weather, but…

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A night shot…  My father-in-law took it. I would not have had this shot with me in it if I had not bought a point and shoot.  Everyone in my family is scared of my “big camera.”

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Yes, Ellie, who just turned 8, and who is just over 40 pounds, went on Space Mountain! I would have missed this shot if I had brought my SLR instead (due to the rain).

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At the airport, before we knew we would be stuck overnight there…

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  1. Brad on January 7, 2010 at 10:15 am

    Nice post. Thanks for sharing the info and the pics, too. Looks like y’all had a blast there.

  2. misc. on January 7, 2010 at 10:50 pm

    Love the article!

  3. Kristin on January 8, 2010 at 2:41 am

    I’ll never be without a tiny camera. I currently have the SD1200 IS which has nothing manu & no RAW, but I love it. Goes everywhere, can pass it off to anyone to use, does a mighty fine job on what it’s built for. I can’t see me giving away my 1DIII or other dslrs but for everyday poking around fun? Love it!

  4. a thorn among roses on January 8, 2010 at 9:01 am

    wow…now i must make plans earlier to go the world…the girlies are all begging. hmmmm…maybe i can write it off as a business expense? no. fine. i guess we’ll just do it ourselves. great fun.

  5. MCP Actions on January 8, 2010 at 9:25 am

    You are welcome. Glad it was helpful. We have tons of fun.

  6. Jonathan Golden on January 8, 2010 at 10:42 am

    I appreciate this review and your real examples with how you processed them. I need a P&S camera because a DSLR is just to much to carry around all day on vacation. The G11 seems like the perfect balance between great images and camera size/weight. Now, I need to find room in the budget for one!

  7. Jennifer on January 9, 2010 at 8:17 am

    I love the review…I used to have a G series and loved it! Good to have a p&s on vacay with the family…especially to Disney! Which, by the way, where was the picture taken of your family (at the mouse ears). I have been to the World many times but don’t remember seeing that! Thanks!

  8. MCP Actions on January 9, 2010 at 9:10 am

    Jennifer, the mouse ears are at the contemporary hotel in the back.

  9. Pheobe on January 10, 2010 at 10:34 pm

    I just got a G-11 myself and as I have not had a chance to dive into it yet or even study the manual, I do like it. It was good to hear your take on it. I agree about the ISO, it is much more grainy then my SLR’s. I also don’t like the way they have the controls right there making it hard to hold, always accidently pushing a button that i didn’t want to.. This is basically my first point and shoot worth owning and it is nice because I take more pictures now already just because it is more convienient.

  10. Shari on January 11, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    I have tried all the Canon G models (except for the G11)and have never been happy with them. I wish they would improve their high iso performance. That is the one thing that I just really don’t like. I use the Lumix LX3 and LOVE it. The only major drawback is lack of a zoom lens… but the sharpness of the leica lens on it makes up for it… for me anyway! 🙂 Thanks for the review! Now I know not to mess with buying the G11.

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