After recently spending some quality
time with the G15 in the Maluti's, our love affair with the G-series is back
on.
With each iteration of Canon’s powerful
G-series compact camera range, there’s another reason to buy one, but also to
adopt a wait and see attitude in anticipation of the next one. In the case of
the G15 it is not only what Canon added, but also what they left out, that made
us love this camera
Cannon
PowerShot G15
Solid improvements
For those who don’t know, the G-series,
along with Nikon’s P7xxx series, is the most powerful compact camera range you
get, adding a host of semi-professional features, such as programmable custom
buttons, to the mix. The latest G15 is a significant step up from the G12 (more
about the G1 X later), bringing along some solid improvements, most notably a
very quick f1.8 lens. This makes it easier to take portraits with a very
shallow depth of field, while also combining well with the high ISO (12 800 max)
settings for excellent low-light performance. There's still no GPS or Wi-Fi
included unfortunately.
Fold-out blessing
It's not often that we're happy about
something that is left out, but with the G15 its lack of fold-out LCD screen
comes as a welcome surprise. We barely used it on the previous models (your
usages might differ though) and it added a surprising amount of bulk to the
camera. Without the screen, the new G15 is in the region of 10% lighter and 20%
smaller - a difference you notice when carrying the G15 in your pants’ pockets
while hiking up a mountain. The fact that the G15 IS so small made It our preferred
tool when on the go. But what about the G1 X you might ask? The PowerShot G1 X
comes with a larger sensor, better battery life and lower noise, but it’s also
significantly larger and more expensive than the G15. For us, the G15 is much
like Heinrich Brussow – solid as a rock, quick off the mark and on hand to grab
pictures where larger cameras find it difficult to operate.
It's
not often that we're happy about something that is left out, but with the G15
its lack of fold-out LCD screen comes as a welcome surprise
To the point
The fact that the G15 is so small made it
our preferred tool when on the go, much more so than a bulky DSLR. With its
fast f1.8 lens, we would not only recommend this for semi-pros looking for a
compact second camera but, also as an alternative for those who are considering
the DSLR market for the first time. A good $466 asking price beats most of the
entry-level DSLR and mirror less offerings.
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specifications
§ Image
Sensor: 12.1 million effective pixels.
§ Sensor: 15mm CMOS.
§ Metering: Evaluative, center-weighted, spot.
§ Lens: f1.8-8.0/6.1-30.5mm (28-140mm as 35 SLR equivalent)
§ Exposure
Modes: Auto, Program AE, manual.
§ Shutter
Speed: 15-1/4000 second.
§ Memory: SD/SDHC/SDXC.
§ Image
Sizes (pixels): Stills: 4000×3000 to 640×480.
§ Movies: 1920×1080, 1280×720, 640×480.
§ Viewfinder: Optical turret and 7.5cm LCD screen (922,000).
§ File
Formats: JPEG, RAW, MPEG4.
§ Color
Space: sRGB.
§ ISO
Sensitivity: Auto, 80 to 12800.
§ Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI mini, AV output, DC input.
§ Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery.
§ Dimensions: 125x87x110 WHDmm.
§ Weight: 352 g (inc card and battery).
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