Canon PowerShot G9

Auto Mode (8.75)
The Canon PowerShot G9’s Auto mode is easy to find. It is labeled in green against the black mode dial while the rest of the options are labeled in white. When in the Auto mode, the Function menu is limited to image size and compression.

When in Auto mode, the multi-selector omits Manual Focus and the Burst mode. Exposure compensation is not available either, but users who want to tweak the exposure can enter the Program mode, which offers a little more functionality. Along with the Program mode, Shutter Speed and Aperture Priority modes provide a nice transition to the Manual mode.

Movie Mode (7.25)
The G9 has several Movie modes and many of the same features as the $499 Canon PowerShot S5 IS, but just doesn’t perform quite as well in this respect. The S5 is marketed as a hybrid model with its functional 12x optical zoom lens. The G9, on the other hand, has a shorter 6x optical zoom lens that locks when movies are being recorded. The 2x digital zoom is functional, but makes subjects in videos look like moving piles of colored blocks.

The Motion JPEG files are recorded at resolutions of 1024 x 768, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120 pixels for up to one hour or 4 GB. Don’t get too excited about the high-resolution 1024 x 768 pixels, though: it only records 15 frames per second (fps), so it looks very choppy. The standard 640 x 480 pixels look much better at 30 fps. There are two frame rate options in the standard Movie mode: 30 fps and 30LP fps. The "LP" stands for "long play" and compresses the video files so videos can be recorded for twice as long. There is a trade-off, though; the LP resolution video looks like details have been smoothed over.

The same frame rate options are available at 320 x 240 pixels. A compact Movie mode records 160 x 120 pixels for up to three minutes at a choppy 15 fps; this is designed for e-mail.

Color Accent and Color Swap Movie modes are available with the standard 640 and 320-size options, but these aren’t incredibly useful. They are fun to play with, but are a bit of a frivolous inclusion on the high-end G9.

Other features available in Movie mode include optical image stabilization, with its Continuous mode that keeps small bumps from reaching the recorded video. Also available is the face detection feature, which superimposes boxes around faces in the movie and properly exposes them.

There is a Time Lapse Movie mode for photographers who want to record slow-moving objects. A picture is taken at 640 x 480-pixel resolution at a selectable interval of one or two seconds for up to two hours. Most PowerShot digital cameras include this feature.

The Canon PowerShot G9’s Movie mode allows users to manually adjust white balance, Color mode, and ND filter. The G9 has excellent audio, although it doesn’t have the stereo audio and vast audio options the Canon S5 offers. The G9’s monaural audio still sounds good, though.

The actual video quality is decent. Like many compact digital cameras, there are some problems when alternating dark and light objects cross the frame – for example, cars driving by. The metering changes are based on the center unless the face detection setting is engaged. Colors are also quite oversaturated, even in normal lighting. See the video performance section in Testing/Performance portion of this review for a more detailed analysis.

Drive / Burst Mode (6.0)
The Canon PowerShot G9 has a less than impressive Burst mode than the G7, but that might be partially due to its massive 12.1-megapixel files. The burst snaps away at 1.5 fps, the same pedestrian rate as the 8-megapixel Canon S5. There is a Continuous Shooting AF mode that focuses before each shot but is even slower, at 0.7 fps.

The view in the two continuous shooting modes freezes, as is common in compact digital cameras. To fix this, Canon included a Continuous Shooting LV (Live View) mode that keeps the live view functioning and shoots at 0.8 fps. It is only available in the Fireworks scene mode or when the manual focus is enabled. The caveat to this is that the focus is fixed, but it is fixed in the standard Continuous mode, as well. The live view keeps the feed going rather than freezing on the previously taken image, like in the other modes, but the LCD screen still blacks out for a split second between each shot.

Burst mode is accessible from the bottom of the multi-selector, as is the self-timer. The self-timer scrolls through basic 2 and 10-second options and has a custom option that can be set in the Recording menu. The delay can be adjusted to 0 to 30 seconds with 1 to 10 shots taken at the end of that delay. This is a nice feature for family reunions where it’s a good idea to take a few group shots to ensure subjects’ eyes are open and they are smiling.

Playback Mode (8.0)
Playback mode is accessible by pushing a rectangular button on the back of the camera; there is no access from the mode dial. The dedicated button makes it easier and faster to get from the Playback mode back to shooting.

Viewing images on the 3-inch LCD screen is a treat. The resolution is fabulous and the viewing angle is so wide that images can be viewed from almost any position. The Canon PowerShot G9’s large LCD makes it possible to gather a crowd of friends around for a slide show.

Slide shows can be played via the Playback menu. There isn’t music to play in the background like on some cameras, but there are three transition effects and a host of options to select which pictures or movies to play.

Pictures can be viewed individually or as index screens of nine shots, and scrolled through using the multi-selector or the much more comfortable rotary dial. The designated jump button to the upper right of the multi-selector makes it easy to navigate through lots of pictures. It allows users to move to the 10th or 100th image or view movies, categorized files, dates, and folders. Pictures can be categorized via the LED-adorned button in the upper left corner of the back.

Individual pictures can be magnified 2 to 10x using the zoom control. They can be automatically rotated, if desired, by activating the feature in the Setup menu.

Most options are outlined in the Playback menu, shown below.

A new addition to Canon’s Playback menu is the "range" selection feature, which allows users to easily select batches of pictures for deletion and categorizing. Instead of checking a box on for every picture to be deleted, users can mark the first and last pictures in a series, which will then automatically mark all in between.

The Red-Eye Correction feature works surprisingly well. It automatically places a frame over eyes and then darkens them. Users can also manually add frames to eyes to start the red-eye elimination process. The new files can overwrite the old ones or be saved separately.

Sound memos of up to 60 seconds can be added by pushing the button in the upper right corner of the camera’s back. Although the audio is monaural, unlike the S5’s stereo audio, the quality is still decent.

Videos can be played back with audio at normal speed or in slow motion. There is also some primitive editing available; users can cut the beginning or end of movie files and save them separately or overwrite the old file.

There is an image inspection tool, but it is difficult to find and barely covered in the included owner’s manual. Here is the scoop; pushing the display button several times cycles through information and a histogram, and then to the image inspection tool. This is only used with pictures taken with the face detection activated. A tiny thumbnail of the entire image appears in the upper left corner of the LCD screen, and boxes show where the faces are. The boxed face is magnified in a larger view in the lower right corner; users can scroll through multiple faces by pushing the set button or magnify the view of the face with the zoom control. This tool makes checking focus a quick task – if you know where to find it.

Overall, the Playback mode has all the basic features and adds a few effects in its menu. The enormous LCD screen with wide viewing angle enhances the playback experience and is a real asset to the G9.

Custom Image Presets (7.5)
There aren’t any independent Scene modes on the mode dial; they are all grouped in the "SCN" position on the dial. The Scene modes can be accessed easily by rotating the rotary dial when in the SCN position. Like the G7, the G9 has 16 Scene modes: Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, Indoor, ISO 3200, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, and Color Swap.

The ISO 3200 Scene mode shrinks the image size to 1600 x 1200 pixels, which is unfortunately small. Other modes allow more flexibility, though.

In the Function menu, only the image size and compression can be changed. The Recording menu is also shortened to include basics like digital zoom and image stabilization. Exposure compensation is still accessible from its designated button.