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Canon PowerShot G10

First Impressions Review

Sep 22, 2008 - By Alfredo Padilla

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Size and Handling
The G10 is larger and heavier than your typical point-and-shoot camera at 4.3 x 3.06 x 1.81 (109 x 78 x 46mm) inches and weighing in at 12.3 ounces (340g). We believe the professional and semi-pro set the camera is targeted at will appreciate the solid feel and heft of the device, however. It should fit easily into most bags and purses and even most jacket pockets. Don't expect to be able to slip it easily into your jean pocket, especially if they're tight jeans. A cargo pants pocket should be sufficient, though.

When holding the camera in your right hand you'll notice the slightly textured front of the camera that gives you a better grip. There's also a small dip right before you get to the lens that makes it more comfortable to hold. The left side of the camera is not as comfortable: with the LCD display going right up to the left edge you'll have to hold your left hand a bit awkwardly to avoid smudging the screen or obscuring your view of the scene.

The main controls are well placed and sit right next to your right thumb when holding the camera. The Exposure Compensation dial on the left can be easily reached with the thumb of your left hand, but it is stiff and a bit difficult to move. We found the placement of the shutter button to be a bit too far from the right side, especially for those with smaller hands. The mode and ISO dials will likely require that you use both a thumb and forefinger to adjust, requiring you to shift your hand, a negative.

The G10 isn't as small as some compacts, but significantly smaller than an SLR.

The Canon PowerShot G10 offer two main menu interfaces. The first is accessed with the center select button of the 4-way, which brings up a menu that allows you to adjust White Balance, My Colors, Bracketing, Flash Output, ND Filter, Quality and Size. The ND Filter is an interesting control that reduces light intensity three stops to allow for slower shutter speed and smaller aperture values. The main menu is accessible via the Menu button and gives you a tabbed interface with the typical selection of options. There's also a favorites menu for quick access to those options you use the most.

The main menu is tabbed and include a favorites section.