GE G1

As the digital camera industry matures and some perennial manufacturers drop out (e.g. Konica Minolta), it’s a rare occasion that newcomers arrive on the field. Nevertheless, refrigerator and appliance manufacturer General Electric formed a branch called General Imaging and decided to create its own brand of digital cameras. In its first batch of releases is the GE G1, an ultra-slim model that totes 7 megapixels and an internal 3x optical zoom lens. The tiny, trendy G1 sells for a budget-friendly $199.

Physical Tour

Front (6.0)
The front looks like a cross between a flat Sony T-series digital camera and a shiny black refrigerator. The left side of the front curves ever so slightly to the back to make somewhat of a hand grip, although the surface is so slick that this camera will slide right out of your hands if they’re even a bit sweaty. There is a circular GE logo on the left that certainly reinforces the refrigerator look. In the lower left corner are printed words: "7.0 megapixel G1." The upper right portion of the center of the camera houses the lens unit, surrounded by a square, chrome frame. To the right of the tiny lens is a tiny LED indicator lamp that doubles as an auto focus assist lamp. To the left of the lens is a small flash unit., and below the lens are the printed lens’ specs: "3x optical zoom 6.4-19.2mm 1:3.5-4.3." Echoing the chrome frame around the lens is a larger rectangular chrome frame around the entire front.

Back (6.5)
On the back left side is the 2.5-inch LCD screen. The glass covering the screen protrudes slightly from the body. In the upper right corner is the mode dial with a circular chrome frame and green, red, and white icons. The following modes are located on the dial: Auto, Manual, Panorama, Portrait, Scene, Image Stabilization, Movie, and Playback. There is a small LED to the left of the dial to indicate which mode is currently selected. Below the dial are two small circular buttons that match the color of the camera body; Face detection is on the left and Menu is on the right. Below these buttons is a circular chrome frame that matches the size of the mode dial. This bottom frame surrounds the multi-selector that consists of a central Func/OK button with a donut-shaped selector around it. There are white icons on the black background of the multi-selector to indicate the dual functionality. It navigates through menus and accesses the Exposure compensation from the top, Macro from the right, Self-timer from the bottom, and Flash mode from the left. Below this is a single button labeled with a trash can icon for deletion in Playback mode.

Left Side (6.75)
The chrome frame seen from the front and back is plainly seen here. The chrome covers a half-inch-thick band that wraps around the sides, top, and bottom of the G1. There are two bolts in the chrome material on this side.

Right Side (6.75)
The chrome band is also visible on this side of the G1. There are two bolts and a wrist strap eyelet. Behind the chrome band is a strip of the black material with the mode dial’s chrome ribbed edge poking out. The chrome edge of the multi-selector also peeks out below.

Top (4.0)
The chrome band runs lengthwise on top of the camera and has several features on it. On the right side is the Zoom control, a tiny bump with very small grooves. It resembles a rotating control, rather than one pushed right or left. Its ambiguous look can also be mistaken for the Shutter release button, although that control is larger and placed to its left. To the left of the release button is a small circular Power button. On the left side of the top are an LED indicator and a series of eight holes that make up the microphone grill.

Bottom (5.75)
The chrome band that runs around the frame of the camera is broken by a plastic door on the bottom of the G1. This door accesses the battery and memory cards and slides to the right edge before springing upward. In the center of the bottom is a plastic tripod socket that doesn’t look sturdier than a glob of clay; this will likely be stripped after a few uses. To the left of the socket is a small rubber door with an even smaller divot next to it, theoretically for fingernails to pry open. The problem is the divot isn’t even the width of a fingernail, so it takes serious finagling to open the tiny door. On the far left edge is a small panel with required company and power information, listed in the smallest font possible.