The Canon PowerShot G9, following last year's PowerShot G7 model, is visually very similar to its predecessor -- the only obvious changes being a re-profiling of the handgrip and rear panel. Under the skin, the Canon G9 offers a CCD sensor resolution of twelve megapixels (up from ten in the G7), coupled to the same Canon-branded 35-210mm equivalent 6x optical zoom lens. The Canon G9 includes optical image stabilization, where a lens element is moved inside the lens body to compensate for camera movement. You can frame images with the Canon G9 via its optical zoom viewfinder (an increasingly rare option these days), or on a 3.0-inch LCD display. Optical viewfinders can be rather nice to have, allowing you to save battery life, or get the shot when harsh sunlight makes it harder to see an image on many digicam displays; the LCD will be the better choice when shooting scenes that will be affected by parallax error, or when precise framing is necessary, particularly if using the stabilizer. In addition to the slight boost in sensor resolution that comes from a slightly larger 1/1.7 inches imager, there are some other changes in the Canon G9. The Raw file format is back on the G9, an option that had been removed in the previous model, much to the chagrin of many G-series fans. The Canon G9's LCD display is also half-an-inch larger, at 3.0 inches with 230,000 pixels. The Canon G9's maximum ISO sensitivity is 3,200, although this can only be accessed in a specific scene mode at a lower resolution -- otherwise the limit remains ISO 1,600, as in the previous camera. Other features of the Canon G9 include USB 2.0 connectivity, and SDHC/MMC card storage. The Canon G9 went on sale in October 2007, priced at $500 -- fully $100 below the initial launch price of the PowerShot G7.

 

 

 

Basic Features

12.10 Megapixel sensor

6x optical zoom (35-210mm equivalent)

4x maximum digital zoom

Optical viewfinder

3.0-inch LCD

Full Manual through Automatic exposure control, including Aperture and Shutter Priority and 16 Scene modes plus Stitch Assist

Built-in flash with five modes and an intensity adjustment

External flash hot shoe

ISO sensitivity from 80 to 3,200

Shutter speeds from 1/2,500 to 15 seconds

Max Aperture of f/2.8

SDHC/SD memory card storage (32MB card included)

Lithium Battery Pack NB-2LH

Canon Digital Camera Solution software CD for Mac and PC



Special Features
Canon DIGIC III image processor
Image Stabilization technology to minimize blurring from camera movement
Face Detection autofocus
Continuous shooting mode and Stitch Assist (panorama) shooting modes
Movie recording with sound up to 1,024 x 768 at 15fps
Interval recording at one or two second intervals
Adjustable self-timer for delayed shutter release
Available automatic exposure and flash exposure compensation to ensure correct exposures (Safety Shift and Safety FE options)
My Colors menu for image saturation and color adjustment
Two Custom exposure modes for saving banks of user-set variables
Spot, Center-Weighted, and Evaluative metering modes
Adjustable AF area and manual focus option, plus two AF modes
Removable lens ring accommodates accessory lenses
Focus and Auto Exposure Bracketing modes
Auto ISO setting or 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,600, and 3,200 ISO equivalents (3,200 option only as a special scene mode)
White balance (color) adjustment with auto and seven preset options, plus two custom settings
DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) and PictBridge printing compliance, Canon Direct Print and Bubble Jet Direct compatible
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed

In the Box

The Canon PowerShot G9 ships with the following items in the box:
PowerShot G9 body
Lithium Battery Pack NB-2LH
Battery Charger CB-2LW
32MB MMC Plus Card MMC-32MH
Neck Strap NS-DC6
Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
AV Cable AVC-DC300

Recommended Accessories
Large capacity SD/SDHC memory card. These days, 2GB is a good tradeoff between cost and capacity, but for the G9 you'll want 4-8GB if you can afford it.
Small camera case for outdoor and in-bag protection
Waterproof Case WP-DC21 (to 130 feet)
Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 for wireless flash
External flash like Canon's 580EX or 430EX
2x telephoto and a 0.75x wide-angle accessory lenses
AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC20