SPECIFICATIONS:
- SENSOR: 12.1 megapixel111.7-type
- CMOS sensor,
- SENSOR ZOOM AND OPTICS:6.1-
- 30.5mm,F1.8-2.8
- ISO RANGE:ISO 80-12800
- PHYSICAL DIMENSION: 4.20 x 2.99 x
- 1.58 in.I 106.6 x 75.9 x 40.1mm
- WEIGHT:12.4 oz.I 352g
- STORAGE USED: SD I SDHC I SDXC
WHAT’S HOT:
- Flexibility of key settings on a compact camera
- Good photo quality
- Good video and audio quality
- Battery Life
WHAT’S NOT:
- Overheating after an extended period of use
BOTTOMLINE:
The Canon Powershot G15 is a digital camera that let’s you shoot like a pro without carrying around the bulk of a DSLR.ease and comfort.
Being part of the art team,the higher-ups gave me the honor of taking the newest member of Canon’s Powershot G series,the G15, out for a spin. The G15 marked the first time I had ever gotten my hands on a prosumer camera, but fortunately, getting used to it was easier than I thought. I have always shot either with an analog or digital SLR, and my initial opinion was that it was like shooting with a full DSLR, minus the weight. Almost as small as my palm,the G15 handled most, if not all,my shooting needs, while managing to fit in my everyday purse.
I prefer to shoot in manual, so the direct access dials and buttons placed on the right side ofthe camera puts all the controls within reach.The controls are simple and straightforward,giving you complete control of the camera’s settings. Beside the shutter button are:(a) the mode dial,which can be easily accessed by your index finger,should you decide to switch models;and (b) the exposure compensation dial, which you can easily tweak with your thumb. Adjusting other settings in Manual Mode is a breeze.The shutter speed dial sits just above the camera’s grip,and the aperture dial rests beside the screen.If you’re either in aperture or shutter speed priority,however,the only dial you have to fumble with is the one beside the grip.The dials are strategically placed and easy to access,so alii had to worry about was composing my shot and getting the light exposure right.
The G15 has a nicely-textured rubber grip and thumb rest,just like other Canon units,which makes holding the camera steady easy, even for harder-to-compose shots. The aperture dial right beside the screen is the same control by which you access the other functions of the camera,such as playback and Movie Mode.The G15 also gives you a dedicated menu button for your system and shooting settings and the easy-access function button controls everything else you might need,such as image type,digital filters,white balance and the like.
Key features such as fast lens and optical zoom are reintroduced with the G15.You also get a 1.8 maximum aperture and 5x optical zoom that’s great for macro shooting.
Autofocus is fast and accurate most of the time,except in very few low light conditions.Manual focusing, accessed through the direct button on the directional pad,is as easy as scrolling up and down to determine the sharpest point in your scene.
The G15 lets you compose your shots on its fixed 3.0-inch LCD screen. The articulating screen has, unfortunately,been left out of this update.It still has great viewing angles,though,so it’s no problem. I find less use for the optical viewfinder as there is usually a slight problem with parallax.
The image and video quality are good. The colors are vibrant without being overly saturated and image noise only starts to be an issue starting at ISO 1600.The G15 is able to take videos in 1920×1080 Full HD at 24 frames per second.The only thing that left me a bit irked was the continuous autofocusing the camera does when shooting video,as I was shooting a very jumpy musical act. Other than that little issue,everything was good, including the audio quality.With today’s fad of instant image effects, thanks to lnstagram and the like,those who like playing around with their images will enjoy the myriad of image effects featured in the G15.
You get Fish-eye,toy Camera,Soft Focus and Monochrome on top of a few other features.Just turn your mode dial to the Creative Filters mode and go crazy. The G15 tends to overheat at an extensive period of use.I first noticed this when I was taking pictures the day I received the device, but it became most obvious when I brought the camera to cover a show.The G15 was already getting unusually warm while I was taking pictures of the second act. By the time I had started taking videos of my favorite act in the finale,it started to overheat to the point that I had to shut it down for a while.Putting its heating issues aside,the G15 is quite a warrior,and I was never left wanting for more juice despite all the activities I had this holiday season.
It’s obvious that G-series cameras are designed for the advanced photographer,although I can confidently say that it will take very little time for the average Joe to get used to the device.The G15’s flexibility let me shoot whichever way I needed, with amazing picture and video quality. Because ofthese and all the other features crammed into such a small device,I wouldn’t mind keeping it as a personal on-the-go camera.
First Published in Gadgets Magazine February 2013
Words by Cla Gregorio