Main features
· 10.0 Megapixels
· 6x optical zoom lens with optical Image Stabilizer and SR coating
· DIGIC III and iSAPS with Advanced Noise Reduction and Face Detection AF/AE
· 2.5” high-resolution LCD with wide viewing angle and anti-glare coating
· ISO 1600 for flash-free, low light shooting
· Ergonomic design with dedicated ISO and Multi Control dials for fast, easy operation
· 25 shooting modes including full manual control and 2 custom settings
· Extra telephoto reach with Digital Tele-Converter and Safety Zoom
· Hot shoe support for Canon Speedlite flashes and optional lens accessories
In comparison with the G6 many things have changed regarding the Canon G7. First the resolution is 10 MP not 7 like the Canon G6. The processor has also been changed now it is a Digic III and also optical zoom is longer. The G7 also features image stabilization, wider ISO range, but has los the Raw mode.
Performance
Regarding the responsiveness it is a much improvement over the G6. The focus speed is acceptable, especially given the huge zoom range, but there are faster cameras on the market - even the S3 IS, with twice the zoom range, consistently beats it at the wide end of the zoom. The G7's auto focus is slow in low light or macro mode. Shutter lag when using the LCD is disappointing. The time between pressing the shutter and taking the picture is a very short 0.05 seconds (approx).
Built-in Flash
The built-in flash unit has a specified range of 4.0 m at wide angle and 2.5 m at telephoto (when the ISO is set to auto). The FUNC menu offers a Flash Exposure Compensation setting (-2.0 to +2.0), and the AF illuminator helps focus in low light. The red-eye reduction works ok at shorter distances. The shutter lag when using flash increases to half a second. On a more positive note you can use the flash in continuous (burst) mode.
Chromatic Aberrations
The G7 does suffer from some purple fringing, especially at the wide end of the zoom and in contre-jour situations. Chromatic aberration is also visible at the wide end of the zoom and wide apertures.
Dynamic range
The most important problem with the G7 is it’s dynamic range performance. The clipping is caused by a combination of limited dynamic range, the camera's default tone curve and a tendency to overexposure. You need great care with the exposure and it would also be good to use a lower contrast setting.
ISO and IS
The G7 uses the same 10MP 1/1.8-inch sensor as the other cameras. At ISO 80 and 100 there's plenty of detail. The G7's noise reduction begins to mix in at ISO 200, but it still preserves enough detail. From iso 800 things begin to be quite serious, you loose a lot of detail and 1600 is almost impossible to use.
The optical image stabilization works very good. There are three modes: Continuous (IS on all the time), 'Shoot only' (IS is activated at the moment the exposure is made) and Panning (for horizontally panned shots).
The first option makes framing easier - the IS system steadies the preview image, and we found it more consistently effective at extremes.
Shoot only - is effective when you have the almost correct shutter speed.
You can handheld shoots at almost 5 times slower than normal speeds, but it works almost perfectly at 2 stops slower.
So…
The Canon G7 is very well built, it has a lot of features like image stabilization and it also has a robust body. Image quality is very good at ISO 50 and 100, but at high ISO you need perfect exposures for the best results. At ISO between 200-800 it can’t be compared with a SLR, but it has acceptable results. The drawbacks in comparison with the G6 is the lose of the maximum aperture F2.0-3.0 and they also tried to keep the price very low.
Format: Compact
Max resolution: 3648 x 2736
Low resolution: 2816 x 2112, 2272 x 1704, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480
Image ratio with: 4:3, 3:2
Effective pixels: 10.0 million
Sensor photo detectors: 10.3 million
Sensor size: 1/1.8 " (7.18 x 5.32 mm)
Sensor type: CCD
Colour filter array: RGB
ISO rating: Auto, 80 ,100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Zoom wide (W): 35 mm
Zoom tele (T): 210 mm (6 x)
Digital zoom: Yes, 4.0x
Image stabilization: Yes,
Lens Auto Focus: Yes
Manual Focus: Yes
Auto focus type: AiAF TTL 9-point (with face detection)
Normal focus range: 50 cm
Macro focus range: 1 cm
White balance override: 6 positions & manual preset
Aperture range: F2.8 - F4.8
Built-in Flash: Yes
External flash: Yes, hot-shoe
Flash modes: Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Off
Exposure compensation: -2 to +2 EV in 1/3
EV steps: Metering Evaluative, Center Weighted, Spot
Aperture priority: Yes
Shutter priority: Yes
Continuous Drive: Yes, 2.0 fps
Movie Clips: Yes, 1024 x 768 @ 15 fps, 640 x 480 @ 30/15 fps, 320 x 240 @ 30/15 fps, 160 x 120 @ 15 fps
Self-timer: Yes
Storage types: SD/MMC card
Compressed format: JPEG (EXIF 2.2)
Quality Levels: Super-Fine, Fine, Normal
Viewfinder: Optical
LCD: 2.5 " LCD Pixels 207,000
Video out: Yes
USB: Yes, 2.0
Firewire (IEEE 1394): No
Weight (inc. batteries):380 g
Dimensions: 106 x 72 x 43 mm
