Canon PowerShot G
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The Canon Powershot Gx was a series of digital cameras released by Canon. The G series cameras, aimed at photography enthusiasts, fell in the middle range of Canon's digital camera offerings and were a step up from the mid-level A series.
The main physical differences from Canon's PowerShot A series included a hot shoe for an external Canon EX flashgun, the use of a Lithium ion battery, a lens with a wider maximum aperture, a larger body with more controls, and until the introduction of the Canon PowerShot A80, a flip-out-and-twist LCD. Internally, the G series offered higher resolution and added more sophisticated electronics with features such as the Canon RAW image format.
The G series was similar internally to the Canon PowerShot S series, with new S series cameras usually being introduced at the same time as similarly-specified G cameras.
There were five releases in this series, the last being the G6 in 2004:
Main Specifications
| # | Megapixels | Maximum resolution | Optical Zoom | Announced | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | 3.3 | 2048 x 1536 | 3x | September 2000 | |
| G2 | 4 | 2272 x 1704 | 3x | August 2001 | |
| G3 | 4 | 2272 x 1704 | 4x | September 2002 | maximum aperture of f2.0 (at 1x zoom) |
| G5 | 5 | 2592 x 1944 | 4x | June 2003 | maximum aperture of f2.0 |
| G6 | 7.1 | 3072 x 2304 | 4x | August 2004 | 467g (16.5 oz); 1/1.8" CCD sensor |
Common features
Common features across the G series are:- flip-out and twist LCD screen
- manual selection of aperture and shutter priority
- custom white balance
- built in flash
- hot-shoe for external flash
- USB connectivity
- a Compact Flash card slot
- availability of optional wide and teleconvertor lenses
- Canon’s proprietary EOS shooting modes, allowing the photographer to select different exposure settings for different environments.
- includes infrared remote control
Why no PowerShot G4?
Canon, based in Japan, omitted the number 4 from the range due to cultural superstition.- "The word "four" is read as "si" in Chinese Mandarin and "shi" in Japanese, a close homonym for the word for death in both languages and in the Cantonese dialect spoken in Hong Kong." [link]
- "the truth behind the leap from 3 to 5 is one based on cultural superstition — in Japan, the number 4 is considered unlucky. This is because the pronunciation of 4 — “shi” — is the same pronunciation as death. This is the reason why the EOS range jumps from the EOS 3 to EOS 5, and why the latest IXUS digital compacts bucks the trend of the IXUS v2 and IXUS v3 models by becoming the IXUS 400. Indeed, to find a Canon camera with a model number 4 you have to look back as far as the 1950s to the Canon IV." [link]
PowerShot G5
The G3 and the G5 were for a short time available simultaneously, although the older model was later discontinued. The camera also employs color filters that allow for noise reduction and better color saturation. The lens also allows for a wide range of apertures including a macro focusing mode.This camera also uses a DIGIC Image Processor unit which allows the camera to process and shoot pictures at a faster speed — up to 3 frames per second. DIGIC improves the camera’s focus speed, exposure settings, and white balance.
Finally, the G5 also comes with a built-in flash with both manual and auto modes. The flash also has red-eye reduction and slow sync.
External links
- [DP Review of the G1]
- [DP Review of the G2]
- [Canon Press Release - G3]
- [Digital Photography Review: PowerShot G3 review]
- [Canon USA G5 info]
- [DP Review of the G5]
- [DP Review of the G6]
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