I got this after my canon t2i. This canon g12 is portable. It isn't too big and it's handy. It comes with a flip screen that you can take self shots or either way. I am satisfied with everything about this camera.

kateymonster

Irving, TX

I am an artist. As an artist, I need to be able to take photos of many different things from paintintgs, to items I have re-designed, to self portraits of makeup and cosmetic design. I also need to take photos for online to show people what certain makeup looks like who might not be able to see it themselves before purchasing due to rural locations. Formerly I had a pretty nice Kodak camera. It was an Easyshare Z730, which although a point and shoot camera, it was a step above the rest with excellent color capture and delightful ability to catch accurate color balance and texture. The problem was in subdued light- the photos were terribly messed up and photos of people made them look like they had rosacea. I could not get over the remarkable photos when done outside, however, and when it did take photos of people that were not messed up, the results were very nice and accurate. I found that I got weeks of use out of my Kodak if I took photos daily - sometimes months before I had to recharge. When I dropped my camera, I was so upset- I did not like the newer cameras- I felt they had cheapened them somewhat and I was looking for good photos that captured color and texture accurately, even in subdued lighting. **How I Ended Up Buying the Canon G12 Camera** After a lot of research and interviewing people, I was directed again and again to Canon for a camera. I have long avoided Canons because they tend to take washed out color photos in some light and even if you want to enhance them in a photo editing program, they are still off balance and it is hard to capture good color. I found in my research, however, that in contrast to the feedback on new Kodak's which was not good, the Canon G12 was reported to have taken amazing photos in subdued light by many people. The point and shoot features were excellent compared to others, yet if you wanted to really mess around with the controls to get better photos it was also possible. In other words you were not stuck on automatic. So, despite my misgivings on getting a Canon, I needed a camera to continue my work, so I took the dive and got the Canon G12. **What is This Camera Like?** In contrast to other portable cameras, I was surprised by the heavy feeling of the Canon Powershot G12 camera. In appearance it looks like a traditional camera- the lens retracts when not in use and has a cover that automatically covers the lens when retracted. No need to put on on if you don't want to. There is a spot to put on a flash if you so desire, or you can use the auto flash in the camera which can be switched on and off only if in SCN mode on a setting like portraits. You can not put on the flash when the camera is in auto mode, you can only turn it on auto or off- which means that the camera decides if and when to put on the flash, you have no control over it. The door on the battery/photo card area is strong and sturdy on the bottom. The back of the camera has a flip screen which allows me to take self portraits if I want and this was an important feature to me since as a makeup artist, I need to take a lot of self-portraits. The shutter button on top allows for focus (soft press) and then if pressed hard, takes the photo. There are lots of controls on this camera that I do not understand yet because as I will get to later, this camera DOES NOT COME WITH A PRINTED MANUAL which makes me hate it. On top there are dials for film speed if you desire, or SCN, video, auto, candlelight, movies, fast shooting, C2, C1,M,Av, Tv, and P. The optical viewfinder is pretty accurate if you choose not to look at the digital screen. **What Comes With the Canon Powershot G12 Camera?** The Canon PowerShot G12 Camera comes with * Camera * Neckstrap (USE this so you don't drop the camera like I did with my Kodak) * Battery Charger * Battery Pack (I get a month out of this at least taking lots of photos) * AV Cable * Interface Cable * Software on CD ROM (which you are supposed to use YOUR money and ink to print) I use the SDHC Memory SanDisk Extreme 8GB/120min memory card with 20MB per second capability- in case I want to try video sometime- although so far I am just using it for photos. **My Love/Hate Summary** **What I Love About This Camera** * Low light photos are AMAZING * Optical Viewfinder * Camera blocks out movement for better photos * Option to use own flash * Options to control many photos if desired * Neck strap* Fast On button, also fast off * Less distortion on close up faces * Flip screen for great self portraits **What I Don't Like About This Camera** * NO PRINTED MANUAL * Camera is like old cameras- not easy for one handed photos * Sometimes easy to press wrong button if not careful * No ON control for flash in most modes * Photos sometimes washed out and hard to balance colors with photo editing * NO PRINTED MANUAL * NO PRINTED MANUAL * Oh, and did I mention that there is NO PRINTED MANUAL? **The Bottom Line** Despite the things I don't like about this camera, there are plenty more things that I like that are important to me, so despite the lack of printed manual and sometimes off balance photos, I still like it and the photos in subdued lighting, less distorted portraits, and flip screen make my life a lot easier despite the downsides. Image Quality As for photos, I have a love hate relationship with them. Sometimes they turn out amazingly and sometimes they are just plain washed out and no amount of photo editing will bring them into the proper balance. Having said that, I do want to say that I have not found my niche with this camera yet. I am not sure if printing the manual out will help me at all in that department, but some day when I have a ton of money to blow on ink and paper, I will print out the manual- although it won't be easily carried anyway even if I do.One thing that makes me stand in awe of the Canon PowerShot G12 camera, however is the ability to shoot a photo in almost dark light. Sometimes flash or not, the camera will capture the object BETTER than if shot in natural daylight! Performance There are way too many modes to discuss here in length, but I have been trying to learn this camera well, and it is a big learning curve for me. However, if you just had to limit yourself to taking photos with the Auto mode, it still would be worth getting this camera. Despite my love hate relationship with this camera, I would still buy it again if given the chance. Ease of Use As I said in the title of this review, I have a love hate relationship with this camera. I think a lot of this is that I resent that if you want to have a printed manual to refer to, you have to print it yourself. I refuse to be tied to a computer every time I want to look something up- I mean, what if I am in the field and need to find something quickly? It is disgusting to me that a company as big as Canon did not provide a printed manual - this camera is not cheap. Durability This camera might be a little heavier that a typical portable camera, but it sure is sturdy. I keep it in a case, but it really is well put together. Battery Life I get many weeks of battery life out of one charge. I find that it does much better than the Kodak that I had for battery life. Charge time is only a little over an hour or so. Portability The camera does tend to be heavy so if you have weak hand strength, I would make sure to be able to test it out first- it can be challenging to hold with one hand- such as taking self- portraits. However, having said that, it is very sturdy and well made.

Caprig

Podunk, NY

  I like to think I'm coming up in the world since my husband Pal gave me the **Canon PowerShot G12 Digital Camera** for Christmas.  I am totally an amateur photographer although I have a good eye and a fair working knowledge of *Photo Elements *software.  I also have great affection for a camera that's really, really smart and can cover my tracks.  This one's a 10MP Digital with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and a 2.8 inch Vari-Angle LCD.  What a confidence booster! The first thing I've appreciated about this camera is its basic operating similarity to the *Canon PowerShot A590* I've been using.  The shutter button operates far more efficiently, but the momentary pause for focus is still part of the deal and now, easier to operate than ever. I'm a natural-light sort of gal who always cluck-clucked over the steps needed to turn off the flash in my old *Canon*.  The **PowerShot G12** really believes me when I turn the flash off.  It also offers me the choice of an automatic camera response to lighting situations which is far more knowledgeable than the previous camera.  Placement of the buttons has changed for the good, and I now have a fold-out LCD Screen which Pal tells me I could flip over if I wanted to take a self-portrait without guesswork!  My previous *Canon* required a quickchange of AA batteries when it ran out of gas.  Re-charging simply wasn't an issue.  The **PowerShot G12 **has a memory card and lithium battery.  A full charge with the included recharger takes about two hours and 20 minutes.  The connection cord to my *IMac* is exactly the same as before so loading photos into the computer represents no learning curve at all.  The process for erasing in-camera also duplicates my previous *Canon*'s procedures. There are many more features that I have yet to explore.  When time allows, I'd like to try shooting movies.  I'd also like to learn more about confidently wandering away from "auto".  That's when all those directions and probably a photography class will be an absolute must! In the meantime, my photos have improved, and I'm having a blast learning and shooting!  What a wonderful gift Pal has given me.

TunefulGal

Los Angeles, CA