Why I Like the Canon G11

I thought of reviewing this camera but then again with all of the reviews already out there, that would be pointless. Reviews and comments can get pretty nit picky, leaving the prospective buyer with trying to decide if some purple aberrations at 100x magnification matter. For a point-and-shoot camera, most of the super-technical geek stuff is irrelevant.

I like the G11 for two primary reasons. First is the overall image quality, especially up to ISO 800. This makes this particular camera a great backup to an SLR and an all-around do-it-all point-and shoot. Forget about no HD video. You're not going to shoot the next epic thriller on any point-and-shoot on HD and your parents or grandparents aren't going to care if Bobby is jumping out of the screen or not. Great still image quality, image sharpness and RAW capability top my list. In-camera image stabilization is a plus.

The second reason I like this camera is it's feel. It's solid and heavy. The ergonomics are great. All the necessary controls are right there, without needing to go to the menu, especially the exposure compensation wheel on the top left of the body. The wheels are knurled aluminum and detents feel solid. The rangefinder is great - put the G11 on Auto, close the flip-out view screen, and give it to a kid and see what happens. I personally like to get manual exposure and histogram set, close the screen and photograph people - there's more of a connection looking through a viewfinder instead of a video image. Guess it's a feel good factor.

Speaking of the screen, it can be folded away, protected from scratches. Used with a mini tripod, tilt it up to compose a shot and there you have it. No need to make onlookers think your listening for an oncoming train. Still, someone will eventually manhandle it, break it off and write a negative review that it's too cheaply built. It feels solid like the rest of the camera.

There are hordes of G series fans who swear by them. Despite it's hefty price tag, the sharp, low noise image the G11 delivers is exceptional.