Minor evolution PowerShot G5
- — 21 November, 2003 11:05
With 5-megapixel cameras proliferating, Canon’s popular Power-Shot G series arrives at the party a bit late. Nonetheless, the $1599 PowerShot G5 keeps Canon’s advanced model competitive with Nikon’s 5000 series and Olympus’s C-5050, both of which shipped months ago.
A 1Mp boost over Canon’s existing G3, the G5 only nominally advances the G series. It retains the boxy-but-efficient design of the G3, along with the same impressive list of exposure specs, including 4X optical zoom, a fast f2 lens, and a comprehensive selection of creative exposure controls. It also preserves one of its predecessor’s least-desirable traits: a lens barrel that intrudes into the corner of the optical viewfinder. Advanced photographers should profit from the G5’s array of esoteric controls (nearly all carryovers from the G3), such as a focus-bracketing option that takes three successive shots at slightly different levels of focus, ensuring you always get the shot — a feature I have yet to see on any other brand of digital camera. New to the G5 is a second custom white-balance setting, which is useful for shooting a series of shots under different light sources. The G5 doesn’t boot up especially quickly, but its combination of numerous well-labelled, dedicated buttons and a dual menu system makes it faster to operate than its rivals.
And lastly, the photographs: my test shots lived up to my high expectations, exhibiting fine detail and subtle, lifelike colouring. Overall, I enjoyed using the G5. That said, satisfied owners of the G3 should skip this update unless they really need the extra megapixel.
In brief
Canon PowerShot G5.
Late to this market, the G5 is a modest update of the worthy G3.
Price: $1599 < /b> Vendor: Canon
Phone: (02) 9805 2000
