Canon PowerShot G12 Pro Reviews

In all, the G12 is a fine follow-up in the G-Series line, one that adds incremental features that keep the camera competitive but doesn’t offer substantial change from the G11. Overall, my feelings remain the same as they were for the G11, that in its class of integral lens cameras, and given the smaller chip size, it remains one of the top choices as a photographer’s second camera.

The G12 delivers excellent image and video quality; and it backs up its manual controls with fun scene modes, an optical viewfinder, and a tilt-and-swivel LCD screen.

The Canon PowerShot G12's images and features are excellent for a point-and-shoot camera, but at its size and price, you can get far better.

What you're buying into here is a camera that provides the build quality and manual controls of a mid-range DSLR yet remains just about pocketable. It doesn't offer the fast lenses and more compact bodies of some rival high-end compacts but counters this with even great manual control, the option to add lens accessories like filters and a greater zoom range. For our money, though, we would take the faster more compact alternatives.

Arguably, there was very little wrong with the Powershot G11, and with the G12, Canon has smoothed out a few more rough edges. What remains is a very pleasant camera indeed. The G12 is quick, responsive and well-designed. Although it can be used as an 'auto everything' compact, the G12's real strengths only come to the fore when it is used in its A,S and M modes. The G12's twin control dials plus big, chunky, ISO, exposure compensation and mode dials offer a level of 'proper' manual control which is rare in any camera, let alone a compact model.

With the addition of HD video recording, the Canon G12 keeps the pace that the G11 set as one of the best point-and-shoot cameras on the market.

On the other hand, compromise is an art, and Canon has delivered such an artful one that it easily merits a Dave's Pick. For the best image quality across the ISO range, the trophy clearly goes to the Canon G12. It's the best G-series PowerShot I've had my hands on.

Canon's PowerShot G12 may only represent a modest update over its predecessor, but by addressing some of the criticisms of that model while adding a few small but neat new features, it's become a preferable camera overall. So the first headline is Canon's flagship compact has just got even better.

The G12 is an impressive camera; one packed with creative modes for the enthusiast yet offers the total manual control to the more experienced used. For the photographer who travels regularly but does not have space for a DSLR, this would be the ideal solution. For the new enthusiast who is looking to learn about manual control on a camera, this is a good option too. In fact, for anyone who’s after something more than just a basic point and click camera, and is prepared to pay around £360, the G12 is a camera to consider very seriously.

The PowerShot G12 sports scene modes and custom colour modes, and it also includes an HDR mode. It's a very good camera overall, but its picture quality is not up to the standard of an interchangeable lens camera, nor a digital SLR. Its video quality also isn't great, but it's an improvement over the G11. However, its compact size, convenience and manual features make the PowerShot G12 an interesting proposition. Enthusiasts who are sick of changing lenses but still want a quick way to change exposure settings should consider it, as should travellers, due to its relatively small size and vast range of capabilities

While it's not without flaws, and it's not cheap, it's the creativity and versatility that are the watch words that really make the G12 - and the G-series cameras as a whole - ideal as pro's back up or an enthusiast’s photographic powerhouse. The G12 certainly slips into that groove well enough, and the features are worth having if you're already thinking of buying. The G12 therefore should be a contender for anyone serious about photography, but without the desire for a larger system camera.

If you want an all-in-one camera that offers a tried and trusted user interface, speedy performance, excellent image quality and a versatile screen, the Canon Powershot G12 is very easy to recommend. Whether it still offers enough to justify its high price tag in the face of increased competition from cameras with bigger sensors and better image quality in low-light is entirely up to you - we'd just tip the balance in the G12's favour, at least for this year...

If you're rigidly set on buying a compact, the Canon G12 is just about the best you can buy – but keen photographers should carefully consider whether they shouldn't just bag a DSLR instead.

The Canon PowerShot G12 is a camera with great appeal to photographers. That’s certainly not without reason. The image quality is very solid and its control feels like coming home for photographers. The small improvements and new functions are included, but are not distinguishing enough to speak of a new camera. If you can find the G11 for a good price, go for it. If not, the Canon PowerShot G12 is ready for your next photographic adventure, it’s a wonderful camera!

No surprise here — the Canon PowerShot G12 is an excellent camera with HD video that will appeal to loads of enthusiasts. But — and this is a big but — for around $100 more you can get a Sony NEX-3, a very compact camera with a much larger 14.2MP APS-C sensor, interchangeable lens capability, 720p video and seven frames per second burst shooting. There are also Micro-Four-Thirds interchangeable lens cameras from Olympus and Panasonic, plus Samsung’s new NX100 also has a DSLR-sized sensor and optional glass. If you’re looking for a quality camera at the $500-$600 level, you now have more choices than ever. The PowerShot G12 does give you the 28-140mm focal range without the hassle of swapping lenses and spending a tidy sum for the zoom of your choice. With the influx of compact interchangeable lens cameras, we may be seeing the end of the era of the fully-featured, high-priced point-and-shoot. While it’s easy recommending the G12, it’s not the slam dunk it used to be.

The Canon PowerShot G12 is packed full of technology and the hardware feels great in the hand. The screen is a real bonus, adding a degree of flexibility that some rivals don't offer you, as well as being an easy way to protect it from scratches as you carry it around. It was instantly obvious that the new control ring on the front will be the real star of the show, making it even easier to change the settings in minimal time. The PowerShot G12 is large, it is expensive and as such it won't appeal to all, but it also offers a great range of shooting possibilities. It isn't a huge departure from the G11, but a few additional tweaks might appeal to some of those tempted by rivals. We'll be looking at the Canon PowerShot G12 in more detail when we get it in for a full review - in the meantime, why not check out our hands-on gallery of the camera.