Canon PowerShot G15 Pro Reviews

As the newest member of Canon's G Series cameras, the Canon G15 does not disappoint. It is an all around excellent point and shoot for anyone ranging from amateurs to seasoned professionals. The 12.1-megapixel sensor paired with the Digic 5 image processor makes for a great combination. It is able to be used in a wide variety of settings due to the vast ISO range, the great 28-140mm focal length and the fast f1.8-f2.8 lens. Add to that beautiful spec sheet the ability to shoot video at whim due to the dedicated movie button and you have a camera that will be hard to put down. This camera has so much going for it. The body is durable and has a nice finish. It is solid while handling, quick to respond, and offers great image quality. Besides a few flaws that are pretty easy to overlook I can highly recommend this camera for a vast majority of the population. I think that professionals will respond very positively due to its nice feature set and plethora of physical buttons that negate delving into a deep in-camera menu.

The Canon Powershot G15 is a well-refined product and a joy to use. It is very quick and responsive in operation, built like a tank and offers the most external controls in its class. In combination with the fast 28-140mm F1.8-2.8 lens that makes it a very versatile and pocketable photographic tool that offers almost the same degree of control as much larger DSLRs.

Despite the ever-increasing number of cameras that claim to be an alternative to bulkier DSLRs, from do-it-all bridge cameras to mirrorless, we feel there's still a place for high-end photographer-friendly compacts like the Canon PowerShot G15, for the moment at least...

The PowerShot G15 is a worthy successor to the G12, the question is, does it still have something to offer in a market teeming with options for enthusiast photographers looking for a compact DSLR back up? Canon has made some good calls with the G15, switching the CCD sensor for a higher resolution CMOS one and upgrading to the Digic 5 processor, opting for greater compactness by dropping the articualted screen and fitting a bright f1.8-2.8 zoom lens. But it's also missed out on opportunities. A viewfinder is a must on a camera like this but in an age of high resolution electronic viewfinders and optical viewfinders with LCD overlays, the G15's little glass window just doesn't cut it. At the very least, a proximity sensor is needed to automatically switch the screen off when you put your eye to the viewfinder. I'm also a little disappointed Canon didn't equip the G15 with a touch screen, which would have made touch focussing possible and added to the overall handling. The addition of Wifi and or GPS would also have given it an edge over many rivals - lest we forget the S110 has Wifi and can also exploit the GPS of a smartphone. Finally, the continuous shooting performance of the G15 is poor for a camera at this level. Despite those shortcomings the G15 is a compact and capable performer which will continue to attract those looking for a sturdy compact with a larger sensor, bright lens, and plenty of physical controls. It's a fun camera to use and is without doubt the best G Series Powershot to date, earning a Cameralabs Recommended award. The design and feature-set also makes sense in Canon's overall line-up, successfully slotting between the S110 (aimed at those who want a smaller camera with similar quality and control), and the G1 X (aimed at those willing to accept a bigger body in return for a larger sensor and DSLR quality).

As with previous G series PowerShots, whilst quality is not an exact match, the G15 will appeal most greatly to existing DSLR owners looking for a smaller backup for those shoot-from-the-hip photo opportunities.

Immaculate photos and superb controls, but slower than the competition and currently overpriced

The G Series is one of the most familiar of the burgeoning list of enthusiast digicams. Around for more than 10 years, the new G15 retains the design and spirit of the lineup. But at $499, has this type of camera reached the end of the road—especially in a rapidly exploding world of Compact System Cameras?

Canon has made some welcome changes here over the previous G12. With a fast AF system and speedy Raw write times the camera lends itself well to street photography, and while image quality is good it's not quite as good as expected. Ultimately, while capable in itself, competition from the cheaper Nikon P7700 and Panasonic LX7 means that, right now, it's simply not the best option in its class.

The G12 has been sitting at the top of our best serious compact cameras article for some time now and we were expecting great things from the G15 and we certainly aren't disappointed. It's scored almost exactly the same, just missing out on value for money as it is more expensive than the G12 was at the time of review, although the price is bound to drop before too long. So if your budget can stretch this far you'll be extremely happy with your purchase. There are bags of features, in a very sturdy, well-built body and image quality to match. We love the 10 fps continuous shooting and fast f/1.8-2.8 lens. There wasn't much we could find that we didn't like, although if you have a large nose, you might find the optical viewfinder is a little uncomfortable to use. Overall, the Canon Powershot G15 is a pleasure to use and we are happy to highly recommend it.

The Canon Powershot G15 is a well-refined product and a joy to use. It is very quick and responsive in operation, built like a tank and offers the most external controls in its class. In combination with the fast 28-140mm F1.8-2.8 lens that makes it a very versatile and pocketable photographic tool that offers almost the same degree of control as much larger DSLRs.

While there's nothing outstanding about this camera, and it's seemingly fallen from grace as the top choice for dSLR users who want a compact option, it's still a fine camera if you're looking for something better and with more manual controls than a typical point-and-shoot, but can't bring yourself to pay more than $500.

The Canon PowerShot G15 is an undeniably impressive compact camera. It's not going to suit all tastes on account of its bulky, larger-than-average build, but for those after full control and both exceptional performance and image quality then there are few other places to look that deliver to this level. It's a seriously good compact, bolstered by a superb wide-aperture lens and image stabilisation system. Far from being a breed of camera that's had its day, this photographic ninja's redesign helps it deliver the photographic equivalent of a one inch punch - it's small, powerful and impossible to argue with. We didn't quite see it coming; the G15 is the best G-series compact camera that we've ever seen. Full stop.

The enthusiast-focused Canon PowerShot G15 delivers excellent image quality, but lacks some features found in other top-end cameras.