The PowerShot G series cameras have earned a soft spot in the heart of semi-pro photographers ever since the G1 came out in 2000. It was designed for serious snappers who perhaps couldn't afford the DSLR (digital SLR) end of the digital camera market but who wanted the same degree of quality and control options, which they wouldn't have with the point-'n'-click compacts at the bottom of the scale.
For many in this bracket the G6 (released in 2004) became their best friend, as it had a 7.1-megapixel sensor, a speedy f/2.0-3.0, 4x zoom lens, a rotating 2-inch LCD monitor, RAW capability and full manual exposure control. The feeling was that if the series continued, this was going to be the brand to have in your kit bag.
We've had to wait a few years for the PowerShot G7 and the result is a mixture of cheering and disappointment. On the positive side you now have a 6x zoom (on an admittedly slightly slower f/2.8-4.8 lens) and the sensor has been upgraded to a handsome 10 megapixels.
The sturdy metal case is, if anything, even more reassuringly solid and the controls are equally weighty, clearly labelled, intelligently positioned and easy to operate. There's even a separate control for your ISO settings, ranging from 80 to 1600 (although peculiarly there is an ISO 3200 setting on the special scene mode, which is controlled elsewhere).
Other innovations include Canon's well regarded optical image stabilization to reduce camera blur, as well as three AF modes, including face recognition which will pick out up to nine faces in a frame (and cleverly differentiates human faces from animals!). However, the rotating monitor has now been replaced with a typical fixed flat screen, albeit larger (2.5-inch) and with much sharper resolution (207,000 pixels).
There's an automatic lens cover now and the CompactFlash memory card of the G6 has been replaced by the more popular SD card. All these are definite improvements but there are also some marked disappointments.
The most important omission for the semi-pro photographer is the absence of RAW mode recording which would give you more control over the final image, and which was present in the G6. Also the battery has been changed to the smaller NB-2LH which on average will allow you 220 standard photos, as opposed to the former BP-511A which easily reached 300. Finally, there's no longer an IR remote control.
Despite these drawbacks, the quality of the images, the speed and efficiency of operation and the flexibility afforded by the range of menus and controls will almost certainly mean that many keen snappers will - perhaps reluctantly - soon be upgrading their old G6 for the new model.
