Canon PowerShot G11: Great Advanced Digital Camera

by Erin
(Crestline, CA)

I have been using my Canon PowerShot G11 for about five months now, and I could not be more pleased. My dad bought it (though I picked it out) for me as a gift off of Amazon.com to ensure he would continue seeing pictures of his grandkids, as the camera I had was starting to die.

I was previously using an older, simpler entry level Canon PowerShot, and I was ready for something that was more adjustable.

Right off the bat, I was impressed with the intelligence features, like the face recognition, and the ability for the auto setting to recognize backlit situations or whether or not the subject was moving--a very important feature if you are photographing kids!

Now I am able to shoot in full manual, should I choose. However, one of the great features about the Canon G11 digital camera are the many semi-manual settings, like aperture or shutter speed priority. I use aperture priority quite frequently when photographing my kids outside as they move in and out of various lighting situations.

Another fabulous feature is that the ISO goes all the way up to 3200. I am able to take photos in low light without using flash--this came in very handy during an outdoor night-time concert recently, and also for birthday cake situations where I don't want the flash to ruin the candlelight ambiance.

One drawback to the Canon PowerShot G11 camera for me is that sometimes I accidentally hit buttons, especially when I am holding it in one hand (which I know, "real" photographers shouldn't be holding the camera with one hand anyway, right?).

The only thing I really wish were different is that the viewfinder is too small.

All in all, I couldn't ask for a better bridge camera. I feel like I'm ready for a Canon DSLR now, but I can still take great pictures with the Canon G11!