Canon G9 Reviews

Collected here are annotated links to Canon Powershot G9 professional and user reviews, opinions, reports and feedback, sourced from various discussion boards and forums, and review sites.

Professional Reviews

Canon G9 review at DigitalCameraInfo.com - Read through one of the most comprehensive G9 reviews on the internet. ISO series tests are also available, testing photos taken with the G9 at ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 and ISO 1600. Two full-sized images allow you to compare ISO 1600 noise performance between the Canon G7 and G9. And finally, a gallery of G9 samples is provided.

Canon G9 user reviews and impressions

Guerito's review of the Canon G9 and Flash Photography

In this forum post, Guerito says:

• The G9 was able to wirelessly fire a Canon 580EX flash using the Canon ST-E2 wireless Speedlite transmitter (pricing).
• When the G9 is placed in Manual mode, the flash unit also goes into Manual mode, regardless of whether you're using the 580EX or 580EX II.
• In order to use the Gadget Infinity wireless flash trigger, the G9 must be placed in manual mode.
• To be used with the Sunpak 383 Super flash (pricing), the G9 must be in Manual mode.
• The AF (autofocus) assist light on the 580EX and 580EX II does not illuminate when used with the G9, however, the G9's own green focus assist light will illuminate.
• Tip: You might want to consider using Safety FE (Flash Exposure) in order to minimize the occurrence of overexposed portions of the image. This feature is available in the camera's menu under Flash Control.
• The 580EX / II flash units works in TTL mode and can work as fill flash when the G9 is set to Av (aperture priority) or Tv (shutter priority) modes. However, the shutter speed is capped to 1/250th second, unless you have the flash in FP (focal plane) mode. where Guerito managed 1/2500th of a second.

It will be difficult to hold the G9 if you mount the 580EX or 580EX II flash (pricing) on it due to the large size of the flash units. The smaller Canon 430EX (pricing) would be a better choice.

Jim Radcliffe's brief comparisons with 2 other digital cameras

Jim asked about the 16:9 functionality on the G9 in this thread, and made some replies on comparing the Powershot G9 vs Sigma DP1 vs Leica D-Lux 3 here, here and here.

Here's a summary of what Jim said:

1. The Sigma DP1 yields superior images with wide dynamic range, but is a very slow and sluggish camera operationally.
2. The G9 has great functionality, has good image quality that is on par with the Leica D-Lux 3. The G9 has a better zoom range and a better movie mode. The D-Lux 3 is the easier camera to carry around, and Jim likes its native 16:9 format.
3. The G9 feels very much like a rangefinder camera, and the optical viewfinder is useable.
4. Jim comments that the G9 feels extremely fast and responsive, and is built like a tank.
5. The G9 has the best built-in macro capability among the digital cameras he's owned.
6. The built-in time lapse (intervalometer) on the G9 will also come in handy on occasion.
7. The G9 does suffer from noise at high ISO owing to its small sensor, so Jim prefers to shoot in the ISO 80 to 400 range.
8. It would have been better if the G9's lens started at a wider focal length. The zoom range on the G9 is 35-210mm (35mm equiv).

In answer to Jim's original question, BobbyT suggested the use of the C1 position on the G9 to store the 16:9 format setting.

Canon G9 Accessories

Canon LA-DC58H Conversion Lens Adapter - You must get this adapter (pricing) if you intend to use filters such as polarizers or add-on wide angle or telephoto converter lenses. The filter thread size for this adapter is 58mm. Here's a photo of the Canon G9 plus LA-DC58H plus UV (ultraviolet) filter, and a discussion on why using the lens adapter plus a high quality UV filter (such as B+W or Hoya HMC) might be a good idea for protecting the G9 lens. Some leave the lens adapter on the camera as it makes the Canon G9 more SLR-like and easier to hold in a stable manner.

Canon TC-DC58C - This is a 2x tele converter (pricing) which extends the reach of the G9 to 420mm.

Canon WC-DC58B - This is a 0.75x wide converter (pricing) which converts the focal length of the Canon G9 to go as wide as 26.3mm.

Check out what other Canon G9 accessories are available.

Miscellaneous Canon G9 Impressions

Seen here vs the Powershot G6 and Canon EOS 1D-series digital SLR cameras - Sharing two photos, Kevin Omura remarks how small the G9 looks next to the older G6, and the rear LCD looks large and impressive next to those of the 1D professional cameras.

Battery life - The battery used in the Canon G9 is rated to last 220 shots, but JerryK hasn't been able to get that many photos on a single charge.