The Fast New Canon PowerShot G15
Similar to a DSLR, the G15 features a dial for quickly accessing Aperture, ISO, Exposure Compensation, Step Zoom, White Balance, Aspect Ratio, i-Contrast and focus parameters. The maximum ISO is 12800 and the shutter speed is 1-1/4000 of a second. Its 3” LCD screen has a resolution of 922,000 dots with 100% coverage. There are three light-metering methods: Evaluative, Center-Weighted and Spot. An Intelligent IS feature automatically chooses the best possible modes for image stabilization. A dedicated movie button allows you to start shooting .MOV videos, and the camera’s zoom can still be used when rolling. You can adjust the exposure compensation before you start recording a video by +/- 3 stops in 1/3-stop increments. A built-in mini HDMI output makes it possible to connect the G15 directly to your TV.
If you want to use the optional TC-DC58E Tele-Converter and Speedlite flashes, you’re going to need the separately available LA-DC58L adapter. The Tele-Converter increases the reach of the zoom by 1.4x, and if you have access to a Canon MR-14EX Macro Ring Lite Flash, the LA-DC58L adapter enables you to use it with the PowerShot G15. All the way wide, the normal focusing range on the G15 is 2” (5cm) to infinity. In Auto mode it’s 0.4” (1cm) to infinity, and in Macro AF mode it’s also 0.4” (1cm) to infinity. A hot shoe is available atop the G15, and data is stored on SD, SDHC and SDXC cards.
What’s the difference between the new G15 and the previous model?
The last generation of this camera is the PowerShot G12, which features a lower resolution 10MP 1.5” CMOS sensor and has a maximum aperture of f/2.8—making it dramatically slower than the G15. The new G15 has a 12.1MP 1/1.7” CMOS sensor. The G12 has the DIGIC 4 image processor; the new G15 has the DIGIC 5. At 2.8”, the LCD on the G12 is smaller; however, it’s an articulating screen. The 3” screen on the new G15 is fixed. The G15 shoots Full HD video in 1080p, while the last generation was limited to just HD 720p. What do you think? Could this be your next camera?
| PowerShot G15 | |
| Camera Type | Compact digital still camera with built-in flash, 5x Optical, 4x Digital and 20x Combined Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer |
| Sensor | 12.1 Megapixel, 1/1.7-inch CMOS |
| Total Pixels | Approx. 13.3 Megapixels |
| Effective Pixels | Approx. 12.1 Megapixels |
| Focal Length | 6.1mm (W) – 30.5mm (T); (35mm film equivalent: 28–140mm) |
| Digital Zoom | 4.0x |
| Focusing Range | Normal: 2.0 in. (5cm) – infinity (W), 1.3 ft. (40cm) – infinity (T) Normal with Tele-converter: 2.0 in. (5cm) – infinity (W), 2.5 ft. (75cm) – infinity (T) Auto: 0.4 in. (1cm) – infinity (W), 1.3 ft. (40cm) – infinity (T) Auto with Tele-converter: 2.5 ft. (75cm) – infinity (T) Macro AF: 0.4 in. – 1.6 ft. (1–50cm) (W) |
| Autofocus System | TTL Autofocus, Manual Focus |
| Viewfinder | Real-image zoom viewfinder |
| LCD Monitor | 3.0-inch TFT Color LCD with wide viewing angle |
| LCD Pixels | Approx. 922,000 dots |
| LCD Coverage | Approx. 100% |
| Maximum Aperture | f/1.8 (W), f/2.8 (T) |
| Shutter Speed | 1–1/4000 sec. 15–1/4000 sec. (in Tv and M modes) |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto, ISO 80/100/125/160/200/250/320/400/500/640/800/1250/1600/2000/2500/3200/4000/5000/6400/8000/10000/12800 |
| Light Metering Method | Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot |
| Exposure Control Method | Manual Exposure, Program Shift, Safety Shift, AE Lock |
| Exposure Compensation | Still Images: ±3 stops in 1/3-stop increments Videos: ±3 stops in 1/3-stop increments (not available during shooting) |
| White Balance Control | Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater, Custom 1, Custom 2 |
| Built-in Flash | Auto, Flash On, Slow Synchro, Flash Off |
| Flash Range | 1.6 ft. – 23 ft. (W), 1.6 – 15 ft. (T) (50cm – 7.0m (W), (50cm – 4.5m (T)) |
| Recycling Time | 10 sec. or less (battery voltage: 7.4 V) |
| Flash Exposure Compensation | ±2 stops in 1/3-stop increments |
| Hot Shoe | Available |
| Shooting Modes | C1, C2, M, Av, Tv, P, Auto, Movie Digest, SCN, Creative Filters, Movie Portrait, Smooth Skin, Smart Shutter, High-Speed Burst HQ, Handheld NightScene, Underwater, Snow, Fireworks, Stitch Assist High Dynamic Range, Nostalgic, Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Soft Focus, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Color Accent, Color Swap Standard, iFrame Movie, Super Slow Motion Movie Smile, Wink Self-timer, Face Self-timer |
| Photo Effects | My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color |
| Self-Timer | Approx. 10-sec. delay/approx. 2-sec. delay/custom |
| Wireless Control | Not Available |
| Electronic Level | Dual axis |
| Continuous Shooting | Normal: Approx. 2.1 shots/sec. (in P mode) Approx. 10 shots/sec. (in High-Speed Burst HQ) AF: Approx. 0.9 shots/sec. (in P mode) Approx. 5.2 shots/sec. (in High-Speed Burst HQ) LV: Approx. 0.9 shots/sec. (in P mode) |
| Storage Media | SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card |
| File Format | Design rule for Camera File system, DPOF (Version 1.1) compliant |
| Image Compression | Superfine / Fine |
| JPEG Compression Mode | Still Image: Exif. 2.3 (JPEG) Video: MOV (Image: H.264; Audio: Linear PCM (Stereo) |
| Number of Recording Pixels | Still Images: 1) 16:9 – Large: 4000 x 2248; Medium 1: 2816 x 1584; Medium 2: 1920 x 1080; Small: 640 x 360; RAW: 4000 x 2248 2) 3:2 – Large: 4000 x 2664; Medium 1: 2816 x 1880; Medium 2: 1600 x 1064; Small: 640 x 424; RAW: 4000 x 2664 3) 4:3 – Large: 4000 x 3000; Medium 1: 2816 x 2112; Medium 2: 1600 x 1200; Small: 640 x 480; Raw: 4000 x 3000 4) 1:1 – Large: 2992 x 2992; Medium 1: 2112 x 2112; Medium 2: 1200 x 1200; Small: 480 x 480; RAW: 2992 x 2992 5) 4:5 – Large: 2400 x 3000; Medium 1: 1696 x 2112; Medium 2: 960 x 1200; Small: 384 x 480; RAW: 2400 x 3000 Videos: Full HD 1920 x 1080: 24 fps (23.976) HD 1280 x 720: 30 fps (29.97) iFrame Movie HD 1280 x 720: 30 fps (29.97) Movie Digest HD 1280 x 720: 30 fps (29.97) Miniature Effect HD 1280 x 720: 6 fps / 3 fps / 1.5 fps Miniature Effect 640 x 480: 6 fps / 3 fps / 1.5 fps Super Slow Motion Movie 640 x 480: 120 fps Super Slow Motion Movie 320 x 240: 240 fps 640 x 480: 30 fps (29.97) |
| Video Out | NTSC/PAL (dedicated connector (female) with unified type of digital, audio and video) Mini-HDMI connector |
| Audio Out | Stereo (dedicated connector (female) with unified type of digital, audio and video) |
| Other | SD memory card slot; direct connection to Canon SELPHY, PIXMA Photo Printers & PictBridge compatible printers |
| Power Source | Battery Pack NB-10L, Compact Power Adapter CA-PS700 (included with AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC80) |
| Shooting Capacity | Approx. 350 shots using LCD monitor Approx. 770 shots when LCD monitor is off |
| Playback Time | Approx. 7 hours |
| Operating Temperature | 32–104°F/0–40°C |
| Operating Humidity | 10–90% |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 4.20 x 2.99 x 1.58" (106.6 x 75.9 x 40.1mm) |
| Weight | 12.4 oz. (352 g) |
