Digital Camera Home > Digital Camera Reviews > Canon Digital Cameras > Canon PowerShot G1

Canon PowerShot G1 Canon combines dead-easy auto shooting, full manual control, and excellent image quality in a killer3 megapixel! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet PowerShot G1 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Design :(Previous) | (Next): Optics>> Page 4:Viewfinder Review First Posted: 10/28/2000

Viewfinder
The G1 features both an eye-level optical viewfinder and a repositionable LCD monitor on the back of the camera for image composition. The real-image optical viewfinder zooms along with the lens (except in Digital Telephoto mode, which requires the LCD monitor), and displays a set of target crosshairs in the center of its screen. A diopter adjustment control on the left of the eyepiece adjusts the viewfinder focus for eyeglass wearers, and two LED lights report the camera�s status during certain operations. For example, when you depress the shutter button halfway, a steady green light (on top) indicates that the camera is ready to record and/or the flash is charge is complete; a flashing green light indicates that an image is either being written to, read from, or erased from the CompactFlash card; a steady orange light (on top) indicates that the camera is ready to record and/or the flash is adequately charged; and a flashing orange light indicates a camera-shake warning (i.e. the shutter speed is too slow to handhold), or the battery is charging. The lower LED light glows yellow when the camera is set in Macro or Manual focus modes.

Measuring 1.8-inches diagonally, Canon's low-temperature, polycrystalline silicon, TFT, color LCD monitor features a smart, swiveling design for nearly unlimited viewing options. The monitor's plastic casing actually pops out of the back of the camera and swings around to face forward (the same direction as the lens). From that position, the monitor can be rotated forward 180 degrees or backward 90 degrees, allowing you to hold the camera in practically any position and still see what's going on in the viewfinder. It's a real boon to photographers who frequently have to shoot over people's heads in a crowd!

The best part of the LCD�s swiveling monitor design is that it can be flipped around to face the back panel and then closed, keeping the screen safe from scratches and fingerprints. The Display button controls the LCD monitor�s image and information display. Pressed once, it activates the LCD monitor. The second press turns on the information display, which reports exposure mode, digital zoom, single or continuous shooting, manual focus, and flash mode (depending upon the shooting mode you are using). At the bottom of the screen are the shutter speed and aperture settings, which are always a bonus when analyzing a shot. The third press of the Display button cancels both displays.

In Replay mode, the LCD monitor provides a full-frame display of captured images, which you can view individually by scrolling left or right with the arrow buttons on the Omni selector arrow pad. Depressing the Flash/Index button brings up a thumbnail index display of nine images at a time, which you can also scroll through with the arrow buttons. A Digital Enlargement button (marked by a magnifying glass) allows you to enlarge an image 2.5X and 5X its normal size in the screen. The arrow keys permit you to move around the image and check the fine details.

Depressing the Display button one time in Replay mode pulls up detailed information about the captured image, including the file name, date and time it was recorded, compression, resolution, and what number it is in the sequence of captured images. Depressing the Display button twice adds exposure information such as the Image Zone (portrait, landscape, etc.), shutter speed, f/stop, exposure compensation, and white balance. A third press turns off the information display.

The LCD viewfinder is also involved in setting a number of exposure parameters, controlled by a four-function pushbutton. Successful preses of this button cycle you through screens for setting exposure compensation, white balance, auto bracketing, and flash exposure compensation.

We found the G1's optical viewfinder to be quite tight, showing about 85 percent accuracy at wide angle, and about 82.6 percent accuracy at the telephoto setting. The LCD monitor was much more accurate, showing approximately 96.5 percent of the final image area at wide angle, and about 97 percent at telephoto. (We actually found that the measurements for the LCD monitor differed slightly with the image resolution at the telephoto setting. Measurements indicated 97 percent at 2,048 pixels, 96.9 percent at 1,024 pixels, and 96.8 percent at 640 pixels.) Since we generally like to see LCD monitors as close to 100 percent accuracy as possible, the G1 performed well in this respect.