Canon G11 - Digital Camera Made in Japan

Many of you shopping for a new camera may not realize how much in the last 5 years the digital camera market has changed. No longer were the features standard that I had taken for granted. Gone for the most part are the swivel back LCD view screens, instead most all point and shoot cameras now have a fixed LCD view screen incorporated into the back of the camera.

Another reason the swivel back LCD view screens are great is you can turn them completely around so that the LCD is facing inwards, you then have a hard surface protecting your screen from scrapes and scratches.

Don't be surprised by the build quality of many of the new point and shoot cameras. Most of the cameras in the $300-$350 price range, are made of plastic and just do not have that nice metal feel that exudes quality. Rather, they have almost a disposable feel to them. This seems to be the trend these days with almost everything you buy.

While many of the new point and shoot cameras nowadays all offer huge mega pixels, nice looking high quality LCD view screen and some even allow you to shoot HD movies. The features that mattered the most to me were sadly nonexistent in most cameras.

Average Rating 4.6/5.0

• 2.8" color LCD viewscreen that can be rotated up to 170-degrees horizontally and 270-degrees vertically, giving you an ideal perspective of shots taken from any height or angle.

•  The Canon G11 allows you to shoot images in RAW format for complete editing control.

• 1/1.7" CCD sensor captures detailed, 10.0-megapixel shots, even when shooting distant subjects using the 5x optical zoom.

• Smart Auto mode automatically programs ideal camera settings for 22 unique situations.

• Optical image stabilization for blur-free photos.

• The camera uses the existing NB-7L lithium-ion battery, and it can shoot an estimate of 390 with the LCD on and 1000 shots with the LCD off.

• 28-140mm equivalent lens, providing 5X zoom 

Included with the G11 was pretty much everything one could want from a small portable camera. It has the swivel back LCD viewscreen, view finder, metal body, high build quality and more features than I will ever use.

The Canon PowerShot G11 has the little sticker that said "Made in Japan." This was an unexpected surprise as you typically don't see many electronic items made there anymore.

Included inside the compact box is a neck strap, charger, USB cable, photo software CD and battery. What was missing was the SD card. The Canon G11 is able to use the high speed SDHC memory card. Currently many digital cameras do not come memory cards anymore, be sure to to add one to the list if ordering a new digital camera.

Many professional photographers are leaving their heavy digital SLR cameras at home in favor of the Canon G11. You can't beat the convenient portable size and the quality photos Canon is known for. The G11 does not disappoint in this respect. Some photographers have sold photos taken with their G11 cameras.

To protect the Canon G11 take a look at the Apex 100AW Shoulder Bag. The Apex 100AW bag is built pretty rugged and is lined with micro fiber to protect your camera's expensive finish. It also has a divider so you can carry along a charger, USB cable and extra battery. It is not too big and heavy and unlike to Apex 60, there is enough room for everything. The G11 fits nice and snug and the bag will help keep the camera protected. It uses a zipper rather than velcro and it's rugged exterior is the perfect match when out hiking or traveling with your camera.

While there are many nice digital cameras out there, some with more features then the Canon G11, My overall impression of the G11 is it's a very high quality and well built digital camera. If you are in the market for a new digital camera, and are looking for one with great features at a mid-range price, be sure to check out the Canon G11 before you buy another brand.

The Canon PowerShot G11 Digital Camera got it right and deserves a big thumbs up!