Canon PowerShot
G10
 vs
Canon PowerShot
G12

Updated (January, 2012): Compare the Canon PowerShot G10 vs Canon PowerShot G1X

Canon PowerShot G12

71
"Excellent build quality"
dpreview.com | talking about the G12's build-quality
"We have no hesitation in saying that the G12 is the best Canon G-series camera to date, but its original USP - as a bridge between compact cameras and DSLRs - is in danger of being eroded."
dpreview.com | talking about the G12's overall-performance

Reasons to buy the Canon PowerShot G12

Supports RAW
 Shoots RAW
Better editing
Supports 24p
 24p movies
For that film look
Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
HDR
 In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Battery life
 Great battery life
370 shots
Macro focus
 Great macro
1 cm
Canon PowerShot G10

46

Reasons to buy the Canon PowerShot G10

Supports RAW
 Shoots RAW
Better editing
True resolution
 High true resolution
14.6 MP
Macro focus
 Great macro
1 cm
Viewfinder
 Great viewfinder
Tunnel
External flash
 External flash
Better lighting
Fastest shutter speed
 Fast shutter speed
1/4000 of a second

differences

Advantages of the Canon G10
True resolution Much higher true resolution 14.6 MP vs 10 MP
Help
 Capture around 50% more detail in your photos
Screen size Larger screen 3.0" vs 2.8"
Help
 Around 10% larger screen
Canon PowerShot G10 Learn more about
the Canon G10

Advantages of the Canon G12
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No
Help
 Flip-out screens can be helpful when composing tricky shots or taking movies
Supports 24p Supports 24p Yes vs No
Help
 Get that real film feel
Overall image quality Significantly better image quality 47.0 vs 37.0
Help
 Around 30% better image quality
Dynamic range More dynamic range 11.2 EV vs 10 EV
Help
 1.2 f-stops more dynamic range
Color depth Better color depth 20.4 bits vs 19 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 1.4 more bits of color
Movie format Higher resolution movies 720p @ 24fps vs 480p @ 30fps
Help
 Shoots high resolution HD (720p) video but at a lower frame rate
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 3,200 ISO vs 1,600 ISO
Help
 The G12's maximum light sensitivity is 1 f-stop better
Continuous shooting Shoots slightly faster 2 fps vs 0.7 fps
Help
 Around 3x faster continuous shooting
Canon PowerShot G12 Learn more about
the Canon G12
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent pro digicams, and ignoring price

Canon PowerShot G10 Canon PowerShot G10
46 vs 71
Explain scores
Canon PowerShot G12 Canon PowerShot G12
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Canon PowerShot G12.

advice

Need help deciding?

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I am considering either the G10 or the G12,
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similarities

Compared to recent digicams

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Sensor size Very large sensors Help
1/1.7" 7.6x5.7mm
Aperture Wide aperture Help
f/2.8
Supports RAW RAW support Help
Better editing
Macro focus Good macro capabilities Help
1 cm
Image stabilization Good image stabilization Help
Lens
External flash Support external flash Help
Better lighting
Viewfinder Both have tunnel viewfinders Help
Tunnel
Fastest shutter speed Very fast max shutter speeds Help
1/4000 of a second
Light sensitivity (boost) No boost ISO Help
Lacks boost light sensitivity
Weight Heavy Help
G10:390 g
G12:401 g
Thickness Quite thick Help
G10:1.8"
G12:1.9"
Panorama Neither camera stitches together panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
Sensor type Lower-end sensor types Help
CCD
3D Neither camera can take 3D photos Help
No 3d support
Continuous shooting Slow continuous shooting Help
G10:0.7 fps
G12:2 fps
Touch screen No touchscreens Help
More buttons
Wide angle Poor wide angle Help
28 mm
Movie format Poor movies Help
G10:480p @ 30fps
G12:720p @ 24fps
Zoom Poor zoom Help
5x

Compared to recent pro digicams

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses

Snapsort is not aware of any interesting strengths shared by these two products.
Longest exposure Short max exposure time Help
15 seconds
External mic jack Neither has an external mic jack Help
Limited to the in-camera mic
Screen type No OLED screens Help
LCD
Screen resolution Low resolution screens Help
461k dots
Aperture Very narrow widest aperture size Help
f/2.8

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon PowerShot G1X

Canon PowerShot G1X

Boutique

$799 - $800
Sensor size Has a much larger sensor
Low light performance Is much less noisy at high ISO
Lowest price Is much more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the PowerShot G1X vs the PowerShot G10
Compare the PowerShot G1X vs the PowerShot G12
Canon Powershot S100

Canon Powershot S100

Pro digicam

$356 - $430
Aperture Has a significantly wider aperture
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Viewfinder Doesn't have a viewfinder
Compare the Powershot S100 vs the PowerShot G10
Compare the Powershot S100 vs the PowerShot G12
Nikon Coolpix P7100

Nikon Coolpix P7100

Pro digicam

$450
Screen resolution Has a significantly higher resolution screen
Panorama Creates panoramas in-camera
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Sensor size Has a marginally smaller sensor
Compare the Coolpix P7100 vs the PowerShot G10
Compare the Coolpix P7100 vs the PowerShot G12
Canon Powershot SX40

Canon Powershot SX40

Super zoom

$347 - $380
Zoom Has way more more zoom
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the Powershot SX40 vs the PowerShot G10
Compare the Powershot SX40 vs the PowerShot G12
Fujifilm Finepix X10

Fujifilm Finepix X10

Pro digicam

$599
Sensor size Has a much larger sensor
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Lowest price Is significantly more expensive
Battery life Has a slightly shorter battery life
Compare the Finepix X10 vs the PowerShot G10
Compare the Finepix X10 vs the PowerShot G12
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

Pro digicam

$350
Sensor size Has a much larger sensor
Aperture Has a significantly wider aperture
Viewfinder Doesn't have a viewfinder
Compare the Lumix DMC-LX5 vs the PowerShot G10
Compare the Lumix DMC-LX5 vs the PowerShot G12
Canon PowerShot G11

Canon PowerShot G11

Pro digicam

$672
Lowest price Is much more expensive
Compare the PowerShot G11 vs the PowerShot G10
Compare the PowerShot G11 vs the PowerShot G12

Canon PowerShot G10 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Canon PowerShot G10.

Canon PowerShot G12 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Canon PowerShot G12.

appearance

Canon PowerShot G10 Canon PowerShot G12
Canon PowerShot G10 Canon PowerShot G12
Canon PowerShot G10 Canon PowerShot G12

discussion

Showing 3 comments

Roger (10:11 PM, December 09, 2010)
Hi....I agree with the comments above regarding G10 vs G12 prices...As a benchmark for you, as of today 12/9/10, you can order a G12 for $469 from Amazon....$30 off the retail price of $499. When I bought my G10 on 12/12/08, I got it for $419 from Amazon, a savings of $80 from the same retail of $499 for the G10 at that time.

What works for me is to always buy my first camera in a line from Amazon using their discount then I upgrade it at the local camera store after 2-3 years with a trade-in allowance they give me for my older model. As an example, last year I traded in my Canon XTi DLSR for a brand new T1i for a total cost of $424 plus tax compared to the T1i $799 retail cost last year I got a trade-in allowance of $225 for the XTi.

As for resolution concerns, my first Canon was a G3 with only 4 mp and I took some of my best shots ever with it. So trading my G10 with 14 mp down to 10 mp is not a large concern for me with al the G12 perks you mention.....Thanks for your comparisons
 
Avatar for Snapsort Snapsort (5:40 PM, November 17, 2010)
Hi Larry, you're right thats an absurd price. For some reason once cameras stop generally being available for sale (e.g. older models such as the G10), some online stores offer them at high prices, and Snapsort automatically finds those prices. Though I agree they're not very useful as no one would pay that much for the camera.

If you're curious where the price came from, just go to the G10 prices page:

http://snapsort.com/cameras/Canon/PowerShot_G10/best-prices
 
Larry Poke (5:35 PM, November 17, 2010)
Where do you find a G10 for just under $1,000? I have NEVER seen them listed at this price. I bought my G10, brand new, in the box, with all the accessories for $499. The credibility of your other observations is somewhat in doubt.