Canon Powershot G10 digital camera

The Powershot G10 from Canon picks up from where its predecessor, the Powershot G9, left off.

It features the same rugged design, but Canon has increased the sensor from 12.1 megapixels to 14.7 megapixels and given it a new 28mm wide-angle lens.

This new lens, however, also sees a drop in optical zoom (5x compared to the G9’s 6x), which results in a slightly disappointing maximum telephoto of 140mm – something that will deter those looking to take detailed shots from afar.

A full manual mode is available, along with aperture and shutter priority, and the camera benefits from dedicated ISO and exposure compensation control wheels.

The glorious 3in LCD monitor takes up most of the back of the camera and, thanks to its resolution of 461,000 pixels, is great for composing and reviewing shots.

The four-way directional pad to the right of the screen is encircled by a dial, the function of which depends on the mode selected (for example, it can adjust shutter speeds or aperture). However, we found this difficult to operate due to its small size.

Just as with previous models in the Powershot G-series, image quality is superb. The G10 uses the same 1/1.7in CCD as the G9, but it’s the first Powershot to use Canon’s Digic 4 image processor, which allows for faster operation and better shots. Some chromatic aberrations were apparent in high-contrast scenes, but on the whole it’s hard to fault the G10 – our test shots were superbly detailed.

Should you be shooting at the top end of the 5x zoom, a built-in optical image stabiliser helps avoid camera shake. If you want the photo quality and features of a digital SLR, but don’t want bulk or the hassle of carrying extra lenses, you’ll find it hard not to be impressed by the Powershot G10.