jpeg vs. RAW
I just noticed the reviewer who was upset that the new Canon G7 does not offer a RAW format. As a professional photographer... just wanted to offer a couple of comments on that subject. In my humble opinion, shooting in RAW format, in many cases, is a waste of time... even in most professional work situations. The extra steps in workflow, required by the RAW format, are simply not justified in the majority of photography work situations. I have sold many prints, posters, and stock images produced from jpeg files. I have also been published in magazines and travel books using jpeg images almost exclusively. Many photographers have come to view the jpeg format as the "amatuer" format and RAW as the "professional" format, which I believe is really not accurate. I know a lot of professional photographers who make extensive use of the jpeg format (no matter what camera they are using). I have not found a photogographer or editior, yet, who can actually tell the difference in a print produced from a RAW file and one produced from a high quality jpeg file out of the same camera. I have had this same discussion with a former photographer from National Geographic. He stated that he could not tell the difference in a print from a jpeg file and a RAW file either. He said that he, always, shoots in jpeg format. Yes, I understand the additional ability to "tweak" an image in RAW, but if the image is correctly exposed to begin with... very little "tweaking" should be necessary anyway... and working in jpeg is a much faster and more efficient workflow for me. Just my opinion, but I could care less that the G7 does not offer a RAW format. It seems like a great camera to me. Looking forward to trying one out. The feature set seems to be extraordinary.

Outstanding non dslr camera
I give it 5 stars to counter the idiot first reviewer. It's obvious to any G series owner that this camera drops the flip screen and RAW format. Get over it.

Making up for the loss of the flip screen is a higher resolution, bigger fixed screen. It's much nicer than the screen on the G6. I didn't like the loss at first, but i realized i never used it that much except as a means of protecting the screen. It's actually nice to take the camera out , turn it on, and start shooting without having to flip the LCD back into place.

The loss of RAW does not affect me. I'm someone who takes many photos especially of my newborn but I don't do a lot of post processing. RAW files are huge. The pics generally are good enough and digital has always allowed me to take more than necessary and delete any bad ones. The pics taken with the G7 are great quality. I think this is an issue affecting primarily pros who use this as a second camera, but there is great software out there for jpegs. And most people couldn't tell a jpeg pic from a RAW pic. I think Canon erred on this as i don't think this is the issue that will force people to buy its more profitable dslr cameras. DSLR will always be superior for those action shots or low noise high ISO pics. Maybe it will return in the G8 if the series continues. No matter what, Canon is taking a beating in every review for this.

Instead of focusing on what this doesn't have that the G6 had, let's focus on what this one has instead. IS. Image Stableizer. This is very important. It allows you to take the flash off and take hand held shots in low light. No more blurry pics.

Digic III. Allows faster processing and overall performance. Face detection is also new and seems to work nicely.

Hotshoe. Very few non dslr cameras have this although i'm sure the average consumer doesn't care.

6x zoom. Screen. And ability to take wide screen pics.

The camera feels very solid and seems smaller than the g6 and of course looks better with the black. The controls and menus are laid out easier IMO. 10 MP isn't that big of a deal to me although i'm sure it has it's mass appeal. I think 8 might've been better, but i'm not complaining.

Macros are much easier to take with this camera vs the G6. Again, IS helps big time.

Lens cap. What lens cap? This one doesn't need one. Prior G cameras had that loose one that always seemed to pop off.

Battery life seems shorter though so you may want that extra battery this time. (never bought an extra for G6). And it takes SD media which i really don't care for but it is more compatible for me since my laptop has one built in. The movie mode is much improved as well although i have a camcorder for that...it's still nice to have.

Bottom line, 599 is a lot to pay for a camera these days (i paid more for the G2 at the time and thought it was pretty cool back then). But this is a step short of stepping into the expensive and bulky dslr world. You get a lot of tech in this camera. I've owned a G2 and a G6 (that died on me) and this is quickly becoming my favorite by far. It's much faster due to the processor. And you get all the manual controls you could want plus the option to add external flash. For point & shoot consumers, just put it on auto which makes my wife happy.

Excellent Point and Shoot from Canon
This is truly an excellent Point and Shoot from Canon. I have been using it for a week now, and it provides consistently excellent images time after time across all shooting conditions. The excellent 6x optical zoom allows 28 to 200 zoom (35 mm equivalent) which is an excellent range for a point and shoot, and the Image Stabilization works like a dream. Some have complained about this camera lacking RAW. I shoot primarily with a dSLR and have NEVER used RAW so it is a feature I (and 95 percent of people toward whom this camera is marketed) will never need and will never miss. If you need RAW then this is not the camera for you. On the other hand, if you need RAW you probably should not be looking at a Point and Shoot camera anyway. Canon has wisely done away with RAW in both of their high-end compact cameras (The G7 as well as the S80.) The camera is a bit larger than the standard pocketable point-and-shoot fare, but it is small enough to toss in your purse, backpack, or cargo pants pocket. Easily fits in a coat pocket. There is no purple fringing in any of the shots I have taken so far (about 500) and there is no barrel distortion nor vignetting noted. This will most likely become my camera of choice at present when not using my dSLR. In fact, I plan on bringing only this trip to Europe with me at the end of the month, in lieu of dragging along a whole camera kit. Very Very happy with this major image upgrade, and wonderful feature set of this camera.

ADDM: After return from a week in Europe, I can report that the camera performed up to expectations, and that the images are just as stunning as those that I would expect from my dSLR. All landscape photos are sharp; museum and interior photos are sharp and exposed correctly, and the different modes (shutter, aperture etc) are easy to use on the fly. This remains my current recommendation for the best point-and-shoot out there right now.

Very pleasant camera in all ways
I just recieved my new Canon G7 and have to say Im very pleased with it after a few days of use.

As noted by several people this camera is not a DSLR camera, but then hopefully nobody thought it would be. :-)

The camera is plainly easy to use, and deliver beautiful very printable files able to make big prints.

For best results I suggest setting teh camera to AV and shooting at F. 4-5.6 as this is the range where the lens is the sharpest.

Camera is highly recomended.

One of Canon's Best
I have been a Canon fan ever since digital cameras first came out. I've bought other brands, but always came back to Canon. I continually upgrade and have quite a few Canons, including the A710 IS with image stabilization. I was intrigued by the thought of a 10 megapixel and the reviews of the Canon G7. After receiving it, I was just incredibly impressed. It outdoes my other Canons. In the plain auto mode, the photos are superior and incredibly clear. They are so sharp, they look like professional photographs. I take photos in my classroom where the lighting is not very good and the G7 photos come out bright and clear. It is the one camera that I can just print without having to first adjust with the image editing programs. Even the movie clips come out clear and with detail. I took night photos in a parking lot of my car and you could see all the details and the night snapshot option was amazing. I haven't had a chance to use everything yet, but what I have used was very impressive. This is now my camera of choice. (And now what to do with all my other Canons!).

Vast leap forward in camera design
What this camera offers is exceptional image quality, exceptional high performance zoom, exceptional control, in a modest sized camera.

The 10mp sensor/lens combination produce tack sharp photos, with top-notch color. The image stabalizer is a tremendous enhancement for non-flash photography, but is also a tremendous enhancement WITH flash! This allows the use of slower shutter speeds to help the background come out in the photo, while also allowing some available light to strike our subject, giving us a more realistic, less "cardboard cutout" look.

The camera looks sharp, and has a solid feel in the hands and while operating the controls. The battery system has reasonably good performance, and is the same battery found in the Digital Rebel XT & XTi series.

The new memory card system is superior to the older CF. SD & SDHC are much, much less prone to accidental damage to improper insertion, damage that may very easily exceed $100 in repair bills (and weeks of lost shots).

Compared to previous G series, this one is much smaller, although not pocket size, a bit big for many purses. While lacking a rotaty LCD, the new, wide angle LCD allows the camera to be much thinner, while still giving reasonable performance at odd angles. The loss of RAW is a real loss, even if only a small percentage of people would use this feature. However, the upgrade to the new Digic III processor should be somewhat of an offset.

Overall, the finest sub-DSLR on the market today.

No Wireless Remote- This was a special feature of the Powershot G's
The wireless Remote is missing in this version. The G6 had it. It was very convenient to shoot with yourself in the picture with a remote rather with a self timer. The PowerShot G series had a tradition of having wireless remotes and it was one of the few cameras that had it for those that wanted one. Unlike other cameras, the G series was historically known to be packed with the most features, including RAW and remote. Powershot G aficionados knew this. Canon has broken with the tradition of the G series and opted to scale down like the other brands. The unique G series was one of the few that offered SLR like features to a consumer camera. The feature packed items and picture quality was what it made it a unique series. I hope Canon brings back those features on the next G. Despite what people say that they do not use Raw, they should not have broken with the tradition because it was a very unique line.

Simply awesome!
This is a great new camera from Canon. Ideal for those who want the manual capability of a dSLR without the clunkiness (and cost). Or, a great second camera for those who already own a dSLR. The build quality is outstanding. The body is made of metal and the LCD is one of the brightest/clearest I've seen. Another great feature is the continuous auto focus option--it focuses constantly without you having to hold the shutter button half-way down. The camera is definitely larger than say an ELPH but the functunality can't compare!!

From A Guy Who Knows Nothing About photpgraphy
I purchased this camera based on the reviews here and From PC Magazine and CNet. Since I know very little about using it, I was very impressed with the pictures I took. ( Everything was set on auto ) I was impressed with the software and the ease of use downloading the pictures to my computer and printing. I have not read the manual. I just read the quick start guides. I plan on learning to use this camera and I am sure I will be just as impressed. Hope This Helps anyone Like me who knows so little about these cameras.

SUPERB CAMERA
All of my live I have been a SLR user, from film to digital. I'm not a pro, but consider myself a serious amateur. I take tons of pictures, especially during my travels around the world, and was tired of carrying all of my photo gear (Canon 30D, three lenses, flash and accessories) with me all the time. It's not only the burden and weight in your shoulder or neck -try walking with it in the middle of a tropical hot day for a couple of hours; besides, you can't freely leave it in your hotel's room, say, by night or for long periods. Not to mention street robbery, and conspicuous looking. At the end, you become a slave of it, restricting your movements; and there are times you painfully wished you haven't brought it with you at all. So, I decided it was time to try something that will fulfill my photographic needs, but could fit just in my pocket. During a long time, I looked in the internet and in magazines for a little camera that could satisfy almost all of my requirements, without sacrificing quality. I studied lots of items, brands and prices: the immense majority wouldn't do it at all. Recently, Canon launched the Powershot G7. I bought one and can't be happier with my decision. I'm full aware of its limitations against an SLR and try to overcome its shortcomings, namely its tiny sensor. I still use my SLR for my important work, but now I only travel with the G7 in my pocket and get very sharp, colorful and big pictures from every trip; photo quality is outstanding. My only and very strong complaint is its lack of RAW. I can't find a good reason why Canon did without it in this otherwise superb camera. It's not the cost: RAW is software, not hardware. And even if they considered its proprietary CR.2 RAW a costly value, they could have used Adobe's free licensed DNG (by the way, ¿why doesn't every brand include this? It's a mystery). It doesn't require additional space in camera's mechanism and if they didn't want novice photographers to be overwhelmed with it, they just could have buried it in some place of the menu. Otherwise, I definitively recommend this camera as a second one for your SLR or even a first if you don't need all of the later features.

A Contrarian's view of the G7
First, the issue regarding the lack of RAW capture, promulgated by apopleptic geeks who don't even own the camera is OVER. Nobody cares what you think, so ZIP IT.

Canon frequently reminds me of General Motors: when they get it right, the results can be impressive, but when they mess up, they go for the gold--think T80 and Aztec.

I thought it would be worth doing a superficial comparison between the G7 and the Konica S3, widely regarded as one of the best fixed-lens rangefinder cameras ever. Both have an anodized black aluminum finish (no paint flaking), but the Canon is about 20% smaller (not including the Konica's lens protrusion), and is only slightly lighter, giving it a robust feel. The optical viewfinder suffers greatly in comparison. Even though the Canon has dioptric correction, the lack of parallax correction marks puts it on about the same level as a $30 film camera. This camera gives the user no choice but to "chimp", which is a terrible way to hold a camera, serving to reduce the effectiveness of the image stabilizer.

I like--at least conceptually--Canon's "My Colors" feature, but it's far better on paper than in use. In fact, the "Color Swap" function simply doesn't work the way the manual describes it, and is essentially useless. My biggest operational complaint is how deeply buried in menus some of the image adjustments, such as sharpness and contrast are, almost to the point of "Easter Eggs" on some DVDs. This negates having a dedicated dial for sensitivity as far as I'm concerned.

I do give Canon points for the virtual aperture/shutter speed "dial" readouts in the LCD, depending on the mode selected. The Matrix metering, like most of its type, overexposes by about 2/3 of a stop, and the dynamic range is quite narrow, meaning lots of blown-out highlights. And despite the presence of sensitivities above ISO 400, forget them if you plan to make prints--noise is quite visible at ISO 800 and off the charts at 1600.

The deal breaker for me was a 10 megapixel camera unable to produce sharper prints than my 4 megapixel Panasonic FZ 15. If you check the tests done by dpreview, you'll see that the PS 640 images are marginally sharper than those from the G7, both using the same chip.

To be fair, I really give the camera 3.5 stars overall, particularly at current pricing. Hubris is the only word to describe the initial $600 price tag on this camera. If the price eventually hits $400 I'd give it the extra half star so it would then have the same rating I gave the Samsung NV7.

My favorite aspect of the G7 is the absence of a globby grip, which would make the camera twice as thick as it would be otherwise. That is the worst thing to afflict camera design of the past 20 years. In part this was done in order to accomodate a quartet of AA batteries. That's my second favorite aspect--the compact battery pack. Some of the digicam review sites have a bizarre affinity for AAs, which I find perfectly idiotic. If you had a Jaguar would you run it on kerosene or Amoco Gold? It's a dumb idea to design circuitry to function with 50 year old battery technology, when the requirements of the device could be better served with a power source designed for the job. Both Sanyo and Energizer have done marvels with the old AA, but not nearly enough. And Duracell? Straight to the recycler--they are the worst batteries ever produced. The best choice for rechargeables would be the new Sanyo Eneloop. The fast-charge Energizers get too hot.

Damning with faint praise or praising with faint damns--either way the G7, which does have a really nice brochure, talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. It fails to impress not because of what the computer nerds are whining about, but because it isn't a good enough camera.

The Real Deal
Bought the G7 about 10 days ago and it is amazing , I also own a digital rebel xt and the photos from the G7 look every bit as good as the Rebel! no real problem with noise although I try not to shoot over 400. Some of the prints from this camera are now selling in a art gallery since I do fine art b&w photography.
It feels, looks and acts like a real camera, I will not be parting with this one!

Best camera I've ever owned
I'm a photographer and I was looking for something smaller than a DSLR, but very similar to a DSLR. When I heared about this camera,I immediately bought it.
I've only used it for two days so far. Great 2.5 inch screen that looks like a HDTV. The screen makes me look at the screen instead of through the viewfinder eventhough I always look through the viewfinder. Neat stuff added to this camera too. I can display the rule of thirds, look at the histogram and even tells you when you need to change the settings. There is also a hot shoe for light attachment and it can also attach lens.
Also there's a hihh resolution video in this camera. It's awsome!
If you're a photographer and tired of using those giant DSLR and want something that fits in your pocket I would recommend this camera.

Great Camera
About six months ago I bought the SD700IS point and shoot Canon camera and I love it. It is quick. Responsive. And takes a pretty darn good picture. So even I was surprised when I encountered the G7. It is larger and heavier but offers so much more than the 700IS.

The appeal to me was it degree of manual operation which include, Program, Shutter and Aperature priorities and Full Manual. None of the Canon cameras in the SD line offer this flexibility. The other of course was the 10 megapixel sensor.

After a little over a week with the camera I can say it is one sweet machine. It fits in your hand and has great weight. Enough to feel substantial but not overwhelming. Some have said that the camera feel slick and they have to be careful with it. I would agree.

Power up is quick and the lens retracts with good speed.

It has an amazing macro function that is worth the price of the machine alone. I love this feature.

In addition you can vary the flash output in every mode but Auto. A very good feature for those of us who tend to be too close to their subjects.

I wonder if the ISO dial at the top was really needed or whether that function could have been accomodated within a menu.

And so far the pictures have been excellent for clarity and colour.

SLR's do not interest me. They are too cumbersome and I have been there and done that. With point and shoots I take ten times the pictures and have a 100 times the fun. But I have to say that graduating to the G7 has been a great decision.

It gives you more opportunity to be creative and to control more of the shot and the environment in which the camera is operating.

One thing: This is not an intuitive camera. It takes time to learn. Keep the manual close by for you will undoubtably be referring to it frequently for the first few weeks.

All and all an excellent purchase.

Can't buy this camera now!
I was just about to buy this camera when I found out that you couldn't shoot in the RAW format.
After shooting exclusively RAW for the last year and knowing all the benefits of it, I can't bring myself
to buy this camera now.

If you want to use the hot-shoe do not buy this camera
Using the hot-shoe results in an approximate 1 second (!) lag between shutter button press and capture - Very disappointing.
Unless this can be fixed and will be, I would not recommend buying.

Better, But I Was Hoping for More. . .
When the G7 was announced, I hoped it would be the "crossover" camera I've been waiting for. My dream crossover is the one-piece compact or mid-size camera that zooms to at least 200mm, and can produce clean 8X10's under a wide range of lighting conditions. It's the one I'd take on a long trip so I didn't have to lug my DSLR and lenses around.

I've fiddled with my G7 now for about a month. It's better than any non-DSLR digital I've used, but I'm still lugging my DSLRs.

In good light, the G7 can produce images that rival a DSLR. The glass is great and the 10 mp sensor gets good resolution. It's weaknesses are noise and limited dynamic range. Getting the most of this camera is sometimes a little tricky. It tends to blow highlights in high contrast situations. Fine tree branches and hair against a bright sky get broken up. Turning down the constrast one notch and under-exposing by 1/3 a stop helps preserve the highs and some of the fine details. You can introduce more light and contrast later in photoshop. Pay attention to the histogram. The results can be impressive, but you do have to work it. I can live without raw, but I do miss not having an Adobe RGB color space.

The image stabilization works well. The G7 focuses fairly quickly. I appreciate the 210 mm long zoom length, but miss having 28mm at the short end. Being able to shoot an unlimited number of continuous full size images with a compact is very cool. The in-camera flash is limited, but the hot shoe comes to the rescue. I've gotten some really nice indoor shots using a Canon external flash, albeit at the loss of the G7's portability (my external flash is twice the size of the G7!).

All in all, I'm a bit disappointed. I thought Canon would produce that extremely versatile fixed lens zoom this year that would be a worthwhile DSLR substitute. While the G7 is as good or better at ISO 200 and 400 than any other non-DSLR camera I've used, you've definitely got noise at ISO 400, and many of the ISO 200 images are noisier than I care for. The G7's dynamic range is at least as good as any other compact I've shot, but I have to believe Canon could have done better. I think they fell victim to the pixel-wars, and packed too many pixels into too small a sensor. I didn't want more pixels. I wanted bigger and better pixels and a bigger lens, that captured more light, preserved more tonal gradation, and produced noise-free images at ISO 200, and maybe even 400.

The G7's a better one piece zoom. But it's not what I hoped for.

Outstanding Camera
Just received my camera a few days ago. I started shooting immediately. Was very easy to use. The LCD screen is great and very bright. Lots of people have been complaining about a flip screen. In my case I am glad its not since I have a 20 month old and I am not sure what he would have done with a flip screen if he ever got hold of it. So for me its a plus.

The picture quality is great. Its a great looking camera as well. I still need to read much more about its capabilities but I am sure I will be impressed. I did own a Canon SLR and I did not want to buy another bulky DSLR. I settled for the G7 since it comes close to a DSLR without the bulkiness.