This is one great camera
I've had mine for a week now, and I am totally impressed with it. The G1 combines point and shoot capability with enough (optional) control to satisfy all but the most serious photographers. Its 3 megapixel images, 3x optical zoom, and lithium battery offer exceptional performance.

My only complaint is with the flash, which tends to overexpose shots a tiny bit. I've found that changing the flash exposure down by -2/3 fixes this (you can change this one time and forget about it).

For storage I use a 128 mb viking memory card, plus a 340mb microdrive. With the camera set to superfine and large images I can shoot hundreds of photos.

This camera is perfect for someone who wants high quality photos and is willing to spend the money to get it. As an alternative take a look at the Kodak DC480 - you'll pay half as much but you won't give up control, a longer optical zoom, and some resolution. Personally, this ones a keeper for me.

Great Camera with some minor improvements
I got this camera with the IBM 1GB microdrive, and I can pretty much forget about film camera. Seriously. (FYI, I own an EOS-1, and an ELPH)

For those who are browsing this reviews probably knows a lot about this camera so I would skip the introduction. ...

In short, this is a very great camera (high res., microdrive compatible and a very, very long battery life) but it does have some minor things that I would like to share with you, by reading this hopefully you will know what you're going to expect when you receive this great camera:

1) The plastic rubber side door is very flimsy, so be careful not to break it!

2) During the movie mode you cannot zoom in or out, maybe I do not know how to do it but I doubt it.

3) The flash light does tend to have a bit over exposure, so adjust accordingly, you might have to experience it to find a correct exposure level for your taste.

4) This camera does not come with a camera bag therefore the metal body has to take extra care otherwise you might find your new G1 end with quite a few unwanted scratches.

5) Finally, the lens cap: why don't Canon design a built-in lens cover instead of a physical cap? Sometimes I forgot to remove the lens cap before I turn on the camera and it shows me error message,tell me to restart the start up procedure again. Quite troublesome I must say. Hopefully I will get use to it.

Overall I am going to give it a solid 5 stars because this camera, although has the above weaknesses, it does have a lot of improvements compare with some top of the line consumer camera like Nikon Coolpix 990, Olympus 3030 etc. So for the money I spend this is a very well worth camera!

Excellent and a standard setter
I've already had one digital camera (a Kodak DC290, which was excellent) for a year, but I longed for more manual control and more flexibility, and this camera delivers in spades. The G1, in fact, has so many features and options that it's a bit overwhelming for people who've operated earlier, more limited digital cameras primarily in point-and-shoot mode. Apart from shutter and aperture priority, there are night flash, portrait, landscape and movie modes. There's excellent noise reduction for long exposures and a mode to assist with taking panoramas (plus almost absurdly easy stitching software) to merge the shots on a computer.

The camera sets new standards in its price category with its support for IBM Microdrives and the use of a camcorder battery, meaning longer life and lots more pictures possible in a given session. The swiveling LCD is fantastic and is so bright I use it to compose for almost every shot... again, the longer battery life makes this possible. The menus are easy to follow and the ergonomics are great -- the camera feels very solid and not like some weirdly designed gadget. A hot shoe means it's easy to attach a Canon speedlite flash (or some third party flashes) for even greater flexibility, and it's a relief not to have to rely on clumsy brackets to hold a flash. RAW mode pictures make it possible to tweak pictures for things like white balance in the computer.

The picture quality is superb, and the camera is very adaptable to a variety of picture taking settings. What may cause an issue with novice users is the fact that pictures using auto settings, while OK, can be a bit cool, and in trickier settings on sunny days, end up slightly overexposed. The built-in flash is also on the finicky side and will require some experimentation to determine optimal range. It's simple enough to adjust flash strength, exposure or white balance accordingly and have those settings stick, but some folks may not want to bother. There are definitely more manageable cameras for those who primarily want point-and-shoot or those who want very saturated looking pictures right out of the camera (the Kodaks being best).

But by the same token, those who like to tinker will find the pictures possible with the G1 excellent--they compare very favorably to other digicams I evaluated such as the Nikons, Olympuses and Kodaks. This is a very good camera for people who want to learn more about photography. After an adjustment period of over a hundred pictures, I find that everything from portraits to landscapes to macro shots to night shots comes out very well. The software that comes with the camera for downloading and browsing images (Zoombrowser) is well done --I usually avoid installing camera manufacturers' software because of bugs, but this is good stuff.

Most notable nits: a flimsy rubber door that covers the AC port, and a slow bootup time when using the IBM Microdrive. Otherwise, the camera feels wonderful and the time to take pictures from one shot to another is very fast.

Overall, I am very pleased. Beyond everything I've already said, the fact that I've taken nearly a thousand pictures in just a few weeks is evidence that taking pictures with this camera and making use of all its capabilities is absolutely addictive!

Finally a digital camera than can please photographers
I agree with the points listed by others reviewing the Canon Powershot G1 camera and I am very happy with the product. I purchased this camera to take advantage of some of its more advanced features and have not been let down (after several weeks, I'm still making discoveries).

A couple of additional notes I would like to add for those intending to buy this camera and for existing owners:

1) I highly recommend Canon's PSC1000 semi-hard case for the G1. It is a two-piece leather design that provides significant protection for the camera body, as well as making the camera easier to grip for those with large hands.

2) I have been pleasantly surprised with the software that Canon supplied with the G1 - the ZoomBrowser software provides a quick, convenient method of viewing large numbers of photographs. This camera also comes with a 'SE' edition of Adobe Photoshop - a rich product that enjoys industry-wide support. Competitors often provide a TWAIN-compatible driver and a simple/cheap photo manipulation program - leaving consumers to purchase adequate software.

3) The 16mb card supplied with the camera is really included only to make the camera operable out of the box. In my opinion, this card should have been at least 64mb in size (high quality JPG images are 1.2mb in size). Be prepared to purchase a larger card immediately, or try one of the Microtech harddrives made by IBM, which the G1 supports fully.

I've rated the camera 5 stars because I find it to be the digital equivalent to Canon's excellent line of EOS SLR cameras in every respect.

Overcomes both the major restrictions of digital cameras!
I certainly agree with the other reviewers and their praise for picture quality and total control (when wanted). The only thing I'd like to add is my accolades for two major features:

1. Microdrive support The Microdrive removes the restrictions posed by limited in-camera picture storage on CF cards. You have to experience the loss of this restriction to really appreciate how important it is. We just returned from a week-long cruise where we took over 300 full-size pictures and still had a lot of in-camera storage left.

2. Amazing battery life Using a camcorder battery to power this camera provides an enormous amount of long-term power. You can leave the LCD on and use a Microdrive without any fears of having the power come up short.

These two features put this camera in a class by itself. When you combine them with the other outstanding capabilities, this is clearly the right choice!

Couldn't be happier
I recently upgraded my digital camera to the G1 (from an older Casio VGA) and I couldn't be happier.

It is easy to use and takes excellent pictures for a "prosumer" (I've taken over 500 since it arrived). The user interface will be familiar to Canon film camera users and it seems to offer the right combination of automated and manual features.

This camera comes equipped with everything you need: cables, storage, rechargeable, remote control, software, etc. The only complaint would be the size of the 16MB CompactFlash. You probably will want a 32MB or bigger device -- but that purchase can wait because the computer interface on this is excellent and uploading is a pleasure.

The USB interface and Type 1 and 2 card support are the way to go. This gives you a lot of future protection and upgrade options.

The included software is more than adequate. ZoomBrowser the camera manager is the best picture organizer I have used. The TWAIN driver has worked with all my photo and video editors.

The battery is incredible -- long life and fast recharge -- can't ask for more.

The LCD display is really useful. There are better displays out there but none more convenient. The ability to tuck it away saves on battery and cleaning the display. The 360 degree orientation is great. I use it in conjunction with the remote control to great effect.

Outstanding Camera!
I bought this camera a week and a half ago and I'm very, very impressed. The pictures it takes are outstanding, as is just about everything else about the camera. I purchased this camera after reading a review on Digital Photography Review (http://www.dpreview.com/) which was very favorable.

I wanted a camera I could have complete control of and this is it. It has a full-auto mode along with program AE, shutter priority, aperture priority, and full manual modes. It also provides a bunch of pre-programmed modes for things like portraits and landscapes (I've not made much use of them though).

The battery life is excellent. The battery is the same that powers their full blown digital SLR, the EOS-D30, so it has more than enough power for this camera. I haven't come near running out of battery life yet.

In addition, the camera supports CompactFlash types I and II and microdrives (muy importante!), has a 3x optical zoom (and a 2x or 4x digital zoom, but I don't use it), and supports an adapter for 58mm filters and additional lens attachments. The LCD flips out and twists making it very easy to position the camera where it needs to go and still see the image.

The best feature of the camera, though, is without a doubt the image quality. Colors are excellent and the pictures are crisp and very detailed. The camera supports resolutions of 2048x1536, 1024x768, and 640x480. It can store images in a raw CCD format or in super-fine, fine, or normal JPEG. I use both the high and medium resolutions in super-fine JPEG and consistently get outstanding results. The raw format requires the TWAIN driver or other compatible decoder to convert the raw CCD data into a normal image format (such as TIFF), but this is a small price to pay if you want a totally unaltered image off the CCD.

I have a gallery of images taken with the camera at my website, http://moibus.jfm.net/ for those interested in seeing what it can do.

All in all, wonderful!

Most Complete Camera I could Ask For
I spent a good 2 months shopping for a digital camera before finally deciding on the Powershot G1. I couldn't be happier with my choice. While there are two things that bother me about the camera (I will get to them later), the benefits much more than compensate for the nuisances.

When I purchased the camera, I bought both a 128 meg viking (~130 photos at full resoloution) compact flash memory card and a 1 GB IBM Microdrive (~1200 photos). I bought the static memory in addition to the microdrive because I was worried about the increased usage of battery life due to the moving parts of the drive. However, I was shocked by the length of the battery life in comparison to other digital cameras (even other powershots). Using the LCD, flash, and the microdrive I can take over 270 shots before running low on battery. The extensive battery life and number of photos that can be taken on a microdrive are a big plus, especially considering my first gripe: the cover for the USB/Power connectors. There is a rubber cover over these that connectors that I fear I am going to break every time I take it off. It is incredibly solid while in place, and then as soon as you push it hard enough it flips out and is only held in by a tiny little rubber plug. Luckily I don't need to charge or download my photos that often.

The second complaint, isn't much of a problem for me, just a comment that I've received. Friends will use the camera, and say "That's an absolutely phenomenal camera, it's just a little heavy though". I agree, it is a little heavy, but the control I have over the camera and the benefits from its design are worth the extra weight.

If you are in the field for a top level digital camera, I would reccomend this with no reservations, compared to the drawbacks of many other digital camera, the Powershot G1 presents unprecedented power and control for all your digital photography needs.

Versatile good quality camera
The main things I like about this camera are the 1) 3 mega-pixel resolution. It is a noticable improvement from my old Olympus D-500L, 2) "point-and-shoot" shape (though on the large side) still fits in a large shirt pocket, jacket pocket, or small camera bag. I will be carrying this one with me on vacation. 3) Supports both full auto and manual controls. In most cases, I shoot in the Auto or Program mode, but I also do like to use the Shutter/Aperture priority and Full Manual modes. 4) Ability to store "RAW" (non-compressed images). In most cases, I prefer to do the "touch-up" then store the images in .jpeg (and keep the original "RAW" file for archival.) 5) Battery life seems very good, and I like the fact that a rechargeable battery and AC adapter are included in the kit.

On the downside, the included 16-meg compact flash card is way to small. It will only hold 5 RAW images or 8 hi-res jpegs. A 64-meg or greater is recommended. And as I mentioned earlier, the camera is a little on the big side.

Great Camera, Works with Linux
I've had this camera for a couple months now, and have taken a couple hundred photos so far. I can totally agree with other reviews here that this is an excellent camera...

* The "night portrait mode" does a great job of popping the flash to fill in the foreground (subjects) while leaving the shutter open for about 1/2sec to burn in the background. This feature produces really good results in parties and other darker rooms.

* The long-exposure manual modes do a really nice job of uniformly exposing the shot, completely without any artifacts or other noise from the CCD.

* This camera, with a little work, can be made to work with Linux. ... ... ... that explains the sprocedure. Being a Linux user myself, this was very important to me.

OUTSTANDING CAMERA
You can't go wrong with this camera. I love it. The only problem I had was with the LCD sreen. It had lines going through it when it was in record mode, but I called canon and they said with proof of purchase it was under a warranty for a year (WOW, no that's cool). Trust me you'll definately be satisfied with this camera.

Great resolution, poor color
Pictures are crystal clear, but colors are below acceptable level. All the three of us digicam enthusiasts tried to figure out, all to no avail, why a top-line Canon, one of the best cameras in traditional photography, produce such a poor color. In comparison, Kodak 4800, Nikon 880 and even Kodak 3400 have a much better color saturation.

Two other things I don't like the camera apply to most of other digicams: the battery and the memory card. These lithium batteries are expensive and not widely available, especially for tourists who travel to far and distant places where choices of batteries and the time to recharge are usually limited. To me, AA batteries are the most convenient, widely available, least expensive and therefore are the best choice. Besides, they seem to last just as long as their lithium counterparts.

I put my pictures in the computer's albums and burn them on CDs to share with friends and family. Therefore, I always use the highest resolution with the lowest compression rate. An 8 or 16 MB memory card is simply a joke, especially when you go on a long trip. At this time of digicam development, the minimum size should be 32 MB.

Great! Camera with few small Flaws
I have been into digital photography for about 3 years, and have owned an Apple Quicktake 200 (lame), Nikon Coolpix 950 (decent), Nikon Coolpix 990 (almost right; read my review), and now the G1. I have it set up with the 340 MB IBM microdrive, as well as the Canon 420EX Speelite. This combination, I feel, is about as good as you can get without getting to the [price] range (Canon D30). Here are some things you may not see in the other reviews:

* The camera, once it powers on after about 5 seconds, is very very quick shooting. You almost can't want to shoot faster than it will allow.

* Focus can, however, slow you down a bit, especially in dark setting (despite focus-assist light), and in low-contrast settings. I am a dentist (couldn't you tell by the name?!), and the camera does have issues with intraoral focusing.

* Playback of images is very fast, especially when you use the RAW format. You can flip through about 2/second. If you can, buy a BIG memory card. I have the 340 MB Microdrive, and can store about 200 images in RAW mode. This mode is important. It is the equivalent of a TIFF file, but only takes about 2 megs/image, instead of 9 Megs with the Coolpix 990. Also, shot-to-shot in TIFF mode on the 990 is almost 10 seconds; on the G1, shot-to-shot in RAW is about 1 second. Also, in RAW mode, you can alter brightness/contrast/color saturation losslessly.

* Flash photography is a complete joy to do with this camera. The 420EX is a spectacular flash, there is tons of power, no red eye, and the E-TTL system makes even bounce and swivel photography a complete breeze. You can even over/underexpose the flash, and wirelessly control multiple flashes. Just totally unparalleled. Nikon and Olympus just can't touch this. 990 doesn't even have a hot shoe...

* The battery is on steroids; just never wants to run out (realistically ~400-500 shots 'til reload). With the Coolpix 990, you have to buy batteries and a charger. Koodos to Canon for adding this value to the G1.

* The layout of the controls is such that just about every button is within easy reach of my fingers. Excellent.

*ýOptional adapter (... LA-DC58) screws into the front, and allows you to use standard 58 mm lenses and ring lights to further expand your creativity.

* Camera is fairly hefty, and builty like a tank. This sure isn't going to break in your hands...

* Setting the ISO to 50 (Nikon can't do this) gives just absolutely fantastic photos with very minimal noise, even in the dead of night (Nikon had MUCH more noise).

Negative stuff (hey, it can't be perfect!):

* There is no Program Shift!!! HOW could they do this?!?! This actually is a bummer, and the standard Program mode always seems to favor wide open F-stops; stick to aperture-priority. 990 has this....

* You cannot have multiple folders to store images to. This is a pain, since I can store about 200 images between downloads, and I never want to have my patient photos mixed up. 990 has this feature, but I consider it a minor inconvenience.

In conclusion, the unique highs of this camera include the image quality (ISO 50), awesome flash capabilities, IBM Microdrive support, RAW image mode, great battery, and lots of great accessories. The negatives include suspect night/low contrast focusing and no program shift. I've used most 3 megapixel cameras, and I think this is the gem of the lot.

Great camera but....
Based on all the very good reviews, I went for this camera as my first plunge into the digital photo realm. Aside from some minor ergonomic issues with the shape of the camera, I've been pleased. Image quality is excellent. My only problem so far - getting one that works. The first one I received was inoperative right out of the box. The replacement for that one died after five weeks and is now at Canon for repair. I haven't seen other problems with reliability mentioned anywhere so perhaps my troubles are rare (I hope).

Perfect digital pro-sumer
I looked and looked for a digital that offerred SLR-like functionality, but without the price overhead of a true digital SLR. My first direction was the Kodak 4800 - but after seeing the G1 demoed, I was sold. Plenty of preset modes, durable, long battery, good lens, plenty of programmability, and nothing beats the panoramic stitch assist and short motion video features. I originally shopped around at photo stores, and everybody was sold out - that helped convince me too. In the end I ordered it from Amazon and got it quicker than any dealer could come close to.

I'll eventually get one that works...
The first one I got "didn't communicate properly with the battery". I exchanged it. The second one wouldn't focus in the macro mode. Exchanged it. The third one has lines running through the LCD and still doesn't want to focus in macro mode. I have considered switching to another make/model, but I will not give up on the G1 yet! I love this camera, eventually I will get one that works properly.

Extraordinary
I recently purchased the Canon Powershot G1, WOW!!! This is a great camera; my wife was spending all kinds of money on film every week. We looked for a digital camera and none really impressed us till we ran across the G1. It really is a great camera. Thanks for making a great product Canon.

CanonG1
I am not a "Pro" photograher in fact I never used any camera more complicated than a point & shoot Fuji film camera. Back In 97 I got my first digital camera a Kodak DC50. The camera was pretty good back in 97 but in October 2000 when I started to really check out what was new in digital I could see it was way past due that I purchase a new digital camera. So I researched for about a month comparing Images & features then decided to purchase the G1. After having the G1 for four months I can say I truly am happy with my camera. The G1 has a very sharp lens And with a external flash you can do beautiful portraits. The G1 has super low light capabilities. And lots of creative control, I most allways shoot raw in manual mode except for when I need that quick one, I use auto mode for the "snapshot". The battery is one big plus of the G1 it really seems like it goes on forever, unlike the other cameras that eat up AA batterys like candy. All in all there has been no disappointment with the G1 for me. ... ...

Interesting to compare with Nikon Coolpix 990
I normally use a Nikon Coolpix 990, but I recently had a chance to try this Canon for a few days.

It's a very different machine to handle. I think it's actually smaller than the Nikon, but the Nikon falls more easily into my hands.

The screen on the Nikon is fixed on the camera body, but the lens swivels around the body. The screen on the Canon can be swivelled in any direction. So the Canon's would appear to be more flexible, yet I found that I was constantly fiddling with the screen to get it to an angle that I liked. That may just be a matter of familiarity.

The screen is very bright and shows up much better in sunlight than the Nikon's. But I think the Nikon's is better quality.

They are both bristling with manual controls that make them exceptionaly flexible. They could be dauntingly complicated for the novice. The Canon has the advantage of a hot shoe in case you want to use an external flashgun. Quite a big advantage since the on camera flash on both is nothing special. You will probably want to be able to get the same high quality results with flash as in natural light - if you buy the Nikon, you will have to buy their expensive external flash and the adapter.

Results-wise, in natural light, I can't really say one is better than the other. They are both superb.

Excellent camera !!!
Hi just purchased this camera on the weekend.....and all I got say is its "amazing." Myself, I am not a proffesional photographer, but am hevily into web design. Basically to sum it up 1)Excellent Images (can't stress that enough) 2)Battery life is excellent 3)Nice metal casing and feel to it 4)Features for days 4)Nightmode is extreamly impressive 5) Well worth the money

Excellent camera.....but
I do not want to repeat all the praises of this great camera. I'd like to point out that the exact focusing may be a problem. The depth of field of these very short focal length lenses is very deep. I miss the rectangular marker for metering (when I do it and not in auto mode - the autofocus is so sophisticated you almost never need the override it).

Not Canon's fault is the fact that many older studio strobes can not be fired from the G1. The high voltage trigger circuit may even damage the camera. Speedorton's 64V did not do any harm to mine but I can not use them together. The manual ought to warn against this.

I love the G1 and use it almost every day...besides an S100 that is in my pocket :-)

Drawback
While I like this camera, one shortcoming any serious user should be aware of - All shutter speeds above 1/500 only work with f8.0 - So, if it's a cloudy day and you're shooting sports, an exposure of 1/800s at f2.8 won't work.

This makes the Shutter Preferred and Aperture Preferred modes of limited value. If you're not going to be shooting on AUTO, you might want to look at another camera.

Easy to use
I am not a photography pro, but after lots of research and buying the wrong camera a few times, The G1 was recommended by friends that do photography for a living. It really is easy to use and the battery lasts as long as you need it (for me anyway). I bought a spare anyway. Haven't needed to use it yet. I've shot 60+ shots on a charge without running out of power An added flash is a necessity. The built in flash is good for only 14 feet or so.

Great camera, flawed software
I've had my G1 for about two months now. It's a fine instrument. I'm a semi-pro photog. It's changed my shooting habits, my working habits, and the way I look at photography. It has resulted in some very interesting new information-delivery concepts. My gripe is with the software. I'm a Mac user, so I expected rather crude interfaces ported from the Windows world. No big problem. And the Canon software for downloading, manipulating, viewing, etc. the images is quite powerful, but the user interface is fairly badly flawed, which is a shame. With such a fine camera, and such basically powerful software (the PhotoStitch and SlideShow functions are particularly nice), it's a shame that Canon couldn't see its way to smooth out the interface and make it more intuitive. Some of the ways in which the software could easily be improved would be evident to a six-year-old. Others are a bit more subtle, but still readily evident. The worst mis-function (besides memory crashes--and virtually no info about how to prevent them in the wooden documentation) is in setting up the camera for remote capture (ie, the camera is being controlled remotely by my PowerBook G3 courtesy of a connecting cable). It's easier to find the key to world peace than to figure out how to get this working first time around. If you write your own instructions, you can then do it in the future; but don't expect it to be explained clearly in the manual, or to be (gasp!) Macintosh-style intuitive. We can hope for smoother versions of the proprietary software in the future, but well-designed, smooth-operating software is such a rarity now that I won't hold my breath. Still, it'd be great to have programs that match the camera in elegance, design, ease of use and just plain fun.

Love at first Byte
I took a long time deciding to purchase a digital camera, and finally bought my Canon G1 in Anguilla (duty-free). The pictures I took on the island were magnificant, and brought many raves and inquiries on our extended family web-site (MyFamiy.com). Based on that experience, I left my trusty old Canon Rebel 35mm behind for a recent trip to Buenos Aires, and loved it. I carried the G1 slung over my shoulder and tucked into my sports jacket pocket for easy access when I needed it spontaneously. Example: A colorful Gypsy woman and child was begging along a street, and for pocket change I got a great shot of them.

I especially want to relate two instances where I found the "flipping" LCD invaluable. I wanted to take a picture looking down through a beautiful marble spiral staircase, to get the "nautilus" effect. With a standard camera I would have had to risk my life to stretch out over the ten-story space for the shot, or just hold the camera out over the space and hope for the best. With the G1's LCD, I simply flipped out the LCD and adjusted it to my direction while holding the camera out over the space, focused and shot a perfect picture.

The second instance was in a rather crowded building where I wanted to shoot a muraled dome overhead. Rather than crane my neck upward while framing and shooting, I simply held the camera at waist level pointing upwards, with the LCD this time flipped around to the front of the camera so I was actually looking downward to shoot an overhead picture. Worked perfectly. Great camera!!

High Quality, but flash metering is off
My experience with the G1 has been positive except for flash metering: Superb lens and image quality; splendid battery longevity with charger included; good creative control; and RAW image option for large, super-fine images. However, when using fill-flash the camera consistently overexposes 1 to 2 stops. To compensate, I have to manually set the flash exposure to underexpose by 1-2 stops. I find this overexposure occurs when using both the built in flash and my (highly recommended) shoe-mounted Canon Speedlight 380EX. Canon's Web site has new firmware that Canon claims fixes flash-related issues, but even after installing the new firmware, the flash exposure was inaccurate for me. Hopefully the good folks at Canon will fix this problem with a future firmware release.

Photo revolution is here
I received my G1 two days ago, made several sample prints on my Epson 870 yesterday, and still can't recover from the shock. The quality is unbelievable, I haven't had better pictures in my life, though I am close to 50 and have been a photography amateur since I was ten. My film photography equipment contains two outfits: 35mm Nikon N70 and medium Mamiya Universal. Neither gives me the sharpness or tonal richness of the G1. I am not in any way related to Canon and I believe that other digital cameras of the same class would impress me in a similar way. It just happens that my first digital camera is this. And impressed I am.

Great camera
I've owned this camera for a few months now. Instead of taking the 35mm to Ireland, this camera was my choice.

The picture quality is terrific, battery life is unbelievable.

I'd buy it all over again. As always I early adopt, but even better value now. The video snippets are super also.

My Experience with the G1
I have had the G1 for 6 months now. Like most of the reviewers, I have been extremely pleased with the camera. The pictures are incredibly sharp. The printout using HP Photosmart printer on photographic papers are incredible -- much better than what I can get from a film camera at Wolf Camera.

But instead of just adding more raving comments that you don't need, I like to share some of my experiences with it.

(1) Like one of the previous reviewer had said, the color saturation is not perfect. I don't know whether this is a problem unique to the G1, or it is a problem for all digicams. I recommend using high saturation setting instead of the default neutral setting. This helps a little, but the pictures are still under saturated. However, correcting this problem is easy with any of the softwares.

(2) While the default setting at ISO 50 is great for outdoor shooting during the day, it is not good for indoor shooting even during the day, or under artificial lighting. The on camera flash is simply not adequate. The best solution is often to set the ISO at 400, but the pictures will be VERY noisy. The median filter by Photoshop will not be of much help in denoising. However, some of the newer wavelet based denoising schemes work quite well.

(3) Don't overlook the manual setting option. I found it to be the best way to shoot night scenes or in low lighting situations. Set the ISO to 200 or 400, and experiment. Using the flash outdoor at night will give you a very blue tone. It can be nice but it is not realistic.

(4) The battery life is one of the strongest reasons to buy the G1. However, don't automatically assume you can get 700-800 pictures on a single charge. You won't! My experiements suggest that you get about 120-150 pictures if you use the LCD AND you use the flash for about 40% of your shots. Also, when the warning of low battery comes, the battery is gone within 3-5 shots.

(5) I had trouble getting the camera to work in cold weather. I use the 340 MB Microdrive. But after I warmed the camera using my hand for a couple of minutes it works properly.

(6) One of the most troubling problem with G1 is the optical distortion of the pictures. If you shoot wide angle you will see rather pronounced distortions at the two upper corners. Vertical lines of a far away building will appear tilted. I haven seen distortions this bad in cheap lens for 35mm cameras, but never in a decent lens. The problem disappears as one increases the focal length. This means the photostitching for wide angle shots is not a good idea. If you do plan to stitch photos, make sure you shoot them using medium to long focal length.

(7) The remote control in my package doesn't work. I don't really care about it, but you may want to make sure it works.

Despite of these minor problems I love the G1.

Excellent results, easy to use, no problems
I bought this camera recently along with a 340MB microdrive. Quality of the photos exceeded my expectations . Performance wise this camera is very good. The battery seems to last forever - I took several hundred pics over a three day period and did not need to recharge. Software works well. Downloads to PC were very easy as was the use of the Canon zoom browser.

The Canon people need to re-think the design though. The camera looks and feels clunky. On-off switch is inconvenient as is the lens cap. At this price Canon should aslo consider providing a camera case.

I love this camera!
I researched digital cameras for about 6 months before deciding on this one. I have a bit of experience with photography, so I wanted one that had a lot of flexibility. Eventually, the decision came down to this camera and the Nikon CoolPix 990. I decided on the Canon because I prefered its traditional design over the Nikon's weird swivel thing. Also the canon uses Compact Flash, which is cheaper than SmartMedia.

If you get this camera, buy a big memory card like one of the Viking 256MB CF cards. You'll like the high resolution images it takes, but they eat up memory like crazy.

Oh, another thing: this camera works with Linux! Actually, that's only half-true. You can use Gphoto...to download images, but you need the RS-232 serial cable ... The smart thing to do, however, is to buy a USB Compact Flash reader, like the SanDisk ImageMate.

All-in-all, I couldn't be happier with this camera, and I don't think I'd be as happy with any other camera out there right now.

Best pics in decades
All the power of my old Nikon SLR, PLUS the darkroom now travels in a brief case. I am getting the best, most consistent pics in 20 years. It takes time to get true professional results with this camera, but its the user that has to step up, not the camera. Overexposed flash pics on auto are simple to fix on the exposure menu. Problem has been reported, but really not much of a problem. Software setup with Photoshop or equivalent and good printer a must. Clear, detailed, natural-looking images with sufficient depth to allow lots of manipulation afterwards.

Almost perfect
My first digital camera has been excellent but people reading reviews want to know about limitations. 1. Flash is pretty poor- certainly not on par with the rest of the camera. I need to try the speed lite (nice that you can do that). 2. Limited accessories. I would like to mount the camera to other devices but have found this almost impossible. 3. Slow on the draw due to the need to have the lens protrude and retract. These quibbles are pretty minor. For the price, this is a great device. I would give it 4.5 stars if that were an option.

Noisies of LCD
I just bought the camera and whenever i saw what's on the LCD, I remember one of the reviews here about "snow flakes" and lines on the LCD. I am having exactly the same problem. But the captured images are displayed fine on it.

I used Kodak DC280 and a SONY digital camcorder before, so i have an idea about what the LCD should look like. I will try to contact Canon to find what the problem is.

Awesome!
This is the best camera EVER!!! I was up and using it within 1 hour and its general use is very easy. It has many advance features which I am still playing with.

I bought this mainly to take pictures of my 3 month old daughter and the few pictures I took so far came out great. People wanted to know where I "had them done". Pictures printed out crystal clear on my HP Inkjet printer with the Kodak paper.

Its well worth the money! BUY IT TODAY!

My LCD Viewfinder is fine!
I was surprised to read not one, but two reviews talking about snowflakes on the LCD Viewfinder and horizontal lines! I have had no such problems with my G1 and the LCD Viewfinder shows quite proper images before the shot is taken. I've always found it quite useful.

I did quite an extensive research before I finally bought the G1 and never in any of the online reviews of the G1 did I hear of this defect. Maybe the people with this problem should contact Canon and find out if the defect is with the particular pieces.

Outstanding camera
When I researched for cameras, I read some reviews on the G1 and was completely blown out of the water when I finally got it. It did so much more than what I thought it would do. Purchased the camera from PC4Nothing for $625.00 new. I upgraded to a 128meg flash card and when set at 640 x 480 resolution, the card will hold over 1000 pictures. The most impressive part of the camera was the cameras' ability to create 180+ degree pictures. After completely remodeling my kitchen, I stood at one side and took about 15 picturs in an arc and "Stiched" them together with the provided software. It's too cool and easy to use. The software is also easy to use. Overall, probably the best image resolution and options for the money. I really like it and have not had any problems with it at all.

Fantastic, great camera
I bought this camera 1 month ago. A fantastic buy. This camera shoots fantastic pictures, is very easy to use, has impressive features. I think it's the best camera you can buy.

Canon's PowerShot G1 is Great for Beginners and Pro's
This is a great camera BUT Canon just came out with their latest camera the PowerShot G2 which has many improvements over the G1 and costs only 100.00 more. (899.00)
Go to powershot.com for more information.

amazing camera
after shopping for a few months i found this camera to be THE best deal for money and quality.. i checked epinions and read zillions of reviews.. they all agree with me.. the powershot g1 is an amazing camera.. fully auto for the beginner, and fully manual for the well experienced photographer.. i love this camera!

Versatile Camera
After struggling to like my previous 1 megapixel Kodak D215 for a year, I spent some bucks for a real camera: the Canon G1. The Kodak was point-and-shoot, but the low resolution made "fuzz-balls" of trees and needed batteries every 20-30 shots. The G1 makes it child's play to take great clear photos.

While not the simplest appearing camera, it is extremely flexible and takes photos rivaling a good 35mm SLR. If left in "auto mode", it takes great shots with virtually no "start-up" issues. The G1's ease of use facilitates exploration of the manual and semi-automatic features which can help open the eyes of those who have avoided pro type photography, thinking it was far too technical.

That's the beauty of going digital. After the initial purchase, it's cheap to play and explore the realm of photography since the cost of experimenting, developing, modifying the photos is nil--here I'm considering my own time to be nil.

You will want to invest a padded case and in larger Compact Flash units ASAP, but CF costs have come down dramatically in the last few months. I recommend the 128 meg sizes (. . .)

The plusses of this particular camera are its simplicity for beginners, full range of features, long battery life, and high build quality of the body, lens, and electronics. I've banged it around mountain trails and taken well over 100 shots in two days. The evening between, I used the the G1's LCD to review and edit-out pics I didn't like--without re-charging or using-up the full battery charge.

I've had the thing for six months and have had excellent results with photos capturing close-ups of bugs on flowers, over-the-head shots at a junior high commencement (using the swiveling LCD), family portraits using the cool included remote, and gorgeous landscapes in Yosemite. High quality prints using my PC and HP printer are as good as 35mm at 8x10 size and would make passable poster size prints as well.

The biggest issues I've needed to deal with probably relate more to my expertise than the camera's fault, like over-exposure in very high contrast conditions: for example, faces or bodies being half-sunlit. So, I do still need to overcome periodic "pilot error", and I've had only marginal success with the camera's sound and video modes.

The camera is even "upgradable", as I have downloaded and re-configured its operating system (BIOS) from Canon's web-site, so I'm not stuck with last year's bugs--although I'm still not sure what the upgrade fixed since I'd never noticed operational problems.

As far as the included Canon software, I think it's quirky and cumbersome, but I don't consider this to be a fault of the camera. The USB-camera connection is recognized by Windows and I prefer to take my photos straight to Photoshop or Paintshop Pro for manipulation or printing rather than using Canon's Zoom Browser. Since I have a variety of CF modules, I usually use an external Sandisk USB-Compact Flash reader (about $20) rather than keeping the camera plugged-in for downloading.

I'm looking forward to a long relationship with this camera.

Note that the G1 has been upstaged by a slightly bulkier G2, but the on-line prices for the older model make it an exceptional buy.

Levinson on Canon G1
I am very pleased with this Digicam.
The overall results are stunning and it is
easy to use. The good manual took a couple of days
to read & I am now carrying the camera everywhere I go.

I purchased a 128 mega Viking memory card and a
second battery. The memory card is a must. The 2nd
battery is only used now & again & is a luxury
which I could have done without. However its a nice
feeling to carry a charged spare.
Don't buy a Canon battery there are cheaper ones out
there.
I did an online survey before I purchased & I am
happy that I purchased a solid Camera.
The movie feature (30 seconds AVI file is a nice
gimmick but not good enough quality to use other than
for a laugh.

The auto focus is sometimes a little touchy.
Its worth double checking your frames before
moving on.
The only serious problem is the Canon ZoomBrowser
software..It is cumbersome & not very well made.
It seems to clash with my Windows 98 on my laptop
& doesn't get on with my Desktop Windows 2000 either.
Perhaps Canon have a FIX available?

However I have used the Photoshop included & sent some
photos (approx 1.5 mb) to the local printing house & am
very pleased with the 8x6 prints. No one can tell that they
are from a digital source!!

END

Put 1Gb in and never change cards again!
I love my G1! It's everything you'll ever need.

The biggest advantage to G1 is that you can get additional IBM microdrive (340mb or 1gig) and NEVER take it out. I have 340mb and my camer always shows space available for 999 more pictures at a medium resolution, medium size. It just cannot show a bigger number. I brought home about 600 pictures from Disney, never had to change the card.

The quality is just amazing! My Disney pictures turned out to be postcards - bright and full of color. I sent the files for print and print turned out to be better than from a regular camera.

Another feature I love: the swivel screen. I take movies of myself and send them overseas to my friends. Or I take movies of falling stars and fireworks.

There are things that I would change though:
- Movies stop recording after 30 sec, even though I have plenty of space left.
- It charges VERY slow.

In short, this is the best digital camera on the market. Yes, Nikon is good, but it doesn't support Microdrive, what good is the camera if you constantly have to change cards?

I love my G1!!! :)

G1 is a great Digital Camera
A professional feel and grade, many features. Some white
background problems, but SHARP picture and solid feel make this
camera well worth the money.

The Canon G1...not a run of the mill digital camera!!!
I have had my G1 for about 6 months now and everyone who has seen images from this camera are amazed. I purchased this camera because it is substantial, well-designed, intuitive and produces outstanding image quality. Many may find the camera too heavy, but I find many competitors flimsy and cheap. That is disconcerting given the investment one makes in these gadgets. I recommend everyone pick up the camera at your local retailer (...) to be certain its size and weight are suitable.

The LCD flip screen is a big plus with crystal clear resolution and the ability to protect the screen while in the case or in use.

The Canon G1 has only three problems. First, in extremely sunny settings I find the background can be quite overexposed (burned out). Second, I noticed a pixel in the periphery is intermittently bright green suggesting this portion of the CCD is not functioning. Not a big deal, but I am inquiring with Canon about resolving this issue. Third, the Canon G2 came out shortly after my purchase. Oh well!!!

I think it would be unlikely one will be unhappy with the purchase as long as it fits within your budget.

Good Luck

Print Quality #1
I just bought this camera last night and had it down in just a short time. Except for a feature or two that I would use, like bulb setting, the picture quality is magnificent. I did a few test shots at the highest resolution setting & had them printed at a lab on conventional color paper. At 11x17 the photos look like they came off a 6x7 neg. 35mm can't even compete as far as I am concerned....Canon, keep it going.

Good Investment
This purchase was my first digital camera. I waited until now because I wanted a camera with good resolution at an affordable price. This is truely an excellent camera. When used properly, it takes fantastic photos. The battery goes forever. The addition of 64/120 MB cards allowed me to take tons of photos. Why 4 stars? (1) The resolution on the 30 sec video could be better. (2) In low light situations (camera on auto), if you turn the flash off, photos mostly blurr(not always). You get a "shaky camera" icon and even if the camera is on a tripod, photos are sometimes blurred. This has caused me to miss some great shots.

Great compliment to 35mm
I purchased the G1 in December as a carry-along camera as I travel on business. The camera needed to serve two purposes, 1)substitute for a bulky SLR while traveling while providing high quality images; 2) be dependable and easy to carry. The G1 has been an excellent companion. I have actually used it to photograph construction drawings. The printed images were amazingly clear and the detail superb, even when printing at 8x10 - note even the small print on the drawings was perfectly clear.

I was initially reluctant to go digital, and am now truly impressed. As a compliment to a 35mm camera you can't go wrong with the G1, for the price.

Fantastic camera makes even a camera moron look good!
I have had my G-1 for over a year now and absolutely LOVE it. It's my first digital camera and has given me a new found love of photography. I'm what you would classify a camera moron, but the G-1 makes the photos I take look fantastic. It's simple enough to use for those who need point-and-shoot functionality while allowing for more advanced photographers to play with speed, aperature, white balance, exposure, etc. to achieve the desired effect. One of the greatest features of this camera is the battery life. I'm reading reviews of other 3MP cameras and am blown away that they only offer 1-3 HOURS of battery life. The G-1 will allow me 1-3 FULL DAYS of moderate to heavy shooting before I have to recharge. UNBELIEVABLE!!
My only complaint (and it is a small one) is that the body of the camera does not allow you to use interchangeable SLR lenses and filters, but hey. . .given everything else, it's a flaw I'm willing to overlook. It's a little on the pricey side, but this is one of those cases where you get MORE than what you pay for.

Summary of things I like:
Takes great photos
Battery life, battery life, battery life
Ease of use
Easy to download photos to my computer with USB cable
Comes with Adobe Photoshop LE & Zoombrowser photo management software
AV out to view photos on your TV
Motion video capable
Did I mention it takes GREAT photos and has a fantastic battery life?

Things I don't like:
Not SLR lens compatible
The PhotoRecord photo layout software is a little quirky

I purchased the G-1 as an impulse buy while on vacation and have not regretted it one bit. It's a great all around camera.

An Excellent Camera
The Canon Powershot G1 digital camera is an excellent camera overall. However, considering how long it's been on the market, you'd think it's cost would be lower. This camera has many factory configured settings that will enable even the beginning photographer to take exceptionally clean images. Also, you can choose from many aperture and speed settings should you want to set these manually (highly recommended). There is also a manual focus capability. I recommend this camera for beginners that want to learn photography and then be able to take the camera along when they move on to the intermediate level. There are many third-party accessories (lenses, adapters, filters) available for this camera. For instance, using macro lenses and a couple of adapters on my G1 I am able to capture all of the color slide pictures and print negatives in my teaching collection. I have been able to transfer my slide teaching presentations to PowerPoint presentations.
The G1 is eay to use, very reliable, and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to learn how to use it. I recommend purchasing a higher power battery and a high capacity (>128MB) compact flash memory card (Lexar is very good) that has a high data transfer rate (12x-24x). I've owned the camera for over a year and have taken into the field many times without a hitch.

The best so far
This camera is very SHARP,exposure is great,color is great,the only problem is the internal flash(little bit too flat),but if you use canon external flashes,every thing will be GREAT!
I bought the G2 for better resolution,but i found out that the difference was't much in resolution and the G1 was SHARPER so i returned it,i need more resolution,maybe 5 megapix,but so far i dont see any 3 or 4Mp better than the G1.
I have been using this camera for more than a year now and i am still in love with it.
IF you don't beleive me,go to :DPREVIEW.COM and see for yourself.
H R Ulysse

The all-in-one that won't let you down.
Beyond the fact that this camera has accomplished everything it set out to do, the powershot G1 is just the pinnacle of camera technology bundled into a package that most middle market people can afford.

To give you some piece of information that is helpful; stuff you might not hear about elsewhere i'll list a few attributes from the PowerShot G1.

1. The little cover which is the plug for the powersuply/usb connector is quite flimsy, but with some care won't break. Just have to watch out for it.

2. Get a decent Operating System like Windows 2000 that won't crash every two seconds with the use/development of the pictures on-line. I have a Pentium III 600 with 8mb video card and windows 98 Sec edition, and that thing would not handle the Canon ZoomBrowser Product that came with the camera. However i got windows 2000 loaded with a new 32Mb NVIDIA Video Card, and now the thing is yet to crash... SO smoothe... I forgive it...

3. Don't be fooled with the 16Mb FlashCard (Give it to the kids to use as a coaster for their toy tea-pot set, because it has no other use). Go out, budget an extra card (i.e. 128 or 1GB Microdrive) its so much more worth it to get the extra space and keep your setting to LARGE (SUPERFINE QUALITY) because the quality of that print is so superior to its counterpart digital 3+MEGAPIXEL cameras'...

The petty downsides are very very nitpicky, and you will find these "issues" on 90% of camera's... Some cameras will have a set of features, but lack in others... While others have different features, but lack in others as well... The Powershot G1 has all the features you can ask for. A quick List of Pluses (just to be fair because i talked about the minuses)

1. The Optical Zoom is quick and provides VERY high quality shots. (Not to mention that the Additional Lenses you can buy will bring you so close to the action you'll need to buy cheaper seats to get further away from the action) (Sitting at glass level at a hockey game, i can get a photo of a Goalie from head to toe, with about 2 inches in top and bottom of image with the 1.5x lens)...

2.The LCD flips out, allows for weird angled camera manipulation, (in a crowd, or under things etc..) You can put the camera anywhere at arms length to take very unique photos. It also closes face-in to prevent scratching between shoots... LCD high quality, and feels really sturdy.

3.It has the capability of a HUGE SLR/DIGITAL camera all in a small package. Slightly heavy but Very small for its power. People will see you with this thing, and think you have some 80 dollar camera, when it really has capabilities beyond the intermediate camera enthusiast.

4.Interface/Menus are easy to work with.

5. Taking a picture, loading it to the on-line software, touching up, and presenting (email/website) takes LITERALLY less than a minute. (provied you are near your computer)...

6. Expandability is amazing. It is FLASH 1 AND 2 compatible (if you don't know what that is; check it out because that is an important part of a digicam)... (very good quality) this means its compatible with IBM's Microdrives, and Normal Flash Cards...

7. Litium Rechargable bateries are absolutly amazing. I have a 128mb, 192mb, and 64mb FC card, along with the provided 16Mb card, and i filled them all up at a bruins game (about 200 pics), and the batery icon just began to show some degredation. The only reason you might need an extra battery is if you are on lengthy vacations AWAY from powersources... this also leaves room for improvement, you can get stuff like the "car outlet" reacharge station (which charges two at a time) or use the provided "regular power source" to recharge them...

8. I could go on... but email me for about question you have...

Overall, i'm very happy with the camera. I've had it for 6 months, and have never been disatisfied. I might add that to get the highest quality from the photos, (if you print your own) make sure you understand about DPI. I tried printing some of my shots (and was somewhat disapointed) but found out that i had set my dpi to 72 on the images i had... When i set it over 300dpi, i was absolutly amazed! And you will be too.

_____
I've added this part, because it has been a year since i wrote this original review.

Note only this change:
There are two newer version of this camera out (As you probably know): The Powershot G2, and G3. If i were in the market today for a Digital Camera, (after seeing, and reading what i have) i would try to find a deal for a G1, or G2. The Newer versions (G2, and G3) don't have enough "extra" or "more" or "additions" to warrant the extra cost. New versions should only drive the old versions price down. I'd say the G1 would be a steal at 400-500 bucks. See if you can find a NEW G1, and make sure its a reliable source, and i'll tell you, you can't go wrong. :)

This camera is more than 99% of photographers need
I looked forever for a new camera to replace my pentax EI-200, which works perfectly fine, but I wanted a new one. I bought a G1 used for @300 dollars based upon exhaustive research. 3mp, fold out lcd screen, unlimited manual control(lots of modes +full manual and manual focus), raw format(better and smaller than tiff) attracted me. What really turned out to be great was the battery life(lasts a long long time), remote, picture quality, the screen is fantastic- I don't know how I did without it. With photoshop and an epson printer, why spend hundreds more on a tiny no featured camera with more megapixels than you would ever need? why spend hours downloading pics so you can print only 3x5's or 5x7's. This prints beautiful 8x10's. You don't need more. Movie's with sound too.
By this camera and a 256 meg compact flash card. you will not be sorry.