Canon Should Bring Back Tilt-and-Swivel LCD Screen, Introduce HD Movie in its G Series Camera

by Jaxon S on April 6, 2009

in Camera Raves and Rants

Brand new Canon PowerShot “G” in August? If the trend is anything to go by, we can expect Canon to announce an upgrade to its top-of-the-line compact camera, the “G” Series, sometime in August or September this year.

The last time Canon announced an upgrade of the series was in August last year in the form of Canon PowerShot G10, increasing the series’ megapixel count to 14.7 and introducing various other upgrades while maintaining the series’ reputation in producing superb image quality.

Canon PowerShot G11?

tiltswivel-002Canon may name the new G the PowerShot G11 or come up with entirely different naming system the way it did to the “S” series — going from S5 IS to SX1 IS and SX10 IS instead of, say, S6 IS.

Whatever the name is, it is important to note that one feature has been consistently missing in newer G cameras, that is the tilt-and-swivel LCD screen.

The last time the feature was included in the G series was in 2004 in the form of the G6.

PowerShot G11 wishlist

I hope to see a very different G camera while maintaining, if not improving, its image quality.

In an interview with Digital Photography Review last year, Canon said that, “the G10 could be developed in a range of directions, such as models offering more sensitive ISO or more speed.”

Here are some of the things I hope to see in the G10 upgrade:

Tilt-and-swivel LCD screen, HD movie, retain RAW capture feature, longer zoom (possibly by 8x optical zoom), wider (26mm), minimum 3fps continuous shot, retain hotshoe feature, bulb, 30 per cent improvement in high ISO performance, shutter speed of 60 – 1/4000…

Did I miss anything? You can add your own wishlist.

  • Jerry

    As far as I am concerned, in the P&S class of compact cameras, the Powershots are not the only camera in the world. More generally, neither is Canon as a maker for that matter. They just released their brand new S90 which I briefly thought of considering as a P&S. Once again, IMO, they scewed up with the video, having this fixation on 640×480, plain vanilla VGA quality video.

    Everybody’s needs and desires are different. Another friend has issue with if the design is not just right… the feel, the buttons, etc., it’s out of the running in his case.

    For P&S cameras, just find the right model to fit your desires for the ‘always-carry-around’ camera. If really serious about photography and/or video, then D-SLR or Micro Four Thirds class of cameras should be considered. P&S cameras also, all use the same tiny 1/4″ or so sensors. Manufacturers continually try to play a ‘numbers’ game with you packing in more and more megapixels into the same tiny sensor size. Meaningless. They add some cosmetic change to the design to keep the market going. So, I’d say just find the right compact that fits your needs and not try to expect too much DSLR type of technology and capability out of a relatively toyish camera.

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  • Rob

    Looking at the various reviews on the G-11, I noticed that almost reviewers mentioned the high price as a disadvantage (along with the useless viewfinder). Looking at the prices in the world, I can see why:
    in Europe, the G-11 sells for around 490-500 euro (about $ 625), but
    in the US the price is around $500, that is about 400 euro.
    Quite a difference. Anybody an idea why this is so?
    On a side note, the poor quality of the viewfinder is a sad thing, I use it quite often, next to the tilt monitor.
    Regards,
    Rob

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  • Jerry

    Unfortunately I must say, Canon screwed up once again in their Powershot series and the release of G-11. I don’t know what those Canon engineers are thinking when they design their latest, high end PowerShot to still be only VGA quality video at 640 x 480 when most every one elso is doing HD video as a standard these days for hybrid cameras. They really screwed up. I wound up buying their IXY 930 IS (Japan model) which is more compact and lower model then Powershot lineup. Even that little P&S can do 720p @ 30fps. Fortunately, that is only my on-the-go, always-with-me, P&S camera. For more serious work and greater satifaction, I opted to buy Panasonic’s Lumix GH1. That camera, can do 1080p, 720p HD video as well as 30fps AND 60fps! Also it is one of the very few, if not only, micro four-thirds or DSLR camera that can do AF in video shooting even while zooming! It is the one of the hottest models selling in the European and American markets. Check out the review and write up at luminous landscape ( http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/gh1.shtml ) for a more thorough review of the camera.

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  • Rob

    Wow, this is impressive work!
    Thanks, it makes chosing a tilting camera much easier.
    It looks, like I am going to make a choice between the Canon G-11 ( the smallest) vs the SX10 or 20 IS (somewhat larger for the size of my jacket pocket). If Canon had just made the zoom capability of the G-11 a bit larger, I wouldn’t need to thinkany longer, the G-11 would be it! Now the SX 10/20 IS is a serious competitor, with 20 zoom, and the AA batteries.
    Thanks again.
    Rob
    PS. Thought I should bring back a copy of this comment from the comment box in the tilt list by Jaxon, so this subject can continue in this main thread.

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  • http://macro-photography-blog.com Jaxon S
  • Rob

    Thanks, I’ll look forward to that.
    R

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  • Jaxon S

    Hi Rob, thanks for the suggestion. May compile the list in next few days,

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  • Rob

    I fully agree with wanting a tilting lcd screen, it is the most convenient invention of the last century. What bugs me most, is that there does not seem to exist a comprehensive list of cameras with tilting screen, no matter what you google. Does anyone know of a such a list of cameras with articulating (vari-angle, tilting) monitor?
    Thanks.

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  • TokyoJerry

    Forrest, great points mentioned. Thanks for presenting them. What’s more important though rather then presenting them to reading public browsing the internet is to implant the ideas in the minds and ears of the technicians and engineers at Canon Corporation. They might just possibly listen.

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  • Jaxon S

    MacCormack, lots of substance in your list.

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  • http://www.fsmphoto.com Forrest MacCormack

    Here is my G11 wish list.
    I made a post about it on my blog.

    http://fsmphoto.blogspot.com/2009/07/camera-doesnt-matter-but-it-does.html

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  • http://macro-photography-blog.com Jaxon S

    True, 30fps should be made a standard in any camera offering HD video feature…

    Let’s see what Canon has to offer in the up coming G camera. Hopefully it will include all the features above, including the ones you have mentioned.

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  • TokyoJerry

    Yes you did. A connector for external microphone so that voice can be picked up wired or even wireless perhaps with a transceiver when shooting video. I agree with both tilt screen and HD video. However, I could live without the tilt screen but not having HD video these days is unforgiveable. That can make or lose a sale for Canon. In fact, I did not go for Canon Kiss X3 (Rebel in U.S.) digital-SLR not because it doesn’t have HD video because it does (1920 x 1080) but because they chose to limit the frame rate to only 20fps. No, No! HD video on the one hand then a crappy frame rate on the other hand? Ha! So, I opted for the PowerShot SX1 as an interim solution.

    One more issue is, the better continue to maintain h.264 as the video codec for recording, because if they even begin to think of adopting motion-JPEG, that will also kill a sale.
    TokyoJerry

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