Canon's G10: A Pro-Level Digital Point-and-Shoot?

It's autumn... the time when camera makers introduce their holiday line-ups. And Canon may now have an affordable digital point-and-shoot to make even serios pros sit up and take notice. It's the new PowerShot G10, and it's simly packed with great features.

The G10 features a 14.7 effective Megapixel CCD and a relatively fast (f/2.8 - 4.5) 5x zoom (28mm - 140mm 35 mm equivalent). Add a huge 3" LCD screen and Canon's legendary reliability, and you already have a nice package. But Canon added some nice touches that make the $499.99 (MSRP) G10 an excellent choice for serious shooters.

For example, the G10 offers full auto, shutter-priority, aperture-priority and full manual exposure modes... ISO sensitivity to ISO 1600 for extreme low-light situations... optical image stabilization... 10 white balance settings - including underwater (!)... an accessory hot shoe... and (drum roll, please) an optical zoom viewfinder.

That's right. Unlike most point-and-shoots today, you don't have to rely on the G10's LCD screen to compose your shots. One major advantage is reduced drain on your battery. Canon's own tests show a charge lasts for about 400 shots with the LCD on. Turn it off, though, and you're good for 1,000 frames. Even for an avid shooter, that should easily last all day.

At 12.3 oz., the G10 is no lightweight. But when you toss in motion detection, face detection and RAW file capability - along with a bucketful of other useful features - the G10 looks to be well worth the few extra ounces. For serious amateurs and digital photography pros, this may just be the point-and-shoot of your dreams.