Canon G12

Canon G12 is Canon's Small Sensor Compact digital camera initially announced on January of 2011. It uses a 10 MegaPixel, CCD 1/1.7" sized sensor and has a max resolution of 3648 x 2736.

Canon launched this model in an effort to update the previous Canon G11 (Read Full Comparison) & then introduced the fresher Canon G15 (Read Full Comparison) in order to replace this camera.

The G12 ranks at #35 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & over all #707 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. You should try our Smart camera finder to find camera listings based on your custom criteria.

Below is a chart of specific factors used in the rating system.

The Canon G12 has a history of related digital cameras. Underneath, you can check out all older and latest models as well as important specifications.

You can see the G12 from several angles in the gallery here.

Below is a list of advantages and drawbacks of the Canon G12 based on aspects that are normally considered crucial in a digital camera.

The Canon G12 is powered by the Digic 4 processor chip. The measurement of the sensor in the Canon G12 is 7.44mm x 5.58mm (1/1.7"). The 42 mm² sensor has the ability to capture 3648 x 2736 pixels at aspect ratios of 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera features Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is better than digital stabilization as the latter might produce cropping.

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The CCD sensor has 10 megapixels and supports a standard ISO range of 80 - 3200. RAW format is supported which means that you have wider margin for error.

The picture below displays the G12's sensor dimensions when compared to other popular sizes. The G12 sensor has a crop factor of 4.8 and is pointed out in green.

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To get a sense of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Canon G12 has a weight of 0.88 lb (401 grams or 14.14 ounces) & has external size of 112mm x 76mm x 48mm (4.4" x 3.0" x 1.9"). The weight of typical Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 grams so the Canon G12 is heavier compared with its rivals.

Photography Glossary

Below is a visual of the Canon G12 alongside a soft drink to help you get a feel for its scale.

The top view here will show the button arrangement on the G12.

The G12 houses a fixed lens and a focal range of 28-140mm giving it a 5.0 x zoom which isn't really great but it is likely to be valuable in a few circumstances.

At the widest 28mm, the lens features an aperture of f2.8 making it rather slow and not the best for low light conditions and you might find it difficult to get good bokeh. You will also need to up the ISO which results in noisy shots. Towards the tele end, 140mm comes with f4.5 making it pretty sluggish and you would need to set slower shutter speeds.

The G12 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes

Digital cameras that come with NFC and Bluetooth connectivity are able to be used wirelessly via smartphones. You will be able to send images and oftentimes alter camera settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

Several applications even allow a Liveview and hit the shutter in case you are not close to the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI port, it can easily be attached to an external display. Nearly all cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack with the USB port.

The max video resolution in the Canon G12 is 1280 x 720 and you can capture in H.264 file format. 720p is terrible for today's standards. You should aim for a minimum FUll HD resolution for video. The camera does not have a microphone and headphone port which means you get no control over the sound. It is probably best to buy a different camera in case you require better sound for your videos.

There is no environment proofing in the Canon G12 so you need to be careful in rainy or dusty situations.

The Canon G12 houses a 2.8" fully articulated screen boasting a resolution of 461k dots.

It includes a selfie friendly screen for self portraits as well as group shots when required. Unfortunately the screen isn't a touch screen.

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The View Finder specifications for Canon G12 are the following:

• ViewFinder Optical (tunnel)

For bright outdoor situations which make the camera displays washed out and hard to see, viewfinders are quite valuable.

Canon G12 has the ability to shoot continuously at 1.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/4000s.

Canon G12 features both integrated flash along with external flash support. The highest flash sync speed is 1/2000s.

Canon G12 features just Contrast Based AF & lacks Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot snappier and precise compared with Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera boasts Face detection which can be valuable for taking portraits of people.

It boasts 9 focus points to select from. Canon G12 includes manual focusing when needed in low light scenarios or you require more precise control on focusing.

The battery pack (NB-7L) in the Canon G12 is fashioned to last for 370 shutters according to the CIPA standards making it above the usual in comparison to its category. The usual Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 offers the maximum (470) battery life in this group of cameras.

Here is a number of Small Sensor Compact cameras with the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm X30
G12 vs Fujifilm X30470 yesnono

Casio EX-10
G12 vs EX-10455 yesnono

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Ricoh GR Digital IV
G12 vs GR Digital IV390 yesnono

Canon G12370 yesnono

Canon G16
G12 vs G16360 yesnono

The following bar chart provides a outline of the Canon G12 for varying types of photography. To read more, visit the specific paragraph below.

The Canon G12 receives a points tally of 47 which is modest, meaning that it is somewhat suitable to use for portrait images. Photographing portrait images favors heavily to sensor size, RAW support together with the ability to utilize external lighting.

Coming in at a nice points total of 64, the Canon G12 is a respectable option for street photography. A very good street photography camera provides a fine balance of image quality and portability.

A terrible sports photography points total of 33 suggests the Canon G12 is simply not acceptable for shooting sports. A camera needs very good tracking and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

Size is super critical when picking a camera for travel. Overall, the Canon G12 gets a decent 60 as a travelling camera which is relatively acceptable for your vacations.

When you're planning to pick a camera for landscape photography, the most vital aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Canon G12 and it's average rating of 49 for a landscape camera is relatively suited among its competition.

A camera for vlogging should offer a moving display screen, microphone input and preferably image stabilization. Considering everything, the Canon G12 is relatively acceptable as a vlog camera as it gets a reasonable rating of 60.

If you are interested in replacements to the G12, below is a list of the highest ranked cameras that fall in to the family of Small Sensor Compact.

The diagram listed below provides you a summary of the G12 versus it's top ranking rivals shown earlier.

These are some more cameras you may look into as alternate options. To review a comprehensive comparison, visit the "compare" link.