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Annabel on Photography

Canon Powershot G10 in Key West.

Exciting news!  A few months ago I upgraded my everyday digital compact camera to the Canon Powershot G10, and having used it for a while now I just wanted to tell you that it is just amazing! It’s like taking my SLR camera out with me, only it fits in my handbag!  Obviously I can’t change the lenses like on an SLR, but it’s just amazing how incredible the pictures are that you can achieve with this camera, mainly because you can set it manually.

With most compact cameras you have to fiddle about in the menu to change the settings, which is fine for holiday snaps etc.  But with the G10 you can just dial the wheel on the back and set the camera to F2.8 (if you are on AV on the top), and throw all your backgrounds out of focus when shooting people. You can also change the iso on the top, in miliseconds,  for different light situations.

I was asked to test this camera while I was out in Key West, so got on my bike and cycled around the island, G10 in bum bag, looking for suitable subjects! Even though I love my big SLR cameras and always use them professionally, I just would not have lugged them around with me on a bike, and I really have to know I am going on a shoot to take them with me.  So having the G10 with me at all times means I capture everything I see, even when I’m not expecting to be using my camera!

Charlie and Chris were on their gap year from France, travelling round America, when I caught up with them strolling down the street.  I asked them if they fancied doing a shoot for 10 minutes by the side of the road;  they agreed and we got some great results!

In the shots above and below, you can see how out of focus the palm trees are in the background, because I am shooting on F2.8, not normally something you can control easily on a compact camera, giving the image the feel of having been shot on an SLR.

I love the way I can get in this close to the shot too, just by zooming in normally, but without the distortion you can get on a normal compact camera.  Please note the washing out of the whites is done deliberately in photoshop, because I like the effect it has of drawing attention to his face, not because the camera blows out the highlights (it doesn’t)!

I really don’t think you can tell that these images were taken on a compact camera, because I have used the camera in exactly the same way I would use my SLR.  I have set it to AV and used F3.5 and F2.8 to soften out the background.  I have then just done what I normally do, enhanced them very slightly in photoshop with curves, or altered the saturation to create a black & white, or hand coloured look.

So the point I am really making is that it’s not always practical to carry around an SLR, which is often frustrating when you’re suddently inspired by something you’d like to shoot.   But you can keep a digital compact with you at all times, and never miss the moment!

There is a new G11 out now, priced at around £600 – but if you search you can get the G10 on the internet for about £300 at the moment, so not much more expensive than your average compact camera.

It’s also great for landscapes, abstracts and everyday things you see around.  I love having the versatility of a small camera, that takes pictures like my SLR.

And reviewing a camera is a great excuse to go up to people and get some great shots for your portfolio! It’s a hard life!

I would love to hear your comments on this camera. Share with us it’s little gems and tell us what you like about it! Send a low res shot if you can to annabel@annabelwilliams.com or add your comments below