Even if the price of about 400 Euro is high, which means it is in my opinion worth every penny.
Haptic and optical me personally like the little "stale kind of" very good. The Canon G12 feels sturdy and well to processing. A plastic feeling came so far not with me.
For me it was important to be able to make manual settings and not always relying on an automatic. Some of my photos are made with the G12 to look at the customer images, and I as a layman can only say that they definitely meet my request / taste.
The handling is very simple. After switching on the G12 is a matter of seconds "ready to fire" and the folding screen is amazing, if you want to make awkward positions some photos. Whether on the head or on the ground, the screen has not yet abandoned me and is serving extremely well. Also the display when not in use is well protected against damage when you look at it inside.
The variable settings also offer the amateur photographers (of course the more professional league) numerous opportunities to make "other images" and not in "green mode (Auto)" to photograph. Whether ISO, exposure, aperture, etc. Everything is quick and easy to switch and therefore adaptable to the respective "light" situation and mood.
Although the keys are close together, it comes to me very rarely, if ever to incorrect operation. Yes, many buttons and scroll wheel can be confusing for some, but I prefer to turn on some cog than getting lost in some menus. In some situations, it has to be easy, fast and it works perfectly with the G12.
From the image quality I am, considering the design and sensor size (some relative DSLR), absolutely convinced. Of course you can image noise at high ISO values well beyond recognition and photos on a 27 "monitor looking every error with a magnifying glass and certainly look for. But as I said, in everyday life and for the" Hobbyfotgrafen "are the photos absolutely perfect. Good for know is that you can take photos in RAW format, so a detailed editing on your PC poses no problems later.
The autofocus works in all measuring variants quickly and accurately. Some automatic programs like Miniatisierung, color change, etc. should be tried in any case. It achieved unbelievable effects and photos.
By the way, you can record with the G12 and videos. Not necessarily Full HD, but who really needs that ?! It is a camera with a nice "gimmick", but which works very well. One should only pay attention to a good exposure, so that the videos are not too dark. Anyone who wants to record video in HD, eh accesses to a video camera.
Are there also disadvantages: Yes, certainly, but which are known in advance. A somewhat larger zoom would be desirable in some situations, but this one has the zoom in "legs" ... so just before or go back. The optical viewfinder is not a deal breaker, but also that you know before buying and so far I have hardly used it.
I am absolutely delighted with the Canon G12 and did this every day. Upgraded I have only an external flash (Canon Speedlite 270 EX II) because me the internal flash in some situations head-on is too strong.
Incidentally, I should mention that even my 11-year-old daughter has learned to deal with the G12 quickly and slowly but surely rantastet in the world of photography. Sometimes to my chagrin, but I've still got a Pentax K5 ;-)
Conclusion: Recommended for those who want to buy any DSLR, but still want to make a lot of manual settings and are looking for a very compact, rugged everyday camera.
