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Features
Play, Edit, and Print Functions
Battery Information
Input and Output Notes
Supplied Software

Features

LCD Monitor: The Canon PowerShot G15 has a 3" TFT color LCD monitor featuring a resolution of approximately 922,000 dots. The monitor has a 100% picture coverage. The high-resolution screen offers a crisp, clear picture to make shooting, playback and using the camera's menu functions especially convenient. You can manually adjust the LCD monitor's brightness.

Viewfinder: The digital camera also features a real-image optical viewfinder with approximately 80% coverage. The viewfinder has a diopter so you can adjust it to your eyesight.

Canon's HS System: The Powershot G15 employs the HS System by combining the 12.1 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor with the new DIGIC 5 Image Processor to produce spectacular images with minimal noise:

• Image Sensor: For optimal image quality, the camera uses a 1/1.7" CMOS image sensor with approximately 13.3-million total pixels and 12.1-million effective pixels, giving your shots added depth and detail.
• Image Processor: The G15 features Canon's latest generation DIGIC 5 Image Processor. The new processor has a faster processing speed for faster continuous shooting capability. Improved noise reduction produces clearer images when shooting in low light at high ISO speeds.

Recording Media: The camera records still images or moving images with stereo audio on SD (2 GB or less), SDHC (2-32 GB), and SDXC (over 32 GB) Memory Cards. The G15 is also compatible with some Eye-Fi cards.

File Formats: The G15 records still images and movies in the following file formats:

• JPEG: JPEG images are processed inside the camera for optimum image quality and compressed. There are two compression ratios to choose from: Fine and SuperFine. You can record JPEG images in Large, Medium 1, Medium 2, and Small in 16:9, 3:2, 4:3, 1:1, and 4:5 aspect ratios.
• RAW: The RAW file format records the image data as captured by the camera imaging element without further processing. The images show almost no deterioration in image quality, and are a higher quality than JPEG images. To view RAW images on your computer, you must use the supplied software (Digital Photo Professional). Using the software's image processing function, you can broadly adjust the images without deterioration, and then convert the image to a JPEG, TIFF, or other type of image in line with your intended use. You can choose to record RAW files or JPEG files alone, or you can record RAW files and JPEG files simultaneously. RAW images can be recorded in the same resolution as the Large JPEG images in any of the five aspect ratios.
• Movies: Movies can be recorded in High Definition or Standard Definition with stereo sound in MOV format: Image Data: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264; Audio Data: Linear PCM. HD Movies are recorded at 1920 x 1080 at 24 frames per second and 1280 x 720 at 30 fps. SD Movies are recorded at 640 x 480 at 30 fps. Recording will automatically stop when the clip size reaches 4 GB, or when the recording time reaches 30 minutes (HD) or 1 hour (SD).

Wide-Angle 4x Optical Zoom Lens: The PowerShot G15 is equipped with an f/1.8-f/2.8, 5x Optical Zoom lens with a focal length of 6.1-30.5mm (35mm film equivalent: 28-140mm. The 4x digital zoom extends the camera's telephoto capabilities to a total zoom of 20x. The focusing range differs depending upon the focusing mode:

• Auto: 0.4" to infinity (W), 1.3' to infinity
• Normal: 2" to infinity (W), 1.3' to infinity
• Macro: 0.4" to 1.6' (W)
• Manual Focus: 0.4" to infinity, 1.3' to infinity

Digital Tele-Converter: Using the built-in Digital Tele-Converter, you can increase the focal length of the lens by approximately 1.5x or 2.0x. The focal length when using the 1.5x digital tele-converter is 42-210mm. When using the 2.0x tele-converter, the focal length is 56.280mm. The Digital Tele-Converter cannot be used together with the digital zoom.

Preset Focal Lengths (Step Zoom): You can shoot at preset focal lengths of 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 100mm, or 140mm. This feature allows you to shoot at the angle of view of those focal lengths.

Front Dial: The G15 has a pro-style Front Dial similar to the ones found on Canon EOS Digital SLRs. The Front Dial can be set to control shooting parameters, including focus, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, step zoom, exposure compensation, white balance, i-Contrast, and aspect ratio.

Optical Image Stabilizer: Optical (lens shift type) Image Stabilization allows you to minimize the camera shake which results in blurred images when you shoot distant subjects that have been magnified or when you shoot in dark conditions. Intelligent Image Stabilization (Intelligent IS) automatically selects one of six modes of image stabilization depending upon the shooting conditions:

• Still Images: Image stabilization for still images
• Still Images (Panning): Image stabilization for still images, when you follow subjects horizontally or vertically with the camera
• Hybrid IS: Image stabilization for macro shots
• Dynamic IS: Image stabilization for movies, reducing strong camera shake as when shooting while walking.
• Powered IS: Image stabilization for subtle camera shake, such as when shooting movies at telephoto.
• IS Off: No image stabilization, because the camera is mounted on a tripod, or held still by other means.

Intelligent Contrast Correction: The i-Contrast (Intelligent Contrast Correction) system controls the compensation level in pixel units to brighten dark areas while leaving bright areas unchanged for better images where the main subject is dark, and more natural transition. The PowerShot G15 can even use i-Contrast in playback mode to adjust images that were shot without the setting activated.

Face Detection: The PowerShot G15 offers Face Detection technology:

• Face AiAF: The camera detects people's faces and sets the focus, exposure (evaluative metering only), and white balance (Auto WB only). One face is judged to be the main subject, and the frame around that face will follow the subject within a certain range.
• Face Select: You can choose a specific person's face to focus on, and then shoot. If the face chosen by the camera as the main subject is not the face you wish to focus on, you can move the face frame to another face. Once you have chosen the face, the camera will focus on that face when you press the shutter halfway.

Blink Detection: The G15 provides a visible indicator on its LCD screen, if the camera detects the possibility that someone has shut his or her eyes.

AF Frame Modes: You can change the AF frame mode to match the scene you want to shoot. You can choose from the following:

• FlexiZone/Center: A single AF frame can be moved manually from the center to the desired area (FlexiZone), making sure the focus is exactly where you want it.
• Face AiAF: The camera automatically detects the position of a face and uses the data to set the focus, exposure (evaluative metering only) and white balance (auto).
• Tracking AF: You can choose the subject you want to focus on and shoot. If the subject moves, it will be tracked within a certain range within the frame.

Magnify Focal Point: You can push the shutter-button halfway to magnify the AF frame and check the focus.

Servo AF: The Servo AF retains focus on a moving subject after the shutter button is pressed halfway. This allows you to wait for the perfect shot without having to refocus.

AF-Assist Beam: The AF-assist beam will sometimes emit when the shutter button is pressed halfway to assist focusing in certain conditions, i.e. dark conditions. The AF-assist beam can be turned off. If animals are your subject, turn off the beam when shooting in the dark to avoid startling them.

Focus Lock: If it becomes difficult to focus on the subject due to low contrast to the surroundings, close up and far away subjects in the same shot, or quickly moving subjects, you can choose to lock the focus or auto focus on an object at a similar distance, then shoot the picture after recomposing the shot.

Focus Bracketing: The camera automatically takes three shots; one at the manual focus position, and one each with focus positions preset farther and nearer. The three shots are taken at the same interval as continuous shooting. The farther and nearer focus positions can be set in three steps.

Drive Modes: The Canon PowerShot G15 features Single, Continuous, Self-Timer Drive modes:

• Single Shot: The digital camera captures a single image each time the shutter button is fully pressed and released.
• Continuous Shooting Mode: You can use this mode to shoot successive frames while the shutter button is fully pressed. There are three modes:
  • Continuous: records approximately 2.1 images per second, focus is fixed on the original subject distance
  • Continuous AF (auto focus): records approximately 0.9 images per second, focus adjusts as needed
  • Continuous LV (live view): records approximately 0.9 images per second, focus is fixed at a manual setting
• Self-Timer: The self-timer can be used to shoot a group photo that includes the photographer. The camera will activate approximately 10 seconds after a preset time after shutter button is pressed to allow the photographer time to get into the shot. A 2-second self timer is also available if you want to avoid camera shake. The camera features a custom self timer, allowing you to set the time delay (0-10, 15, 20, or 30 seconds) and the number of shots taken (1-10 shots). In addition, the camera features a Wink Self-Timer (shoots 2 seconds after a wink is detected), and a Face Self-Timer (shoots 2 seconds after the camera detects a new face in the frame, presumably when the photographer has entered the picture).

High-Speed Burst: In addition to the Continuous Shooting mode described above, the camera's High-speed Continuous Shooting (High-speed Burst HQ) lets you shoot a series of shots in rapid succession by holding the shutter button all the way down. In this mode, you can shoot up to 10 continuous shots in one burst at approximately 10 shots per second. Focus, image brightness, and color are determined by the first shot.

Shooting Modes: Using the Mode Dial on the top of the camera, you can select from numerous shooting modes:

• Smart Auto: Advanced Canon technology intelligently analyzes your situation and shooting conditions, and automatically selects an appropriate setting.
• Program AE (P): The camera automatically sets both the aperture and the shutter speed.
• Shutter Speed Priority (Tv): When you set the shutter speed, the camera sets the aperture according to shooting conditions. The shutter speed can be set between 1/4000 and 15 seconds.
• Aperture Priority (Av): When you set the aperture, the camera sets the shutter speed according to shooting conditions. The aperture can be set between f/1.8 and f/8 (wide angle) and f/2.8 and f/8 (telephoto), depending upon the zoom position.
• Manual (M): The aperture and the shutter speed are manually set.
• Scene Modes: Appropriate settings for specific scenes and shooting conditions.
  • Portrait: softens the background and makes the subject stand out
  • Handheld NightScene: take beautiful shots of evening scenes, created by combining consecutive shots to reduce camera shake and image noise
  • Underwater: when using the optional waterproof case WP-DC48 (sold separately), you can shoot underwater landscapes and creatures with natural tones
  • Snow: subject against a white background
  • Fireworks: fireworks against a dark sky
  • Smooth Skin: applies a smoothing effect when shooting images of people

  • Stitch Assist: Large, expansive objects or scenes can be split into several shots that can be later merged together using the supplied software on a computer to create a panoramic image. You can record up to 26 shots in this manner.

• Custom Modes (C1/C2): You can register commonly used shooting modes and settings to your preference. These can be stored under C1 or C2 on the Mode Dial.
• Creative Filters: You can add a variety of effects to images when shooting. Filters include Super Vivid, Poster Effect, High Dynamic Range, Nostalgic, Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Color Accent, and Color Swap.
• Movie Digest: You can make a short movie of a day just by shooting still images. Before each shot, the camera will automatically record a movie clip of the scene. Each clip recorded that day is combined into a single file.
• Movies: allows you to set the camera for standard or iFrame movies, and configure the settings. The camera has a dedicated movie button to start and stop movie recording.

Exposure Compensation: When shooting against a bright or dark background, you may need to correct the exposure so that the subject is correctly lit. You can adjust the exposure from -3 to +3 in 1/3-stop increments, using the dial on the top of the camera.

Locking the Exposure Setting (AE Lock): You can set the exposure and focus separately. This is effective when the contrast is too strong between the subject and background, or when a subject is backlit.

Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): In this mode, the camera automatically changes the exposure within a set range to take three shots at the same interval as continuous shooting. The images are shot in the following order: standard exposure, underexposure, and overexposure.

Metering Modes: You can select from the following metering modes:

• Evaluative: Used for standard conditions. The area within the frame is divided into several zones and light is measured based on subject position, brightness, direct light and backlighting.
• Center-Weighted Averaging: Averages the exposure from the entire image, but places more weight on the subject at the center.
• Spot: Meters the area within the spot AE point at the center of the LCD monitor.

ISO Settings: The PowerShot G15 features Auto and Manual ISO, adjustable using the ISO dial on the top of the camera. The higher the ISO, the greater it reduces the effects of camera shake and sharpens subjects in low-light situations. ISO speed settings can be adjusted in 1/3 EV increments. The settings include 80, 100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000, 1250, 1600, 2000, 2500, 3200, 4000, 5000, 6400, 8000, 10000, 12800, or Auto.

Built-In Flash: The PowerShot G15 has a built-in flash. Using the control dial, you can select Auto (flash fires in low light), On (flash always fires), Slow-Synchro (flash timing is adjusted to slow shutter speeds) or Off (flash doesn't fire). The built-in flash has a range of 1.6' to 23' in Wide Angle and 1.6' to 15' in Telephoto. You can adjust the flash output (3 levels) and flash exposure compensation (+/-2 stops in 1/3 stop increments). In the menu, you can add the following flash functions when the flash is set to On or Auto:

• Red-Eye Correction: You can automatically correct red-eye that occurs in images taken with the flash.
• Red-Eye Reduction: The red-eye reduction lamp lights in order to reduce the red-eye effect that occurs when shooting in dark conditions with the flash.

ND Filter: The ND filter reduces light intensity to 1/8 (3-stops) of the actual level, allowing for slower shutter speeds and smaller aperture values. Use of a tripod is recommended with the slower shutter speeds to prevent camera shake.

White Balance: You can choose from the following white balance settings:

• Auto: The camera sets the white balance automatically according to shooting conditions.
• Daylight: For recording outdoors on a bright day.
• Cloudy: For recording under overcast, shady or twilight skies.
• Tungsten: For recording under tungsten and bulb-type 3-wavelength fluorescent lighting.
• Fluorescent: For recording under warm-white, cool-white or warm-white (3-wavelength) fluorescent lighting.
• Fluorescent H: For recording under daylight fluorescent, or daylight fluorescent-type (3-wavelength) fluorescent lighting
• Flash: For when recording with the flash.
• Underwater: Underwater sets the optimum white balance for taking pictures underwater; reducing blue tones to produce natural, vibrant hues.
• Custom: Allows you to manually set the white balance and store the settings.

My Colors: Using My Colors you can easily change colors in an image when it's taken. My Colors offers several options:

• Vivid: emphasizes contrast and color saturation to record bold colors
• Neutral: tones down contrast and color saturation to record neutral hues
• Sepia: brownish tint
• B/W: black and white
• Positive Film: makes blue, green or red colors more intense
• Lighter Skin Tone: makes skin tones lighter
• Darker Skin Tone: makes skin tones darker
• Vivid Blue: emphasizes blue tint
• Vivid Green: emphasizes green tint
• Vivid Red: emphasizes red tint
• Custom Color: manually adjust the contrast, sharpness, and color saturation
• My Colors Off: records normally with this setting

Display Overlays: You can display a variety of guides and overlays in the viewfinder or LCD to aid you in shooting images. These include shooting information, grid lines, an electronic level, and a histogram.

Wind Filter: The Wind Filter suppresses noise during audio recording when the wind is strong.

Optional Accessories: There are numerous Canon accessories that can be attached to the G15 camera:

• Flash Units: You can attach an external flash unit to the camera's hot shoe. Available flash units include the Speedlite 580EXII, 430EXII, 320EX and 270EXII.
• Macro Lites: The ring around the lens is removable, allowing you to attach macro lites such as the MR-14EX Macro Ring Lite and the MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite. The LA-DC58L Conversion Lens adapter, OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe, and BKT-DC1 Bracket are required to mount the macro lites.
• Lens Filters: You can add 58mm filters to the lens if desired. (The FA-DC58B Filter Adapter is required for attaching a 58mm filter.)

Play, Edit, and Print Functions

Review: After an image is recorded, it will appear in the LCD monitor for a preset number of seconds for reviewing. You can select the review time from 2 to 10 seconds. It will also display until you press the shutter button halfway to focus your next shot.

Focus Check Display: Focus Check display allows you to check the focus of image taken and allows you to easily check facial expressions and whether a subject's eyes are closed. This feature can be set to allow you to check the focus of an image taken right after shooting the subject.

My Category: You can organize images in specific categories, and display them in a filtered playback. You can also protect or delete images while filtered.

Jump Images: When you have a lot of images recorded onto a memory card, you can use the Jump feature to speed up your search for the image you want to view. You can choose from the following categories:

• Favorites: displays images tagged as favorites
• Shot Date: displays the images shot on a specified date
• Jump 10 Images: jumps over 10 images at a time
• Jump 100 Images: jumps over 100 images at a time

Index Replay: This feature allows you to view 4, 9, 36, or 100 images at once on the LCD monitor so that you can search for an image quickly.

Image Magnification: When viewing a still picture in Single Image Replay mode, you can magnify the image up to approximately 10x. You can also maneuver around in the magnified picture by using the multi-purpose control dial.

Rotating Images: You can rotate an image by 90° or 270° clockwise in the LCD monitor.

Slide Show: Images stored on a memory card can automatically be displayed one-by-one using the Slide Show function. Each image displays for approximately 3-10, 15, 30 seconds. You can choose between six transition effects (fade, bubble, cross, scroll, letterbox, slide), or without transition.

Movie Playback: In addition to normal playback of your video clips the camera features slow-motion, fast-forward, rewind and frame-by-frame playback.

Trimming: You can trim a portion of a recorded image and save it as a new image file. You can also trim the beginnings and ends of recorded movies in one-second increments.

Resizing Images: You can resize images to a lower pixel setting and save the resized image as a separate file.

Protecting Images: The protect feature allows you to protect important images from accidental erasure.

PictBridge/Direct Print: Using the supplied USB cable, you can connect this camera directly to a PictBridge-compatible printer of any brand, or a Canon printer that supports the Direct Print function. You can also connect the camera directly to certain Canon Bubble Jet printers. In this way, you can make prints directly from the camera without having to connect it to a computer.

Battery Information

Power Requirements: The Canon PowerShot G15 powered by the supplied NB-10L rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery pack (7.4V / 920mAh / 6.8Wh). The battery pack can be charged in the supplied CB-2LC battery charger in approximately 1 hours and 50 minutes. For long periods of continuous use, or when connected to a computer, it is recommended that the camera be connected to the optional ACK-DC80 AC adapter kit. The typical performance of the battery is as follows:

Power Saving Functions: The camera is equipped with the following power saving functions:

• Auto Power Down for Shooting Mode: Camera powers down approximately 2 minutes after the last control is accessed on the camera. The LCD monitor automatically turns off 1 minute after the last control is accessed even if Auto Power Down is set to off.
• Auto Power Down for Playback Mode and Connection to a Printer: The camera power down approximately 5 minutes after the last control is accessed on the camera.

  Note: The Power Saving Function will not activate during a Slide-Show or while the camera is connected to a computer.

Input and Output Notes

Digital/AV Output Terminal: The PowerShot G15 has a Mini-B USB 2.0 Hi-Speed terminal to allow you to connect the camera to a compatible computer or compatible printer. There is no USB cable included. An optional USB cable must be obtained in order to load images to your computer or printer. The camera's Mini-B USB 2.0 output also allows you to connect the camera to a TV or video monitor with a RCA audio and composite video input jacks using the optional AVC-DC400ST stereo AV cable. You can set the video output to NTSC or PAL.

HDMI Output: The PowerShot G15 features a mini-HDMI (Type C) output for connecting the camera to your HDTV. A mini-HDMI-to-HDMI cable, such as the Canon HTC-100, is required.

Remote In: The PowerShot G15 features a 2.5mm sub-mini input for connecting the optional Canon RS-60E3 Wired Remote Switch (sold separately). The remote prevents camera shake when taking photographs using a tripod, such as when taking close-ups or long-exposure photographs.

DC In: The camera features a DC input for optional AC power adapter (ACK-DC80, sold separately).

Supplied Software

Included Software: The PowerShot G15 includes the Canon Digital Camera Solution Disk Ver.127.0 CD-ROM. It contains the following programs:

• ImageBrowser EX 1.0: manage images transferred to a computer (view, edit, and print)
• CameraWindow DC 8.9: transfer images to and from camera, organize images on the camera, and upload movies on the camera to web services
• Digital Photo Professional 3.12: process, adjust, and convert RAW image data to a JPEG or TIFF file
• PhotoStitch 3.1/3.2: use to merge still images to make panoramas
• User Guides: Camera User Guide, Software Guide

Operating Systems:

• Windows: Windows 7 (SP1), Windows Vista (SP2), Windows XP (SP3)
• Macintosh: Mac OS X v.10.6-10.7