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

Features

Vari-Angle LCD Monitor: The Canon PowerShot G12 has a 2.8" TFT color vari-angle LCD monitor featuring approximately 461,000 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. The vari-angle LCD monitor can be rotated 270° and swiveled 177° so you can take pictures at nearly every angle. You can manually adjust the LCD monitor's brightness.

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

Canon's Hybrid HS System: The Powershot G12 employs the HS System by combining the 10.0 Megapixel Image Sensor with the DIGIC 4 Image Processor to produce spectacular images with minimal noise:

• Image Sensor: For optimal image quality, the camera uses a 1/1.7" CCD image sensor with approximately 10.4-million total pixels and 10-million effective pixels giving your shots added depth and detail.
• Image Processor: The G12 features Canon's proprietary DIGIC 4 Image Processor. This Canon manufactured image processor enables excellent picture quality, faster response time, and longer battery life, while reducing camera noise.

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 G12 can even use i-Contrast in playback mode to adjust images that were shot without the setting activated.

Face Detection: The PowerShot G12 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 G12 provides a visible indicator on its LCD screen, if the camera detects the possibility that someone has shut his or her eyes.

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, as well as MultiMediaCards, MMCPlus cards, and HC MMCplus cards. The G12 is also compatible with Eye-Fi cards.

File Formats: The G12 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 Normal. 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 are recorded in 4:3 aspect ratio at 3648 x 2736 resolution.
• 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 1280 x 720 at 24 frames per second. SD Movies are recorded at 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 at 30 fps. Recording will automatically stop when the clip size reaches 4 GB, or when the recording time reaches 29:59 (HD) or 1 hour (SD).

Memory Card Capacity: The capacity of 4 GB and 16 GB SDHC Memory Cards are as follows:

Wide-Angle 5x Optical Zoom Lens: The PowerShot G12 is equipped with an f/2.8-f/4.5, 5x Optical Zoom lens with a focal length of 6.1-30.5mm (35mm film equivalent: 28-140mm that allows you to shoot any scene from wide-angle to telephoto. The focusing range is 0.4" to infinity (W) and 12" to infinity (T) in Normal Mode. In Macro, the range is 0.4" to 1.6' (W) and 12" to 1.6' (T).

4x Digital Zoom: The 4x digital zoom extends the camera's telephoto capabilities to a total zoom of 20x.

Digital Tele-Converter: Using the built-in Digital Tele-Converter, you can increase the focal length of the lens by approximately 1.4x or 2.3x. The focal length when using the 1.4x digital tele-converter is 39.2-196mm. When using the 2.3x tele-converter, the focal length is 64.4-322mm. The Digital Tele-Converter cannot be used together with the digital zoom.

Optical Image Stabilizer: The Optical (lens shift type) Image Stabilizer function 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. You can select Continuous stabilization, Shoot Only stabilization (active when shutter button pressed), Panning stabilization (only stabilizes vertical motion), or Off.

Optional Accessories: The ring around the lens is removable, allowing you to attach optional lens adapters, macro lights, teleconverters, and filters:

• LA-DC58K Conversion Lens Adapter: This adapter is required to mount these items:
  • TC-DC58D Teleconverter: Changes the focal length of the lens by a factor of 1.4x
  • Macro Lights: The MR-14EX Macro Ring Lite and MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite are used for illuminating subjects being shot in Macro mode. (OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe and BKT-DC1 Bracket are also required for the macro lights.)
• Lens Filters: You can add 58mm filters to the lens if desired. (The FA-DC58B Filter Adapter is required for attaching a 58mm filter.)

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: AF frame can be moved manually 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 G12 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 2.0 images per second, focus is fixed on the original subject distance
  • Continuous AF (auto focus): records approximately 0.7 images per second, focus adjusts as needed
  • Continuous LV (live view): records approximately 0.8 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 after a preset time after shutter button is pressed. 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).

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.
• Quick Shot: Using the viewfinder to shoot, the camera continuously adjusts the focus and exposure on the subject in the viewfinder, so you never miss a shot.
• Low Light: You can shoot in dark places with reduces camera shake and subject blur. The image size is fixed at 1824 x 1368, and the ISO speed will be automatically set higher, depending upon conditions.
• 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.
• Aperture Priority (Av): When you set the aperture, the camera sets the shutter speed according to shooting conditions.
• Manual (M): Theaperture 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
  • Landscape: optimized for shooting landscape scenes with near and far subjects
  • Kids & Pets: lets you capture subject that move around, such as children and pets, without missing photo opportunities
  • Sports: shoots continuous images while focusing automatically
  • Beach: subject against reflected light
  • Underwater: when using the optional waterproof case WP-DC34 (sold separately), you can shoot underwater landscapes and creatures with natural tones
  • Foliage: shot leaves and flowers in vivid color
  • Snow: subject against a white background
  • Fireworks: fireworks against a dark sky
• 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.
• Movies: For shooting HD or SD movies with stereo audio.

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 -2 to +2 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 G12 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, or Auto.

Built-In Flash: The PowerShot G12 has a built-in flash. Using the control dial, you can select Auto (flash fires in low light), On (flash always fires), 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 13' 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.
• Slow-Synchro: The flash timing is adjusted to slow shutter speeds. This reduces the chance that only the background will appear dark when a person is photographed against a twilight background or night scene, or when an interior shot is taken.

Note: The camera is equipped with a hot-shoe that is compatible with optional Canon EX-series Speedlites (220EX, 270EX, 430EX II, and 580EX II, sold separately).

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: makes skin tones lighter
• Darker Skin: 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

Color Changes: You can change the look of an image when shooting using one of the following:

• Color Accent: You can choose to retain a single color and change the rest to black and white in a composition.
• Color Swap: You can swap one color in an image for another when recording it.

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.

Insert Date and Time: You can insert the shooting date and time in the lower right corner of an image you are recording. Once inserted, however, they cannot be deleted.

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.

Multi-Language Menus: You can change the display language in the camera's LCD monitor menus and messages. The camera offers 26 different languages to choose from; including English, French, and Spanish.

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
• My Category: displays images within a specified category
• Still/Movie: jumps to only still images or only movies
• 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.

Exif Print (Exif 2.3): The Canon PowerShot G12 conforms to "Exif Print", a worldwide standard. Vital camera settings (such as: exposure mode, white balance, exposure time) and scene data are recorded to the image file when it is captured. Printers compatible with "Exif Print" are able to use this information to produce high quality photographs, exactly the way they were intended at the time of capture. This intelligent communication process also allows the printer to correct for poor lighting or mistakes, resulting in photos that can be even better than the originals.

DPOF Compatible: On your SD Memory card, you can select which image or images you want to print and how many copies you want. This is convenient for printing images all at once on optional photo printers or at participating photo labs. You can use the camera to specify settings for images that you wish to download to a computer. The settings used on the camera comply with the Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) standards. A maximum of 998 images can be selected per SD card, and are transferred in order from oldest to newest by shooting date.

Battery Information

Power Requirements: The Canon PowerShot G12 powered by the supplied NB-7L rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery pack (7.4V/1050mAh). The battery pack can be charged in the supplied CB-2LZ battery charger in approximately 2 hours and 20 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-DC50 AC adapter kit. The typical performance of the batteries are 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 G12 has a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed terminal to allow you to connect the camera to a compatible computer or compatible printer via the supplied USB cable. The camera's 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 supplied audio/video cable. You can set the video output to NTSC or PAL.

HDMI Output: The PowerShot G12 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 (280HTC100), is required.

Remote In: The PowerShot G12 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-DC50, sold separately).

Supplied Software

Included Software: The PowerShot G12 comes supplied with the Canon Digital Camera Solution Disk Ver. 74.0 CD-ROM. It contains the following programs.

• Canon Utilities:
  • Windows:
    • ZoomBrowser EX 6.6: manage images transferred to a computer (view, edit, and print)
    • CameraWindow DC 8.3: transfer images to and from camera, organize images on the camera, and upload movies on the camera to web services
    • Digital Photo Professional 3.9: process, adjust, and convert RAW image data to a JPEG or TIFF file
    • PhotoStitch 3.1: use to merge still images to make panoramas
  • Macintosh:
    • ImageBrowser 6.6: manage images transferred to a computer (view, edit, and print)
    • CameraWindow DC 8.3: transfer images to and from camera, organize images on the camera, and upload movies on the camera to web services
    • Digital Photo Professional 3.9: process, adjust, and convert RAW image data to a JPEG or TIFF file
    • PhotoStitch 3.2: use to merge still images to make panoramas
• User Guides: Camera User Guide, Software Guide, Personal Printing Guide

Minimum System Requirements: