Canon PowerShot G2 Retro Review: Some Sequels Are Amazing
In the latest episode of his Retro Review series, Gordon Laing of Cameralabs looks back at 2001’s Canon PowerShot G2. How does the 23-year-old compact digital camera hold up today?
The Canon PowerShot G series point-and-shoot digital cameras were wildly popular in the early 2000s and still technically exist today in the form of 2019’s PowerShot G7 Mark III. However, recent enthusiasm for point-and-shoot cameras has made them somewhat hard to find.
Compared to the most recent PowerShot G-series cameras, the G2 is archaic. It sports a small Type 1/1.8 CCD image sensor with a measly four megapixels of resolution. However, while it seems old-fashioned now, it was pretty impressive at the time and was a significant upgrade over the original G1’s 3.3-megapixel sensor.
Although the sensor is new, the G2’s lens isn’t. The camera has a 7-21mm f/2-2.5 zoom lens, which offers an equivalent focal length range of 34-102mm with a reasonably swift aperture. Laing notes that although the lens is Canon-branded, it is likely the same optical unit used in some competing digital cameras, like the Sony S70 and the Epson 3000Z. This lens works with some “hefty” lens adapters, including a 0.8x wide-angle attachment and a 1.5x teleconverter add-on.
While the G2’s image sensor isn’t large or high resolution, the camera can take some lovely images, especially in bright lighting. As is often the case with Laing’s Retro Review series, it’s important to contextualize the camera. At the time of its release in the early 21st century, the Canon PowerShot G2 was a highly capable and reasonably affordable prosumer digital camera. Its bright lens, manual control options, RAW file support, and special effects were all standout features at the time.
These days, Laing says he’s “not particularly fond of the curvier shape and champagne finish,” while adding that “there’s no denying the quality and feature-set is compelling for the typical used prices.”
Speaking of used prices, Laing grabbed the G2 he reviewed for less than £25, which works out to a shade over $30. Compared to what some people are charging for newer PowerShot G cameras on the second-hand market, that’s a bonafide bargain and could make for a fun camera for nostalgia-fueled photographers.
Gordon has many more PowerShot G2 sample images in his complete written review on Cameralabs, plus a lot of great details about the camera. He has additional video versions of his Retro Review series on his YouTube channel, Dino Bytes by Gordon Laing.
Image credits: All photos by Gordon Laing (Cameralabs)
