Canon PowerShot G12

Overall, the $500 PowerShot G12 isn't a bad performer, that is for a point-and-shoot camera. But it's bigger and more expensive than most point and shoots.

There's an optical viewfinder on the G12, which is tough to find on a point-and-shoot camera these days, though this one's a bit different. It's actually a second lens, with optical zoom, that moves back and forth in conjunction with the main lens.

Fortunately, you have the high-res, articulating LCD on the back of the camera to frame shots. The 2.8-inch display packs in 461,000 dots.

The 2.8-inch display packs in 461,000 dots, and can swing out and rotate 270 degrees so you can view it above your head or below your waist.

The upside of the G12's big body is that it's got plenty of room, to accommodate a dial for almost every manual control.

The G12 is quick, but it's no speed demon. The camera powers on and captures its first shot in an average of 2.4 seconds, and once on, it averages 0.6 seconds of shutter lag and 2.9 seconds of wait time between shots.

In the PC Labs we use the Imatest suite to objectively measure image quality, and the G12 scored very well for a point-and-shoot camera.

In true Canon style, connectivity options are plentiful on the G12. There is a standard mini-USB port for connecting to PCs, and a standard mini-HDMI for playback on HDTVs.

The G12 is Canon's most expensive PowerShot, yet its lens is subpar. It offers 5x optical zoom via a 28-140mm (35mm equivalent) range, with corresponding aperture of f/2.8-f/4.5.