How much dynamic range does the Canon G12 offer?

According to measurements carried out by DXO Mark, the sensor in the Canon PowerShot G12 provides a maximum of 11.2 EV of dynamic range (DR). DR is defined as the ratio between the highest and lowest brightness a camera can capture. A value of 12 EV or above is considered excellent.

High dynamic range of a camera sensor is particularly desirable for scenes with a mix of very bright and very dark parts, such as in some landscape photography settings. It helps to avoid that highlights get washed out or that detail in shadows is lost.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Canon G12 to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better). In addition to dynamic range (DXO Landscape), the listing also covers color depth (DXO Portrait) and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon G12	1/1.7	10.0	3648	2736	720/24p	20.4	11.2	161	47
2.		Canon G15	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/24p	19.9	11.5	165	46
3.		Canon G16	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60p	21.0	11.7	230	54
4.		Canon SX50	1/2.3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/24p	20.3	11.2	179	47
5.		Fujifilm X10	2/3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/30p	20.5	11.3	245	50
6.		Nikon P7800	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/30p	21.2	11.7	200	54
7.		Olympus E-450	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.5	10.5	512	56
8.		Panasonic FZ150	1/2.3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60p	19.4	10.9	132	40
9.		Panasonic G2	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	720/30p	21.2	10.3	493	53
10.		Panasonic G10	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	720/30p	21.2	10.1	411	52
11.		Panasonic LX5	1/1.7	10.0	3648	2736	720/60p	19.6	10.8	132	41

In the United States, the G12 was initially launched in September 2010 at a price of $499.

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Camera to camera comparisons

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