Canon PowerShot G11

Caveat: I only review gear that I really like and have used, so there will be a positive slant. However, I will be honest about any flaws of the products.

For the last several years, I have been lugging a Canon Digital Rebel with a pretty sizable 28-200mm zoom lens up and down the mountains. The zoom works great and the wildlife photos have been fun, but I have been somewhat unhappy with the nearly three pounds of weight, as well as the limitations of the lens: I can’t take great wide-angle photos from the summits. There are lens conversion factors, which I won’t get into, that makes my lens more like a 43-311mm lens.

Enter the Canon PowerShot G11 Digital Camera. I received this for Christmas from my wife who wanted to lighten my load on the trail. And that it is. At 12.5 ounces, it shaved nearly 3 pounds off of my camera gear (more if I choose to bring more lenses on the Rebel) and I get to take true 28mm wide-angle photos, which have been a treat so far. It only goes to 140mm on the long end, so I will have to use my woodsman’s skills to get close enough to photograph any wildlife.