Pixiq

We knew that it was coming, but Canon announced the specs for the PowerShot G12 this morning. Although the handling doesn’t appear to have changed all that much from the G11, there are some rather tasty additions to an already well-stocked picture-taking arsenal.

To get the most out of every shot, including in low-light settings, Canon have introduced their HS system to the G-series. You get the combination of a 10 megapixel CCD sensor and DIGIC4 processor, as well as an ISO range that can be bumped all the way up to 12,800.

The lens is a pretty 28-140mm number with a 5x optical zoom. It can also focus as close as 1cm, and helping to reduce camera-shake and improve improve quality you’ll find Canon’s Hybrid IS. Hopefully your ladybirds will look like ladybirds now, and not red-and-black blurs when shot without a tripod!

And yes, they’ve given the G12 HD video recording capability. You even get stereo sound and a miniature effect. You can view your films on your HDTV via the HDMI port.

The G12 also has HDR capability, but you have to be shooting from a tripod for it to function. It’ll take three pictures at three different exposures, and then merge them together to get the most data out of the image as possible.

Of course it shoots in RAW and you can have full control over how you shoot, but if you prefer to let the camera do the thinking for you, you can with the smart auto function. You can compose your pictures using the vari-angle screen that has an electronic level display, or you can use the optical view-finder. When you are shooting manually, you can control the G12′s bells and whistles from the front dial. Oh, and before I forget, you can select the format of the image you’re taking—choosing from 3:2, 4:3, 1:1, 16:9 and 4:5 formats—with its multi-aspect shooting gizmo.

There’s a hotshoe for a flash, you can add a lens filter adapter if you want, and if you’re planning on getting wet with it, you can pick up a waterproof case, too.

What do you think, then? Available from October 2010 for £539.00 (€649.00) or thereabouts. Canon can tell you even more.