No Fluff or Mumbo Jumbo - "Just The Basics" on Digital Cameras

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A Potential Operational Problem Report

Canon PowerShot G3

Not very long ago, Canon introduced the PowerShot G2, and it was a huge success.  It produced incredible images that few digital cameras could come close to.  Now, Canon has introduced the PowerShot G3.  Like the G2, it is a 4 megapixel camera, but new updates from the older model include a 4X zoom (as opposed to the G2's 3X), a new way of processing images, a "neutral density filter" built in, and much more.  Sounds wonderful.  I picked one up myself, for personal use.

After taking a series of photos, I came home and began to upload them to my computer.  Something seemed odd.  On photos that I took of objects that were straight across the photo, there seemed to be a "slant" from right to left, as though I took the photo with the camera tilted slightly.

I came home and did some further tests.  On one set of shots, I set the G3 up on a tripod and using a level, made sure it was level and not slanted to either side.  I aimed the camera at two different brick walls, making sure the tripod was set up level, and was also level to the walls, too.  I zoomed the lens about halfway, to avoid any barrel distortion that might also have an effect on the image.  Bingo - slanted images (see below).

In this sample (two separate photos together) you can see pretty clearly how although the camera and subject were level with each other, there is a visible slant from right to left in the images.  Most likely the cause of this is a misalignment of the CCD image sensor within the camera. Through the optical viewfinder the image looks fine.  Using the LCD to compose the image shows the slant, as you're seeing what the CCD sees when you use the LCD screen.  By very slightly tilting the G3 to the left, I saw the image "straighten out" to appear level on the screen.  If I did not do this, images appeared tilted, and printed that way as well.  I had some other test shots but accidentally deleted them.  Still, these should make the point at least. My personal opinion is if one spends over $600.00 for a camera, that person should not have to tilt the camera slightly to take a level photograph.

Going From Bad To Worse

I took the camera back to the place I purchased it, and the helpful salesclerk took out the remaining three G3s.  We put in battery and card, and turned it on, aiming at a very straight display.  The EXACT same thing happened on all three units.   The clerk, bug-eyed over this on all three units, went to management, and those were pulled from the floor awaiting a return to Canon.  

Traveling down the street to another retailer, I asked to see the sample G3 they used for display.  Again, the same thing.  The clerk noticed it as well.  Another tip to a third retailer who had 13 units in stock; this time the clerk pulls three units from their stock, and we tested the display as well.  Every single one of these cameras had at least a minor amount of "tilting" to the images.  In the case of store number three, we placed the G3s and another brand of camera on a flat surface together aimed at a level horizontal display background across from it.  Same thing on all three.  One was less severe than in the case of my camera, and the other two were the same or worse. 

Including my own camera unit, a total of around ten G3 cameras were tested (new store models, display, etc.)  and all of them had this problem.  Some more or less obvious than others.  In all cases the employees could immediately see this issue, alerted management who witnessed it, and make a quick decision to remove these cameras from available stock once they saw it.

Don't Panic, But...

Now, I'm trying to give a benefit of a doubt and say that there is a chance (even though I would think slight) that all of these defective units were delivered via the same freight truck, since all of the visited stores had just received stock, and were all within a 5 mile radius of each other.  Some warehouses are set up so the items go straight from the assembly line onto a pallet for shipping, so if a machine goes out of whack it's entirely possible for a whole batch to be shipped out together.  My personal opinion is that there could also be something wrong with Canon's quality control department to miss so many of these.  An email sent to Canon addressing this issue has gone unanswered as of the time of this report.

My suggestion:  Level your camera perfectly and flip the LCD screen around so it's visible, then push it into the back of the camera so as not to cause any visual confusion.  Aim the camera at some level targets, or targets with horizontal lines in them, using the zoom control to slightly zoom so barrel distortion is not visible.   View them on the LCD before taking the photo to see if things look slanted.  View them at regular size on your monitor as well.  If you see this problem, and can return the item to the store, I'd do so.  If not, contact Canon immediately to discuss a replacement.  

The purpose of this commentary is not at all to dissuade potential buyers of the G3.  As a matter of fact, I really have to say that the photos I took with the G3 were some of the best I have ever seen from any consumer (or even prosumer) level of digital camera to date.  A "fully working" unit will produce images that will most likely surpass the image quality from anything short of a digital SLR camera.  Again however, at this price point a user should not have to tilt a camera in order to get a leveled photo.  This again could just be a small region-specific issue, but then again, it could be much more serious, so I decided to devote some space on my site to bring it to owner's attentions so they can check their G3s for this issue.  Canon makes some excellent digital cameras, but if quality control on this or any other model is an issue, it needs to be addressed.  Consumers, and especially consumers who are paying nearly seven hundred dollars for a camera, deserve nothing less.

Carry on.

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