The new Canon G12 continues the long evolution of the G-Series cameras. In this case, Canon has not changed very much from the G11 to the G12. The camera body is virtually unchanged with the exception of a new "front dial" near the shutter button that makes changing certain settings a bit easier.

Video capability has been upgraded to 720p HD and Canon has added a new recreational shooting feature called HDR. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and it is useful for images where there is a mixture of bright and shadow areas. The camera takes three images, each at different exposures, and then merges the three photos to make a single image that has detail in the shadows and no "blown-out" highlights. This is purely a recreational feature and it is recommended to use a tripod when using HDR.

Shown below is the evolution of Canon's G cameras.

Like the G11, the new G12 features a 10 megapixel sensor. By placing fewer sensors (pixels) on the capture chip, they were able to make each one larger and more sensitive to light. Since we are using a flash for each dental photo, this has little to no bearing on dental image quality but is welcome if you plan on using the camera outside the office.

Canon also brought back the "flip and twist" LCD screen which had been so popular on previous G-Series cameras. This is a popular feature for the flexibility to shoot in any direction and still have the LCD screen facing you and the ability to protect the LCD when it is not being used.