Controls on the top: Out on the grip is the Main Dial that's used to change many camera settings. The zoom lens control is built around the shutter button. Over to the left is the Drive button to select either the continuous mode or the selftimer / remote control mode. The Power switch has a safety button that must be pressed before selecting the Record or Playback mode and in the center is the OFF button.

The Mode Dial has positions for:

• Custom 1 - User settable mode
• Custom 2 - User settable mode
• Manual - you set both the shutter speed and aperture
• AV (Aperture priority) - the camera automatically selects a shutter speed to match the aperture you set. Aperture settings available are: F2.0, F2.2, F2.5, F2.8, F3.2, F3.5, F4.0, F4.5, F5.0, F5.6, F6.3, F7.1, F8.0
• TV (Shutter priority) - camera automatically selects an aperture setting to match the shutter speed you set. Available shutter speeds are: 1/2000, 1/1600, 1/1250, 1/1000, 1/800, 1/640, 1/500, 1/400, 1/320, 1/250, 1/200, 1/160, 1/125, 1/100, 1/80, 1/60, 1/50, 1/40, 1/30, 1/25, 1/20, 1/15, 1/13, 1/10, 1/8, 1/6, 1/5, 1/4, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 1.3, 1.6, 2, 2.5, 3.2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 15 seconds
• Program AE - camera automatically sets the shutter speed and aperture settings like AUTO but the user can change many options like white balance, exposure compensation, saturation, sharpness and more.
• AUTO - camera sets everything automatically, this is "point and shoot" mode

The pre-programmed "Image Zone" modes include:

• Portrait - Sets a large aperture value to have a minimum depth of field so your subject is sharp but the background gets blurred.
• Landscape - Sets the focus to infinity and uses a small aperture
• Night Portrait - Uses slow shutter speed (tripod recommended) to capture night backgrounds and synchronizes the flash to illuminate foreground subjects
• Stitch Assist - The user will be aided by the LCD when creating multi-image panorama pictures. Five types of assistance are available:
  1. Horizontal - left to right
  2. Horizontal - right to left
  3. Vertical - top to bottom
  4. Vertical - bottom to top
  5. Clockwise starting at top left.
  
  
  
  
  Onscreen view of Stitch Assist mode
  
  

• Movie - capture full motion video with sound for up to 180 seconds in length at 15fps in 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 resolution.
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  The data LCD displays major camera settings at a glance. Shown here with evaluative metering enabled, a shutter speed of 1/2000 and an aperture of F6.3, Large/Fine image setting, single exposure mode, flash disabled, battery level is full, ISO (other than Auto), Macro focus mode, selftimer or remote mode, 397 shots remaining, white balance set to Auto and flash exposure compensation (other than 0.0).

  Unfortunately, this data LCD is -not- illuminated so it is useless in the dark. Come on Canon, please add a small light bulb and a button on the next model.
  

  
  

  
  

  Depending on the operational mode other icons are displayed on either the monochrome data display or the color LCD for the various programmed AE modes, drive modes, metering, exposure compensation, flash exposure compensation, AE lock, manual focus, digital zoom and raw mode.
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  Controls on the back: Flash mode button (thumbnail display in Play mode), Metering mode button and Macro focus mode button (acts as the Jump buton in Play mode). To the right of the eyelevel viewfinder is the Manual Focus button (in Play it is the Voice Annotation button). The 4-way controller lets you navigate menu screens, change Exposure Compensation and White Balance options in Record and select images in Play. The SET button accepts menu selections and in Record mode it is used to change the active Focus Point. The Menu button enables onscreen menu system,

  The "Star" button is used to pre-calculate and lock the exposure. In Play mode this is the single image Delete button. The FUNC button brings up the menu of options for changing ISO speed, Color Effects, Exposure or Focus Bracketing, Flash Exposure Compensaton, Image size and Quality. The DISPLAY button controls the color LCD and the amount of data that is overlayed on it.
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  The built-in speaker and the I/O ports are on the left side:
  

  
  
  
  The DC IN port is for connecting the battery charger/AC power supply.

  The DIGITAL connector is for the USB data cable.

  The A/V OUT handles audio and video (NTSC or PAL selectable) for connecting to a TV.
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  On the right side is the Compact Flash Type II card slot. The G5 is supplied with a 32MB CF card and can use any Type I or II solid state flash memory card or one of the IBM Microdrives.
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  The G5 is powered by a high-capacity BP-511 lithium rechargeable battery pack. This same battery is used in the Canon D30, D60, 10D, Pro 90IS, G1, G2 and G3 cameras and has proven to be one of the best rechargeable batteries ever supplied with a digicam.

  We don't have the exact specs on runtime or number of shots per charge but with the new DIGIC image processor it should go even longer on the G5 than on the G2. (G2 specs: approximately 260 images when using the LCD or up to 800 images when you use only the optical viewfinder. Or a playback time of approximately 160 minutes.)

  A 90% charge takes 80 minutes and a full charge is reached in another two hours. The included CA-560 battery charger is also an AC power adapter. The battery is charged while it is in the camera but cannot be charged when the camera is turned on. There is an optional external battery charger and car (12VDC) power cord available.
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  The supplied WL-DC100 infrared remote controller can be used up to approximately 5m (16.4 ft) directly in front of the camera to shoot or control playback. In record mode it can trip the shutter (with a zero, two or ten second delay), control the zoom lens and toggle the overlay information displays shown onscreen. In Playback mode it can display the next or previous image, play and replay movies, enable zoomed playback and pan around the magnified view and toggle the various onscreen data overlays.