We had begun to wonder if Canon would ever replace the PowerShot G12, but at last it has gone and introduced the 12.1 million pixel Canon PowerShot G15, unveiled at Photokina 2012.

At first glance, the Canon G15 looks remarkably similar to the Canon G12, but there are a few distinct differences. The most noticeable of these is the stacked or overlapping dials on the top that enable both the mode dial and the exposure compensation dial to be squeezed on to the right side of the camera’s top-plate.

These may be a turn-off for novices, but they enable more experienced photographers to set the exposure mode you want and adjust exposure quickly.

A keen eye will also spot that the lens is a little different, and the Canon G15 is the first Canon compact camera to feature an f/1.8 optic. This maximum aperture reduces to f/2.8 at the telephoto end of the 5x (28-140mm equivalent) zoom lens.

This should make it possible to restrict depth of field much more effectively to separate the subject from the background.

Canon G-series cameras have never been the prettiest, with a distinct utilitarian look, and the Canon G15 does nothing to change this. The basic shape is the same, and there’s none of the retro charm that Fuji has managed to give its cameras such as the Fuji X10 and Fuji X100.

But, nevertheless, it is a design that has found favour with many enthusiast and professional photographers, so why make dramatic changes?

One change that we’re not too happy about is that the Canon G15 has a fixed rather than an articulating screen. On the plus side, this is a 3-inch 920,000-dot unit, and the new camera is a little slimmer than the previous model, but we feel this makes the camera less versatile, since it’s harder to compose images from awkward angles.

Early verdict

Canon has pushed the pixel count of the Canon G15, and using its Digic 5 processor is bound to see image quality improvements, but we would have liked to have seen a bit more of a radical upgrade from the Canon G12.

An articulating touchscreen would have been nice, and perhaps built-in Wi-Fi and GPS technology would have give the camera more appeal to photographers on the move looking for a lighter replacement for their DSLR.

Due for release in October, the Canon G15 will be priced at £549.99 in the UK and $499.99 in the US. We will bring you our full Canon G15 review as soon as we get a full production sample in for testing.