Photo Credit: © General Electric General Electric G1 Consumer Digital Camera

At Mac Edition Radio, we often work with cutting-edge digital imaging technology and professional-level equipment. But with General Electric’s recent entry into the consumer photography space, we wondered how a digital novice would find working with one of GE’s newest releases, the G1 branded as a GE product and marketed by General Imaging. So, we sent the camera off to Europe twice with product tester and world traveler Regina Barthmaier, who loves photography but hadn’t yet ventured far into the digital realm. Regina used the camera for two trips to Europe, including Italy, Paris, and Amsterdam, and in total took more then 700 photos. Her report follows.

I had never used a digital camera. As luck would have it, right before I was scheduled to leave for Fabriano, Italy for a two-week Papermaking and Book Arts Intensive, Harris Fogel asked if I would be willing to test out a brand new digital camera from GE, the G1. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity.

Harris walked me though the settings over lunch, and I set off for Italy the next day. I have to say that I really liked the slim size of the camera and it was very easy to focus and shoot. I especially love the zoom button because it is so conveniently located and a nice size for fingertip operation. I went on a shooting spree.

The first setting I tried was the panoramic view. It works great as long as you are just moving right or left. My up and down panoramic shot did not work out too well, but I should probably have read that section in the instruction manual. I tested the setting for shooting moving objects when our class took a field trip to Urbino. I was able to get several nice scenery shots from the moving car I was in, and they were crisp and clear. I had a lot of fun and got some really great results with the setting for night scenes. It really made quite a difference in capturing the true atmosphere and lighting.

Equipped with a 2 GB SD card, I took almost 500 pictures in Italy. I barely touched on all the menu settings and functions, so I am still going through the book and trying out the different functions. To become proficient, I have to practice, which justifies more Italian travel!

One recent weekend back in the states, I had a couple of parties to go to and decided that, in addition to taking pictures, I would master the movie function. I have to say that the party guests actually remarked on the compact size of the camera and the quality of the pictures, and I had a fabulous time making the videos and playing them back.

Because the battery wears down pretty fast – which I have been told happens with all digital cameras – I will probably pick up a spare. I charged the battery every night, and in the future I’m planning to have two batteries. I have learned that quick charges don’t last long and the charge needed to be a full over-night charge or else the battery life really suffered, and a low battery slows down function response times.

I loved the design of the GE G1, it’s small and fits easily in a pocket or purse, and the controls were easy to use, and having the zoom at the top was great. The feel was solid and controls were well placed, and I found that the ability to quickly turn off or change flash settings was really important, especially since I was photographing in museums quite a bit where you aren’t allowed to use a flash.

When I returned and made prints from the images, the quality was superb. At Harris’ advice I always shot at the highest quality setting, so I was able to crop without any problems. The images really showed the strength of working with natural light, with a wide-range of tones and values captured accurately. The zoom was also very sharp, and in one image taken in Amsterdam, I was able to zoom in on a window washer, perched three stories up on a ladder, and make a great photo. Some of my best images were taken at night, or at sunset, with the camera beautifully capturing the tones and subtleties of light as the sun was setting, with all the delicate overtones of the changing sky.

I’m very excited to have discovered the GE G1 digital camera, and look forward to learning all its various capabilities at home and abroad! This camera made me a believer in digital photography.

Harris Fogel’s audio interview about the camera with GE’s Rene Buhay, recorded at the 2007 Photo Marketing Association Conference in Las Vegas, can be found here.

Mac Edition Radio, created by host and executive producer Harris Fogel, web guru Andy Alm and many other leading reviewers, reporters and technology analysts, features in-depth reporting on technology, digital imaging and photography. Fogel is also an associate professor and coordinator of the photography program at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Additional reviews and audio interviews can be found on the Mac Edition Radio Web site.