I use the digital 40D and have many lenses and a large Billingham Bag - fine for serious shooting sessions - what I wanted was a small compact that I could slip into my pocket and would go some way towards delivering the quality of photographs that I get from the SLR.  Having taken a few thousend photographs I am totally amazed at the results from the G9!

The build quality is very impressive - it feels like it could be dropped and come back for more! Canon has crammed a phethora of photographic controls into the small compact body - everything within the layout feels in its rightful place and is easily and intutively accessible in an instant. 

Really pleased with the camera in every aspect - if you are serious about photography and do not always want the hassle of carrying a big bag - the G9 is the ideal choice.