Wide and Tele converters for the G7/G9
If you feel your camera a little short in focal length, this is a possibility. We tell you the bare truth about them.

The focal length of the G7/G9 is 35-210mm (35mm equiv) which is good, yet not grand. It is possible to enhance it with and adapter and conversion lenses. There are several manufacturers such as Lensmate or Raynox which are cheaper than Canon's.

For this particular review we are using the Canon original adapter and conversion lenses.

Price
The conversion is not cheap: if you want both converters and the adapter the cost will be the same as a Canon SX100IS. The prices of these accessories are:

Adapter $25
Tele converter $104
Wide converter $147
Total= $276

From Compact Wonder to Jumbo Cam

One of the great advantages of the G7/G9 is that it's a compact camera: relatively small and easy to carry. The wide converter is HUGE and the tele is not small either.

At the left you can see, side by side, the G9+tele-converter and a Rebel XT. As you can see the "compact" camera is bigger than this dSLR. The conversion goes deeper than just optical issues, it converts your compact camera into a huge unmanageable monster plus the worst of both worlds: the camera is no longer compact and the image quality remains worst than any dSLR.

Widest Dreams meet Tele-Marketing

26mm (0.75x)	The 35mm wide aperture of the G7/G9 doesn't leave much room for tight interiors. We do enjoy having a true wide angle, but we are not sure if the cost plus the size plus the weight are the right price for mere 26mm.
35mm (1x)	This is the widest angle (35mm) without the conversion lens.
210mm (6x)	A 6x optical zoom is better than the 4x of the G6, yet in this generation of ultra-zooms it feels somewhat short.
420mm (12x)	The adapter has a conversion factor of 2x, having a total 12x optical zoom

Optical loss
The G9's lens is a pretty good piece of glass with low chromatic aberrations. It was quite a surprise to check the same quality without any loss with any of the converters. The barrel distortion is amplified by the wide-angle adapter but it is not bad for a true wide-angle coverage. If you are considering the converters and optical quality is a concern for you then fear not, the quality of your images won't suffer.

Pimp your cam with an adapter

So by now the converters are expensive and its usefulness is questionable, at best. But what about the adapter alone? You can Pimp Your Cam with a couple of nice accessories. If you buy the LA-DC58H adapter (or any other adapter for the matter) you can use filters. Using a circular polarizer would be a good move to improve contrast, reduce reflections and your G9 will look extra cool with polarized shades.

Since we also have the LAH-DC20 adapter for the S3/S5 (that includes the adapter and the hood) we borrowed the hood from this kit. We attached it to the G9 with the adapter+polarizer filter and it matched perfectly.

Conclusion

With no optical loss, a hefty price and an extremely bulky size, these adapters+converters may be fun at first, but if you don’t examine your needs sincerely they may end in the closet.