Below are some of example pictures after the hot pixel is mapped (click on the image to find the original version):

Wayang Semarang

Pool at Cansebu Resort

There are two types on non-functioning pixels:

• Dead Pixels: A pixel that reads zero or is always off on all exposures. This state produces a black pixel in the final image.
• Stuck Pixels or Hot Pixels: A pixel that always reads high or is always on to maximum on all exposures. This produces a white or other color pixel in the final image.

Below is a small image of how I locate the hot pixel. Click on the image to read my notes and find original size of the image to find out where the hot pixel resides.

Click on the image to see notes and find original size of the image

A little panicked I tried googling for the solution and have found dead pixels do form on newly fabricated sensors as well. Dead pixels will also develop over time on a perfectly manufactured sensor and it is inevitable on today’s technology.  To resolve this issue, there is a workaround technique called pixel mapping and what it does is to locate and mark the location of the dead pixel.  When these bad pixels are marked the camera will then compute their approximate color using the neighboring pixels.  This technique is also applied to new camera as well as part of the manufacturing Quality Check procedure.

Learning that this is a natural occurrence with an acceptable cure I went to the local Canon service center to get my camera fix.  I simply told the customer service representative about my camera condition and they immediately told me that they will have to calibrate, pixel mapping,  my camera and the procedure will take approximately an hour.  After waiting for about 15 minutes of waiting they returned my camera back saying that they do not have the software to calibrate my mine since the G11 is a new product and have yet downloaded the software from Japan.  A little bit dissapointed but at least they know what is supposed to be done.  I’ll probably go back to the service center this coming weekend to see if they have obtained the latest software and post the result.

Since then I have longed since to own a digital camera with a good built, perform well in low light condition and produce good image quality, IQ as some people call it, as my next camera.  But knowing that I am just an amateur buying a D-SLR is definitely overkill and therefore I’ve decided to purchased Canon PowerShot G11 as my next camera after seeing many great sample images from Flickr and forums.

To give you a highlight of the camera, it is built with the following specifications:

• 10.4 Megapixels 1/1.7-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD)
• 6.1 (W) – 30.5mm (35mm film equivalent: 28 (W) – 140 (T) mm) Lens
• 461,000 pixels 2.8-inch TFT color, with wide viewing angle
• Maximum Aperture of f/2.8 (W) – f/4.5 (T)
• Shutter Speed of 15-1/4000 sec
• ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600/3200 and 6400
• 640 x 480 Video Recording