Canon PowerShot G16 Review

October 24, 2013 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The Canon PowerShot G16 is a new premium compact camera. The Canon G16 has a 12.1 megapixel 1/1.7-type CMOS sensor, new DIGIC 6 image processor, 3-inch 922,000-dot LCD screen, 5x 28-140mm equivalent zoom lens with fast maximum apertures of f/1.8 - f/2.8, RAW image capture, optical viewfinder, 12.2fps burst mode, flash hotshoe, 1cm macro mode, ISO 80-12800 and full range of manual shooting modes. Other standout features include 1080p movie recording at 60fps, built-in wi-fi connectivity, GPS functionality via pairing with a smartphone, a front control dial, a 4-stop optical Intelligent Image Stabilizer with five-axis Enhanced Dynamic IS mode during movie recording, multi-aspect shooting, improved HDR mode capabilities, an electronic level, a built-in Neutral Density Filter, SDXC card compatibility and an optional Lens Filter Adapter. The Canon Powershot G16 is available in black priced at £529.99 / €649.99 / $549.99.

Ease of Use

At first glance the Canon PowerShot G16 looks very similar to its year-old predecessor, the G15, with very little changed in terms of shape and form. Canon's developers are confidently suggesting 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', with only a smattering of new features for 2013. The biggest changes are the addition of wi-fi connectivity, a new Digic 6 processor, focus peaking during manual focusing, and some new shooting modes.

The Canon G16 still has a solid feel, tank-like construction, feeling very well made, with a control layout that while busy avoids looking cluttered, and controls that both offer just the right amount of stiffness and resistance. Unlike some, they're also large enough to be easily and quickly accessed in the heat of the action. With its beefy design, and just like its predecessors, the G16 still won't fit into a trouser or shirt pocket, though if you have a deep-pocketed coat you'll be all right.

The unassuming-looking front plate is dominated by the lens with a filter thread for the attachment of supplementary extras, the optical viewfinder directly above and a bulb for the self-timer/AF assist lamp on the right. An optional lens filter adapter which extends with the lens when using the zoom to offer full coverage throughout the zoom range allows the attachment of 58mm filters. The G16 has a very useful front control dial, as featured on EOS DSLR cameras, which makes changing the aperture and consequently the full Manual shooting mode very easy. There's a gently sloped padded ridge by way of a handgrip to the left hand side of the G16 - if viewed lens on - and a small pad at the back for the thumb to grip.

Those who love getting hands-on will relish as we did being able to turn the G16's top plate rangefinder-like dials to adjust exposure as well as select capture options from a more standard-issue shooting mode dial, although we did miss the older G12's ISO dial which has been moved to a button on the rear to make way for the pop-up flash. If we've a grumble, it's that annoyingly for a creatively rich camera, the full manual is provided on CD only. In what comes across as a cursory gesture, a very slim quick start guide is included.

Canon PowerShot G16 Canon PowerShot G16
Front Rear

Still, given its target audience what's here will be relatively self-evident. The top plate houses a half-penny sized wheel for adjusting the exposure (+/- 3EV), which is overlapped by the smaller shooting mode dial. There's a hotshoe for an accessory flash, plus the built in pop-up unit which is activated by a dedicated switch.

The shooting mode dial features settings for auto capture, program, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual, along with two user customisable settings, a smattering of scene modes, plus movie digest, video and Creative Filter modes. . The Creative Filters shooting mode contains 10 different options, including High Dynamic Range, Miniature and Toy Camera. In the High Dynamic Range mode the G16 combines three separate images to greatly expand the dynamic range and can now be safely used hand-held. The new Star Mode captures starry nightscapes, star trails and creates star time-lapse movies, while the Background Defocus mode achieves DSLR-style background blur.

The Canon PowerShot G16 offers full 1080p HD movies at 1920x1080 pixels resolution available at 60/30fps complete with stereo sound, with full use of the optical zoom and thankfully continuous auto-focusing too, plus super slow-motion options (640x480 pixels at 120fps or 320x 240 pixels at 240fps) and a new Star Time-Lapse Movie mode for recording star trails. The G16 also boasts stereo sound courtesy of microphones positioned either side of the flash hotshoe.

Continuing our hands-on tour of the Canon PowerShot G16's top plate, just to the right of these dials we find a springy raised nipple-style shutter release button surrounded by a rocker switch for operating the optically stabilised 5x zoom (28-140mm equivalent on a 35mm camera), and behind this again the on/off button. The optically stabilized 5x zoom provides a four stop advantage and works for both still images and movies, and there's no less than six different modes of stabilisation that are automatically detected and applied by the camera, including a special five-axis Enhanced Dynamic IS mode for video.

A half press of the shutter button and the Canon PowerShot G16 chooses a point of focus within a quarter of a second, AF point or points flashing in green accompanied by an affirmative 'beep'. Go on to take the shot and there's little if any discernible shutter delay, while full resolution JPEGS are written to inserted (optional) SD or SDHC card (there's no internal memory provided to fall back on) in just over a second, with RAW files - selectable in Program or one of the other four creative shooting modes - taking a mere fraction longer. The beefed-up continuous shooting mode offers a very impressive shooting rate of 12.2fps for the first 5 frames and then 9.3fps for approx. 522 JPEGs. Note that acompatible SDHC/SDXC UHS Speed Class 1 memory card is required to achieve these speeds, and if you choose RAW then the rate is much slower.

Canon PowerShot G16 Canon PowerShot G16
Front

Top

The G16 is quick to power up in a second or so, the rear LCD blinking into life with PowerShot visual and audio 'sting' and the 5x optical zoom lens simultaneously extending from storage within the body to maximum wide-angle setting. Here, as with the G15, it's the equivalent of 28mm, making it very useful for those landscapes group portraits or getting the required shot in confined spaces. The G16 has brighter apertures of f/1.8 and f/2.8 at either end of the zoom range, which makes the camera much more versatile in low-light and also able to more easily throw the background creatively out of focus. As a further aid to landscape fans, a neutral density filter option is provided among the function menu options, to be turned on or off as required, and the horizontal Electronic Level and RGB histogram can be enabled to help with composition and exposure.

The slightly larger 3-inch screen takes up the largest part of the back plate's real estate, above which is a porthole for the alternative of an optical viewfinder. Although larger than you'll find on most compacts these days, it's no match at all for that typically found on even an entry level DSLR, which, with a UK asking price of £539 at the time of writing, the G16 is directly competing with. Still, in being targeted at enthusiasts first and foremost, the best way to view this camera is as a more portable back-up to existing DSLR ownership.

The wi-fi logo is located above the LCD screen. The G16's new wi-fi capabilities allow you to share images during playback via the Wireless button on the rear navigation pad. Simply enter a nickname for the camera and five more icons then appear, connecting the G16 to another camera, a smartphone, a computer, a printer and the internet respectively. Setup is relatively straight-forward for each scenario, although you'll need a basic understanding of the protocols involved. Note that you need to install the dedicated and free Canon CameraWindow app to connect the G16 to the world's most popular smartphone, or the Apple iPad, iPad 2 and fourth-generation iPod Touch), or an Android device.

The G16's wi-fi functionality is also employed to tag your images with GPS data recorded by your smartphone ( latitude, longitude, altitude and shooting time) via the Canon CameraWindow app, which effectively replaces a more coventional built-in GPS system. We actually prefer having GPS built-in to the camera rather than having to sync it with an additional device, so in this regard the G16 doesn't compare well with rivals that offer this feature, although it does side-step the issue of negatively affecting battery life.

Top-right of the LCD is a self-explanatory playback button. Falling naturally under the thumb at the Canon PowerShot G16's rear is the handy one-touch movie record button, and directly underneath is a user assignable shortcut key which provides quick access to the likes of red-eye reduction or auto exposure lock.

Canon PowerShot G16 Canon PowerShot G16
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

Beneath this again is a pair of dual-purpose buttons. In playback these are the delete button, plus, alongside it, a means of jumping through batches of captured images, variously 10 or 100 at a time. In capture mode the left hand button sets the ISO speed. The Auto ISO feature allows the maximum ISO speed to be set, therefore specifying what ISO range the G16 will use if you leave it up to its own devices. The second button is marked with an asterix. Press this when in program or any of the other creative modes and sliding scale of apertures and corresponding shutter speeds appears along the bottom of the screen, scrolled through with the aid of - aptly enough - the scroll wheel surrounding the familiar four-way control pad to the right of the G16's screen.

Underneath this pair of controls is the four-way selection or control pad, with, at points north, east, south and west a means of turning Manual Focus on, now complete tih focus peaking to aid precise focusing, choosing from the on-board flash settings, selecting display options (while pressing this in shooting mode brings up a nine zone compositional grid on screen, pressing it in program mode adds a live histogram, though as this feature is highlighted in grey rather than white it's slightly hard to read against the background of the shot itself at times) and activating macro or normal focus modes, here down to as close as 1cm from your subject - what we'd expect for the G16's class.

At its centre is the function/set button that is again consistent with this Canon series. Press this button at its centre when in any of the capture modes, and an L-shaped toolbar that will be familiar to Canon users appears on the screen, offering pull out toolbars with further options from the range when you come to rest on a particular setting.

At the bottom right hand corner of the backplate are a further pairing of buttons - focus point and menu. The focus button allows the focus point to be shifted from its default central position to one of the user's choosing. The Tracking AF mode allows you to select objects from the centre of the frame and track them if they move or if the frame is recomposed. A press of the menu button meanwhile brings up a trio of folders on screen, the first the shooting menu where the likes of the AF assist beam and blink detection modes can be turned on or off, the second the set up menu where sound options and LCD brightness can be tweaked, and the third being a 'My Menu' option for commonly used functions.

On the right hand flank of the camera, when viewed from the back, we find covered ports for HDMI out, an optional remote shutter release cable plus combined USB 2.0/AV out connection. On the bottom is a familiar metal screw thread for a tripod, and a sliding cover for the compartment that houses the lithium-ion battery needed for power and the SD, SDHC or SDXC cards needed for image storage. Curiously, battery life is on par with its G15 forebear, at around 360 shots from a full charge.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 12 megapixel Superfine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5Mb.

The Canon PowerShot G16 produces images of excellent quality. It recorded noise-free images at ISO 80-800, with some noise and slight colour desaturation at ISO 1600. ISO 3200 shows more obvious noise and loss of colour but still remains perfectly usable, and even ISO 6400 doesn't suffer too badly, although the fastest speed of ISO 12800 is worth avoiding. The RAW files were also very clean from ISO 80-800, although with a slight drop in sharpness and more noise at ISO 1600-12800 than the corresponding JPEGs.

The Canon PowerShot G16 handled chromatic aberrations well, with limited purple fringing effects appearing only in high contrast situations and generally at the edges of the frame. The lens exhibits some degree of barrel distortion at the 28mm wide-angle setting. The built-in flash worked well indoors, with no red-eye and good overall exposure, although there's noticeable vignetting at 28mm. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 15 seconds being long enough for most after-dark shots.

The image stabilisation system works very well when hand-holding the camera in low-light conditions or when using the telephoto end of the zoom range. Macro performance is excellent, allowing you to focus as close as 1cm away from the subject. The images were a little soft straight out of the Canon PowerShot G16 at the default sharpening setting and ideally require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting.

Noise

There are 9 ISO settings available on the Canon PowerShot G16. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting.

JPEG RAW

ISO 80 (100% Crop)

ISO 80 (100% Crop)

iso80.jpg iso80raw.jpg
   

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso100raw.jpg
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200raw.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400raw.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800raw.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600raw.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso3200raw.jpg
   

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso6400.jpg iso6400raw.jpg
   

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

iso12800.jpg iso12800raw.jpg

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting. You can change the in-camera sharpening level if you don't like the default look.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

sharpen1.jpg sharpen1a.jpg
   
sharpen2.jpg sharpen2a.jpg

Focal Range

The Canon Powershot G16's 5x zoom lens provides a focal length of 24-140mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.

28mm

140mm

focal_range1.jpg focal_range2.jpg

Chromatic Aberrations

The Canon PowerShot G16 handled chromatic aberrations very well during the review, with limited purple fringing present around the edges of objects in high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.

Chromatic Aberrations 1 (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations 2 (100% Crop)

chromatic1.jpg chromatic2.jpg

Macro

The Canon PowerShot G16 allows you to focus on a subject that is 1cm away from the camera. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.

Macro

Macro (100% Crop)

macro1.jpg macro1a.jpg

Flash

The flash settings on the Canon Powershot G16 are Auto, On, Auto Red-eye Reduction, Slow Synchro and Off. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (28mm)

Flash On - Wide Angle (28mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto (140mm)

Flash On - Telephoto (140mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Flash On or the Red-eye-Reduction settings caused any red-eye.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
flash_on.jpg flash_on1.jpg
   

Red-eye Reduction

Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop)

flash_redeye.jpg flash_redeye1.jpg

Night

The Canon Powershot G16's maximum shutter speed is 15 seconds, which is great news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 15 seconds at ISO 80. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.

Night

Night (100% Crop)

night1.jpg night1a.jpg

Anti Shake

The Canon PowerShot G16 has an anti-shake mechanism, which allows you to take sharp photos at slower shutter speeds than other digital cameras. To test this, we took 2 handheld shots of the same subject with the same settings. The first shot was taken with anti shake turned off, the second with it turned on. Here are some 100% crops of the images to show the results.

Shutter Speed / Focal Length

Anti Shake Off (100% Crop)

Anti Shake On (100% Crop)

1/10th sec / 28mm antishake1.jpg antishake1a.jpg
     
1/10th sec / 140mm antishake2.jpg antishake2a.jpg

Dynamic Range Correction

The Canon PowerShot G16 allows you to manually set the amount of dynamic range correction, with four options available - Off, Auto, 200% and 400%.

Off

Auto

dynamic_range_01.jpg dynamic_range_02.jpg
   

200%

400%

dynamic_range_03.jpg dynamic_range_04.jpg

Shadow Correction

The Canon PowerShot G16 allows you to manually set the amount of shadow correction, with two options available - Off and Auto.

Off

Auto

shadow_correction_01.jpg shadow_correction_02.jpg

My Colors

The My Colors function menu option contains the now familiar range of colour options for tweaking the look of your images before shooting.

Off

Vivid

my_colors_01.jpg my_colors_02.jpg
   

Neutral

Sepia

my_colors_03.jpg my_colors_04.jpg
   

B/W

Positive Film

my_colors_05.jpg my_colors_06.jpg
   

Lighter Skin Tone

Darker Skin Tone

my_colors_07.jpg my_colors_08.jpg
   

Vivid Blue

Vivid Green

my_colors_09.jpg my_colors_10.jpg
   

Vivid Red

 
my_colors_11.jpg  

Creative Filters

The Creative Filters shooting mode contains 10 different options, including High Dynamic Range, Miniature and Toy Camera. In the High Dynamic Range mode the Canon PowerShot G16 combines three separate images to greatly expand the dynamic range.

Off

High Dynamic Range

effects_01.jpg effects_02.jpg
   

Nostalgic

Fish-eye Effect

effects_03.jpg effects_04.jpg
   

Miniature Effect

Toy Camera Effect

effects_05.jpg effects_06.jpg
   

Background Defocus

Soft Focus

effects_07.jpg effects_08.jpg
   

Monochrome

Super Vivid

effects_09.jpg effects_10.jpg
   

Poster Effect

 
effects_11.jpg  

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Canon PowerShot G16 camera, which were all taken using the 12 megapixel SuperFine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Canon PowerShot G16 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Canon RAW (CR2) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 60 frames per second. Please note that this 22 second movie is 95.7Mb in size.

Product Images

Canon PowerShot G16

Front of the Canon PowerShot G16

 
Canon PowerShot G16

Front of the Canon PowerShot G16 / Lens Extended

 
Canon PowerShot G16

Front of the Canon PowerShot G16 / Pop-up Flash

 
Canon PowerShot G16

Side of the Canon PowerShot G16

 
Canon PowerShot G16

Side of the Canon PowerShot G16

 
Canon PowerShot G16

Side of the Canon PowerShot G16

 
Canon PowerShot G16

Side of the Canon PowerShot G16

 
Canon PowerShot G16

Rear of the Canon PowerShot G16

 
Canon PowerShot G16

Rear of the Canon PowerShot G16 / Image Displayed

 

Canon PowerShot G16

Rear of the Canon PowerShot G16 / Turned On

 
Canon PowerShot G16
Rear of the Canon PowerShot G16 / Function Menu
 
Canon PowerShot G16
Front of the Canon PowerShot G16 / Main Screen
 
Canon PowerShot G16
Top of the Canon PowerShot G16
 
Canon PowerShot G16
Bottom of the Canon PowerShot G16
 
Canon PowerShot G16
Side of the Canon PowerShot G16
 
Canon PowerShot G16
Side of the Canon PowerShot G16
 
Canon PowerShot G16
Front of the Canon PowerShot G16
 
Canon PowerShot G16
Front of the Canon PowerShot G16
 
Canon PowerShot G16
Memory Card Slot
 
Canon PowerShot G16
Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The Canon PowerShot G16 is a rather modest update of last year's G15 camera, principally making things faster and adding wi-fi connectivity, focus peaking and some new shooting modes into the now familiar mix. We like the faster auto-focus and burst shooting speeds and the debut of wi-fi on a G-series camera, but overall there's not too much to tempt G15 owners to upgrade. This new model still lacks an articulating LCD screen, GPS is only available via pairing with a smartphone, the optical viewfinder is beginning to look outdated, you can't control the camera remotely, and the price remains sky-high.

Image quality also remains excellent, though, with a perfectly usable ISO range of 80-1600 and fast f/1.8 maximum aperture, albeit only at the 28mm wide-angle lens setting, making the G16 very well-suited to low-light, hand-held photography. It's also possible to capture the blurred backgrounds and sharp subject that most compacts struggle to achieve, while the 5x zoom offers a longer reach than some rivals. Full 1080p video at 60fps with continuous auto-focusing, stereo sound and full use of the zoom is the icing on the imaging cake, although there's still little creative control on offer.

The price of the Canon PowerShot G16 is an eye-watering £529.00 / $549.99, which makes it more expensive than the class-leading Sony Cyber-shot RX100, itself bested by the RX100 Mark II, albeit at an even higher price-point. Despite the improvements, we still feel that the RX100/RX100 II with its much larger sensor delivers even better results than the G16, making it our choice in the "pocketable compact camera for enthusiasts" sector of the market. The new Canon PowerShot G16 still remains one of the best premium compacts for enthusiasts, though, and is an excellent camera to boot, so it's still well worth considering alongside its main rivals.

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4.5
Features 4.5
Ease-of-use 4.5
Image quality 4.5
Value for money 3.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Canon PowerShot G16.

Canon PowerShot G1 X

The Canon PowerShot G1 X is a serious compact camera with a large 1.5-inch image sensor. Building on previous G-series models, the G1 X also offers a 4x, 28-112mm zoom lens, 1080p HD video with stereo sound, 3 inch vari-angle screen, optical viewfinder and manual controls. £699 / €799 / $799.99 is a lot of money to pay for a fixed-lens compact camera - read our Canon PowerShot G1 X review to find out if it's worth it.

Canon PowerShot S120

The Canon PowerShot S120 is a new compact camera for enthusiasts. Featuring a 5x zoom lens with a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8, ISO range of 80-12,800, 12.1fps burst shooting, RAW support, full manual controls, built-in wi-fi connectivity, touchscreen interface and 1080p video at 60fps, the Canon S120 is a slim and stylish camera that you can easily fit in a trouser pocket. Read our in-depth Canon PowerShot S120 review now to find out if it's the best premium compact camera...

Fujifilm X20

The Fujifilm X20 is a brand new premium compact camera with a large 2/3-type 12 megapixel sensor and a fast 4x optical zoom lens. Boasting impeccable build-quality, intuitive handling and a long-list of photographer-friendly features, is the Fujifilm X20 the ultimate pocket camera for the avid photographer? Read our Fujifilm X20 review, complete with full-size sample JPEG and raw images, videos and more to find out...

Nikon Coolpix P330

The Nikon Coolpix P330 is a new compact camera aimed at prosumers. The Nikon P330 features a 12.2 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, full manual controls, 1080p HD video recording, a 5x wide-angle zoom lens with a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8, a high-resolution LCD screen, built-in GPS and 10fps burst shooting. Read our in-depth Nikon Coolpix P330 review to find out if this is the perfect pocket camera for the keen enthusiast ...

Nikon Coolpix P7800

The Nikon Coolpix P7800 is a brand new premium compact camera for the keen enthusiast. The P7800 principally adds an electronic viewfinder to last year's P7700 model - is this enough to compete with the likes of the Canon PowerShot G16? Read our expert Nikon P7800 review now, complete with full-size JPEG and RAW sample images.

Olympus XZ-10

The new Olympus XZ-10 is a serious compact camera designed to fit in your pocket. A 12 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, fast f/1.8 maximum aperture, high-res 3-inch touch-screen LCD, 1080p movies, RAW format support and a full range of manual shooting modes should be enough to grab your attention. Read our expert Olympus XZ-10 review, complete with full-size JPEG, RAW and movie samples.

Olympus XZ-2

The new Olympus XZ-2 is a serious compact that's aimed at the enthusiast and professional user looking for a small yet capable camera. A 12 megapixel 1/1.7 inch CMOS sensor, fast f/1.8 maximum aperture, high-res 3-inch tilting touch-screen LCD, and a full range of manual shooting modes should be enough to grab your attention. Read our expert Olympus XZ-2 review, complete with full-size JPEG, RAW and movie samples.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 is the latest premium compact camera hoping to find a place in a professional photographer's pocket. With the fastest lens of any compact to date, the LX7 also offers an improved 10 megapixel sensor, full 1080p HD movies and an even better control system than the previous LX5 model. Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 review with sample JPEG, RAW and video files now.

Pentax MX-1

The Pentax MX-1 joins the growing list of premium compact cameras aimed at advanced users. Offering a large 1/1.7" 12 megapixel sensor, fast f/1.8 4x zoom lens, tilting 3-inch LCD screen and an appealingly retro design, does the Pentax MX1 offer enough to compete in this increasingly competitive market? Read our detailed Pentax MX-1 review to find out...

Samsung EX2F

The Samsung EX2F is a new pocket camera for serious photographers, sporting a super-bright f/1.4, 3.3x zoom lens, sensible 12 megapixel sensor and a swivelling 3 inch AMOLED screen. 1080p video, RAW shooting, ISO 80-12800, 10fps burst shooting, image stabilisation and full manual controls complete the EX2F's star attractions. Read our Samsung EX2F review to find out if this is the advanced compact camera for you...

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II

Last year's RX100 premium compact camera proved to be a runaway success for Sony - can the new Mark II version improve on the original? Read our expert Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II review to find out...

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 is an exciting new premium compact camera. A large "1.0-type" 20.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, 3.6x 28-100mm lens with a fast maximum aperture of F1.8, full 1080p high-definition video with stereo sound, high-resolution 3-inch screen, manual shooting modes, 10fps continuous shooting, ISO range of 100-12800, Raw support and fast auto-focusing are all present and correct. Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 review to find out if it's the best pocket camera ever...

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Canon PowerShot G16 from around the web.

pcmag.com »

On the surface the Canon PowerShot G16 appears to be a near doppleganger of its predecessor, the G15. Aside from a few minor differences in button functions and the model badge the two cameras are identical in shape and function. But underneath the hood is a new image processor that enhances video quality and improves burst shooting speed, and Wi-Fi has been added as well.
Read the full review »

ephotozine.com »

The Canon Powershot G16 updates the Canon Powershot G15 with built in Wi-Fi and a number of other new features, including Star shot, handheld HDR, background defocus and more, and is one of very few cameras that still feature an optical viewfinder, with others either switching to an electronic viewfinder or doing without one altogether.
Read the full review »

cameralabs.com »

The Canon PowerShot G16 is the latest in a long line of chunky compacts aimed at the demands of enthusiasts. Announced in August 2013 it's the replacement for the PowerShot G15. The G series has earned a reputation as a serious compact with image quality, performance and handling that won't disappoint those who'd probably rather be using a DSLR were it not for the bulk.
Read the full review »

Specifications

Image Capture Device

Type
12.1 Megapixel, 1/1.7-inch CMOS

Total Pixels
Approx. 12.8 Megapixels

Effective Pixels
Approx. 12.1 Megapixels

Lens

Focal Length
6.1 (W) - 30.5 (T) mm (35mm film equivalent: 28-140mm)

Digital Zoom
4.0x

Focusing Range
Normal: 2.0 in. (5cm) - infinity (W), 1.3 ft. (40cm) - infinity (T)
Auto/Manual: 0.4 in. (1cm) - infinity (W), 1.3 ft. (40cm) - infinity (T)
Macro/Underwater Macro AF: 0.4 in. - 1.6 ft. (1-50cm) (W)
Quick: 4.9 - 66 ft. (1.5 - 20m) (W,T)

Autofocus System
TTL Autofocus, Manual Focus

Viewfinders

Optical Viewfinder
Real-image zoom viewfinder

LCD Monitor
3.0-inch TFT Color LCD with wide viewing angle

LCD Pixels
Approx. 922,000 dots

LCD Coverage
Approx. 100%

Aperture and Shutter

Maximum Aperture
f/1.8 (W), f/2.8 (T)

Shutter Speed
1-1/4000 sec.
15-1/4000 sec. (in Tv mode)
250-1/4000 sec. (in M mode)

Exposure Control

Sensitivity
Auto, ISO 80-12800 (in P mode)

Light Metering Method
Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot

Exposure Control Method
Manual Exposure, Program Shift, Safety Shift, AE Lock

Exposure Compensation
Still Images: ±3 stops in 1/3-stop increments
Videos: ±3 stops in 1/3-stop increments (not available during shooting)

White Balance

White Balance Control
Auto*, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater, Custom 1, Custom 2

* Camera automatically sets the optimal ISO speed according to shooting mode.

Flash

Built-in Flash
Auto, Flash On, Slow Synchro, Flash Off

  • Facial brightness is also evaluated in Face Detect.

Flash Range
1.6 ft. - 23 ft. (W), 1.6 - 15 ft. (T) (50cm - 7.0m (W), (50cm - 4.5m (T))

Image brightness may diminish depending on the shooting distance.

Recycling Time
10 sec. or less (battery voltage: 7.4 V)

Flash Exposure Compensation
±2 stops in 1/3-stop increments

Shooting Specifications

Shooting Modes
C1, C2, M, Av, Tv, P, Hybrid Auto, Auto, SCN*1, Creative Filters*2, Movie*3

  • Shooting movies is possible with the movie button
  • *1 Portrait, Smooth Skin, Smart Shutter*4, Handheld NightScene, Underwater, Snow, Fireworks
    *2 High Dynamic Range, Nostalgic, Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Soft Focus, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect
    *3 Standard, Super Slow Motion Movie
    *4 Smile, Wink Self-timer, Face Self-timer
    *5 Star Nightscape, Star Trails, Star Time-Lapse Movie

    Photo Effects
    My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color*

    *Adjustment of contrast sharpness, saturation, red, green, blue and skin tone are available

    Self Timer
    Approx. 10-sec. delay/approx. 2-sec. delay/custom*

    *Delay time (0-15 sec. (in one-second increments), 20/25/30 sec.) and number of shots (1-10 shots (in one-shot increments)) can be specified.

    Wireless Control
    Not available

    Continuous Shooting

    1. Normal: Approx. 12.2 shots/sec.; 9.3 shots/sec.* (in P mode)
    2. AF: Approx. 5.7 shots/sec. (in P mode)
    3. LV: Approx. 5.9 shots/sec. (in P mode)
    • Under conditions where the flash does not fire automatically
    • Differs depending on the zoom position
    • *From the sixth shot

    Image Storage

    Storage Media
    SD/SDHC/SDXC and UHS-I Memory Cards

    File Format
    Design rule for Camera File system, DPOF (Version 1.1) compliant

    Image Recording Format
    Superfine / Fine

    JPEG Compression Mode
    Still Image: Exif. 2.3 (JPEG)
    Video: MOV (Image: H.264; Audio: Linear PCM (Stereo))

    Number of Recording Pixels
    Still Images:

    1) 16:9 - Large: 4000 x 2248; Medium 1: 2816 x 1584; Medium 2: 1920 x 1080; Small: 640 x 360; RAW: 4000 x 2248

    2) 3:2 - Large: 4000 x 2664; Medium 1: 2816 x 1880; Medium 2: 1600 x 1064; Small: 640 x 424; RAW: 4000 x 2664

    3) 4:3 - Large: 4000 x 3000; Medium 1: 2816 x 2112; Medium 2: 1600 x 1200; Small: 640 x 480; Raw: 4000 x 3000

    4) 1:1 - Large: 2992 x 2992; Medium 1: 2112 x 2112; Medium 2: 1200 x 1200; Small: 480 x 480; RAW: 2992 x 2992

    5) 4:5 - Large: 2400 x 3000; Medium 1: 1696 x 2112; Medium 2: 960 x 1200; Small: 384 x 480; RAW: 2400 x 3000


    Videos:
    Full HD 1920 x 1080: 60 fps (59.94), 30 fps
    Full HD Star Time-Lapse Movie: 15 fps
    HD 1280 x 720: 30 fps (29.97)
    Miniature Effect HD 1280 x 720: 6 fps / 3 fps / 1.5 fps
    Miniature Effect 640 x 480: 6 fps / 3 fps / 1.5 fps
    Super Slow Motion Movie 640 x 480: 120 fps
    Super Slow Motion Movie 320 x 240: 240 fps
    640 x 480: 30 fps (29.97)

    Number of Recordable Images

    Image data

      16:9 3:2
    File Size (KB) 8GB 32GB File Size (KB) 8GB 32GB
    Large (L) SF 4,507 1,729 6,980 5,134 1,515 6,118
    F 2,915 2,640 10,659 3,247 2,384 9,624
    Medium 1(M1) SF 2,630 2,923 11,801 2,914 2,640 10,659
    F 1,814 4,234 17,091 1,945 3,961 15,989
    Medium 2(M2) SF 1,095 6,822 27,537 899 8,187 33,044
    F 604 12,280 49,567 496 14,448 58,314
    Small (S) SF 188 35,089 141,622 221 30,703 123,919
    F 113 49,125 198,271 133 40,937 165,225
    RAW RAW 17,680 442 1,788 17,585 444 1,798
     
      4:3 1:1
    File Size (KB) 8GB 32GB File Size
    (KB)
    8GB 32GB
    Large (L) SF 5,661 1,379 5,568 4,224 1,832 7,397
    F 3,537 2,192 8,850 2,640 2,923 11,801
    Medium 1(M1) SF 3,173 2,431 9,814 2,365 3,274 13,217
    F 2,073 3,721 15,020 1,549 4,912 19,826
    Medium 2(M2) SF 1,002 7,442 30,040 760 9,824 39,653
    F 558 12,927 52,176 420 16,374 66,090
    Small (S) SF 249 27,291 110,150 188 35,089 141,622
    F 150 40,937 165,225 113 49,125 198,271
    RAW RAW 17,529 446 1,804 17,415 448 1,814
     
      4:5
    File Size
    (KB)
    8GB 32GB
    Large (L) SF 3,396 2,273 9,178
    F 2,121 3,611 14,578
    Medium 1(M1) SF 1,898 4,026 16,251
    F 1,243 6,140 24,783
    Medium 2(M2) SF 608 12,280 49,567
    F 336 20,468 82,612
    Small (S) SF 150 40,937 165,225
    F 90 61,406 247,838
    RAW RAW 17,347 450 1,821
    Note: SF=Superfine F=Fine
    • The approximate number of images recordable on memory cards other than the above can be calculated by using the above figures as a reference and extrapolating accordingly.

    Time of Recordable Movies

    Movie data

      Miniature Effect
    HD: 1280 x 720 640 x 480
    5x 10x 20x 5x 10x 20x
    6 fps*2 3 fps*2 1.5 fps*2 6 fps*2 3 fps*2 1.5 fps*2
    Movie Size
    (KB/sec.)
    195 98 49 73 37 18
    8GB 10 hrs. 42 min. 58 sec. 20 hrs. 34 min. 24 sec. 38 hrs. 15 min. 35 sec. 26 hrs. 45 min. 37 sec. 48 hrs. 27 min. 58 sec. 82 hrs. 18 min. 04 sec.
    32GB 43 hrs. 17 min. 23 sec. 83 hrs. 06 min. 30 sec. 154 hrs. 33 min. 09 sec. 108 hrs. 05 min. 38 sec. 195 hrs. 46 min. 14 sec. 332 hrs. 26 min. 26 sec.
     
      Super Slow Motion Movie
    640 x 480 320 x 240
    120 fps*2 240 fps*2
    Movie size (KB/sec.) 1465 977
    8GB 1 hr. 27 min. 00 sec. 2 hrs. 07 min. 47 sec.
    32GB 5 hrs. 51 min. 26 sec. 8 hrs. 36 min. 11 sec.
     
      Other
    Star Time-Lapse Movie (Full HD) Full HD: 1920 x 1080 HD: 1280 x 720 640 x 480
    15 fps*2*3 60 fps*4 30 fps*1 30 fps*1 30 fps*1
    Movie size (KB/sec.) 3 4288 2945 992 382
    8GB 189 hrs. 46 min. 59 sec. 30 min. 03 sec. 43 min. 29 sec. 2 hrs. 03 min. 55 sec. 5 hrs. 14 min. 34 sec.
    32GB 766 hrs. 11 min. 28 sec. 2 hrs. 01 min. 27 sec. 2 hrs. 55 min. 43 sec. 8 hrs. 20 min. 32 sec. 21 hrs. 10 min. 33 sec.
    *1Actual frame rate is 29.97 fps.
    *2Playback frame rate is 30 fps*1.
    *3Actual frame rate is 14.985 fps.
    *4Actual frame rate is 59.94 fps.

    Playback Specifications

    Playback Modes File

    Stills & Videos:
    Auto Rotate, Index Continuous Display, Image Advance (Transition Effects, Scroll Display), Rotate, Favorites, My Category, Smart Shuffle, Group Playback, Slideshow, Erase, Resume, Protect

    Still Images:
    Single, Index, Magnification (2-10x), Switch to other images while zoomed, Information Display, Red-eye Correction, i-Contrast, Photobook Setup, Cropping, Resize, My Colors, Face ID Info, Histogram, RGB Histogram, Focus Checker, Location Information, Overexposure Warning

    Videos:
    Normal Playback, Pause, Slow Motion, Skip Backward, Previous Frame, Next Frame, Skip Forward, Erase Clip, Editing, Movie Transcoding

    Using the software included with the camera (ImageBrowser EX), there are 8 levels (1/8x to 1x) of playback speed for Super Slow Motion Movies possible on a computer.

    Erasing Specifications

    Erase Modes
    Select Image, Select Range, Select All Images
     

  • The image data in the memory card stored with the Design rule for Camera File systems format can be erased (however, protected images cannot be erased).
  • Using the Movie editing function, sections of the movie can be deleted.

Interfaces

Video Out
NTSC/PAL (dedicated connector (female) with unified type of digital, audio and video), Mini-HDMI connector

Audio Out
Stereo (dedicated connector (female) with unified type of digital, audio and video)

Other
SD memory card slot; direct connection to Canon SELPHY, PIXMA Photo Printers & PictBridge compatible printers

Power Source
Battery Pack NB-10L, Compact Power Adapter CA-PS700 (included with AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC80)

Shooting Capacity
Approx. 360 shots with LCD monitor on
Approx. 770 shots with LCD monitor off
Approx. 480 shots in ECO Mode

Playback Time
Approx. 7 hours

Physical Specifications

Operating Temperature
32-104°F/0-40°C

Operating Humidity
10-90%

Dimensions (W x H x D)
4.28 x 2.99 x 1.59 in. / 108.8 x 75.9 x 40.3mm

Weight
12.6 oz. / 356g (CIPA standard)
11.1 oz. / 314g (camera only)

30 display languages provided (English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, Korean, Greek, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Thai, Arabic, Romanian, Ukrainian, Farsi, Hindi, Malay, Indonesian and Vietnamese).

All data are based on Canon's Standard Test Method. Subject to change without notice.

Canon, DIGIC, ELPH, PIXMA, and PowerShot and SELPHY are registered trademarks of Canon Inc. in the United States and may also be registered trademarks or trademarks in other countries. Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Mac is a trademark of Apple, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. All other products and brand names are registered trademarks, trademarks or service marks of their respective owners in the United States and/or other countries.

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