november-rain's Full Review: Canon PowerShot G6 Digital Camera
I am a brand loyalist - when a company's products never cease to impress me, I am a customer for life. I began my love affair with Canon ever since I bought the Canon PowerShot A70 less than two years ago. All the manual features packed in that small, compact digicam worked its magic on me - I began to learn there is more to picture-taking than just pressing the shutter on "Auto" mode. Before long, I was purchasing the latest prosumer compact digicams as Canon released them, moving my way up from the "A" series, to the "S" series and finally, the "G" series. (Yes, I did dabble with the Pro1, but it was too big for me.) I guess users of the "G" series would naturally progress to a dSLR like the Rebel, but I'm not considering that because, among other reasons, I can't even lift the damn thing. Therefore I am content to stay with my Powershot G6, the latest entry in Canon's "G" series and a camera powerful enough to fend off dSLR lust (for now). The review you are about to read will be based mostly on personal experience without too much technical jargon, so I will not be supplying the specifications and minute details as you can find those on any expert review site.
-| The Bundle |-
Canon usually supplies a very ample package with their cameras, and the G6 is no exception. With the bundle provided, you can start shooting right out of the box if you desire, however the bliss is short-lived because you'll find that Canon only supplies a 32MB CompactFlash card. (Get with the times, Canon! You cannot expect 32 megabytes of memory to be worth anything in a 7.1 megapixel camera.) Lucky for me, the memory format for the "G" series never changed, so I have plenty of CF memory cards at hand. The rest of the package makes up for that one shortcoming, with a proprietory Lithium-ion battery pack, a charger (no more AC adapter cables from the G2 era), neck strap, wireless remote, interface (USB 1.1) and AV cables, Digital Camera Solution Version 20.0 (jeez) and Arcsoft Camera Suite software CDs, plus the standard software and camera manuals in English and Espanol. The real gem here is the Digital Camera Solution software, which installs the camera drivers and Canon's ZoomBrowser EX program on your computer. ZoomBrowser allows you to upload, manage and organize your photos as well as process RAW images and stitch them for panoramic photos. It's a very useful tool and really completes the whole package. While I no longer install Arcsoft Camera Suite, it's great for the average user who wants a simple imaging software. For all-out post-processing, I'd use Photoshop.
There's a little bit of fuss regarding the USB 1.1 interface, but this is not a problem at all. The simplest thing to do to remedy this situation is to simply purchase a USB 2.0 memory card reader. There, done.
-| Design |-
The exterior design of the G6 differs from that of the previous "G" models, with a larger SLR-style handgrip and lens that are shifted to the left instead of center. The color, however, went back to basics - silver like the G1. Whilst some may complain of the color being too "amateur-ish," I actually prefer it because I don't want to pretend to be "pro." Photography is a hobby for me, and nothing more. Now, the larger handgrip feels more secure in my hands and coupled with the angled shutter release, creates a more comfortable grip and better stability for longer-exposure shots. Also, the body is slimmer than the previous "G" cameras, which makes the G6 more pocketable than ever (it still doesn't fit in my pockets, but at least it IS more compact.)
The swivel 2.0" inch LCD is also one of its best features due to the fact that overhead shots or self-portraits would otherwise be difficult to compose without it. (This would lead me to mention that one minor drawback is that the viewfinder only covers 80% of the frame, so I use the LCD to compose my shots all the time.) There have been some complaints of the LCD monitor not being bright enough, however, I do not find that to be a problem at all - and in the case you do, you can adjust the brightness level in its display menu.
The button layout is very intuitive, without TOO many buttons to fumble around with. (All right, there's still a lot, but at least their function is very clearly marked.) The menu can easily be accessed via the "MENU" button, while the "FUNC" button allows you change the ISO, resolution, compression and other settings. Exposure is easily adjusted via the "-/ " button and white balance through the "WB" button. Did I tell you this was easy? There are no complicated screens to scroll through. I must say I especially like the little click wheel behind the shutter release, which allows you to scroll to your desired aperture and/or shutter speed in manual mode. It's way better than tapping impatiently on the four-way directional button like with other cameras. One of the reasons why I'm stuck on Canon is that once you know how to comfortably operate one of their cameras, you basically know how every other one functions. It's that consistency which has allowed me to start shooting with ease as soon as I got my hands on the G6.
-| Features & In Action |-
Shooting with the G6 is fun and a total breeze whether you are a newbie or a seasoned pro. I do believe that with the "G" series, one can "grow" into photography, so to speak. For the uninitiated, the "AUTO" mode will (almost always) give crisp, beautiful, well-exposed shots right out of the camera. There's no need to fidget around for all the right settings that it will take to produce these kind of shots. For someone like me, still in the learning process, the manual features of the G6 allow me to experiment with everything it has to offer. Night scenes, landscapes, portraits, still life - I want to know exactly how to shoot in all conditions. Fully manual features include shutter speeds ranging from 15 seconds to 1/2000 of a second (which is really more than I need at this point), apertures from f2.0-f8.0, manual white balance, exposure compensation, flash output adjustment - I could go on and on, but simply put, its feature are nothing short of impressive. Performance also matters - and the G6 shines in nearly all aspects. Auto-focus, usually locked in half a second, is faster than previous "G" cameras. Low light and indoor performance is great - with the AF assist lamp on, I found that there was usually no problem focusing in darker conditions though it might take a bit longer. There is little shutter lag to speak of, and continuous shooting is not an impossible task.
With a 7.1 megapixel sensor, the resolution (3072x2304) can offer the flexibility of cropping an image without losing detail, if making smaller prints. Otherwise, all this megapixel power means you can afford to make really large prints without compromising quality. If, however, there is no need, you can choose to save an image in smaller resolutions. Shooting video clips is another small feature, although one I do not use. The clips cap at three minutes (at 320x240 @ 15fps or 160x120 @ 15fps) and I'm not quite sure how useful that would be. Nonetheless, it's nice to know I have the option in case I ever come across something that I must have immortalized on video.
The camera is equipped with a 35mm-104mm 4X zoom lens, which is pretty quick for its size, zooming to full telephoto in around two seconds. Looking at the PowerShot S60 and S70 models, 28mm lens on the G6 would be a dream come true. However, I don't have any complaints here for the lens are fast, high quality and functions beautifully whether at wide angle or telephoto. There is also 4.1x digital zoom, however, using this degrades the image significantly and under normal conditions, I would never use it. Macro performance is excellent, focusing in at as close as 5 cm, with lots of detail. Additionally, you can change the mode to "Super Macro," which allows for extreme close-ups, although I have not formally measured the distance. (Using this mode, however, cuts the resolution down to 3 MP.) Another neat little feature that I had only seen previously in the G5 and Pro1 is the built-in ND filter. This is especially useful for shooting at lower shutter speeds without totally overexposing the image (such as photographing waterfalls.) All of this makes the G6 completely versatile and useful for shooting just about anything I'm in the mood for.
-| Image Quality |-
I am sold on image quality and in this aspect, the G6 wins me over. Images usually turn out sharp, beautifully saturated and detailed. Colors are true to life, noise levels are incredibly low, and jpeg artifacts nearly nonexistent. While shooting in RAW mode (straight from the CCD, without in-camera processing) will almost always provide the best results, I've found that shooting in jpeg is usually just as good, and saves memory to boot. Noise and purple fringing do exist, but only in certain conditions like very low light without flash or extreme contrast. Noise at ISO 100 is very tolerable, at ISO 200, not so much, but it doesn't really get ugly until ISO 400 (unless you like that grainy, gritty look). The only time I notice softness is when shooting at full telephoto, but even then, it's not a major quality issue and can be easily fixed. Red-eye is also not problematic in my experience; I've taken pictures in near darkness of my friend, who has light green eyes, without any hideous red-eye issues. Image quality is all at once consistently beautiful, vividly detailed, and simply top-notch.
-| Conclusion |-
For ergonomics, features, ease of use and image quality, the G6 is all that I expect from Canon. The robust performance and impressive features of this camera makes whatever minor issues it has a non-issue. Shooting with the G6 is not some painstaking lesson in how to use a camera, but rather an experience in the enjoyment of photography. There is little to say when it's already been said - the G6 is a camera worth its asking price and I highly recommend it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 560.00 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
7.1-megapixel PowerShot digital camera with a fast f2.0-3.0, 35-140mm (35mm equivalent) lens in a compact body New ergonomic design includes an enhanc...More at Amazon Marketplace
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