On the surface the Canon PowerShot G16 ($549.99 direct) 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. Despite these improvements, the 12-megapixel G16 can't oust Sony's top-end Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II, which manages to squeeze a much larger image sensor into a smaller body, from its place as our Editors' Choice. That camera manages to squeeze a much larger image sensor into a smaller body. But the RX100 II is quite expensive, and while the G16 will never be considered a budget option, it's a solid choice if you value a longer zoom lens and more traditional controls.
Design and Features
The G16 maintains the chunky design of its predecessor. It measures 3 by 4.3 by 1.6 inches and weighs in at 12.6 ounces. It's a little taller and a little thicker than other models in its class, even those with a hot shoe like the Samsung EX2F (2.4 by 4.4 by 1.1 inches, 10.4 ounces). But that's because the G16 includes a built-in optical viewfinder and a top-mounted exposure compensation dial.
There are only a couple other premium compacts that retain an optical viewfinder. Canon's own G1 X is one of them, and the Fujifilm X20 is the other. Unfortunately, the viewfinder on the G16 continues to be a disappointment. It delivers a tunnel vision type feel and very rough framing; at close distances, parallax makes it downright useless. The X20 is a dream to use in comparison; that viewfinder is large and bright, and displays basic shooting settings. Like the G16 it doesn't provide through-the-lens viewing, but it does switch to Live View when you focus on an object at macro distances.
Although I haven't had the chance to review them yet, both Panasonic and Nikon have recently released cameras of this class with built-in electronic viewfinders. The Panasonic LF1 and Nikon P7800. I had some hands-on time with the P7800 prior to its announcement and found its EVF to be quite sharp, and certainly adequate for a compact camera. A design of that type would be preferable to the substandard optical finder that Canon has continued to use in its G-series. If you want an eye-level finder in a compact camera it's hard to beat the excellent optical finder in the Fujifilm X20, but an EVF is a good alternative if you prefer through-the-lens viewing. Other cameras of this type, including the Olympus XZ-2, Panasonic LX7, and Sony RX100 II support hot-shoe-mounted external EVFs via an accessory port.
The 12-megapixel image sensor is a 1/1.7-inch design, which is par for the course for high-end compacts. There are a few notable exceptions; the Sony RX100 and RX100 II use 1-inch designs, which are about 2.7 times the size of the G16's sensor in terms of surface area, and the Fuji X20 and XF1 rock 2/3-inch designs, which only offer a 33 percent size advantage over the 1/1.7-inch class. Those cameras with bigger imagers may make the 1/1.7-inch design sound diminutive, but remember that the G16 and others with the same sensor size boast 50 percent more surface area than standard compact cameras like the Canon PowerShot Elph 330 HS, most of which utilize sensors of the 1/2.3-inch class.
A sesnsor of this size allows for a lens with a fairly robust zoom and wide aperture in a body the size of the G16. It uses a 28-140mm (35mm equivalent) f/1.8-2.8 lens, which covers a wide-angle to telephoto range. The Sony RX100 and RX100 II aren't as ambitious with the zoom (28-100mm for both) and, while the aperture is a wide f/1.8 at 28mm, it narrows to f/4.9 when zoomed all the way in. That camera has a big advantage in low-light performance and shallow depth of field at its widest angle, but both diminish when zoomed.
To keep demanding shooters happy, Canon has loaded the G16 with physical controls. There's a front control wheel, and on the top you'll find a mode dial and exposure compensation dial. Rear controls include physical buttons to control ISO, start movie recording, engage exposure lock, activate macro focusing, adjust the flash output, move the active autofocus point, and to toggle between manual and autofocus operation. The EV compensation dial is a boon here; the only other cameras in this class that have it are the Pentax MX-1, Fujifilm X20, and the Nikon P7800.
The rear 3-inch display is a fixed design and packs a 922k-dot resolution. It's quite sharp, with the only real knock being that it doesn't tilt like the display on the RX100 II or Nikon P7800. There's an overlay menu available when shooting; it covers a small strip on the left and bottom of the display. It's quite responsive, and provides quick access to shooting controls that don't have physical buttons like the drive mode, metering pattern, file format, and white balance.
Like most of Canon's recent releases, Wi-Fi is built in. The implementation is similar to previous models, with the same improvements that I saw with the PowerShot S120. Gone is the requirement to plug the camera into your computer via USB to set up online services; you'll still need a computer to set up a Canon Image Gateway account, but it's possible to tie the G16 to that account over Wi-Fi. Once that's done you can post directly from the G16 to Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter.
Transferring photos and videos to your smartphone is more straightforward; the free Canon CameraWindow app for iOS or Android makes direct transfer possible, either by connecting your phone to an SSID broadcast by the G16 or by connecting both devices to the same Wi-Fi network. You'll also be able to print wirelessly to compatible Wi-Fi printers, send images directly to another Canon camera, and transfer images directly to your computer. Canon's Wi-Fi is one of the better implementations that I've seen, but it can't match Samsung; the EX2F allows you to set up online accounts from within the camera itself, and also supports remote control via your phone or tablet.
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