170/365 - The Canon G16 Amateur Review

Canon G16 Full Auto Mode

My mom wanted my Lumix LX7 and gave me some Christmas money to buy it's replacement. Lucky for me, Canon had just released its newest camera, the Canon G16.

I did some quick research to determine if it was worth replacing my trusty and beloved LX7. Most of my research said yes, so I eventually caved in and bought one. Here is my quick review based on the past few days experience I've had using the G16.

Before I continue I would like to add this quick disclaimer: I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. This is an amateur review. I am just an enthusiast. Most of my review will not be technical, I will just let you know how the camera worked for me. If you're looking for the nitty gritty review with the ISO quality and the graining and other technical aspects, please look for the professional reviews done in the professional websites.

I won't be complaining here about the controls since I've gotten so used to the LX7 that everything was second nature to me. I do need to familiarize myself with the G16 and it will take time so you won't be hearing too much about layout and controls in my gripes. Let's start off with the differences between the G16 and the LX7. I'll start with things I enjoyed from the LX7 that I'm missing in the G16.

• When you buy the G16 all you get is the camera, the battery, a charger, a strap, and the manual. You have to download the software online. There is no cable included to connect it to your PC. Fortunately I do own another Canon, my 30D, so thankfully it's cable fits the G16's like a glove. The LX7 came with a cable and a installer CDs for the programs, aside from the items I mentioned above.
• There is no panoramic shot option on the G16. I have no idea why. That is a feature I sorely miss because I did enjoy using the LX7's panoramic mode a lot.
• The LX7 offers manual white balance control. Something the G16 lacks. You can do a semi-manual adjustment in the latter by selecting one of the pre-selected WB options then fine tuning it using the front scroll wheel.
• Switching between aspect ratios in the LX7 is as easy as flicking a switch. With the G16 you have to open the menu and fiddle around a bit to get your desired aspect ratio.
• The G16 has wifi. I haven't bothered reading about it yet, because I don't really need to use it yet.

Okay, on to the positives.

You saw the quality of the automatic shot above. It does look good and the image is crisp and clean, if a bit overexposed.

Manual focus close up, 1600 ISO, aperture priority.

I usually prefer using aperture priority, and the shot above was taken using that setting. I had to go with a high ISO because the wind was blowing and the leaf was small. But overall I was impressed with the shot. I think I forgot to adjust exposure and left it at a stop or so overexposed. The reason? Familiarizing myself with the controls.

G16's Toy Camera effect.

The toy camera effect above is similar to what the LX7 has. Except if I'm not mistaken, you can adjust the aspect ratio of the LX7's pictures but the G16 is stuck to 4:3. You can choose between three moods, cool, normal, and warm. I chose cool for this photo.

Martina as seen from the G16's fisheye mode.

Here is something the LX7 doesn't have - a fisheye mode. It's amusing. But I'm not that big a fan of it yet, since this is the first time I'll be using this. Again, I don't remember if you can change aspect ratios or not, since this image is at 4:3 and I prefer shooting at 16:9.

Canon G16's Miniature Camera effect.

Here's a miniature effect shot. The LX7 doesn't have this either, and I do like the look it produces. You can choose between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios, I know because I took another photo using 16:9 but didn't bother uploading it.



Finally a video I took using the 60fps full HD mode of the G16. On the camera it looks awesome, but I had to compress it to upload it to youtube. The video on the G16 is better than the LX7's, so far. I'll probably be able to judge it better when I take some more videos.

Other comments I have? The G16 is a bit more compact than the LX7, and sticks out a lot less. Maybe because the G16 is black and my LX7 is white. The colors produced by the G16 are also different than the LX7. A bit more subdued. I may have to fiddle some more with the options to maximize the camera.

Overall, am I happy with my purchase / gift? Yes. It's a new camera with new challenges. I hope I can maximize it the way I did with my LX7. The great thing is I can keep practicing and improving.

Would I recommend you buying one? Yes, if you can afford one. Buy it, learn how to operate it, use it, love it, and have fun.

Out.