Canon PowerShot G6 review

A modest update to the G5, the 7-megapixel PowerShot G6 faithfully follows in the footsteps of previous Canon G-series models. With a powerful, enthusiast-oriented feature set and very solid photo quality, it gets most of the same high marks as its predecessors. But its good-but-not-great performance lags behind the competition's.

Design
After a stint in basic black with the G5, it's back to silver metal and plastic for the Canon PowerShot G6. Although it's a bit more compact, this model still weighs a healthy 500g including the CompactFlash card and the battery, and Canon increased the grip's depth for a more solid, stable feel. It has most of the same controls as its predecessor, albeit rearranged for a smoother shooting experience.

As with the G5, the controls covering the camera provide quick, easy access to almost every important feature, although they may put off novices. Even advanced users will want to skim the manual to figure out when to use the mode dial instead of the four-way navigation pad and to learn what the button labelled with an asterisk does. You can easily and efficiently jump between capture and playback using the power switch. And the G6 lets you save two groups of custom settings, which are accessible from the mode dial, now sitting next to the optical viewfinder.

Canon addressed my complaint about the thumb rest on the G5; the G6 provides a nice, wide-open space with no buttons to hit accidentally.

Nearly every function is a single button-press away. You get to exposure compensation and the white-balance settings, for instance, via the four-way rocker switch, which you can also use for menu navigation. Pushing the G5's Function button calls up most shooting-related settings -- including light sensitivity (ISO), image size and resolution, flash compensation, bracketing, and effects -- on the LCD. The main menu system is reserved for global and infrequently changed options, such as the self-timer delay and the autofocus mode. We especially like the ability to switch between two groups of customisable settings from the mode dial, as well as the white-balance selector's under-the-thumb location. My one complaint here is that you have to choose whether to enable red-eye reduction as a global setting from within the menu, rather than on a case-by-case basis using the flash button.

Though they've been moved from the back to the top of the camera, three buttons feel exactly the same, and you have to look at them to choose the one you want.

Canon upped the LCD size from 46 to 51mm (1.8 to 2 inches), but it still flips out to the left and twists around 270 degrees or tucks into the camera back. A separate status LCD on top helps you keep track of current settings. Now it has a backlight.

Finally, last year's little gripe is quickly turning into this year's major irritation: the camera's lens cap still pops off too easily.

Features
The Canon PowerShot G6's feature set remains relatively unchanged from the G5's; notable exceptions include the 7-megapixel sensor and PictBridge support. With the exception of a real-time histogram (the G6's is available only during playback), this device has everything you could wish for in a camera of its class -- and then some.

The G6's fast f/2.0-to-f/3.0 lens offers a focal range of 35-140mm (35mm-camera equivalent) and the ability to focus as close as 50mm, so you're covered for both landscapes and macro shots. If you need a broader range, the camera accepts the same lens converters as the G3 and G5, in conjunction with a new, optional lens adapter.

Shutter speed drops as low as 15 seconds; it can be as fast as 1/1,250 of a second at all apertures and 1/2,000 of a second at f/4.0 and higher. You can opt for first- or second-curtain flash timings for night shooting, and there are two types of flash-exposure control: compensation in 1/3-stop increments and a simpler low/medium/blowout selection. The hotshoe on top of the G6 works with Canon's EX Speedlite external-flash line.