Canon PowerShot G6 review

The camera's 51mm (2.0-inch) LCD is a step up from the screen on the previous model, but I've been spoiled by the 64mm (2.5-inch) screen on the Sony DSC-V3 as well as similarly equipped snapshot cameras. The G6 has a relatively large optical viewfinder that's quite usable, though with the distortion and parallax issues that plague direct-view viewfinders. You'll likely need it in low light, where it becomes difficult to differentiate similarly coloured objects on the LCD. The screen is no worse than most in bright sunlight.

Our test flash exposure was generally correct; my only complaint concerns the blown-out highlights around our intentionally difficult sidelight. Given the proximity of the lens to the flash, red-eye is pretty much a fact of life; it appeared in every one of my red-eye test shots, regardless of shooting angle. If you're going to be shooting in lots of bars, parties, and other dimly lit gatherings, I suggest you spring for a Speedlite 420EX or other hotshoe-compatible flash.

Image quality
The Canon PowerShot G6 delivered some first-rate photos. Using both the tungsten preset and the manual white balance, it yielded neutral, accurate colours under strong tungsten lights. As per usual for Canon, the automatic white balance didn't even approach acceptable under those lights, but it fared very well under fluorescents and in daylight. The camera's dynamic range and exposure are very good; I spotted some blown-out highlights, but the shadow detail was there.

Overall, the G6 delivers photos with very good shadow and highlight detail, as well as relatively little noise.

Canon also keeps the noise to a minimum; I printed a 290x480mm photo of a cat with tabby colouring -- noise becomes quite visible on that mottled fur -- shot at ISO 200 and was quite pleased with the results. Also important, there was far less colour shift across the various ISO settings than we've seen with other cameras.

The G6's photos are sharp, without the oversharpened, postprocessed look of the Sony DSC-V3's (though some users prefer the stronger in-camera sharpening). If you like the ultrasharp look without editing, this probably isn't the camera for you; its in-camera sharpness can be bumped up or down by only a step. Furthermore, the lens displays very good edge-to-edge sharpness, without the focus falloff on the perimeter that I saw in the S70. On high-contrast image boundaries, there's some magenta chromatic aberration, as well as some purple fringing where blown-out areas meet dark ones, but it's not nearly as severe as it was with the G5 and no worse than with most consumer digital cameras.

Additional editing by: Mary Lojkine