Short Report: Canon PowerShot G6

Canon’s latest G-series camera, the PowerShot G6, takes the advanced compact digital camera to a new level with its smart design, full range of features and 7.1-megapixel sensor. Offering all the photographic controls you’d expect from a digital SLR in a far more compact package, it’s a camera you can take with you anywhere, always ready and highly capable.

I love the rotating two-inch LCD on the PowerShot G6. A 1.8-inch monitor doesn’t seem so much smaller in specs, yet when you use a larger monitor like this one, you’ll definitely notice the difference. This is especially a benefit for close-up photography. I use the flip-out LCD to allow me to get close to my subjects without having to contort my body to do it. This makes getting a unique angle so much easier than using any other type of camera.

In its Macro setting, the PowerShot G6 focuses to two to six inches (depending on focal length). There’s a Super Macro setting, but this is a digital zoom essentially and only gives a 3-megapixel image. I prefer to use achromatic close-up lenses with adapters with the camera. While the PowerShot G6 has a remarkably sharp lens, in close-up settings, I find that the achromatic lenses such as those from Century Optics offer a slight edge and more close-focusing capability at all focal lengths.

Shutter speeds range from 15 to 1⁄2000 sec., and speeds longer than 1.3 seconds automatically include noise-reduction processing. This is important, as small cameras like this have small sensors that are susceptible to noise—images compare quite favorably to larger cameras at ISO 50 to 100, but above that, noise becomes noticeable.

Canon has included its remarkable Digic processor in the camera, which helps with noise reduction and acts like a RAW file-processing expert built into your camera. The PowerShot G6 also has a feature more digital cameras should include—instant RAW file capability. Shoot a photo and when it’s reviewed on the monitor, press the flash button and the camera will ask you if you want to save as RAW.