Canon PowerShot G16 review – Viewfinder, live view, LCD and video
Some users may be disappointed not to see an articulated screen such as the one featured on previous incarnations in the G series. In order to achieve a more compact body, a fixed 3in (7.5cm) PureColor II G LCD screen with a resolution of 922,000 dots is featured. This screen has a high refresh rate and at no time did it noticeably lag. Even in bright conditions the LCD does not suffer from reflections, and it remains sufficiently light enough to see what is going on even at awkward viewing angles. The colour rendition is also true to the final image. Although I too would have liked an articulated screen, or possibly even a fixed touchscreen, in general I found the LCD screen on the G16 perfectly usable.
The camera also carries an optical viewfinder that zooms in and out with the lens. At the widest end the lens barrel is visible, and it is only focal lengths of 35mm or longer that it can’t be seen. No information is displayed inside the viewfinder, so focus points cannot be seen. Also, very noticeable chromatic aberrations are present, particularly towards the corners of the frame. Overall, the viewfinder feels quite redundant, although there must be some situations where it has its uses.
Another first for the G16 is the ability to shoot full HD 1080p video at a rate of 60fps. This allows for very smooth footage even when slowed down. The frame rate can be reduced to 30fps in either 1080p, 720p or VGA. Inside the scene modes is a super-slow-motion movie setting that films 640×480-pixel video at 120fps, or 320×240 pixels at a whopping 240fps. While in video mode the zooming is substantially slower, making it nice and fluent – and inaudible.
