Canon Powershot G7 Review
Date: December 21st 2006
Author: Gavin Stoker
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Image Quality
All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 10 megapixel Superfine quality mode, which gives an average image size of around 4Mb - 6Mb.
Noise
There are 7 ISO settings available on the Canon Powershot G7 which you can select at any time if the camera is in any of the creative shooting modes. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting. Disappointingly, but not unsurprisingly, image noise is readily visible in images taken above ISO 400, even when viewed at just 25%, leading me for the most part to steer well clear of ISO 1600 (or ISO 3200 selectable via the scene modes, unless you're aiming for a homage to the Impressionists).
ISO 80 (100% crop) |
ISO 100 (100% crop) |
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ISO 200 (100% crop) |
ISO 400 (100% crop) |
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ISO 800 (100% crop) |
ISO 1600 (100% crop) |
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ISO 3200 (100% crop) |
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Sharpening
Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default setting ideally and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level to suit your tastes via the My Colors menu option.
Original
(100% crop) |
Sharpened (100% crop) |
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Chromatic Aberrations
The Canon Powershot G7 dealt very well with chromatic aberrations well during the review. There's some slight fringing between areas of high contrast – bright skies and foreground for example – but it's only noticeable on really close inspection.
| Chromatic
Aberrations (100% crop) |
Chromatic
Aberrations (100% crop) |
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Macro
The Canon Powershot G7 offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is just 1cm away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.
| Macro Shot |
Macro Shot (100% crop) |
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Flash
The flash settings on the Canon Powershot G7 are Auto, Manual Flash On / Off, Slow Sync Speed and Red-eye Reduction. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.
| Flash Off - Wide Angle (35mm) |
Auto Flash - Wide Angle (35mm) |
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| Flash Off - Telephoto (210mm) |
Auto Flash - Telephoto (210mm) |
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And here are some self-portrait shots. If you opt to use flash for portraits, it's difficult to completely avoid the effects of red eye (despite the camera's anti red-eye flash setting).
| Flash On |
Flash On (100% Crop) |
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| Flash - Red-Eye Reduction |
Flash - Red-Eye Reduction (100% Crop) |
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Night Shot
The Canon Powershot G7 maximum shutter speed is 15 seconds, which is great for night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 1/80 second, f/4 at ISO 800. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.
| Night Shot |
Night Shot (100% crop) |
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Overall Image Quality
As you'd expect from such an enthusiast's model, images appear sharp, well exposed and crystal clear on the Canon Powershot G7 camera back – and happily the same is true once downloaded to the desktop and examined in closer detail. There's no doubting that optical image stabilization is a real plus at the longer end of the zoom, meaning that any blurred images among my test shots were few and far between. The degree of highlight and shadow detail is also acceptable at this level. Disappointingly, but not unsurprisingly, image noise is readily visible in images taken above ISO 400, even when viewed at just 25%, leading me for the most part to steer well clear of ISO 1600 (or ISO 3200 selectable via the scene modes, unless you're aiming for a homage to the Impressionists). I somewhat compromised by flicking the dedicated dial to ISO 800 for our night time test shots, and got what I think are still usable if not the best results. Left on default, under daylight, the Canon G7's colours are vivid enough for my tastes, with reds, greens and blues nicely 'punchy'. Skin tones are warm and flatteringly healthy without being unrealistically so. There's some slight fringing between areas of high contrast – bright skies and foreground for example – but it's only noticeable on really close inspection, and certainly not on an A3 print, which is probably the largest size most of us would typically output. Overall the Canon G7 acquits itself very well in the area that counts the most.
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