Design

While the G15 is very much a G-series camera in appearance, evolutionary changes and those made as a result of revised functionality do mean that it results quite differently from the G12 before it. The grip, for example, is narrower than before, while the command dial on the front plate now faces forwards than at a slight upward angle as before. This latter change sounds minor but it makes the dial more difficult to operate, given how the user’s forefinger does not naturally sit flush against the front plate when the camera is held conventionally.

As on the G12, part of the exposure compensation dial is covered by the mode dial above it, in order for both to be adequately sized yet accessible. Both dials turn freely and are easy to adjust, although given that they protrude from the top plate this characteristic isn’t always desirable, as either is easily knocked out of place.

Despite the camera’s light weight and small size, it feels robust and built to a fine standard. Around the back, the change from an articulated LCD to a fixed one has brought with it the benefits of a larger display (3in from 2.8in) and a trimmer body (by almost 20%) over the G12. The raised profile of the screen, together with its proximity to the menu pad dial, however, means that turning the latter can often cause you to rub up against the former.