Image Quality

In balanced conditions there’s little to fault with the camera’s metering system, although areas of highlights are often overlooked for the main subject. This is arguably preferable to consistently underexposed subjects, but combined with a slight tendency towards overexposure, it means exposure compensation is occasionally required.

To view the Canon Powershot G15 image sample gallery, click here.

JPEGs display a reasonable amount of detail, and even as the camera attempts to reduce noise at higher sensitivities detail still comes through. Image processing does leave certain details unnaturally defined, however, especially natural subjects such as human features.

To view the Canon Powershot G15 image sample gallery, click here.

In good light and at low sensitivities, however, images are only affected by a slight texture and occasional chromatic aberration. The Auto White Balance system impresses on the whole, with good judgements made in mixed natural/artificial light scenes, and colours are largely natural and accurate (so sometimes one of the more vibrant My Colors settings is more suitable for print-ready results). Videos display plenty of detail (helped by an effective IS system) and surprisingly good sound, together with steady exposure changes.