I always like to carry a camera whenever possible. However after years & many many compacts that never produce any decent quality images I decided to take the plunge & get a decent 'compact' camera. Carrying a DSLR & bag full of photography gear isnt always practical (or possible).

Does the G16 match the quality of a DSLR...in a nutshell 'no'. But to be fair I didnt expect it to match the quality of my 5D2 & L-series lenses. What it does do is blow all other compacts out of the water (which it should do at the price).
The images in this gallery are just 'snapshots' taken while out & about. Some of them could have been greatly improved by using a tripod (not always possible as my DSLR is often using it when out playing 'properly' (ref: G16 041)) & lowering the ISO. But all in all I am very happy with a walkabout camera that can produce some decent results.
The only real adjustment made to the settings is to use the 'vivid' colour setting as I found the standard setting a bit too flat for general use. However that said if you are taking a lot of portraits then the standard setting may be the prefered option.

Good points so far: Image quality, zoom range, 'just' about pocket size, dedicated exposure compensation dial. Battery life. Very good IS system.
Bad points so far: Images above 1000 ISO are pretty noisy. Menu system is not great, a DSLR style layout would be a LOT better (as DSLR owners are really who this camera is aimed at). Manual focus (I use the term 'manual' very losely, its fiddly to use (thumbwheel), & slow to set-up). Exposure compensation in AV mode at slow shutter speeds just doesnt seem to do anything.