Canon's enthusiast compact with 1/1.7-inch sensor, f/1.8 zoom, and optical viewfinder — the G-series classic.
The Canon PowerShot G16 launched in 2013 as the last in Canon's traditional G-series enthusiast compact line before the switch to 1-inch sensors with the G7 X. It features a 1/1.7-inch 12.1MP CMOS sensor with a fast 28-140mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 zoom.
Image quality is good for the 1/1.7-inch sensor class — the fast f/1.8-2.8 aperture range helps in low light. DIGIC 6 processor improves speed and noise handling. 12.2fps burst. Full HD 1080p 60fps video. RAW shooting. WiFi for wireless sharing.
Optical viewfinder — rare on compacts. 3-inch fixed LCD at 922k dots. Hot shoe for external flash. 28-140mm f/1.8-2.8 Canon zoom. 356g. Built-in pop-up flash. Manual controls with dedicated dials. USB charging.
Available used at budget prices. The 1/1.7-inch sensor has been superseded by 1-inch compacts like the G7 X series. The optical viewfinder is the unique feature — no other Canon compact offered this. For those who prefer an optical viewfinder over EVF in a compact body.