Canon PowerShot G1 X Pro Reviews

You simply won't find better all-around image quality from a fixed-lens camera. When you can get the Canon PowerShot G1 X to cooperate, it takes tack-sharp, great-looking photos. Thanks to its physical knobs and buttons, and its larger-than-most body size, it's as close as a camera comes to a DSLR without offering interchangeable lenses. However, this camera is far from a must-buy, since $800 is a lot to pay for a fixed-lens camera, not to mention one with the G1 X's shortcomings. The camera's macro capabilities, autofocus speeds, continuous-shooting performance, and optical viewfinder are all subpar. All in all, $800 gets you the best fixed-lens camera for portraits, landscapes, and sharp shots at night if you use its Handheld Night Scene mode. Nothing's perfect, of course, but if Canon fixes the macro mode and the continuous-shooting performance in the PowerShot G1 X's successor, it will come pretty darn close.

Once the novelty of an interchangeable lens compact has worn off wouldn’t most enthusiast photographers be tempted to simply choose between a G1 X-style compact or a DSLR, rather than a Compact System Camera? I certainly feel the proposition is a valid one. As has been the case for years with the G-series, the G1 X would make an excellent back-up compact for DSLR owners as well as an exciting imaging tool for enthusiast photographers. I just wish that Canon would fix some of the performance issues that make this camera less than perfect.

I am left with very mixed feelings about the G1 X. I think it’s a great move forward for the Canon G-Series PowerShots. Unfortunately, this particular model is sabotaged by a few critical feature issues – namely, it’s too big, too slow and it has no real macro ability. I am sure there are landscape, travel and portrait photographers, as well as small business owners like my friend Jordan (featured in the video), who will be very happy with the G1 X. But in the full spectrum of available cameras, I don’t think it’s a standout in any area other than image quality. However, it is a great foundation for a future Canon mirrorless camera system or a smaller model that uses the same sensor. I really hope Canon is building an interchangeable lens camera system with a new lens mount around the G1 X sensor. That’s a camera I think I could really get behind.

For several years now I've waited in anticipation, wondering how much longer Canon could ignore the burgeoning compact system camera market, and finally make a splash with a mirrorless model of its own. The Canon PowerShot G1 X is not that camera, but it's exciting for much the same reason that those very first mirrorless models were: It's a brand-new approach from a well-established and respected name in the industry, and it offers a worthwhile size advantage over most competing designs. (It actually goes a bit better even than current compact system cameras as well, when you bear in mind the lens and sensor sizes.) To my mind, the G1 X offers appeal for two distinct markets. Photographers looking to supplement their existing interchangeable-lens camera will likely find it interesting because it's a bit smaller and more travel-friendly, but doesn't sacrifice on image quality with a postage-stamp sized imager, and still makes shallow depth-of-field effects attainable. At the same time, consumers looking to step up from a point and shoot camera to something more capable may find it attractive as an alternative to an SLR or mirrorless camera, if they don't feel the need for an interchangeable-lens design.

If you demand that an $800 camera contributes to your photography with "extras" like high ISO, interchangeable lenses or exceptional macro prowess, then the G1 X has rivals that are perhaps more worthy of your consideration. However, having used the G1 X heavily for a few days, we can look past its weaknesses -- even its underwhleming battery life and uninformative OVF -- and admit we've become quite attached to it. Our affection has everything to do with the large sensor, fast lens and the overall physicality of the camera -- its design, feel, and the accessibility of its controls. If you want a tool for capturing high-impact images, and not necessarily for adding impact to your images, then the G1 X ought to suit you fine.

The Canon G1 X's sensor is the star of the show. The images this camera can produce are exceptional, easily of a DSLR quality - and it's not often that's said. But in use there are issues. The hefty price tag ought to bring a better, more advanced autofocus system, plus the close-focus distance of the lens can be limiting. The viewfinder, too, is no better than that found in the PowerShot G12. What with electronic viewfinders making headway in other cameras such as the Fujifilm X-S1, the Canon G1 X's low field-of-view, small and off-set optical viewfinder just doesn't cut it. But then it does have one, which is more than can be said for almost any other compact. On the plus side the build is sturdy, the layout functional and everything falls into its right place in use. Find that stride when shooting and the G1 X will have plenty of appeal to candid street snappers, landscape photographers, or those that demand the utmost in image quality. Considering the high £699 price-point the camera's performance is underwhelming, yet its images are so good that the G1 X is guaranteed to win over a demanding audience. It's that good.

When Canon chose to include a large, almost DSLR-like sensor in the latest flagship point-and-shoot and then combined that with a relatively modest resolution and latest generation processing technology, the writing was on the wall for ISO performance and the G1 X delivers in spades. But there's more to image quality than ISO noise levels, and the G1 X also benefits from good optical performance with its zoom lens and a responsive shutter that captures the image when you tell it to. On image quality alone (both still and video) there's a lot to like in the G1 X and without a doubt, image quality is the G1 X's strongest selling point. The camera carries a full set of manual controls and enough adjustments to keep even the fussiest shooter happy.

Overall, the G1 X is an excellent camera for some but not for everyone. If you are aware of its shortcomings, such as the sluggish AF, limited close-focusing capability or lack of manual control in video, and think you can live with them, the Canon gives you great image quality and a versatile zoom range in a small package and without the need to carry a stack of lenses. Canon deserves some praise for finally matching the G-series' excellent body and UI design with a large sensor and for launching something genuinely different in the otherwise rather uniform mirrorless and compact camera markets. There is some room for improvement for the 2nd generation of this product but for those photographers who can work around its limitations it can be a powerful photographic tool and therefore earns itself our silver award.

The Canon PowerShot G1 X is very much a camera of two personalities. On the happy side is superb image quality which matches - and in some cases slightly exceeds - what you can expect from Canon's 18 Megapixel EOS DSLRs, but in a much more portable body with an excellent articulated screen and flash hotshoe. But on the sad side is a fixed lens with terrible macro and little chance for a shallow depth-of-field, coupled with below-average continuous shooting from a camera that costs the same as many upper entry-level DSLRs and CSCs but lacks their interchangeable lens mounts. As always, you have to weigh-up the pros and cons for yourself. The downsides could be deal-breakers for some, while for others, the image quality alone could sell it. For me, I was frustrated by the modest closest focusing distance and annoyed Canon didn't take the opportunity to fit an external microphone input or GPS. When shooting alongside CSCs like the Panasonic GX1, I was also reminded of the G1 X's relative heft, often slow handling and lack of flexibility when it came to lenses. But then the GX1 doesn't have a fully articulated screen nor a built-in viewfinder, and once back at home I was always very impressed by the G1 X's image quality. Indeed this what kept me coming back to the G1 X: Canon really nailed-it with the new sensor. For me personally the biggest problems are the price and the limitations of the lens. Had the G1 X been cheaper or the lens more capable, or indeed the body smaller, then I'd have been happier, but as it stands you could alternatively buy a CSC with the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, and in many cases quicker shooting, faster handling and a smaller body. Ultimately though you have to give Canon some credit for finally delivering what people have been requesting for years: a PowerShot G with a DSLR-class sensor and image quality to really match an APS-C EOS DSLR. The G1 X gives you this with good quality video, loads of physical controls, a great articulated screen, flash hotshoe and a built-in lens with a useful general-purpose range. These pluses earn it a Recommended rating, but one with the caveat that you understand the limitations of the fixed lens and continuous shooting.

Stunning image quality, sublime ergonomics, lethargic performance, high price – if you're rich and not in any rush, it might just be perfect

The Canon Powershot G1 X is an interesting camera, simply because it has a large 14.3 megapixel CMOS sensor that is capable of producing high quality images with lots of detail. ISO noise performance is impressive with low noise right up to high ISO settings. The optical viewfinder is quite small and shows a cropped and obscured view at wide-angle. Compared to compact system cameras the Canon Powershot G1 X comes in at a fairly high price although the optically stabilised lens is better than most kit lenses starting at f/2.8 and providing 4x optical zoom. If image quality is of a high importance to you then the Canon Powershot G1 X is recommended, it would be nice if the 5fps shooting mode was available in all modes, rather than in just one of the scene modes.

The Canon G1 X is the company's latest flagship advanced compact and benefits from a bespoke sensor that is only slightly smaller than that the company uses in its APS-C equipped DSLRs. This advantages of this larger sensor are immediately clear to overall image quality, with the G1 X offering class-leading performance in this respect. However, in other areas the G1 X lets itself down somewhat with sluggish operation and niggly performance issues. Image quality purists may well be willing to forgive these flaws, however anyone in the market for a snappy advanced compact with quickfire operation may well be slightly disappointed.

The G1 X is the king of compact cameras when it comes to image quality. If you’re after a camera that can produce DSLR-quality images then look no further - the G1 X delivers. However, the overall handling just isn’t that special. Autofocus is good enough, but just doesn’t feel like Canon has injected enough oomph into making the G1 X stand head and shoulders above the competition. Close focusing is also very limited, meaning it’s hard to take maximum advantage of shallow depth or focus on the subject at hand. The viewfinder is also rather naff, so much so that we rarely used it during testing. Otherwise this well-built, intuitively laid-out, but pricey beast produces among the best image quality that we’ve ever seen from a compact. Trim the price back by some £200 and it would attract a bigger audience. For now it’s for the image-loving elite only.

A lot of people think that Canon's missing out by lagging in its ILC development--and it is. The G1 X targets a growing part of the market, composed of people who don't really care about changing lenses and just want better photo quality. But, ironically, its disappointing lens makes a better case for getting an ILC in this price segment than for buying this fixed-lens option.

The Canon G1 X impresses on all fronts, delivering excellent handling and great results across its comprehensive range of exposure modes. Pricey it may be, but this camera's real-world performance goes a long way towards justifying its price tag.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is not a camera you should buy unless you already own a DSLR. Canon reps themselves told me that if you’re debating between the G1 X and, say, a Rebel DSLR, you should buy the latter — having more lenses and more versatility is key, and the G1 X’s sensor still isn’t DSLR-sized. But if you already own the serious equipment and just want a camera you can toss into a purse or backpack without sacrificing a lot of quality, the G1 X should suit you pretty well. The focusing experience is the one major setback for the camera, but if you can get over that (and if you’re not looking to take a lot of close-up shots) you’ll get consistently solid photos and video from the camera, almost regardless of situation or lighting. There’s a lot to get used to about the G1 X, especially with the viewfinder, but I can definitely see this camera being a travel-friendly second camera for a 5D or D4 owner. It’s also compatible with most of Canon’s EOS accessories, so Canon DSLR owners will be able to use speedlite flash attachments and the like with the G1 X. The G1 X competes most directly with its own predecessor, the similar-looking but much less expensive G12 (it’s $499 now, and might be less with the G1 X now available), a camera you might see on the shelf next to the G1 X. There, the comparison is even more interesting: there’s a lot more camera inside the G1 X, thanks to its 6.3-times-larger sensor and the new DIGIC 5 processor, but it’s also nearly double the price. The two look nearly identical, and operate much the same, but picky photographers are going to want the imaging prowess of the G1 X.

The Canon Powershot G1 X is a very difficult camera to pigeon-hole. Compared to other premium compact cameras, it's much bigger and heavier but has a much larger image sensor that delivers better images with more depth of field. Compared to a compact system camera, it offers a similar sized image sensor and body but doesn't have interchangeable lenses. Compared to a DSLR, it's much smaller with still respectable image quality, but it's not as responsive and again you can't change the lens. The G1 X is a physically large compact with a fixed zoom lens and image quality that rivals many (but not all) compact system cameras - if that description suits your needs, then the G1 X is just about worth its rather high £699 / €799 / $799.99 price-tag.

The Canon G1 X is a compact camera with a big sensor and a fixed zoom lens. At $800, it's a tough sell, as you can get an equally-capable compact camera, D-SLR, or mirrorless interchangeable lens camera for less money.

Canon's latest advanced compact has a sensor six times the size of the nearest model in the PowerShot range and with a 4x optical, 28-112mm lens and equal or better low light performance, is this the perfect portable snapper? We go hands-on to find out.