360Photography

Introduction

The Canon PowerShot G1 X III is a high-end compact camera with a 24MP APS-C sized sensor, Dual Pixel autofocus and a 24-72mm equivalent F2.8-5.6 zoom lens. It’s Canon’s new flagship for the PowerShot G-series, and the sensor is the largest they’ve ever fitted to a fixed-lens camera. It also has the company’s latest DIGIC 7 processor, Wi-Fi with Bluetooth connectivity, and promises a degree of dust and water resistance.

While sales of compact cameras at the low end continue to evaporate, manufacturers are still churning out premium, high-end models in an attempt to lure enthusiasts and amateurs with deep pockets. The G1 X III is certainly an interesting proposition in this segment – indeed, it’s the only compact on the market with an APS-C sensor and a lens that zooms, and is designed to be weather sealed to boot.

Key Features

• 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• Dual Pixel autofocus for stills and video
• DIGIC 7 processor
• 2.36M-dot electronic viewfinder
• 3″ fully-articulating LCD
• 9fps burst shooting (7fps with continuous AF)
• 1080/60p video recording
• Wi-Fi and NFC with Bluetooth
• 200 shot-per-charge battery life (CIPA standard testing)

Processed and cropped to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. 24mm equiv | ISO 125 | F2.8 | 1/1000 sec Photo by Carey Rose

There are, of course, sacrifices to be made when shoehorning such a large sensor into such a small body. First, the MSRP is pretty high, even for this market segment. Though the lens has a respectable range, its maximum aperture range isn’t exactly impressive, and battery life is just plain bad. Regardless, as an overall package, the G1 X III is likely to attract the interest of a wide variety of photographers.

Compared to…

That the G1 X III is a unique offering makes it difficult to really draw comparisons to other models; regardless, those shopping for a fixed-lens pocketable compact at this price are likely to stumble across the RX100 V and the older RX100 IV. They offer much smaller sensors, but come with similar zoom ranges and brighter maximum apertures for their lenses.

It’s worth noting that there are older options (in some cases, discontinued) that may be of interest. The Panasonic LX100 comes with a 4/3-type sensor and similar zoom range, but only offers 12MP of resolution. Fujifilm’s X70 and Ricoh’s GR II both have 16MP APS-C sensors and are even smaller than the Canon, but both have fixed 28mm-equivalent prime lenses.

In terms of other current cameras that aim to strike a balance between being pocketable and taking decent photos, Panasonic’s LX10 comes with a 24-72mm equiv. F1.4-2.8 lens in front of its 1″-type sensor, and Canon’s own G7 X Mark II has a 24-100mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 lens in front of its 1″-type sensor. And they’re all much cheaper than the G1 X III.

The lens

What’s likely to cause the most consternation for serious photographers considering the G1 X III is the lens. The camera is impressively compact, but as noted earlier, at the expense of its maximum aperture range. This limits the usefulness of the larger sensor, particularly in terms of depth of field control (blurry backgrounds) and low light capability – though you should retain a dynamic range advantage in bright light.

Let’s see how it compares to some of the other zoom-equipped models we’ve mentioned here.

LensEquivalentApertures([“Equivalent focal length (mm)”,”Canon G1 X II”,”Panasonic LX100″,”Canon G7 X II”,”Panasonic LX10″,”Sony RX100 V”,”Canon G1 X III”], [[24,3.84,”Canon G1 X II at 24mm: F3.8″,3.7434,”Panasonic LX100 at 24mm: F3.7″,4.90909090909091,”Canon G7 X II at 24mm: F4.9″,3.8181818181818183,”Panasonic LX10 at 24mm: F3.8″,4.90909090909091,”Sony RX100 V at 24mm: F4.9″,4.5170606663860564,”Canon G1 X III at 24mm: F4.5″],[25,4.224,”Canon G1 X II at 25mm: F4.2″,3.9636,”Panasonic LX100 at 25mm: F4.0″,null,””,4.0909090909090917,”Panasonic LX10 at 25mm: F4.1″,5.454545454545455,”Sony RX100 V at 25mm: F5.5″,null,””],[26,4.8,”Canon G1 X II at 26mm: F4.8″,4.1838,”Panasonic LX100 at 26mm: F4.2″,null,””,4.90909090909091,”Panasonic LX10 at 26mm: F4.9″,6.0000000000000009,”Sony RX100 V at 26mm: F6.0″,5.1623550472983508,”Canon G1 X III at 26mm: F5.2″],[27,5.3759999999999994,”Canon G1 X II at 27mm: F5.4″,4.404,”Panasonic LX100 at 27mm: F4.4″,null,””,5.454545454545455,”Panasonic LX10 at 27mm: F5.5″,null,””,null,””],[28,null,””,4.6242,”Panasonic LX100 at 28mm: F4.6″,null,””,6.0000000000000009,”Panasonic LX10 at 28mm: F6.0″,6.8181818181818183,”Sony RX100 V at 28mm: F6.8″,null,””],[29,null,””,null,””,null,””,6.8181818181818183,”Panasonic LX10 at 29mm: F6.8″,null,””,5.646325832982571,”Canon G1 X III at 29mm: F5.6″],[30,6.144,”Canon G1 X II at 30mm: F6.1″,4.8444,”Panasonic LX100 at 30mm: F4.8″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[31,null,””,null,””,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Panasonic LX10 at 31mm: F7.6″,null,””,null,””],[32,null,””,null,””,6.0000000000000009,”Canon G7 X II at 32mm: F6.0″,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Sony RX100 V at 32mm: F7.6″,6.4529438091229379,”Canon G1 X III at 32mm: F6.5″],[34,null,””,5.0645999999999995,”Panasonic LX100 at 34mm: F5.1″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[37,null,””,5.2848,”Panasonic LX100 at 37mm: F5.3″,null,””,null,””,null,””,7.2595617852633048,”Canon G1 X III at 37mm: F7.3″],[39,null,””,null,””,6.8181818181818183,”Canon G7 X II at 39mm: F6.8″,null,””,null,””,null,””],[40,6.72,”Canon G1 X II at 40mm: F6.7″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[41,null,””,5.505,”Panasonic LX100 at 41mm: F5.5″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[44,null,””,5.7252,”Panasonic LX100 at 44mm: F5.7″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[45,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,8.0661797614036725,”Canon G1 X III at 45mm: F8.1″],[52,null,””,6.1655999999999995,”Panasonic LX100 at 52mm: F6.2″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[54,null,””,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Canon G7 X II at 54mm: F7.6″,null,””,null,””,null,””],[57,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,9.0341213327721128,”Canon G1 X III at 57mm: F9.0″],[70,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Sony RX100 V at 70mm: F7.6″,9.0341213327721128,”Canon G1 X III at 70mm: F9.0″],[72,null,””,null,””,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Panasonic LX10 at 72mm: F7.6″,null,””,null,””],[75,7.4879999999999995,”Canon G1 X II at 75mm: F7.5″,6.1655999999999995,”Panasonic LX100 at 75mm: F6.2″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[100,null,””,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Canon G7 X II at 100mm: F7.6″,null,””,null,””,null,””],[120,7.4879999999999995,”Canon G1 X II at 120mm: F7.5″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””]], {“isMobile”:false})

As you can see, both Panasonic models offer larger aperture diameters at the widest end of their zooms, meaning greater scope for low-light work. Meanwhile, the Canon G7 X II offers more subject isolation and potential for low light image quality once you pass 29mm – all of this is in spite of the fact that the G1 X Mark III’s sensor is the largest, by a fair margin. It speaks volumes to the trade-offs that have been made in getting the G1 X III to fit in your coat pocket.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

The PowerShot G9 X Mark II is an ultra-compact camera that features a larger-than-average 1″-type CMOS sensor. It serves as the entry-level model in Canon’s Gx-X series, and has an MSRP of $ 529. Being the entry-level model, Canon has given the camera a touchscreen-based interface that’s will be familiar to smartphone owners who are looking to trade up to something better.

The main problems with the original G9 X were performance related. Continuous shooting was slow, especially when using Raw or continuous autofocus, the menus were sluggish and the battery didn’t last for long.

The G9 X Mark II took care of most of the performance problems, due mostly to its new DIGIC 7 processor. The burst rate is faster, buffer larger and interface snappier. While improved, battery life still isn’t great, though an ‘Eco mode’ gives you another 80 shots above the industry-standard CIPA estimate of 235. Canon also added in-camera Raw processing, Bluetooth capability and improved image stabilization for video shooting.

Key Features

• 20.1MP 1″-type BSI CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 7 processor
• 28-84mm equivalent F2-4.9 lens
• Built-in neutral density filter
• 3″ touchscreen LCD
• Up to 8.2 fps burst shooting
• 1080/60p video capture
• In-camera Raw conversion
• Wi-Fi with NFC and Bluetooth

The G9 X II’S 20MP sensor is found on all of Canon’s 1″-type compacts, and is likely the same one found on Sony’s RX100 III. The DIGIC 7 processor is what took care of the original G9 X’s performance issues, and it makes a world of difference. As before, there’s a built-in 3-stop ND filter, with on/off/auto settings. While essentially all cameras now have Wi-Fi, the Bluetooth feature is a nice extra, as it allows for very quick re-pairing between camera and smartphone.

Compared to…

The camera that is most similar to the G9 X Mark II is Sony’s original RX100. It has an older sensor than the G9 X II, but it’s closer in price than its successor, the RX100 II. We’re throwing in the slightly more expensive Panasonic LX10, as well as the G9 X II’s step-up model, the G7 X II, into the chart below.

Look at the spec comparisons, there doesn’t appear to be much of a difference between the G9 X Mark II and its predecessor. Same sensor, same lens, same display. That’s because most of the changes are under the hood, which boost its burst rate, battery life (barely) and reduces overall sluggishness.

The G9 X II gets mixed results in terms of spec compared to its peers, though again, it’s an entry-level model. On one hand, it’s the smallest and lightest in the group, with a fast burst rate and Wi-Fi with all the trimmings. Its lens is the real weakness: it’s slow (more on that below) and has a focal range that doesn’t have a lot of reach. While better than on the original model, battery life on the G9 X II is poor, so bring along a spare battery if you’re out for the day.

Lens comparison

Just like ‘equivalent focal length’ that we use throughout the site, equivalent apertures allow you to compare image quality potential across cameras with different sensor sizes by taking sensor size into account. The equivalent aperture figure gives a clear idea of how two lenses compare in terms of depth-of-field. It’s also related to diffraction, which reduces sharpness as the aperture is stopped down. In other words, the higher the F-number, the softer the images will be.

Finally, equivalent aperture also gives an idea of low-light performance, since it also describes how much light is available across the sensor’s area. However, differences in sensor performance mean this can only be used as a guide, rather than an absolute measure.

LensEquivalentApertures([“Equivalent focal length (mm)”,”Sony RX100″,”Sony RX100 III”,”Canon G7 X II”,”Panasonic LX10″,”Canon G9 X II”], [[24,null,””,4.90909090909091,”Sony RX100 III at 24mm: F4.9″,4.90909090909091,”Canon G7 X II at 24mm: F4.9″,3.8181818181818183,”Panasonic LX10 at 24mm: F3.8″,null,””],[25,null,””,5.454545454545455,”Sony RX100 III at 25mm: F5.5″,null,””,4.0909090909090917,”Panasonic LX10 at 25mm: F4.1″,null,””],[26,null,””,6.0000000000000009,”Sony RX100 III at 26mm: F6.0″,null,””,4.90909090909091,”Panasonic LX10 at 26mm: F4.9″,null,””],[27,null,””,null,””,null,””,5.454545454545455,”Panasonic LX10 at 27mm: F5.5″,null,””],[28,4.90909090909091,”Sony RX100 at 28mm: F4.9″,6.8181818181818183,”Sony RX100 III at 28mm: F6.8″,null,””,6.0000000000000009,”Panasonic LX10 at 28mm: F6.0″,5.454545454545455,”Canon G9 X II at 28mm: F5.5″],[29,null,””,null,””,null,””,6.8181818181818183,”Panasonic LX10 at 29mm: F6.8″,null,””],[31,null,””,null,””,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Panasonic LX10 at 31mm: F7.6″,6.8181818181818183,”Canon G9 X II at 31mm: F6.8″],[32,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Sony RX100 III at 32mm: F7.6″,6.0000000000000009,”Canon G7 X II at 32mm: F6.0″,null,””,null,””],[33,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Canon G9 X II at 33mm: F7.6″],[34,7.6363636363636367,”Sony RX100 at 34mm: F7.6″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[37,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,8.7272727272727284,”Canon G9 X II at 37mm: F8.7″],[39,null,””,null,””,6.8181818181818183,”Canon G7 X II at 39mm: F6.8″,null,””,9.5454545454545467,”Canon G9 X II at 39mm: F9.5″],[43,8.7272727272727284,”Sony RX100 at 43mm: F8.7″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[46,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,10.90909090909091,”Canon G9 X II at 46mm: F10.9″],[53,9.5454545454545467,”Sony RX100 at 53mm: F9.5″,null,””,null,””,null,””,12.272727272727273,”Canon G9 X II at 53mm: F12.3″],[54,null,””,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Canon G7 X II at 54mm: F7.6″,null,””,null,””],[65,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,13.363636363636365,”Canon G9 X II at 65mm: F13.4″],[66,10.90909090909091,”Sony RX100 at 66mm: F10.9″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[70,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Sony RX100 III at 70mm: F7.6″,null,””,null,””,null,””],[72,null,””,null,””,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Panasonic LX10 at 72mm: F7.6″,null,””],[81,12.272727272727273,”Sony RX100 at 81mm: F12.3″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[84,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,13.363636363636365,”Canon G9 X II at 84mm: F13.4″],[94,13.363636363636365,”Sony RX100 at 94mm: F13.4″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[100,13.363636363636365,”Sony RX100 at 100mm: F13.4″,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Canon G7 X II at 100mm: F7.6″,null,””,null,””]])

That pink line represents the G9 X II and, as you can see, it quickly ascends to the top of graph. Once you hit around 35mm, the equivalent aperture is ~F7.6 equivalent, which is getting into diffraction territory. At its worst the G9 X II is about a stop slower than the RX100, which most likely gives the latter a slight image quality advantage. The step-up model from the G9 X II, the G7 X II, is roughly 1.5 stops faster. This loss of low light capability and potential for control over depth-of-field is the price you pay to keep the camera so pocketable.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)