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2017 in review: a look back at December

31 Dec

December brings with it colder weather and early much-too-early sunsets (at least here in Seattle), as well as a chance to look back on the last twelve months. 2017 saw the continued rise of the smartphone coupled with uncertainty in the interchangeable lens and compact camera market. Will there be fewer camera manufacturers a year from now? We’ll find out soon enough.

As you might imagine, December a quiet month for camera announcements. Information about the next generation of smartphones started to trickle out, including news of the upcoming Snapdragon 845 processor and the Huawei P11, which may feature three cameras. December also marked the arrival of the iMac Pro that, fully loaded, will set you back more than $ 13,000. Speaking of Apple, Final Cut Pro X received a much-needed update, adding HDR, VR and curves support.

2017 saw the continued rise of the smartphone coupled with uncertainty in the interchangeable lens and compact camera market

The end of the year brings with it lots of “best of” competitions, and some like National Geographic’s Nature Photographer of the Year, Sony World Photography Awards and the always entertaining Comedy Wildlife awards are worth a look. We joined the competition parade and shared our favorite products of the year, which were drawn from our latest Buying Guides. We also pitted the Nikon D850 against the Sony a7R III and compared the portrait modes of the Google Pixel 2 and Apple iPhone X.

For those seeking more pretty pictures, we posted galleries for the Olympus 45mm and 17mm F1.2 Pro lenses, the Rokinon AF 50mm F1.4 FE and, naturally, the iPhone X. We also cranked out two reviews, of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III and G9 X Mark II.

See all December content

Leica, Leica, Leica

In addition to announcing a special red edition of its M (Typ 262) body, the company also reported a 6% increase in revenue compared to the last fiscal year.

And, in drone news…

December was a busy month for drone regulation. In a not very surprising move, the Federal Aviation Administration banned drone usage near US nuclear facilities. Over in Holland, the country’s drone-catching eagles are being retired due to a lack of demand and training difficulties. A shame, since that would’ve been fun to watch.

Canon EOS 7D Mark III on the way? (Of course!)

The rumor mill is buzzing about an update to Canon’s venerable EOS 7D series of APS-C DSLRs. Rumor website CanonWatch says that the third revision is coming before next summer, which even if the rumor itself isn’t based on any solid facts, still seems like a pretty safe bet. We made a wish list of what we’d like to see in the next 7D, as well.

Read more about Canon 7D Mark III rumors

Photographing the Northern Lights

Photographer and DPReview contributor José Francisco Salgado teamed up with our own Dale Baskin to share tips on how to capture this amazing phenomenon.

Read full article

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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2017 in review: a look back at November

30 Dec

This shot from Dan’s Gear of the Year writeup wasn’t taken in November but it seemed apt for an overview article.

November is usually a fairly quiet time for the industry: all the cameras the manufacturers are hoping will sell around Christmas have been announced. Well, except for Leica, which always likes to set itself apart – this time by launching a new model in mid November. Still, there was plenty going on in the wider world of photography:

The internet has always made rather more liberal use of other people’s images than is legally allowed but it’s generally only the egregious examples that tend to get pursued. US TV network CBS bucked that trend by going after a photographer who’d used a screengrab from a forty-year old TV show on social media. Meanwhile, another photographer took action against pop star Bruno Mars for using one of her photos on social media without seeking the appropriate license.

The UK’s National Air Traffic Service published a video showing the knock-on effects of breaching drone rules

Speaking of licenses, the UK’s National Air Traffic Service published a video showing the knock-on effects of breaching drone rules, after four planes and their passengers were diverted to other airports in response to one incidence of careless droning. It’s probably no surprise that tighter rules may be implemented in the UK, and that DJI has the ability to track its drones.

Meanwhile Eastman Kodak announced more job losses, just four years after a bankruptcy restructuring that saw it exit the photography market. However, at the same time, the company also gave an insight into the work it’s doing to recreate its Ektachrome filmstock.

But, just because all the camera makers were able to put their feet up until after Christmas*, that didn’t mean we could do the same. Instead, we worked to test and evaluate the a7R III and put together the best-informed review we could, only for it to really complicate our Gear of the Year and DPR Award choices. But those are a topic for next month…

See all November content

* I mean, I’m pretty sure that’s what happens.

Sony a7R III review

We put a lot of effort digging into the a7R III’s performance. The sensor was common to both this camera and the Mark II but enough changes had been made that we wanted to make sure we’d experienced and captured those differences and improvements. And what improvements…

Read our Sony a7R III review

A first look at the Leica CL

The Leica T and TL series cameras have tended to split opinion, with their minimalist design and touchscreen interfaces. The CL is a much safer product, though: traditional controls and pared-down classic styling. Barney took a closer look.

Find out more about the Leica CL

Canon 85mm F1.4L IS USM

An 85mm F1.4 has long been one of the glaring omissions from Canon’s lens lineup. Not content to just fill that gap, Canon decided to make an image stabilized version worthy of its ‘L’ designation. As you can imagine, we were pretty excited to get out shooting with it.

Take a look at our Canon 85mm F1.4L IS USM gallery

New Fujifilm Raw-conversion software

Fujifilm released a Raw converter but one with a difference: all the processing is done by the camera.

Take a closer look

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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2017 in review: a look back at October

30 Dec

Leica’s Thambar-M 90mm F2.2 costs $ 325 per aperture blade – and it has 20 of them.

October – in America anyway, the month of costumes, changing leaves and inebriated frights. This year, I dressed up as a sheep for halloween (apologies to anyone who saw that), so the ‘frights’ part is pretty suspect. Anyway, I digress.

This past October was also a great month for gear releases as well. As you see above, we have Leica’s Thambar 90mm F2.2, as well as Olympus’ 17mm and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses. Sigma released a 16mm F1.4 ‘Contemporary’ lens for both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount, and Google released two new Pixel phones that offer groundbreaking (for phones) photographic results. Last, but not least, Canon released a new PowerShot flagship in the G1 X Mark III.

We published our full review of the Nikon D850, as well as a review of Fujifilm’s very likable X-E3

And while the camera companies were busy, so were we. We published our full review of the Nikon D850, as well as a review of Fujifilm’s very likable X-E3. And our own Dale Baskin looked back on the Samsung NX1 for one of our most popular editions of Throwback Thursday.

We would, of course, be remiss to ignore the release of the new silver edition of the Leica Q. Like so many Leica ‘special editions,’ its could be easy to dismiss, but we’re big fans of the highly capable Q and also fans of the new design – even though it comes at a $ 245 premium over the all-black model. Maybe silver paint is more expensive than we thought.

Photo Plus Expo 2017: Full coverage

This year’s PPE saw new releases from several manufacturers, from more or less conventional compact cameras to some really out-there products (ahem – Leica Thambar…). As usual, DPReview was there with full coverage

Read our full PPE 2017 coverage

The California Coast with the Canon EF 28mm F2.8 IS

We spent some quality time with Canon’s compact EF 28mm F2.8 IS USM on the California coast in October – read how it performed.

Read our Canon 28mm F2.8 IS shooting experience

Looking (further) back at the PowerShot G5

As Canon announced the newest G-series flagship in the G1 X III, Barney looked back at the PowerShot G5 – a remarkable camera that he picked up for the princely sum of $ 9 at a local thrift shop.

Read about Barney’s thrift shop PowerShot G5

Check out our full D850 review to find out why it’s just so darn good.

See the Nikon D850 review

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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2017 in review: a look back at September

29 Dec

Hey look, it’s our whole planet, just a tiny speck floating in a vast nothingness. This image is courtesy Cassini, a spacecraft we sent to its demise in September. Photograph copyright NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.

September is the month when we finally accepted that 2017 was really happening and it wasn’t all a bad dream. We also found out what it looks like when you don’t heed the advice given in a thousand articles about photographing the eclipse. Spoiler alert: you get melted aperture blades.

As they are wont to do, more than a few photos went viral. That ridiculous lawsuit over the monkey selfie finally ended, may we never type the words ‘monkey selfie’ again, and we talked to photographer Justin Hofman about his much-shared photo of a seahorse clutching a Q-tip. Oh, and Cassini plunged toward Saturn and burned up in its atmosphere, but it was supposed to do that. Thanks for all the cool photos, Cassini!

What’s old is new again – and for sale at Nordstrom right next to the handbags

The Sony RX10 IV and the Fujifilm X-E3 were the most notable conventional cameras launched in September. A little company called Apple also announced some new photo-taking-devices: the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X. To top it all off, RED announced more details about its Hydrogen One phone, which actually doesn’t cost much more than an iPhone X.

On the other end of the technological spectrum, Polaroid rode the analog nostalgia wave with the OneStep 2 instant camera. What’s old is new again – and for sale at Nordstrom right next to the handbags.

See all September content

Hands-on with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV

The RX10 IV, as the name suggests, is the fourth in Sony’s series of 1″-type sensor, long zoom compacts. The Mark IV is the first to offer phase detection autofocus alongside a series of changes designed to boost the speed and capability of the camera, for both stills and video shooting.

See our Sony RX10 IV hands-on

Hands-on with new Fujifilm X-E3

In early September, Fujifilm took the wraps off the X-E3. Successor to the X-E2S, we’ll admit that the X-E3 took us rather by surprise. After the release of the X-T10 and X-T20 we had assumed that the rangefinder-style X-E line was all but dead.

See our Fujifilm X-E3 hands-on

iPhone X: What you need to know

Apple’s iPhone X wasn’t much of a surprise by the time Tim Cook told us all about it, but there’s still a lot going on inside the all-screen-all-the-time device. Here’s a recap of the major photography-related highlights.

Learn more about the iPhone X’s photo capabilities

Monkey selfie, monkey do

Ah, monkey selfie, the story that just wouldn’t go away.

Read the full article

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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2017 in review: a look back at August

28 Dec

This may not be your favorite photo from August, 2017, but it’s mine. A scene in which five Richard Butlers debate the merits of five Fujifilm X100’s in a conference room.

We were really busy in August. Not only were there important announcements, but it was also nearing the end of the sunny season in Seattle – and even that late into the summer, we were out taking photos all the time, from sunup (around 6am) to sundown (around 9pm).

Without a doubt, the announcement of the month was Nikon’s D850. With 45.7 million pixels, revamped ergonomics, really good 4K video and up to 9fps burst speeds with the battery grip, the D850 is an astoundingly good camera. Yes, it’s big. But so is its full-frame sensor. If you like an optical viewfinder, it really is the camera to own for just about any type of photography.

Sony’s RX0 large-sensor action camera cruised onto the market, and we got our hands on Ricoh’s new Theta V

On the opposite end of the size spectrum, Sandisk introduced a MicroSD card with 400GB of capacity – never has it been so easy to lose so many photos at once between the couch cushions. Nonetheless, the 100MB/s speed is solid, and the card gives suitably equipped smartphone users a valuable option for maximizing their phone’s storage capacity.

Sony’s Cyber-shot RX0 large-sensor action camera cruised onto the market, and we got our hands on Ricoh’s new Theta V. Olympus brought out the OM-D E-M10 Mark III, which we were big fans of for its combination of beginner-friendly guides, as well as enthusiast-friendly ergonomics. Canon had a good month as well, releasing the Gold-winning EOS M100 and a new stabilized EF 85mm F1.4L lens.

And, just in case you’ve missed it, Richard penned an opinion piece on how marketing isn’t a dirty word, which is the excuse reason for the image at the top of the page.

Portrait shootout: Sony a9, Canon 1D X II, Nikon D5

After watching this video ourselves, we still don’t agree on which of these cameras is the best. What do you think?

We had an eclipse

This is highly un-recommended.

This year included a total solar eclipse visible across parts of the USA, unfortunately not including Seattle. We did, however, get a partial eclipse, and we took plenty of photos of both the sun and the strange things that those around us were also doing.

Click here to see our Eclipse coverage

The upscale yet entry-level OM-D E-M10 III

Olympus really impressed us with the OM-D E-M10 III. This is an entry-level camera with a reasonable price, super-stable 4K video, great image quality, and tons of controls. It’s a great option for beginners and advanced users alike.

Check out our launch coverage of the E – M10 III

World Photo Day

To mark World Photo Day in August we wanted to show off some of our favorite images.

See our World Photo Day slideshow

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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2017 in review: a look back at July

27 Dec

July is traditionally a slow month for product announcements, and this year, the only new camera to be released was the Leica TL2. The TL2 has a higher resolution sensor, more power under the hood and a refined design. Nikon released a new 70-300mm lens and also teased its D850 full-framer, which was officially announced to great fanfare at the end of August.

There were some cool non-announcements in July, as well. A Sony a7S II beamed down 4K video from the International Space Station (which can now be explored using Google Street View), Adobe leaked what would later become the ‘new’ Lightroom CC and a NASA study pointed out the obvious: that noise from drones is worse than that of cars. Okay, maybe that last one isn’t so cool after all.

The sun finally came out in the Seattle area in July, so it was time for us to hit the streets and take some photos

The sun finally came out in the Seattle area in July, so it was time for us to hit the streets and take some photos with the latest and greatest lenses. On the ultra-wide side of the spectrum we shot with the Tamron 10-24mm F3.5-4.5, Sigma 14mm F1.8 and Panasonic’s 12-60mm F2.8-4 lenses. Our own Carey Rose also shared his experiences using the Panasonic Leica 15mm F1.7 Micro Four Thirds lens. We also took some shots with the very impressive Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 as well as the Tamron 18-400 F3.5-6.3 and medium format Fujifilm 110mm F2.

We managed to squeeze in a few reviews as well, including those for Nikon’s excellent D7500 and Fujifilm’s slightly more pedestrian X-A3. We also took a look at Fujifilm’s Instax Square instant printer, and Carey professed his love for the Olympus TG-5 rugged camera. We also took a closer look at dynamic range measurements from Canon’s EOS 6D Mark II, and Dan made mojitos.

See all July 2017 content

Nikon announces development of D850

One of the most anticipated cameras of the last year (or more) is a replacement to the Nikon D810. In July the company said that the D850 was coming and that it could capture 8K time-lapses, but that was it until the official reveal the following month.

Read full article

Nikon and Sony patent lenses for curved sensors

Nikon and Sony revealed patents on the very same day, both for possible future lens designs built for curved sensors. Only time will tell whether or not they turn into real products, but in the meantime they certainly sound very interesting. Sony’s design covers a monster 400mm F2.8 medium format lens, while Nikon’s patent describes a more modest 35mm F2.

TSA requiring passengers to remove cameras from bags

Photo by Ralf Roletschek

The days of keeping your camera in your carry-on bag may be over in the US, as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is requiring passengers in standard security lines to put anything bigger than a smartphone into a separate bin. Those with PreCheck status are not affected by the change.

Read full article

Shooting stars with the Sigma 14mm F1.8 Art

Photographer Jose Francisco Salgado took Sigma’s new 14mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens to the Badlands of South Dakota to shoot the stars. The results are pretty stunning.

View the gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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2017 in review: a look back at June

26 Dec

Those sweet, sweet rays. Photo by Dan Bracaglia with the Nikon D7500.

As most summer months are, June was relatively quiet in the camera business. Like many photographers, we were outside trying to make good use of all that daylight, shooting festivals and trying to drown rugged cameras in lakes. But that’s not to say there was no news at all – remember the viral photo of that guy mowing his lawn in front of the tornado? Or the Swiss village with the genius PR stunt? And how could we forget the Canon lens cut in half by a 60,000 PSI water jet?

June marked the 20th anniversary of the first ever photo shared from a phone, and the 10th anniversary of the iPhone

June was also a month of mobile tech milestones. It marked the 20th anniversary of the first ever photo shared from a phone, and the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. Thanks to these innovations, we can share photos with friends halfway around the world in an instant, and tease our pets with treats while we rake in the likes.

Toward the very end of the month we were treated to two new DSLRs from Canon – a much-awaited 6D replacement and the small-but-mighty Rebel SL2.

See all June content

Canon announces EOS 6D Mark II

Just shy of its fifth birthday, the Canon EOS 6D was ripe for replacement. Just prior to its announcement, we got the chance to put it to work photographing some of the most stunning landscapes in the US.

See our Canon EOS 6D Mark II
pre-production gallery

Canon also announces Rebel SL2

Canon’s ultra-portable Rebel got an update in the form of the SL2. This refresh brought a 24MP sensor, and swapped the SL1’s fixed touchscreen for a fully-articulated version. The camera’s diminutive size remained unchanged.

Take a closer look at the Canon Rebel SL2

Sony a9 gets in-depth review

It may have been a quiet month but we certainly weren’t resting on our laurels – we published a full review of the Sony a9. Quite simply, the a9 redefined what we can expect a mirrorless camera to be.

Read our Sony a9 review

Tornado man gives 2017 its perfect visual metaphor

This man was all of us, in 2017.

Read the full story

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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2017 in review: a look back at May

24 Dec

Well it was either this or the Kathy Griffin severed Trump head photo… Boeing’s 737 Max 9 went up for its first flight in May, and we were there. With our cameras. Because planes are cool.

Thinking back to May we struggled to recall anything much happening, but once we actually went back through the archives and looked, it turns out that May was a pretty busy month. Sony and Nikon released a brace of excellent new lenses, and as rumors of a forthcoming ‘D820’ started to swirl, Nikon announced an ominous-sounding ‘reshuffle’.

Meanwhile Photokina declared that it was ‘repositioning’ to become an annual show, and Panono – maker of one of our favorite 360-degree cameras – announced bankruptcy. At the other end of the solar system, NASA’s Juno probe sent back the first images of Jupiter’s pole.

May was also the month that a huge chunk of California’s Big Sur area slipped into the Pacific (here are the pictures to prove it), President Trump let a Russian press photographer into a closed briefing in the White House, and comedienne Kathy Griffin got in trouble for a photoshoot where she was pictured holding his (fake, obviously) severed head. Trump’s head – not the photographer’s. He probably runs the FSB by now (the photographer – not Trump).

A museum in the Netherlands put on an exhibition of 19th Centry photography pioneer Anna Atkins’ cyanotypes

Speaking of The Swamp, a museum in the Netherlands put on an exhibition of 19th Century photography pioneer Anna Atkins’ cyanotypes, documenting rare varieties of British algae. They’re prettier than you might think.

At DPReview, we weren’t pretending to behead anyone – we were busy reviewing the Sigma Quattro H and nerding out over the first flight of the new Boeing 737 Max 9*.

Tomorrow – June!

* The first flight actually happened in April, but it took us a while to go through all the images in Lightroom and we were really busy doing other things and our dog got sick so we had to take it to the vet and we couldn’t find our keys.

Nikon releases 28mm F1.4, 8-15mm fisheye and DX 10-20mm

Nikon’s AF-S Nikkor 28mm F1.4, released in May, is an excellent fast-aperture wideangle prime lens for FX and DX-format DSLRs.

Nikon release three new but very different lenses in May. The AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED is a high-quality wideangle prime for full-frame, which offers excellent sharpness and a very bright maximum aperture. The AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR sits at the other end of the scale, and offers an effective focal length range of 15-30mm on Nikon’s APS-C format DSLRs. Meanwhile, the AF-S Fisheye NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is even wider – and a lot of fun.

Sony unveils FE 12-24mm F4 G and 16-35mm F2.8 GM

Sony’s new FE 12-24mm – an affordable and extremely high-quality ultrawide zoom for Sony’s full-frame a7 and a9-series cameras.

Sony put a lot of energy into updating and expanding its full-frame lens lineup in 2017, and May saw two major releases. We’re big fans of both the FE 12-24mm F4 G and 16-35mm F2.8 GM, which have proved themselves to be excellent performers on Sony’s a9 and a7-series mirrorless cameras.

Read more about Sony’s FE wideangle zooms

New images of Jupiter’s pole show enormous, gorgeous storms

Jupiter is pretty. Some day we hope to visit this place.

Since 2011, NASA’s Juno probe has been steadily, quietly, and without any fuss been making its lonely way to Jupiter. It entered Jovian orbit in 2016, and in May it sent back the first high-resolution color images of the massive storm raging at the planet’s poles. Isn’t science beautiful?

Take a detailed look at the storms on Jupiter

Rare collection of algae cyanotypes goes on display

Yep. Algae.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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2017 in review: a look back at April

23 Dec

Ahh, April: the beginning of Spring. The sun starts to come out after a long winter, flowers are blooming and bears come out of hibernation. Who am I kidding, this is Seattle – winter ends in July.

April was a pretty busy month for camera announcements, including some real blockbusters. First out of the gate was the Nikon D7500, the company’s midrange APS-C digital SLR and in many ways a mini D500. We created a ton of content around that launch, including comparisons against the D7200 and aforementioned D500.

Probably the most significant launch in April was Sony’s a9, which was a tour-de-force of new technology when it was announced. With its full-frame, 24MP stacked CMOS sensor and hybrid AF system, the a9 is capable of lengthy 20 fps bursts with continuous autofocus. The a9 also has in-body image stabilization, a huge, high-res viewfinder, dual media card slots and a weather-sealed body. We took a close look at many aspects of the a9, including its image quality and AF performance, and how much it would cost a photographer to switch to Sony’s full-frame system.

The most significant launch in April was Sony’s a9, which was a tour-de-force of new technology when it was announced.

There were a ton of lenses announced in April as well, ranging from Micro Four Thirds to medium format. Some of the more interesting lenses include the Panasonic Leica 8-18mm F2.8-4 super-wide, the Sony FE 100-400 F4.5-5.6 GM, Fujifilm’s medium format 23mm and 110mm lenses and Canon’s EF-S 35mm F2.8 Macro, which has a built-in ring light.

We published a number of reviews in April, including those for the medium format Fujifilm GFX 50S, Panasonic’s video-centric DC-GH5 and Canon’s ‘high-end entry-level’ EOS 77D.

The DPR staff managed to get out of the office once or twice, including for a field trip to the University of Washington to photograph the famous cherry blossoms.

Come back tomorrow to see what happened in May!

Click here to see all April 2017 content

Sony announces a9 full-frame mirrorless camera

Sony went ‘all in’ with its flagship full-frame mirrorless camera, the a9. Highlights include a 24MP stacked CMOS sensor, a 693-point hybrid AF system, in-body 5-axis image stabilization, 4K video and much, much more.

View our Sony a9 launch coverage

Drone sales doubled in 2016

Photo by Halftermeyer

Features like autopilot and follow-you modes helped double drone sales in 2016, according to NPD. While entry and midrange models were projected to continue to drive the market in 2017, NPD says that new form factors and technology will keep the premium models selling, as well.

Read the full article

Midrange Nikon D7500 DSLR arrives

Those who had been waiting for a replacement to the venerable Nikon D7200 need wait no longer: the D7500 is here. This $ 1250 DSLR features the same 20.9MP sensor and Expeed 5 image processor as the D500, a tilting touchscreen display, 8 fps burst shooting and 4K video capture.

View our complete Nikon D7500 coverage

National Parks Service shows us America from space

National Parks Week took place back in April, and the National Park Service worked with NASA to capture some of America’s most beautiful spots from space.

Read the
full article

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III review

23 Dec

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.

	Canon G1 X Mark III	Sony RX100 V	Sony RX100 IV
MSRP	$ 1299	$ 999	$ 899
Sensor	24MP APS-C CMOS	20MP 1″-type stacked BSI CMOS	20MP 1″-type BSI CMOS
Lens	24-72mm equiv. F2.8-5.6	24-70mm equiv. F1.8-2.8	24-70mm equiv. F1.8-2.8
ISO range (native)	100-25600	125-12800	125-12800
AF system	Dual Pixel on-sensor phase detect	On-sensor phase detect	Contrast detect
EVF	2.36M-dot	2.36M-dot	2.36M-dot
LCD	3″ 1.04M-dot fully articulating (720 x 480 RGB)	3″ 1.28M-dot tilting (640 x 480 RGBW)	3″ 1.28M-dot tilting (640 x 480 RGBW)
Touchscreen	Yes	No	No
Burst rate with AF	7fps	24fps	5.5fps
Video	1080/60p	4K/30p	4K/30p
Wireless	WiFi w/NFC + Bluetooth	WiFi w/ NFC	WiFi w/ NFC
Battery life (CIPA	200 shots	220 shots	280 shots
Dimensions	115 x 78 x 51 mm	102 x 58 x 41 mm	102 x 58 x 41 mm
Weight	399 g	299 g	298 g

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)

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