Canon G1 X 14.3 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 4x Wide-Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Lens Full 1080p HD Video and 3.0-Inch Vari-Angle LCD

by Canon

• 4x Optical Zoom 28mm Ultra Wide-Angle lens with Optical Image Stabalizer
• Canon's newest HS SYSTEM with a 1.5-inch, 14.3 MP High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor with DIGIC 5 Image Processor (up to 128oo ISO)
• 3.0-inch Vari-angle PureColor System LCD with 922.000 dots for shooting at a variety of angles
• Full range of shooting and recording modes inlcuding 14-bit RAW + JPEG (as in Canon DSLR cameras)
• Full 1080p HD Video in Stereo Sound with a dedicated Movie Button and HDMI Output for HDTV viewing

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 4.6 x 3.2 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B006UMM2BW
• Item model number: 5249B001
• Batteries 1 Nonstandard Battery batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 13, 2012

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Pinnacle of PowerShot

Bright, fast and more creative than ever: advanced technologies come together for an exciting new camera that moves beyond anything the G-Series has seen before. The PowerShot G1 X digital camera will inspire advanced amateurs who have embraced the G-Series to explore new realms of photographic expression, and give pros an excellent camera that complements their creative demands. The new 1.5-inch High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor approaches DSLR size, with a light-sensitive area that’s approximately 6.3 times larger than that of the PowerShot G12 digital camera. The new 14.3 Megapixel sensor, combined with a new lens and DIGIC 5 Image Processor, creates the HS SYSTEM that delivers image quality previously impossible in a compact camera, with beautiful blur, lower noise, and extraordinary resolution in low-light shooting and can shoot at ISOs of up to 12800. The PowerShot G1 X also has 14-bit RAW capabilities for even greater creative control and Full HD Video recording. Manual settings and operability inherited from EOS cameras impart a high-level shooting experience, and open the door to new creative possibilities. Substantive luxury defines the design: a neatly clarified sculpture with a firm grip, huge Vari-angle LCD and optical viewfinder.

Canon DIGIC 5 Image Processor
The latest-generation Canon DIGIC 5 Image Processor brings phenomenal increases in processing speed and power. Improved chip architecture and algorithms deliver greatly expanded functionality with further refinement in image quality. Improved noise reduction produces clearer images when shooting in low light at high ISO speeds. Enhanced i-Contrast performance adjusts differences between light and dark areas to achieve even more natural-looking results. The faster processing speed also results in faster continuous shooting capability. The DIGIC 5 Image Processor also makes possible a new, highly advanced automatic white balance system. Whereas conventional white balance makes an overall adjustment based on a single type of light source, the new Canon Multi-Area White Balance analyzes several areas of the image to determine whether different adjustments are needed, for example, for the main subject and the background.

Canon 1.5-inch, 14.3 Megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS Sensor
Canon engineers developed a sensor for PowerShot G1 X digital camera that is nearly the size of an EOS DSLR camera’s APS-C sized sensor, and built with a similar pixel structure—each pixel site is larger, allowing more light to be captured—giving the PowerShot G1 X a completely different level of image quality than compact cameras that have come before it. At 1.5 inches, the sensor is approximately 6.3 times larger than that of the PowerShot G12 digital camera. This heightened degree of sensitivity, along with 14.3 Megapixels, delivers several distinct advantages. Noise is dramatically reduced at high ISO speeds for clear low-light and nighttime shooting. Resolution at low ISO speeds is incredibly rich and precise. And, most atypically for a compact camera, the PowerShot G1 X digital camera allows you to create the intensely beautiful background blur that is the hallmark of DSLR cameras. 

Canon HS SYSTEM
The Canon HS SYSTEM lets you take bright, clear photos in an even wider range of shooting situations. Beautiful low-light shots are possible with minimal noise and maximum detail in highlight and shadow areas. The system is the result of two technologies brought together in PowerShot cameras: a high-sensitivity imaging sensor, which is able to capture more light; and the DIGIC Image Processor, which actively reduces noise with high-speed image processing. The 14.3 Megapixel Canon CMOS sensor in the PowerShot G1 X incorporates advanced light reception technology that enhances sensitivity. The new DIGIC 5 Image Processor provides a major boost in noise reduction, expanding the usable range to an amazingly high ISO 12800. The HS SYSTEM thus lets you use higher shutter speeds to capture clearer images with reduced noise and blur.

Shooting and Recording Modes Including 14-bit RAW + JPEG
The PowerShot G1 X offers a host of shooting and recording modes ranging from fully automatic to fully manual, plus Full HD movies and full-resolution High-Speed Burst HQ at a maximum of 6 frames*. The camera recognizes 32 shooting situations, automatically optimizing settings for achieving the highest quality shots on the go. Alternatively, you can exert complete creative control over the look and feel of your images. 14-bit signal processing, just as in EOS series cameras, gives images notably rich detail and smooth gradation. Compared with 12-bit processing, 14-bit offers a 4x increase in RAW data, makes a visible impact, giving images rich detail in both highlights and shadows as well as smoother, more natural tonal gradation for outstanding image quality.

*Continuous shooting speed is 4.5 fps.

Canon Full HD Video Advantage

In addition to the HS SYSTEM, the combination of the advanced CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 Image Processor in the PowerShot G1 X digital camera makes it possible to shoot crisp, clear high definition video. Imagine the fun and excitement of being able to shoot spectacular 1080p Full HD video with stereo sound that you can later watch on your HDTV or download to your computer to share with family and friends. In addition to being able to shoot Full HD 1080p video at 24* frames per second, the PowerShot G1 X digital camera can also shoot 720p HD video at 30** frames per second.

*Actual frame rate is 23.976 fps.
**Actual frame rate is 29.97 fps.

Dedicated Movie Button, Wind filter feature and Optical Zoom for easy video capture
It’s never been easier to shoot videos with a PowerShot digital camera. The PowerShot G1 X has a dedicated movie button that lets you start and stop recording instantly. There is no need to go through layers of menus or operate switches or dials to switch to and from video recording mode. The camera is always ready to shoot stills or video whenever you want. The PowerShot G1 X also incorporates an electronic wind filter, which suppresses wind noise that can muffle or distort the sound. And unlike less sophisticated point-and-shoot cameras, the PowerShot G1 X lets you use the full range of optical zoom when you’re shooting a video.

HDTV Playback via HDMI with CEC Support
It’s easy to enjoy and share the videos you shoot with the PowerShot G1 X. Simply connect its HDMI terminal to your HDTV using an HDMI cable. And because the PowerShot G1 X supports HDMI-CEC technology, you’ll be able to control the playback of your images and videos on any CEC-enabled HDTV using the TV’s remote control. (CEC – Consumer Electronic Control – is part of the HDMI specification, enabling components in a system to communicate with one another.)

iFrame

With the PowerShot G1 X, you can also shoot video in the Apple iFrame format, which is a computer-friendly standard that speeds up importing and editing of videos. It keeps file sizes small, making it more convenient to upload or e-mail high-quality videos. The iFrame format enjoys native support in compatible Mac and Windows video applications, making it unnecessary to perform time-consuming and often quality-degrading conversions.

4x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom and 28mm Lens
The PowerShot G1 X digital camera is equipped with a newly designed 4x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom and 28mm lens (35mm equivalent: 28–112mm), built with the knowledge acquired over decades of Canon leadership in optical technology innovation. Canon engineers specifically designed this lens to take advantage of the PowerShot G1 X digital camera’s exceptionally large sensor. Bright and fast, the f/2.8 lens captures a wealth of subtle detail, even indoors and in dark scenes, and easily covers a full range of shooting situations. It incorporates the latest in Canon UA lens technology, suppressing lens aberration for outstanding image quality throughout the entire zoom range. Images are richly expressive, from areas of highest resolution to beautifully artistic background blurs. The wide angle gives you more to work with in every shot, expanding your avenues for creative photography. Zooming is fast and precise, and 4x power takes you in for the close-up.

UA Lens Technology
Pioneered by Canon, UA Lens technology makes possible compact lenses with remarkable optical performance. By using molded glass with an ultra-high refractive index in aspherical lens elements, Canon has succeeded in reducing lens size while significantly reducing image aberrations. Another stellar example of cutting-edge Canon optics, UA Lens technology helps make PowerShot digital cameras pocket-friendly and capable of astounding image quality.

Optical Image Stabilizer
Handheld shooting can often lead to camera shake, making photos and videos blurry. Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer is a sophisticated system that shifts a lens group to correct unwanted camera movement. It makes handheld photography more practical in more shooting situations. For photos, it enables shooting at slower shutter speeds, accommodating more low-light shooting situations of up to 4 stops without having to boost ISO sensitivity. With camera shake reduced, you get a sharper, steadier image.

Intelligent IS

The latest advance in Canon Optical Image Stabilization technology, Intelligent IS analyzes camera movement and applies the best shake correction method for the shooting situation. For stills, the system automatically selects among Normal, Panning, Macro (Hybrid) and Tripod IS modes. When shooting video, the system automatically selects among Dynamic, Powered, Macro and Tripod IS modes. With Intelligent IS, you can concentrate on image capture, letting the camera make the most effective IS settings to assure the steadiest possible image.

Normal	Panning	Macro	Dynamic	Powered	Tripod
Corrects for a wide range of camera movement when shooting stills.	Panning motion is detected so that IS does not interfere with desired camera movement.	Corrects for shift-type camera shake, which typically occurs in (close-up) shooting.	Effective for video shooting at wide-angle focal lengths, eliminating the unwanted shaking that typically occurs while walking.	Compensates for hand movement when shooting video at the telephoto end of the zoom range, where camera shake is magnified.	When tripod use is detected, the Image Stabilizer is stopped because it is not needed.

3.0-inch Vari-Angle PureColor System LCD
With the PowerShot G1 X digital camera, difficult shooting angles won’t stop you from getting the shot you want. The camera’s big 3.0-inch Vari-Angle LCD screen swivels out and rotates, tilting up and down to give you access to the highest and lowest angles for shooting flexibility that greatly enhances your creative expression. You can also capture perfectly centered self-portraits or put yourself into group shots. The LCD screen’s benefits don’t end with mobility. A resolution of 922,000 dots gives you an unprecedented level of detail in the images you’re composing. The high resolution level also makes it easy to read on-screen information when you’re adjusting camera settings and accessing shot information. Full-spectrum color is true and natural. As befits a high-performance camera designed for advanced users, the PowerShot G1 X digital camera is equipped with an optical viewfinder as well. Shoot SLR-style with the real image optical zoom finder, and customize the viewfinder for your vision with dioptric adjustment.

Electronic Level
The PowerShot G1 X even has a built-in electronic level that calculates the camera’s horizontal angle of tilt and displays the information on the LCD monitor. The feature makes it easier to capture a perfectly level shot every time.

High-Speed Burst HQ
Utilizing the increased processing speed and power of the new Canon DIGIC 5 Image Processor, High-Speed Burst HQ makes it possible to capture fast action stills at full resolution during continuous shooting. The results are exceptionally high-quality images recorded in rapid sequence. In this mode, the PowerShot G1 X can capture a maximum of 6 shots in a single burst.*

*The continuous shooting speed is approx. 4.5 fps.

Smart AUTO	The camera automatically selects the best shooting settings for optimal quality based on subjects and environmental factors to provide point-and-shoot simplicity.
Program	The camera automatically and intelligently selects the aperture/shutter speed combination based on the shooting conditions.
Movie Digest	Records a video clip before capturing a still image and then combines one day’s worth of clips into a video.
Shutter-priority	You select the shutter speed, and the camera automatically selects the appropriate aperture.
Aperture-priority	You set the aperture, controlling depth-of-field. The camera automatically selects the shutter speed.
Manual	You have complete control of exposure, selecting both aperture and shutter speed manually.
Custom	Define and store your own settings to achieve the effects you prefer.
Portrait	Brings the subject into focus while beautifully blurring the background.
Landscape	Increases depth-of-field for sharp and sweeping landscape shots.
Kids & Pets	The camera reduces focus time so you won’t miss those special shots.
Sports	The camera uses high shutter speeds to capture fast-moving subjects.
Handheld Night Scene	Take clear and steady pictures at night without the use of a tripod.
Super Vivid	Super Vivid intensifies existing hues, saturating the scene with bright colors.
Color Accent	Choose to retain a single color in your image while other colors turn monochrome.
Color Swap	Select a color and replace it with a color you specify for special effects.
High Dynamic Range	The camera combines three different exposures to get one evenly lit image.
Nostalgic	Create the look and feel of old photographs using sepia tones and black-and-white.
Beach	Get clear shots of people at a sunny beach without darkened faces.
Underwater	Capture underwater images with reduced backscatter effect. Optional Underwater Case required.
Foliage	Capture brilliant shots of autumn foliage, greenery and blossoms.
Snow	Shoot clear snow scenes without darkened subjects or an unnatural bluish tint.
Fireworks	Create brilliant images of skyrocketing fireworks.
Fisheye Effect	Now you can get the fisheye effect — a classic photographic distortion — without a fisheye lens.
Miniature Effect	Give images a miniature look with an effect that emphasizes perspective by blurring the top and bottom of the image.
Toy Camera Effect	Simulates photos taken with “toy” or pinhole cameras, darkening the image at the edges to create a vignette effect.
Monochrome	Choose from three single-tone effects: Black-and-White, Sepia, or Blue.
Poster Effect	Poster Effect combines several similar shades into one color, turning subtle gradations into eye-catching, scene-popping contrasts.
Movie	Capture high-quality video in HD (1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720) or VGA (640 x 480) with audio. Easily delete unwanted clips in playback mode.
iFrame Movie	The Apple® movie format, iFrame, makes it easier and quicker to import and upload videos while retaining high image quality.
High-Speed Burst HQ	Captures fast-action shots at full resolution, providing continuous shooting when the shutter button is held down.
Smart Shutter	The camera automatically takes the photo when people smile, wink, or get into frame.
Stitch Assist	Easy-to-use guidelines simplify the shooting of aligned multiple frames that can later be combined (using bundled software) to create panoramic photos.

Movie Digest
Creating a video* containing highlights of a family vacation or an important occasion is a lot easier than you might think. When you use Movie Digest on the PowerShot G1 X, the camera will automatically record a short video clip (up to approximately 4 seconds) every time you shoot a still image. That entire day’s worth of clips will then be automatically combined into a single video.

*Movie Digest videos are recorded at VGA (640 x 480) resolution and 30 fps.

High Dynamic Range
In High Dynamic Range, the camera will shoot three different exposures in succession and then merge them together to produce a spectacular image with highly detailed shadow and highlight areas.


Miniature Effect for Movies
Emphasizes perspective for a miniature effect by blurring upper and bottom portions of videos and stills.

Actual results may vary from examples shown above.
Final image may vary depending on picture composition.

Creative Lighting Options for Pro-level Images

Compatibility with Cannon Speedlite Flashes
The PowerShot G1 X digital camera gives you access to exciting EOS accessories including the  new Macro Light Adapter MLA-DC1, Macro Ring Light MR-14EX, and all of the Canon Speedlite flashes, long revered by professional photographers. The high output of Speedlite flashes brings out the depth and texture of your images in full, natural beauty. The ultra-lightweight Canon Speedlite 270EX II is a compact, high-performance flash unit that’s fun and easy, with adjustable illumination angle and guide number. The versatile new Speedlite 320EX features an LED light on the front of the flash body that can be used to illuminate nearby subjects in dim light, ideal for shooting video.

EOS-like Manual Shooting for Beautiful Images with Beautiful Detail

Mode Dial and Front Dial	Electronic dial	Bilevel dial
PowerShot G1 X allows fully manual shooting to give you complete creative control over your images. Adjustment of settings is streamlined and intuitive, with a design based on Canon EOS operability. A bi-level dial on top of the camera sets the mode and allows quick adjustment of exposure compensation. An ergonomically-placed electronic dial located on the camera’s front provides a natural feel for control over camera settings letting you concentrate on getting the perfect shot. Step-zoom allocation is also available.

High Dynamic Range Scene Mode
Shooting in high contrast environments can often result in photos with overexposed and underexposed sections. So to tackle this problem, Canon developed the High Dynamic Range shooting mode to make shooting even more intuitive. Under High Dynamic Range* the camera will shoot three different exposures in a succession (underexposed, overexposed and normal) and then merge them into a single image. Underexposed areas are combined with the overexposed and vice versa, resulting in an evenly detailed image with flattering shadows and highlights.

*Tripod is required.

What's in the Box?

1. PowerShot G1 X Digital Camera
2. Battery Pack NB-10L
3. Battery Charger CB-2LC
4. USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
5. Lens Cap (with strap)
6. Neck Strap NS-DC9
7. Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM

Product Description

Full range of shooting and recording modes including 14-bit RAW + JPEG for ultimate creative control

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

116 of 117 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Camera with Flaws April 14, 2012

By Yang Wang

A few years ago Thom Hogan posted a "Compact Camera Challenge" ([...]) in his excellent blog, in which he lamented the lack of compact cameras with a large sensor. Despite the development of digital photography technology for the past two decades, stated Hogan, "the camera makers simply don't have any idea of what many of their customers really want." In Hogan's view, consumers will be well served if there was a compact camera with a larger sensor that met certain standards he deemed essential for a serious photographer.

I stumbled onto Hogan's challenge as I was looking for the same thing. And since that time I have been waiting and hoping for such a camera. I use a DSLR (Canon EOS 10D and EOS Xti) almost exclusively, but grow tired of lugging the camera and those heavy lenses on each trip as well as the lens changing for those casual outings. The end result is that I now don't bother to even bring a camera with me on some of my trips. I know there are those mirror-less cameras, but the prospect of buying a whole new set of lenses and change them during shooting had discouraged me from jumping into them.

The Canon Powershot G1X is exactly the camera I have been waiting for. It has in fact exceeded all the criteria laid out in Hogan's challenge. So I immediately bought it, even though the $800 price tag is on the high side.

After playing around with it in the past few days I have gained a better picture of what this camera is (and isn't). I'm still very pleased with it. In the mean time I also feel that depending on what you use your camera for and what your level of enthusiasm is, there might be better alternatives. I'll try to summarize what I have found below in more details.

1. Image Quality (Sensor). The greatest strength of this camera is its ability to take SUPERB quality images. The lens is very sharp. The quality of images taken under low light situation (which is pretty much the case if you take indoor pictures) is UNSURPASSED by any other compact camera. I have shot several images at ISO 3200, something I had never done even with my DSLR, and the images are completely usable. In fact, up to ISO 1600 the noise level is negligible. Numerous reviews have confirmed this experience. You can find various sample images online, including a large number of them on DPReview. You may also find some of images I have taken at

[...]

2. Lens Quality. So far I'm very pleased with it. It is a very sharp lens. The 28-115mm zoom is practical for most shooting situations. I find the lens to be very sharp overall. However, at the widest setting of 28mm the barrel distortion is quite evident --- in fact it is very pronounced. If you shoot in JPEG at 28mm the images looks far less distorted because it has been corrected in the camera firmware. Of course, this means you do see some softness away from the center of the frame. But when you shoot in raw and open it in Photoshop (after converting it to Adobe dng format), you see the pronounced distortion. This is something most of the "official" reviews have missed.
The lens, other than at its widest setting, is quite slow. I do understand that this is a limitation of the compactness of this camera.

3. Features. As an advanced compact camera, like other Powershot G-series cameras, the G1X comes with all kinds of user controls that are essential for enthusiasts. I will not go into details. DPReview ([...]) has just posted its full review of the camera, and many features are discussed there. There are also a number of features that people who don't care for user controls will find intriguing. For example, there is a "smile detection" setting that will take three pictures automatically if it detects a smile. I have tested this feature, and it seems to work fine. If you want a camera packed with features that suit both novices and professionals, the G1X will not disappoint you. I highly recommend one to go through the full manual (downloadable from Canon website) to get to know all the features.

4. Focus. The G1X has been criticized by just about every review for its slow autofocus. But I find this to be an overreaction. I certainly have not noticed that the focus is slow or inaccurate. If anything, I find it to be quite good. Sure it is no match for an SLR, but I have used many compact cameras, and the G1X stacks up pretty well. In lab testing the G1X is slower than the state of the art compact cameras by a fraction of a second on average, but to most people, even seasoned professionals, I don't believe this is an issue. The G1X also has a very useable manual focus, conveniently controlled with a dial and viewed on the LCD with a digital "magnifying glass."

A bigger problem is its inability to focus in close range, so one must often switch between normal focus and macro focus modes. Fortunately this is not so difficult for the G1X.

5. Macro. Like everyone else had said, this is not made for it.

6. Usability/Performance. The controls are a mixed bag. In some cases they are well designed. I like the exposure compensation dial, making exposure compensations a cinch. The various exposure modes are rather conventional. However, I find myself often inadvertently touching a button and mess up the setting I had. This is extremely annoying. Some of the features take a little practice to get used to. Overall, the usability is good although not exceptional.

If you plan to use this camera to do mainly landscape or scenes that are not moving, such as shooting friends who will pose for you with their contrived smiles, this camera will not disappoint you. I would highly recommend this camera. However, if you are into sports photography this camera is DEFINITELY NOT for you. In fact, even for photographing kids this camera is woefully inadequate, and I say you should forget it. The main problem is that it takes very long to go from one shot to the next. In my test with a moderately fast SD card, shooting in raw+JPEG it takes a whopping 6.5 seconds for the camera to be ready for the next shot (the figure is about 4 seconds in JPEG only, or with a very fast SD card). This is completely UNACCEPTABLE. I don't know why no major reviews had pointed it out. Note that even after 6.5 seconds you will still need to tack on another few seconds to compose your next shot and press the shutter. So overall, from one shot to the next can take 8 seconds easily, which for many photographers is an eternity.

6. Movie/HD Video. I don't use this feature much so I don't have anything extensive to say. On a cursory examination it is quite good.

7. Battery. The battery is small, and it gives you about 250 shots. Please be sure to buy one or two extra ones. You can find them on eBay for a fraction of the cost Amazon charges (I bought two for about 7 bucks).

My overall verdict on Powershot G1X is that it is a GREAT camera (with some minor flaws) if you are photographing mainly landscape or people who will pose for you. However, it is completely unsuited for sports, and it is poorly suited for photographing kids or spontaneous scenes because of its ridiculously long lag between shots.

======================================================

Update:

I have just taken the Powershot G1X to Xian, China, to photograph the Terra Cotta Warriors and artifacts in the Shaanxi History Museum. The lighting condition was not ideal at all. In most cases it was very dark. Only in the Terra Cotta Pit 1 the lighting was not extremely dark. I took about 250 photos in those two places. In several places I had to push the ISO to 3200 and use a shutter speed of 1/20th of a second. In the end, almost all images came out tack sharp with little noise! The IS worked superbly. I must say the overall quality of my pictures has gone far beyond my expectation. In fact I went with a friend who carried the latest Sony full frame DSLR, and my G1X held up very well. As far as image quality goes, it does not disappoint.

However, the battery life was really not so great. While Canon claims 250 pictures per charge, I got about 170 (LCD on). So make sure you get at least two extra batteries (on ebay).

116 of 120 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars You will love the photos from the G1X March 13, 2012

By E. Lacey

Amazon Verified Purchase

When you pick up the Canon G1X, your first thought will probably be "Wow-- this thing is SOLID." There is a lot of glass and high quality components stuffed inside this little package, and it all adds up to SUPER photos. This camera is a terrific addition to a photographer's arsenal. It is a perfect companion camera to have when you do not want to tote around your DSLR and all of the accessories that comes with that. But, do not think that this is a pocket-sized camera-- while it will fit into a large coat pocket, you will likely be wearing this camera around your neck when you have it out for your day of shooting.

The G1X takes incredibly good photos. It rivals my Canon 60D in that regard. Its low-light sensitivity is top notch for a camera this size, due mainly to the fact that the sensor is nearly as large as the 1.6 crop sensors in many consumer/prosumer DSLRs. I get great photos at ISO 1600, and usable photos all the way up to ISO 6400. (Note that if you shoot RAW, then you will not get as great photos until you apply noise reduction in your software of choice.)

This camera also supports full 1080P digital recording, although I have not yet had a chance to put that through its paces, so I cannot yet comment on the quality and ease of use. However, from the little that I have done, it seems very good. You can record at different aspect ratios (e.g. 16x9), you can zoom while recording, and the camera has a built-in "wind" noise filter.

In addition to the standard set of "creative modes" (portrait, landscape, kids & pets, sports, night, beach, underwater, foliage, snow, fireworks, face-detect) that come with digital cameras these days, the G1X also has numerous digital affects built in such as HDR, miniature, toy camera, fish eye, nostalgic, among others. Additionally, the G1X can also be operated 100% automatically or 100% manually, or somewhere in between, allowing you to shoot in (P)rogram mode, Av, Tv, and M. In my opinion, the camera performs best when you take over most of the decision making. Like most cameras, this camera does not do its best work in 100% Automatic mode.

The knocks on this camera, and the reason it does not get 5 stars from me, are its sluggish auto focus, its poor view finder, and its relatively high price. While the auto-focus is a bit slow, I think it compares reasonably to other compact cameras in this price range, especially if you do use a creative mode so the camera "knows" what to look for in your scene. However, if you want to spend a bit more, you can still get superior performance from something like the Fuji X100. The optical view finder is nearly useless-- you cannot see what the camera is focusing on and the lens obstructs the lower left-hand corner of the view, even when not zoomed. For these reasons, I quickly abandoned using it altogether. Another knock would be the Macro capabilities of the G1X, or lack thereof. While there is a Macro shooting mode, the minimum focusing distance required does not allow you to get anything near Macro images. As far as the price is concerned, the quality warrants the price, but the shortcomings take away from the perceived value. The same camera at $599 would be a no-brainer. Fix the auto-focus speed, viewfinder, and macro ability and charge the $799 and it is also a no-brainer. As it is, you will have to decide if the features warrant the price for yourself.

If you are deciding whether or not to purchase the G1X or a DSLR, I would opt for a DSLR unless your #1 concern is size. The DSLR will offer much more customization that the G1X. However, if you are looking for a camera that allows you to leave your DSLR at home, but still gives you fantastic photos and allows you full control, then this camera may be exactly what you are looking for.

111 of 122 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone but ... March 8, 2012

By David L. Lee

If you want GREAT IQ this is it. MY G1X came in on 2-9-2012 and have taken over 1000 pics with it. If you want a FAST camera then its not for you, the focus is not fast but it does the job, I would not call it slow. Shot to shot is slow and dont even talk about macro. I have a 7D for speed and macro but the funny thing is the G1X has as good if not better IQ at high iso it really is that good.

The 4 stars and not 5 is for the speed of focus and MFD. I do weddings and portraits and this is now my backup camera to my 7D. Its far from perfect but the reason for a camera is the picture and for this its very very good. The video is good and it will focus while in video mode, you can also zoom in video and its nearly silent. I use raw with my 7D but I am finding that may not be needed with the G1X the jpg's out of the camera are as good as I can get with LR4. The lens hood will not fit the G1x reversed, I use a Lowepro Apex 100aw. It will hold the Gx with the lens hood attached.

Dave

4/16/2012
Adding data on frame rate. Did a bit of testing on how fast you can take continuous shoots. All testing was done while shooting at a clock for 10-11 sec and then counting the number of pictures taken. Also tested with int and ext flash.
AV mode, auto white bal,4:3 large jpg, DR off, 28mm 1/60 @ 2.8.

no flash:
Single shot ~ 5 / 10 about 5 shots in 10 sec, frame rate = (shots - 1) / time = 0.4 shots / sec, 2.5 sec / shot
Cont-with focus ~ 8 / 10 = 0.7 & 1.43
Cont-no focus ~ 18 / 10 = 1.7 & 0.59

int flash
Single shot ~ 4 / 11
Cont-with focus ~ 7 / 10
Cont-no focus ~ 13 / 11

ext flash 320ex
Single shot ~ 4 / 10
Cont-with focus ~ 7 / 10
Cont-no focus ~ 17 / 10

Beause of the faster operation in cont/focus I have changed to that as my std. I would rather have extra shots then miss one. This also shows the huge advantage with an ext flash in faster shooting. The problem with cont/focus is the the screen is black for about 80% of the time :(

Dave

6/11/2102
In my view the 320EX is to big a flash for the G1X, its bigger then the camera. I picked up a 270EXII last week and really like it on the G1X, I think the size is a better match. I wanted to pass on one thing I found that is nice, the 270EXII with Eneloop's in cont-no focus mode the flash would keep up with the camera as fill light AV mode. I stopped at 32 shots with no delay from the flash. Will add more as I do more testing.

I think that most people know that an ext flash helps because of the bounce feature but there are a few other good reasons for an ext flash. One that I like is it has its own battery so you dont use the camera battery. Another is the remote flash you can do with the 270EXII.

One more little thing, the Video Light on the 320ex will work in the auto mode with the G1X. It will turn on when needed in a video and it wont turn off till the end of the video, so it wont be flashing on and off.

Dave

8/31/2012
Wanted to add some data on SD cards. The G1X does NOT support UHS1 sd cards, it can still use a UHS1 card but will not be as fast as the card is rated for. To test this I used a Scandisk Extreme Pro 95 MB/s sd card and had only a 10% better frame rate then the Amazon basics 16g sd class 10 card. I also tested card speed in two different card readers one an older model USB2 and NO UHS1 support, the Scandisk Extreme Pro only did 20MB/s with this reader and the Amazon basics did 17. In a new USB3 & USH1 (USpeed Y3201) reader the Scandisk Extreme Pro did 86MB/s and the Amazon basics did 18.

Dave