All new Canon G series, - targeted at higher end over the G9-G12 series bodies

nwoods

Expedition Leader
This is interesting: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/canong1x/

compared-001.jpg


The Canon PowerShot G1 X may look like the company's existing G-series compacts, but is a very different prospect. It's a large sensor camera with a flexible 28-112mm-equivalent, 4x zoom lens and extensive manual controls. The company says it sees it as a camera for photographers who already have a high end DSLR such as a 5D Mark II or 7D, but at a price of $799, we think it'll appeal much more widely than that. After repeated waves of cameras aimed at point-and-shoot upgraders, it's heartening to see a camera really living up to the billing of a 'serious compact......On top of this the G1 X offers almost all of the extensive external controls that appear on the G12 - a camera that is itself the product of many generations of evolution. The only reservation we have about the G12 is that there's an awful lot of camera for such a small sensor - so the combination of G-series build quality and ergonomics with a sensor to match that capability is extremely promising. The G1 X doesn't replace the G12, but instead supplements it in Canon's lineup, adding a new tier to the G series.

While the G1 X may initially appear to be a G12 with a slightly lumpier lens on the front, putting them side-by-side makes clear that Canon hasn't quite achieved the impossible: it hasn't fitted a sensor six times larger into the same body size. However, it's done a great job of minimizing the difference. With the lens retracted, the G1 X is 5mm wider and 17mm thicker than the already brick-like G12. Note though that the G1 X has a narrower lens range, that extends only to 112mm-equivalent (as opposed to 140mm).

The G12 isn't exactly the smallest of compacts, and the expansion required to accommodate that larger sensor (and the larger lens it requires) have made the G1 X still less portable - although it'll still just about fit into a large jacket or coat pocket. However, for a camera with such a large sensor, useful lens range and a viewfinder, there's little to touch it.

Sensorsizes.png
 

Chazz Layne

Administrator
For all the improvements, it still has a fixed lens. It's impossible to take Canon seriously (in the pro-compact market) until they address this limitation.
 

nwoods

Expedition Leader
For all the improvements, it still has a fixed lens. It's impossible to take Canon seriously (in the pro-compact market) until they address this limitation.


Personally, I am a bit ambivalent about that. I can't argue with the fact that having one good lens with sufficient range and quality massively simplifies things, and makes the camera more practical and usable in travel situations. Yes, full range with a host of lenses is nice, but I have a camera for that already.

DPReview summed it up this way:

Anyone watching the emergence of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras will have spent much of the last year patiently waiting for Canon and Nikon to show their hands. Nikon clearly decided such cameras didn't need large sensors, and now it appears Canon has concluded they don't need interchangeable lenses. Both these moves make sense for companies wanting dedicated photographers to keep buying DSLRs, but Canon's approach is likely to be of more interest to those enthusiasts.
 

Every Miles A Memory

Expedition Leader
This to me would be the perfect motorcycle camera. Throw it in a chest pocket on your riding jacket and you have a very capable camera that doesnt take up such valuable baggage space
 

greg mgm

Explorer
This to me would be the perfect motorcycle camera. Throw it in a chest pocket on your riding jacket and you have a very capable camera that doesnt take up such valuable baggage space

That's why I love my G10 so much. A capable camera that's somewhat compact.
Perfect size to take hiking. Now if it just had a longer lens!
 

Chazz Layne

Administrator
Personally, I am a bit ambivalent about that. I can't argue with the fact that having one good lens with sufficient range and quality massively simplifies things, and makes the camera more practical and usable in travel situations. Yes, full range with a host of lenses is nice, but I have a camera for that already.

DPReview summed it up this way:

I might agree, if not for the pile of perfectly good Canons in my trash can that "died" because of a little dust inside the (non-replaceable) lens.

My other reasoning is that if it isn't easily pocketable (the G12 and G1 X are too big, the S95/100 is borderline), I might as well have lens options at my disposal. :)
 

Every Miles A Memory

Expedition Leader
I have been seriously contemplating a Underwater housing for my 5DMKII. I would think a underwater housing for this camera, the G1X for the $200 range, would be a serious contender compared to the $2500 for the housing for the 5DMKII, which doesn't include ports for each lens I'd be using

It's not an end all perfect camera, but it is a great addition to the stable
 

Redline

Likes to Drive and Ride
On one hand I would have liked to see the new "G" have interchangeable lenses. However, this would likely have required Canon develop a new, smaller lens system, something I assume they are reluctant to invest in. I do see a use for fixed zoom lenses, their short focal length and massive depth of field can be very helpful taking close-up pictures of parts, though the lack of DOF control is an irritation at other times.

I have a G12, like it, and an S100, which I like for its small size, though the terrible battery life of the S100 is a pain. My biggest complaint about all of these Canons, particularly the new G1X, is the very slow lens on the long end.
Love the idea of the larger sensor in a small-ish camera, but I would like a faster lens.
 
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haven

Expedition Leader
DP Review has published their test results and conclusions about the G1 X.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong1x/19

One quote: "At high sensitivities the G1 X sets a new benchmark for compact cameras."
Problems noted: Slow lens, slow autofocus, limited close focus, and some stuff related to making video.
 

RiverCityDave

красный октябрь
This to me would be the perfect motorcycle camera. Throw it in a chest pocket on your riding jacket and you have a very capable camera that doesnt take up such valuable baggage space


Agreed plus 1. As a log time owner of Gseries Cameras, I look forward to adding this to the stable.
 

psykokid

Explorer
I'm a die hard Nikon fan, still have my first SLR which was the OG nikon F. When i was looking for a good compact that let me go completely tyro the G10 and the nikon P6000 were the cameras that were on the market at the time that fit the bill. I ended up going with the g10 because it had better image quality and have been carrying it with me dam near nonstop for the past 4 years. If you've already got an SLR system then something small like the new G1X is a good fit. It fits the bill of being relatively compact and ready to go at a moments notice. No need to worry about swapping lenses.. sure it the lens could be a little longer focal length wise but then you just make the camera bigger which defeats the purpose its intended for..
 

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