It was going to be hard for any camera, G-series successor or otherwise, to top the Canon PowerShot G12. However, Canon may have just shot the moon with the new PowerShot G1 X.
Instead of announcing a compact interchangeable-lens camera at CES 2012--Canon
remains the only big-name camera maker that isn't playing in that
sandbox--the company just announced a serious fixed-lens model to be
reckoned with. The new G1 X looks a lot like the PowerShot G12 from the
outside, but there are major changes lurking inside its body
Canon PowerShot G1 XThe
PowerShot G1 X retains many of the features that made the G12 stand out
in the realm of premium compacts, but the game-changer is its large
sensor, which is tucked behind a 4X-optical-zoom lens. It brings a lot
to the table in terms of video, depth-of-field effects, and low-light
capabilities.
All that should add up to a stellar performer--and at $800, it had better be.
Canon PowerShot GX 1: Huge Sensor, Zoom Lens, and Manual Controls
The 14.3-megapixel Canon PowerShot G1 X will not replace the
PowerShot G12, but it does take over the title as the highest-end model
in Canon's PowerShot line. The camera offers a 4X-optical-zoom lens
(28mm to 112mm, F2.8 to F16), which distinguishes it from the
larger-sensored, wider-apertured, and much higher-priced Fujifilm X100 fixed-focal-length camera.
Canon PowerShot G1 X
According to Canon, the camera's newly designed CMOS sensor measures
18.7mm by 14mm. That's a bigger size than the sensor found in the Micro
Four Thirds system cameras from Olympus and Panasonic, and just a bit
smaller than the APS-C sensors found in Canon and Nikon's DSLRs and
interchangeable-lens cameras from Fujifilm, Samsung, and Sony.
The new sensor is six times the size of the sensor found in
the PowerShot G12, a camera that takes excellent photos in its own
right. Canon says that the new PowerShot G1 X's sensor has the same
pixel density as the company's 18-megapixel APS-C DSLR sensor.
The G1 X also follows Canon's recent trend of shifting to CMOS sensors
across its PowerShot lineup. The PowerShot G12 offered a CCD sensor,
and the PowerShot G1 X's CMOS imager gives it comparative benefits such
the 1080p video mode and faster continuous shooting.
The PowerShot G1 X improves its video spec over the G12 by shooting
1080p video at 24fps, which makes it the only camera in its class other
than the smaller-sensored Fujifilm X10
to reach that video resolution. The camera is also able to autofocus
continuously while shooting video, its 14-bit RAW-shooting mode is also
an upgrade over the G12's 12-bit RAW mode, and the G1 X gets the
next-generation Digic 5 image processor, as well.
Canon says the new sensor/processor combo allows the PowerShot G1 X
to achieve a very shallow depth of field at wide-angle, shoot sharper
low-light images, and improve performance in the areas of color fidelity
and white balance. The G1 X is able to shoot 6 frames per second at
full resolution, and ISO settings range up to 12,800.
Aesthetically, it looks very similar to the PowerShot G12, but its
bulkier-than-most frame is even bigger now: 2.5 inches deep, 3.2 inches
tall, and 4.5 inches wide, as compared to the G12's
1.9-by-3.0-by-4.4-inch frame. That puts it outside the realm of
"pocketable," but it's likely to have the full range of
beginner-friendly features that made the G12 a good fit for novice
photographers as well as seasoned shooters.
Battery life has taken a hit, as it's rated for 220 shots per charge
with the LCD screen on. Other notable changes include a pop-up flash
instead of a front-mounted flash, an exposure-control dial mounted on
the top of the camera (the G1 X's ISO controls have been moved to the
back of the camera), and a dedicated video-record button.
Canon PowerShot G1 X
Welcome holdovers include the full range of manual controls, as well
as some of the creative HS system modes found in Canon's HS System
PowerShot cameras. There's an increasingly rare optical viewfinder above
the lens, a full-size hot shoe that's compatible with the company's
Speedlite and macro flashes, a built-in neutral density filter, and an
articulating 3-inch LCD screen. Canon says the latter feature has been
upgraded as compared to the one found on the G12, and is the same
tilt-and-swivel display found in the Canon EOS Rebel T3i.
Due in February for $800, the GX 1 is also significantly more
expensive than the PowerShot G12 ($500) and other top-notch competitors
such as the Nikon Coolpix P7100 ($500), Panasonic Lumix LX5
($400), and Fujifilm X10 ($600). It has the same asking price as many
entry-level DSLRs, but given the PowerShot G series' pedigree in terms
of image quality and performance, it might actually be worth it for many
photographers.
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