Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II
Canon’s updated slim, stylish compact is very much improved on its precedessor, says Andy Westlake
andy Westlake tests this stylish, slim and pocketable compact
Once upon a time, Canon was the undisputed market leader in compact cameras for serious photographers. In 2012, however, Sony turned the market upside down with its Cyber-shot DSC- RX100. The first camera with a 1in type, 20MP sensor, it completely redefined expectations for the image quality obtainable from pocket cameras.
Canon was the first to challenge Sony in this new sector, but its early models used seriously underpowered processors. When I reviewed the first- generation PowerShot G9 X (AP 23 January 2016), I concluded that it gave attractive images in good light, but seriously struggled in low light with regard to autofocus speed and accuracy. But now the firm has added its much faster Digic 7 processor, which promises to turn the PowerShot G9 X Mark II into a much more attractive option.
Features
In most respects, the G9 X II has the same feature set as its predecessor. It’s built around a 20.2-million-pixel 1in sensor that offers a sensitivity range of ISO 125-12,800, with images recorded in both JPEG and raw formats. A full complement of exposure modes can be accessed from a top-plate dial; enthusiast photographers can select from the usual program, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual modes, while a large array of scene modes and a full auto mode cater for the needs of novices.
Continuous shooting is available at a shade over 8 frames per second, with a very healthy 38-frame buffer when shooting in JPEG, or 21 frames in raw. Compared to the G9 X, which achieved less than 1fps in raw, this is a massive improvement.
With a 28-84mm equivalent range and a maximum aperture of f/2- 4.9, the G9 X II’s lens is rather limited compared to those on other pocket cameras in terms of both compositional flexibility and low-light capability. But in return, at just 31mm thick, the G9 X II is the slimmest camera of its type. A 3-stop neutral- density filter is built in, which can be engaged manually by the user, or deployed automatically by the camera. It’s useful for shooting with large apertures in bright light, using slow shutter speeds for
increased motion blur, or conveying smooth motion in video. The G9 X II can record Full HD video, and a dedicated movie position on the top dial allows you to take full manual control if you want. It’s possible to zoom and refocus the lens during recording, and the touchscreen can be used to adjust settings, too, so no button or dial clicking spoils your soundtrack. Disappointingly, though, Canon has omitted 4K capability.
In an unheralded but very welcome change, Canon has updated the Mark II’s interface and menus to match its EOS DSLRs. So it now gains the same image-processing options, including the firm’s Picture Style colour modes alongside its Highlight Tone Priority and Auto Lighting Optimiser tonality controls. Crucially, you’re no longer locked into the default JPEG processing if you want to shoot raw, but instead retain full control over the colour output.
In- camera raw conversion also allows you to tweak your images after shooting before sharing them. To this end, built-in Wi- Fi connectivity allows the camera to be connected to a smartphone or tablet for sharing images using Canon’s free Camera Connect app for Android and iOS. It’s also possible to control the camera remotely from your phone, or print to a Wi- Fi enabled printer.
Build and handling
With almost exactly the same design as the G9 X, the Mark II feels robust and well-made, with a predominantly metal body shell and milled metal dials. It looks good, too, with subtle red accents around the mode dial and shutter button adding a touch of class. However, its hard plastic grips are a letdown, and while their textured finish provides a secure hold, a softer leatherette finish would have been more in keeping with the camera’s premium styling.
The Mark II also inherits its predecessor’s control layout, meaning that it’s a very different proposition to its more enthusiast- oriented sibling, the G7 X Mark II. It still has a nice tactile control dial around the lens, but you won’t find a conventional dial or d-pad on the back. Instead, there’s just a column of four buttons that activate video recording, access the camera’s settings and menus, and change the onscreen information display.
Almost all shooting settings are controlled using the round-lens dial in conjunction with the touchscreen. The main exposure settings are selected by tapping their own on-screen touch buttons, while pressing the Q button on the camera’s back accesses an array of secondary options. Other onscreen buttons are used to lock the exposure, activate manual focus or turn on the touch shutter control. However, these are quite small and closely spaced, so it’s all too easy to hit the wrong one.
On the whole, this approach does a good job of placing lots of control at your fingertips, while keeping the camera approachable to novice users. But it’s a very different experience from using conventional physical controls, and I can’t say I particularly warmed to it. It’s fine for mainly point-and-shoot operation, but I suspect anyone who changes settings frequently will prefer the G7 X Mark II.
Playing back your images also makes full use of the touchscreen, giving a distinctly smartphone-like experience. However, the lack of a physical delete button makes culling your failures a somewhat circuitous process.
Performance
Overall, the G9 X Mark II generally works very well. Its metering is very impressive, usually only requiring adjustment for pictorial effect, and auto white balance gives the right answer most of the time, too. Indeed, and as a pocket ‘point-and-shoot’ camera, it’s really very good.
Autofocus is fast, quiet and accurate, and the desired focus point can be selected simply by tapping the touchscreen. Alternatively, you can use face detection or defer focus area selection to the camera. Mercifully, the Digic 7 processor brings dramatically improved focusing in low light, which makes the Mark II a much better all-rounder than the G9 X was.
Canon’s JPEG output is bright and colourful, and is great at livening up dull conditions without going over the top. However, noise reduction can be over- enthusiastic and smear fine detail, even at relatively low ISOs. Sadly, unlike on Canon’s DSLRs, switching to Fine Detail picture style doesn’t really cure this. Instead it just over-sharpens the JPEG files.
In terms of optical quality, the lens is pretty sharp at the telephoto end, and quite respectable in the middle of its range. But it’s noticeably weaker at wideangle, with rather soft corners that don’t improve much on stopping down. But you’ll only notice this when printing large, or looking at your images at the pixel level on screen.