CANON POWERSHOT G1X MARK III
It brings APS-C shooting to the G1 X range, but does this compact represent a genuine revolution in the line-up?
Does this offering have what it takes to compete?
Canon has a good reputation for building high-quality compact cameras, packed with enticing, advanced features. The G series has long been seen as a portable alternative for professionals and the third generation of the G1 X line builds on this heritage. The Mark III borrows its Digic 7 processing engine from high-end DSLRs such as the EOS 6D Mark II and EOS 77D, so therefore inherits similar advantages in speed and image handling.
The headline feature of the G1 X Mark
III is the APS-C format 24.2MP CMOS sensor which, in concert with the processor, promises image quality in line with Canon’s interchangeable lens models. In our tests, the PowerShot did not disappoint – at the base ISO settings, images were virtually free of noise and were supremely detailed. An advantage of fixed-lens cameras is that the manufacturers are able to tailor the internal design for a specific sensor-lens pairing, and in the G1 X Mark III the high-quality
Canon optic makes the most of the pixels at its disposal. Centre to edge sharpness is consistent, as is colour and contrast. Colour reproduction itself is also impressive, with many tones indistinguishable from those seen with the naked eye. For a sub-full-frame camera, featuring 24MP, highlight and shadow detail is retained well in high-contrast lighting, representing a very usable dynamic range.
The G1 X Mark III takes design inspiration from its EOS DSLR relatives, but retains a PowerShot range layout, so users of both product lines should feel at home. The body is not ultra-compact, but the depth is necessary to facilitate the use of the larger sensor – an impressive feat in its own right. The size and weight are perfectly manageable and the camera can easily fit in the palm of the hand. The textured, rubberised surfaces provide a reassuring grip and the impression of ruggedness, which is completed by weather sealing. These lend the camera a professional handling experience.
The exposure compensation dial and manual zoom/focus ring provide a tactile interface, as does the highly responsive touchscreen, which can be used for image scrolling and for selecting the focus point. The latter function is complemented by Canon’s Dual Pixel AF, to create an intuitive and very fast-working autofocus system. This is of particular benefit to users of the included Full HD video mode, for which it provides both smooth and silent focusing. The four-stop image stabiliser is very effective, noticeably so when shooting handheld video clips. Another useful characteristic is the eye sensor, located beside the EVF, which automatically wakes the camera from standby mode when placed up to the eye for shooting. This speeds up operation when picture opportunities arrive suddenly. The viewfinder itself is bright and very clear, although a noticeable colour difference from the rear LCD does make judging colour balance a little tricky – though this is less of a problem when shooting RAW files, which can be easily fixed in processing.
“The textured, rubberised surfaces provide a reassuring grip and the impression of ruggedness, which is completed by weather sealing”