Canon PowerShot G1 X Review

Very large point and shoot camera

With this 14.1MP sensor, along with the brand’s latest DIGIC 5 imaging processor, one can aim to get DSLR-like images and this all comes down to the fact that it uses a large sensor. As of now, there are no additional lenses available for the G1 X, and the brand has used a non-removable 4x optical zoom lens on this model, which on a 35mm film equivalent is 28 - 112mm. The aperture of this model ranges from f/2.8 to f/16 and with this wide aperture, one can expect a significant amount of light to hit the lens in low light shots. Alternatively one can easily focus on a subject and achieve a fair amount of depth of field as well. The Canon camera also comes with lens-shift image stabilization, which helps in negating blur from images.

The camera features a high-resolution 3-inch screen at the rear, which sports a resolution of approximately 922,000 dots. This is becoming the new standard resolution of camera displays and resolutions below this look insufficient in providing the detail required. The optical viewfinder featured on the camera is crisp as well and it features a lot of detail. However, it does not provide 100 percent coverage.

The vari angle screen at the back

Being a professional camera, this model features the various dials needed for accessing different modes and settings. However, there are some features that need to be accessed from the interface, as well, such as adjusting white balance, bracketing, etc. The interface for this camera is really easy to use and unlike other professional point and shoot cameras, there is no learning curve that goes with this to operate the model. Since at the end of the day, this is a point and shoot camera, the brand has added scene modes as well into the mix, which allows for convenient shooting in different environments such as night scene, beach, underwater, foliage, snow, fireworks, etc,. Canon has added a range of filters too such as toy camera, posterize, colour accent and a range of others, which can be great for capturing creative photographs. Apart from these modes, the camera also sports two customizable modes, which is a common feature found on many DSLR cameras.

The hand grip featured at the front assists in the handling

Video recording at full HD 1080p is possible through this camera at 24fps or HD 720 at 30fps. The camera can capture images in 14-bit RAW as well as JPEG, the former format can be great for photographers during post-processing. Images can be stored on memory cards, such as SD, SDHC or SDXC. Rounding this section up, it is sufficient to say that Canon has added a range of features that can adhere to professional photographers, enthusiast level ones and/or even amateur photographers wanting to step-up and improve their photography skills.