Canon PowerShot G1 X Hands On

Updated 23 May, 2013, 10:27 am IST

Tuesday January 10 03:23 pm

The G1 X is quite bulky for a compact fixed-lens digital camera, which is likely to be no surprise to those familiar with G-series cameras. Its size is necessary to accommodate the large sensor and zoom lens to match, but if you're looking for a camera that will let you be much more discrete than when using a full-size DSLR, this might not be the best choice -- instead, you might want to check out Canon's S100 or older S95. Still, it is in fact quite a bit smaller and lighter, and while you won't want to use it to shoot a sporting event or a wedding, it's definitely better than having no large-sensor camera at all. The G1 X includes most of the functionality you'll find in a DSLR, including a dedicated mode dial, full-size hot shoe, and a pop-up flash. What you don't get, however, is a through-the-lens (TTL) viewfinder, so you'll need to make due with the secondary rangefinder-like viewfinder that zooms with the main lens, but displays a preview at a slightly different angle, making framing a bit inaccurate. There's also no manual zoom ring, so you'll need to use motorized zoom instead.