Canon Digital Rev's Canon G1X review

There are some images on flickr from this camera and i must say they are very impressive indeed. Low light/high ISO looks very clean and the images really pop where areas are in focus. OK it's not 1.8-2.5 which is a shame but for a general use walk about camera it looks very impressive to me. The good thing about these type of cameras is they they can do so much well. I'm thinking street where this camera could be pretty awesome!
 
They had to shrink the zoom just to get that variable f stop, the lens itself is also bigger than previous models, the lens would have been
huge to get to a f 1.8 type design. They would have only been able to get a 2-3X zoom to get it faster
 
For the size of the camera and the size of the sensor, I don't think there was ever a choice to use a faster lens. We are talking compact cameras here, right? A faster lens would have resulted in a monster or another small sensor compact like the XZ-1, LX5, et al. No bad thing I suppose, but given the choice I would take the G1X over either of those two (assuming Canon hasn't royally screwed something up on the G1X). I have to consider that the majority of my photography does not involve shooting lenses wide open, and the way a larger sensor draws an image is too big a carrot for me to pass up. Ultimately I would choose an interchangable lens compact over all three, which is why the G1X will likely not be on my radar (unless a bout of curiousity strikes in a year or two when these are going for < $400 second-hand).
 
I am still excited. The slow lens does not bother me because the sensor is so large and Canon's IS is so excellent. Although the lens is slower than the G12 at the long end, the G1X will still have a big advantage.
 
I'm not fussed about the slow lens either. I'm looking forward to it. The kind of photography I do doesn't really need a super fast lens, adjusting shutter speed and ISO is enough compensation. As for Kai's review... well, if you can get past the dross and the innuendo, it seems he's quite impressed with it, overall.

The thing is... dont expect it to *be* a DSLR. Its a big compact. That is all. The IQ is going to be fabulous.
 
I would be excited, but after having the EPM1 AF speed, I can't go back to being frustrated with CDAF. Everything else, though, I really like on this camera!

Kai makes a couple of errors though -- e.g. he compares the size to m43, and says the G1X is "bigger" -- which it isn't, unless you are counting body only. You shouldn't compare a zoom to a fixed FL pancake. The other is, he keeps saying the m43 sensor is smaller. That's true, but by a very marginal amount. They are really practically the same size.

Still, I'm used to Kai's reviews, to it was nice to see him review this one, and it's very hand-on (if a bit over-the-top!)
 
Just my thoughts, prefrences, but for my use, a 28 to 80 equiv faster lens would have been excellent. I understand that it's not what the masses want.

I agree. A 28-80/2.8 constant would be a stone cold winner. But is that possible in the G1X body (which is already bigger/chunkier than most would prefer)? I'd love to know what the curve looks like relative to lens size, zoom range, speed, and cost.
 
I suspect a lot of people would have shared the wish for a faster constant f2.8 lens, but there are wishes and then there are miracles.


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I suspect a lot of people would have shared the wish for a faster constant f2.8 lens, but there are wishes and then there are miracles.


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LOL that image says it all, unless we develop holographic virtual lenses that image is pretty much what you'd get.
I ambivalent about this new camera. From the Single in January I found, despite my emotional inclinations, that I really really like the results the fast zoom and superb IS yield on my xz-1.
Whether the G1X better high ISO performance and equally good IS would make up for the slower lens and larger size I am not sure of.
That being said I am taking my E-PL2 and 14-42mm II with today...
 
The 17-55 on the G1X is certainly worth a thousand words (at least). Can someone break down the physics and math at a Lens Design for Dummies level? We've got the Fuji X10 with a much smaller sensor and a 28-112 f/2.0 - 2.8 lens. If the sensor size goes from 58.1 sq mm to 262 sq mm (I think those are right for X10 and G1X) what happens to lens design and why?

From wikipedia: Sensor format and lens size

It might be expected that lenses appropriate for a range of sensor sizes could be produced by simply scaling the same designs in proportion to the crop factor.[8] Such an exercise would in theory produce a lens with the same F-number and angle of view, with a size proportional to the sensor crop factor. In practice, simple scaling of lens designs is not always achievable, due to factors such as the non-scalability of manufacturing tolerance, structural integrity of glass lenses of different sizes and available manufacturing techniques and costs. Moreover, to maintain the same absolute amount of information in an image (which can be measured as the space bandwidth product[9]) the lens for a smaller sensor requires a greater resolving power. The development of the 'Tessar' lens is discussed by Nasse,[10] and shows its transformation from an f/6.3 lens for plate cameras using the original three-group configuration through to an f/2.8 5.2 mm four-element optic with eight extremely aspheric surfaces, economically manufacturable because of its small size. Its performance is 'better than the best 35 mm lenses – but only for a very small image'.

In summary, as sensor size reduces, the accompanying lens designs will change, often quite radically, to take advantage of manufacturing techniques made available due to the reduced size. The functionality of such lenses can also take advantage of these, with extreme zoom ranges becoming possible. These lenses are often very large in relation to sensor size, but with a small sensor can be fitted into a compact package.


I guess it comes down to "taking advantage of manufacturing techniques made available due to reduced size". Wow - could that be any less informative?
 
I admit that my G9 + EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 example may have been a bit extreme since:

- There are smaller constant f/2.8 APS-C zooms around (Tamron and Sigma)
- The G1X sensor is slightly smaller than APS-C
- The flange distance is shorter than an EOS SLR

However, none of us really know what a constant f/2.8 lens for a large-sensor mirrorless camera is going to look like since no manufacturer has built one yet. The closest we've seen are the mock-ups for the Panasonic 12-25mm m4/3 lens, but that particular lens has been on the rumour mill for quite some time now.

I find it hard not to like the G1X. Despite the complete change in design it sounds exactly like every G-series camera has since the G7: solid, dependable, great controls, a bit slow...but this time it features virtually DSLR image quality. I think that in practise it will be a much better camera than it's lens specs and the early reviews might suggest. Serious bokeh junkies need not apply :)
 
I admit that my G9 + EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 example may have been a bit extreme since:

- There are smaller constant f/2.8 APS-C zooms around (Tamron and Sigma)
- The G1X sensor is slightly smaller than APS-C
- The flange distance is shorter than an EOS SLR

However, none of us really know what a constant f/2.8 lens for a large-sensor mirrorless camera is going to look like since no manufacturer has built one yet. The closest we've seen are the mock-ups for the Panasonic 12-25mm m4/3 lens, but that particular lens has been on the rumour mill for quite some time now.

I find it hard not to like the G1X. Despite the complete change in design it sounds exactly like every G-series camera has since the G7: solid, dependable, great controls, a bit slow...but this time it features virtually DSLR image quality. I think that in practise it will be a much better camera than it's lens specs and the early reviews might suggest. Serious bokeh junkies need not apply :)
Bokeh or shallow DOF is not all larger sensors are about, subtle DOF effect contribute to a depth or sense of dimensionality in an image.
this image
1172483698_8e19d1fc51_b.jpg

was shot with my old K100d and the 18-55mm, f8 at 55mm.
The background while not blurred is just enough OOF to separate the bird.
This was the first shot I had this sense while using digital.
So yes, Virginia, there is an attraction to this Uber-G-Series camera for me ;)
 
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