While the 14.3MP CMOS sensor, 4x optical zoom, raw shooting and Full HD video recording and other impressive specifications of the Canon PowerShot G1 X sound great, we were a little concerned at how big this compact camera would be.
But these fears were put to rest when we got our hands on a sample camera to review at CES 2012.
As you can see from the images and video below, the Canon PowerShot G1 X sits comfortably in the hands and has the familiar styling of earlier Canon PowerShot G series compact cameras such as the Canon PowerShot G12 and Canon PowerShot G11.
brightcove : 1379069983001Although it is a little bulkier and heavier than the G12, the G1 X is still very much a compact camera.
The slightly angular, rubberised finger grip provides good purchase, but the weight associated with the the f/2.8-5.8 lens means that the camera is more comfortable to hold two-handed rather than one-handed.
Like the Canon G12, the new Canon G1 X features plenty of manual control to suit enthusiast photographers.
In a change from the control arrangement of the Canon G12, the exposure compensation dial of the G1 X sits under the exposure mode dial on the top-plate. On the G12, this space is occupied by the sensitivity (ISO) control.
Sensitivity is set on the Canon PowerShot G1 X via the up option on the navigation pad on the back of the camera. This change may have been forced by the G1 X's larger number of ISO settings - Canon's engineers would struggle to fit them all on one dial.
The space this change creates on the left side of the Canon G1 X (as you hold the camera) has been taken up by the pop-up flash, whereas the G12 has a fixed unit.
With 920,000 dots, the 3-inch PureColor II vari-angle LCD screen on the Canon G1 X is a noticeble improvement on the 2.8-inch, 416,000 dot device of the G12. Images appear bright and sharp on this tiltable display.
The optical viewfinder (OVF) is also large enough to be usable, although the lens barrel can be seen in the bottom-left corner.
We used the Canon G1 X in fairly low light conditions, but the autofocus (AF) system performed pretty well, focusing quickly on subjects with strong contrast. With low contrast subjects there was a quick back and forwards adjustment before the subject was made sharp, but this is hardly unusual with a contrast detection system.
Priced at almost £700 in the UK or around $799 in the US, the Canon G1 X is an expensive compact camera, and there are several DSLR kits available for less money. The Canon EOS 600D, for example, can be bought with the 18-55mm IS II lens for £550. However, compact cameras are used in a different way to DSLRs, and are often taken out when a larger camera is impractical.
It is also worth noting that the RRP of the 14.3MP Canon PowerShot G1 X is cheaper than the full cost of the popular Fuji X100, which can be found on offer for around £750.
As its pixels are the same size as the Canon EOS 600D's, Canon G1 X users shouldn't be making too much of a compromise when they decide to travel light.
Having had a play with a pre-production sample of the Canon G1 X, we can't wait to get a final production model in to run through our lab tests.
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