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Having received one of the early production units of Canon's 14.3-megapixel PowerShot G1X we're now able to produce a full review of this exciting new camera, which is due for release in March.  The G1X slots into the flagship position in Canon's G series without replacing the PowerShot G12 (which will remain on sale for the foreseeable future). For additional background information, check out our detailed 'first look' by clicking here.

Angled front view of the G1X. (Source: Canon.)

Build and Ergonomics
If anything, the G1X feels slightly more solid than recent G-series PowerShots, probably because more body parts have been fabricated from metal, harking back to earlier models. Despite the differences in sensor sizes, the G1X is only 4 mm wider and taller than the G12, although it's 16.4 mm thicker because a larger lens is required with the much larger sensor. The weight difference is only 137 grams.


Front view of the G1X. (Source: Canon.)

Aside from the changed lens sizes, the main difference between the front panels of the G1X and G12 is the built-in flash. The G1X has a pop-up flash tucked into the camera body, while on the G12 the flash panel is visible on the front of the camera. Neither camera's flash is far enough off the lens axis to eliminate red eyes in flash shots but both cameras include red-eye correction during playback.

The grip moulding on the G1X is slightly taller and marginally deeper than on the G12, making it more comfortable to hold but the moulding for the front dial wheel is smaller and slightly shallower. The AF-assist/self-timer LED and optical viewfinder window are in the same positions on both cameras, as is the ring release button and lens ring that is removed when attaching accessory lenses.

Top view of the G1X. (Source: Canon.)

The most radical changes have been made to the top panel. The ISO dial on the G12 has been replaced with the exposure compensation dial, which has been moved from the left hand side of the top panel to allow the flash to be recessed. The Quick Shot and Low Light modes on the mode dial are replaced with the Discrete mode, which was introduced at CES 2011 (details below).

The shutter release button with surrounding zoom ring and the power on/off button are in the same places. So is the flash hot-shoe, which accepts Canon's Speedlites.  A slider switch for popping up the flash is located to the left of the hot-shoe. The lugs for the supplied neck strap are in the same places as on the G12 but tucked more closely into the camera body.

Back view of the G1X with the monitor reversed. (Source: Canon.)

Changes on the rear panel are largely cosmetic and involve some minor re-allocation of button functions. Most important involved shifting the ISO settings down to the arrow pad, where they replace the manual focus setting.

A dedicated button for movie recording replaces the G12's AE/FE button, while this function is shifted down to replace the metering mode settings on the G12. There were a couple of instances when we inadvertently pressed the movie button while shifting the position of our thumb on the grip pad so we feel this button should be relocated in future models.

The metering modes have been relocated to what was the Display button on the G12, while the Display settings replace the self-timer modes on the down button of the arrow pad. As on the G12, the arrow pad is surrounded by a control dial that lets you select and adjust certain camera settings and scroll through images in playback mode. (Many of these operations can also be carried out with the directional buttons on the arrow pad.)

The LCD monitor on the G1X is slightly larger than the G12's monitor and has double the resolution (922,000 dots). Its aspect ratio is 4:3 and, like the G12's monitor, it can be tilted through approximately 175 degrees and rotated through 270 degrees. Five levels of brightness adjustment are provided.

Display options for shooting include the same extensive range of camera settings as the G12 provides.  In playback mode, shots can be displayed with or without basic information, as thumbnail plus detailed information including brightness or RGB histograms and as thumbnail plus enlarged section in the Focus Check display.

Unfortunately, the viewfinder on the G1X is a let-down, being small and rather tunnel-like.  As in previous G-series cameras, it only covers 77% of the field of view, although in bright light it's better than point-and-guess shooting with the monitor. Dioptric adjustment of -3 to +1 dpt is provided via a knurled wheel on the left side of the finder housing.

Since using the viewfinder also conserves power, it's a shame Canon didn't improve this aspect of the camera's design. Owners of previous G-series cameras should be accustomed to making the required framing adjustments when composing shots, although most would prefer much wider frame coverage.

Two indicator lights to the right of the viewfinder display status messages as shown in the table below.

USB and HDMI ports are located beneath a lift-up cover on the right hand side of the camera body. Like the G12, the G1X's battery and memory card share a compartment in the base of the camera.

The batteries in both cameras appear to be similar, although the G12 uses an NB-7L, while the G1X uses the newer NB-10L, which is also used in the PowerShot SX40 HS. Power consumption is slightly higher in the G1X (or the battery capacity has been reduced due to recent changes to Japanese government regulations). The G1X's battery is CIPA rated for 250 shots/charge when the monitor is on or 700 shots with it off, whereas the G12 is rated for 370 shots/charge with the monitor on or 1000 shots with it off.

Sensor and Image Processing
The G1X's 15-megapixel sensor is brand new and developed specifically for the camera, where it supports a maximum effective resolution of 14.3 megapixels. It's almost as tall as the 'APS-C sized' sensor in Canon's EOS 600D and has the same 4.3µm pixel pitch and structure as the EOS 600D's sensor.

It's larger than the M4/3 sensors, which also have 4:3 aspect ratios, and significantly bigger than the sensors in the Nikon 1 models.  The diagram below illustrates the differences.

The chip is 6.3x larger in area than the sensor in the PowerShot G12 and has a diagonal measurement 2.5x longer.  The larger imager size and improvements to the configuration of the microlenses on the sensor enable it to capture 4.5 times more light per pixel than the G12's sensor.

Other refinements include on-chip noise cancellation technology to suppress fixed-pattern noise caused by variations between pixel amplifiers plus one-line, four-channel readout from multiple pixels simultaneously.

These changes dramatically reduce image noise at high ISO settings and provide superior low-light performance and greater control over depth of field (and, consequently differential blurring of backgrounds). The ability to process large amounts of high-quality image data quickly underpins the G1X's continuous shooting modes.

Coupled to the sensor is the latest DIGIC 5 image processor, which was introduced with the PowerShot SX40 HS. Designed to provide the high processing speeds necessary for Full HD video recording and fast continuous shooting at high resolution, this chip claims to be six times faster and create 75% less noise than the DIGIC 4 processor in the G12. 

The G1X's top shutter speed of 1/4000 second is unchanged from previous G-series cameras. It also supports exposures of up to 60 seconds in the Tv and M shooting modes. Its ISO range spans from 100 to 12800, a significant increase on the G12's top of ISO 3200.

Like its predecessors, the G1X supports JPEG and raw file capture, along with simultaneous RAW+JPEG recording. It also provides five selectable aspect ratios for recording JPEG images, which are obtained by cropping the frame, either at top and bottom or along both sides.

Raw files  are never cropped and always recorded at 4352 x 3264 pixels. Selecting RAW+JPEG via the Func./Set button sets the camera to record a raw file and a Large/Fine JPEG file with each shot, both at 4352 x 3264 pixels. The aspect ratio is fixed at 4:3 with this setting.

Raw files are losslessly compressed  and, as in Canon's EOS DSLRs, the processor applies 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion to give users more image data to work with. JPEG compression ratios are much the same as the G12's and relatively modest with the Fine setting, but heavier with the Normal mode. Typical image sizes for the 4:3 aspect ratio are shown in the table below.

Note: When the aspect ratio is changed and the image area is cropped, image files become a little smaller. The exception is for M2 images captured with the 16:9 aspect ratio, which have an area of 1920 x 1080 pixels and are, therefore, larger.

Shooting Modes
The mode dial carries the necessary P, Av, Tv and M shooting modes along with two Custom memories where frequently-used combinations of settings can be stored for quick recall.  The 'Intelligent' Auto (point-and-press) mode includes automatic scene detection, motion detection, face detection and subject detection and can select the most appropriate scene type from 32 pre-sets. With Face Detection AF, the AF frame can be moved and fixed on a specified face.

The Discrete mode disables the flash and switches off the AF-assist light as well as suppressing all camera sounds so you don't attract attention. It's ideal for shooting in places like museums and concert halls and also good for taking candid shots and photographing babies and small children who can be disturbed by the bright beam from the AF-assist light.

The Special Scene mode contains 14 pre-sets, most of which have been ported across from other Canon cameras. Among them are the multi-shot HDR (high dynamic range) mode, the Smart Shutter mode (with Smile triggering plus Wink and Face self-timers) and the Movie Digest mode, which was introduced at the end of April, 2011.

In the latter mode, the camera will record both a still image and up to four-seconds of VGA-quality movie pre-recorded while the shutter button is half-pressed before the still frame is captured. At the end of the day, these clips are compiled into a single folder, which allows users to share the highlights of a day's shooting on YouTube and Facebook.

Creative Filter effects include the standard High-dynamic Range, Nostalgic, Fisheye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Colour Accent and Colour Swap settings. My Colours modes (which can only be applied to JPEGs) are Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green and Vivid Red.

Four continuous shooting settings are provided, the highest burst speed being 4.5 frames/second (fps) with a maximum of six frames. The standard frame rate is 1.9 fps, which should allow shots to be processed on-the-fly, thereby extending the number of shots per burst. In both cases, focus and exposure are fixed on the first frame in the burst.

Continuous AF allows the lens to re-focus as shots are recorded to allow for subject movement. The fastest frame rate is 0.7 fps with this setting. The same frame rate applies when bursts are recorded with the monitor used for shot composition as it takes time to refresh the display.

Although the G1X doesn't include the the  Super Slow Motion Movie modes provided in the PowerShot S100, otherwise its movie modes are similar.  Three settings are available: Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) at 24 fps, HD (1280 x 720 pixels) at 30 fps and 640 x 480 pixels at 30 fps. The table below shows typical recording times for each setting (which are the same as for the S100).

Autofocusing and zooming are supported while video clips are being recorded and the menu includes a wind cut filter that can be switched on or off. Many of the scene pre-sets and some of the built-in special effects can also be used in movie mode.

The camera can also apply scene recognition to match shooting parameters with pre-programmed scene pre-sets. Most effects produce similar results for both still pictures and video clips.

Camera Settings
The user interface in the G1X is a cross between the G12 and Canon's EOS DSLR cameras. Although most menu pages duplicate the functions provided in the G12, the G1X's menu lets users customise certain camera controls as in EOS cameras. You can allocate different settings to the front and rear control dials in different shooting modes and also register different functions to the S button, as in the G12.

The clock function from the G12 is provided in the new camera. Holding down the Func/Set button displays the current time on the monitor and you can rotate the rear control dial to select the colour from green, pink, blue and black. The display rotates with the camera's orientation.

Power saving is available for both shooting and playback. In the former, the screen switches off about a minute after the camera was last used and the lens retracts and power turns off after two more minutes. In playback mode the camera switches off roughly five minutes after it was last operated. Users can adjust the time before the screen turns off and turn off power saving.

The G1X provides the ability to embed copyright information in images; a first in a compact camera.  The menu pages are similar to the EOS1100D, with a dedicated page that lets users display copyright information, enter the author's name and copyright information and also delete unwanted data. A separate page with an alphanumeric keyboard is provided for entering data.

Playback and Software
The playback mode on the G1X is similar to other G-series cameras and provides the same standard playback functions, including single and index displays, auto rotation, magnified playback for focus checking and slideshow playback. You can switch between four display modes, ranging from no data through to detailed information plus histogram (brightness and RGB) and enlargement for focus checking. 

Users can display an Overexposure Warning on shots, scroll through images using the rear dial, create new folders, allocate shots to different My Category settings, filter shots for playback and advance and reverse through magnified images. The standard Jump and Auto Play functions are also provided, along with Movie Digest viewing and DPOF (Print Order/Image transfer) tagging.

In-camera editing options include cropping, resizing, My Colours and iContrast adjustments, and Red-eye Correction. Movie clips can be trimmed to remove unwanted footage and saved separately or over-written on the original clip.

The software disk includes the latest versions of Canon's Digital Camera Solution Disk applications: ImageBrowser/ZoomBrowser and PhotoStitch as well as Digital Photo Professional, Canon's standard raw file converter.

Performance
Test shots taken with the review camera showed all the characteristics we expected, given the G1X's heritage. Colours were attractively rendered and the dynamic range in shots was as wide as we found with the EOS 600D. In-camera processing was minimal for most JPEGs, although some shots would benefit from a little unsharp masking at the editing stage.

We encountered very few problems with backlit subjects and found no instances of flare, even when the camera was pointed directly towards the sun with the sun partly obscured by cloud. The iContrast setting was handy when shooting backlit subjects and scenes with a wide brightness range, as shown in the sample images below.

Shots taken at high ISO settings were consistently clean and noise-free up to ISO 6400. Long exposures at higher ISO settings showed signs of softening due to noise-reduction processing but flash shots at ISO 12800 remained remarkably sharp.

Exposure metering was consistently reliable with all three metering patterns, provided they were used appropriately. Autofocusing was reasonably fast and accurate in normal lighting and surprisingly good in low light levels. However, AF lag was perceptible when the subject contrast was very low, although the review camera showed little or no tendency to hunt for focus in such conditions.

One weakness of the lens is its close focusing capability, which is limited to 40 cm for the normal AF range and 20 cm with the 'macro' focus setting - but only at the 15.1mm focal length. Zoom in and the closest focusing distance becomes 1.3 metres at 60.4mm or 85 cm with the 'macro' mode.

We had to use Canon's Digital Photo Professional software to convert raw files from the review camera into editable TIFF format because our standard converter, Adobe Camera Raw, had not been updated to include the G1X. Imatest showed high ISO performance to be up to expectations, with raw files producing superior figures at all sensitivity settings. The graph below shows the results from JPEG and  CR2.RAW files across the G1X's sensitivity range.

The lens also provided superior performance, with best results coming from the middle-range focal lengths and aperture settings a stop or two smaller than maximum aperture. The graph below shows the result of our tests on JPEG files at different aperture settings.

Lateral chromatic aberration remained negligible at all lens apertures and focal length settings. The graph below shows the results of our tests, with the red line indicating the boundary between negligible and low CA.

The auto white balance setting produced close-to-neutral colours under fluorescent lighting but, as expected, failed to eliminate the orange cast that characterises incandescent illumination. The tungsten and fluorescent pre-sets corrected both colour casts without overdoing the adjustment.

Manual measurement produced interesting  results, with neutral colours under incandescent lighting and traces of magenta remaining with fluorescent lighting. It's easy to suppress all but the strongest colour casts with the adjustments provided.

While in the white balance selection  settings (accessed via the Func/Set button), adjustments along the amber/blue axis are controlled through the front control dial, while the magenta/green adjustments are made with the rear dial.

Flash performance was extremely good for the relatively low guide number of the flash. Exposures were consistent from ISO 100 to ISO 12800, which is quite an achievement, given the exposure range. The influence of ambient lighting at the highest ISO  settings was also very slight, enabling colour accuracy to be maintained throughout the camera's sensitivity range.

Our timing tests were carried out with a 32GB SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC U1 card, which was formatted in the camera and is among the fastest available.  The review camera took about a second to power up (and slightly less to shut down).  

Shot-to-shot times averaged 2.35 seconds for JPEGs without flash and 3.9 seconds with. For CR2.RAW shots, this extended to 2.5 seconds, while RAW+JPEG pairs could be recorded at 2.8 second intervals, on average.

We measured an average capture lag of 0.6 seconds, which was reduced to a consistent 0.1 seconds with pre-focusing for JPEGs. raw files and RAW+JPEG pairs. Going by the blinking indicator next to the viewfinder, it took 3.1 seconds to process each high-resolution JPEG image, 3.6 seconds for a raw file and 3.9 seconds for each RAW+JPEG pair.

As with the PowerShot G12, continuous shooting was not particularly fast because processing takes place as bursts are recorded. Focus and exposure are fixed at the first frame.

We captured a burst of 10 Large/Fine JPEGs in seven seconds, which is considerably slower than the G12's burst speed but meets the G1X specifications for live view shooting. It took 3.3 seconds to complete processing of this burst.

When we swapped to shooting raw files the camera slowed slightly after three shots, which were recorded at 1.5-second intervals, capturing the remaining shots at intervals of two seconds. A burst of 10 CR2.RAW frames was recorded in 17.2 seconds, with processing being completed within 3.3 seconds of the last frame being recorded.

In RAW+JPEG mode, burst capture rates were the same as for raw files and the capacity of the camera to continue shooting was unchanged.  However, processing wasn't completed until 4.2 seconds after the last shot was taken.

High-speed continuous shooting is only accessible via the Scene menu and your ability to control camera settings is severely restricted.  Our tests showed the review camera could match the specified maximum capture rate of 4.5 frames/second for six frames but it took almost 4 seconds to process the burst.

Buy this camera if:
- You want a compact digital camera with DSLR-like controls.
- You're interested in shooting raw files.
- You want effective image stabilisation for stills and video clips.
- You require high resolution and low noise levels at high ISO settings.
- You'd like the ability to shoot HD video clips.

Don't buy this camera if:
- You will only shoot JPEG files.
- You require high burst speeds and buffer capacity plus fast cycle times for processing shots.

IMATEST GRAPHS
For JPEG files.

For CR2.RAW files processed with Digital Photo Professional.

SAMPLE IMAGES

Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.

Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.

15.1mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/9.


60.4 mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/400 second at f/8.


1.5x digital zoom; 60.4 mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/200 second at f/8.


1.9x digital zoom; 60.4 mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/320 second at f/8.


Standard digital zoom setting; 60.4 mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/6480 second at f/8.


Close-up with macro focus setting; 15.1mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/50 second at f/5.6.


60-second exposure at ISO 100; 21mm focal length f/4.


10-second exposure at ISO 1600; 21mm focal length f/6.3.


6-second exposure at ISO 6400; 21mm focal length f/9.


6-second exposure at ISO 12800; 21mm focal length f/10.


Flash exposure at ISO 100; 60.4 mm focal length, 1/60  second at f/5.8.


Flash exposure at ISO 1600; 60.4 mm focal length, 1/60  second at f/5.8.


Flash exposure at ISO 6400; 60.4 mm focal length, 1/60  second at f/5.8.


Flash exposure at ISO 12800; 60.4 mm focal length, 1/80  second at f/5.8.

16:9 aspect ratio; 60mm focal length, ISO 125, 1/160 second at f/9.


3:2 aspect ratio; 60mm focal length, ISO 125, 1/160 second at f/9.


4:3 aspect ratio; 60mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/320 second at f/9.


1:1 aspect ratio; 60mm focal length, ISO 125, 1/160 second at f/9.


4:5 aspect ratio; 60mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/9.

 
Strong contre-jour lighting; 26mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/800 second at f/8.


Backlit subject with iContrast switched off; 15.1mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/125 second at f/8.


Backlit subject with Auto iContrast; 15.1mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/8.


Backlit subject with iContrast set at 200%; 15.1mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/9.


Backlit subject with iContrast set at 400%;34mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/640 second at f/8.

15.1mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/200 second at f/8.


40 mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/60 second at f/5.


60.4 mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/320 second at f/5.8.


60.4 mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/125 second at f/8.


15.1 mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/5.6.


15.1 mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/30 second at f/6.3.


Still frame from Full HD 1080p video clip in normal outdoor  lighting.


Still frame from Full HD 1080p video clip in indoor  lighting.


Still frame from HD 720p video clip in normal outdoor lighting.


Still frame from HD 720p video clip in indoor  lighting.

Still frame from VGA video clip in normal outdoor  lighting.


Still frame from VGA video clip in indoor  lighting.

Image sensor: 1.5-inch type (18.7 x 14.0 mm) High Sensitivity CMOS Sensor with 15 million photosites (14.3 megapixels effective)
Image processor: DIGIC 5
A/D processing: 14-bit
Lens: 15.1-60.4 mm, f/2.8-f/5.8 (28-112mm in 35mm format)
Focal length crop factor: 1.85x
Zoom ratio: 4x optical, up to 4x digital
Image formats: Stills - CR2.RAW, JPEG (Exif 2.3), RAW+JPEG; Movies - MOV (H.264/PCM audio, 2-channel stereo)
Image Sizes: Stills (4:3 aspect ratio) - 4352 x 3264, 3072 x 2304, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480; Movies - Full HD 1920x1080 at 24fps; 1280 x 720 and 640 x 480 at 30 fps
Image Stabilisation: Lens Shift Type optical, approx 4 steps
Shutter speed range: 1-1/4000 second in Auto mode; up to 60 seconds in Manual and Tv modes
Exposure Compensation: +/-  3 stops in 1/3-stop increments (+/- 2 for exposure shift)
Self-timer: 2 or 10 seconds delay
Focus system: TTL Autofocus with Face AiAF, Tracking AF, Centre, FlexiZone frames; range 40 cm to infinity; macro to 20 cm
Focus modes: Single/Continuous AF, Servo AF (with Servo AE), Manual
Exposure metering: TTL metering with Evaluative, Centre-weighted average & Spot patterns
Shooting modes: Intelligent Auto (with Scene Detection), P, Tv, Av, M, C1, C2, Discreet,  Movie,  Special Scene  (Movie Digest, Portrait, Landscape, Kids & Pets, Sports, Smart Shutter with Smile, Wink Self-timer & Face Self-timer, High-speed Burst HQ, Handheld Night Scene, Beach, Underwater, Foliage, Snow, Firework, Stitch Assist)
Creative Filters: High-dynamic Range, Nostalgic, Fisheye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Colour Accent, Colour Swap
Colour space options: sRGB (JPEG), Adobe RGB available for raw files
ISO range: Auto, ISO 100-12800 in 1/3EV steps
White balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater, Custom 1, Custom 2
Flash: Built-in flash with Auto, on, off, Red Eye Correction, Red Eye Reduction, Slow Synchro, Second Curtain Synchro, FE Lock, Safety FE modes plus Manual Flash Output; range - 50 cm to 7.0 metres; hot-shoe for Canon EX series Speedlites
Flash exposure adjustment: +/- 2 EV
Sequence shooting: Max. 4.5 fps for 6 frames; AF and LV approx 0.7 frames/sec
Storage Media: SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards
Viewfinder: Real-image optical zoom viewfinder with dioptric adjustment (-3.0 - + 1.0m-1 dpt); 77% FOV coverage
LCD monitor: 3-inch Vari-Angle LCD with 922,000 dots
Playback functions: Single-frame, Index, Blink Detection, Scroll Playback, Folder Creation, Hints and Tips display, Red-eye Correction, Slideshow, My Category, Index, Resize, Magnified, Focus Check, Advancing and Reversing through magnified images, Jump, Auto Rotate, Histogram, Overexposure Warning, Auto Play
Interface terminals: USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mini-B compatible), HDMI
Power supply: NB-10L rechargeable lithium-ion battery; CIPA rated for approx. 250 shots/ charge when LCD monitor is used for shooting or 700 shots  when viewfinder is used
Dimensions (wxhxd): 116.7 x 80.5 x 64.7 mm
Weight: Approx. 492 grams (body only); approx. 534 grams with battery and SD card