Canon Canon Finally Go Mirrorless

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Canon finally go "mirrorless" (or something like it)

Canon PowerShot G1 X Preview: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review

The rumoured Canon "super compact" has arrived. Sensor between m4/3 and APS-C, fixed lens.


  • 14MP 1.5" CMOS sensor (18.7 x 14mm)
  • 28-112mm F2.8-5.8 lens
  • Optical viewfinder
  • ISO 100-12,800
  • 3.0", 920,000 dot swivelling LCD
  • Extensive manual control
  • 14-bit Raw shooting
  • 4.5fps continuous shooting (up to 6 frames)
  • 6.8Wh NB-10L battery rated at 250 shots (CIPA standard)
$800. It should sell by the truckload I imagine.


Its all go at the moment isn't it?
 
Wow, so it really IS a larger sensor - I was pretty sure 1.5" really meant 1/1.5, or basically the same as the 2/3 that the X10 has and is rumored for the new Samsung and new LX-6. But this is a different beast altogether. Not a terribly fast lens, but 2.8 shouldn't be bad paired with a sensor that close to APS. This is not a small camera, but its not obnoxiously large and it could be VERY capable. I wouldn't have bet on being able to get a zoom of that range with a sensor of that size in anything close to this small a package. Very cool! Don't know whether I'll end up interested, but this can't help but cause a bit of a reshuffling that will ultimately be good for all of us.

-Ray
 
I've always been surprised that no-one has done this before. It is basically a small(ish) camera with a big sensor and all the other perceived "attractions" of a compact. I can't see it failing to sell in its 10's or 100's of thousands.

Wow, so it really IS a larger sensor - I was pretty sure 1.5" really meant 1/1.5, or basically the same as the 2/3 that the X10 has and is rumored for the new Samsung and new LX-6. But this is a different beast altogether. Not a terribly fast lens, but 2.8 shouldn't be bad paired with a sensor that close to APS. This is not a small camera, but its not obnoxiously large and it could be VERY capable. I wouldn't have bet on being able to get a zoom of that range with a sensor of that size in anything close to this small a package. Very cool! Don't know whether I'll end up interested, but this can't help but cause a bit of a reshuffling that will ultimately be good for all of us.

-Ray
 
Shows I think the advantage of "coming late to market". There's an optical viewfinder and a flip out screen in there. Canon have pulled off a nice trick here, a competitor to the CSC's and yet not a competitor to their DSLR's. Looks very interesting. Makes Nikons direction with Nikon 1 look even stranger.
 
I've always been surprised that no-one has done this before. It is basically a small(ish) camera with a big sensor and all the other perceived "attractions" of a compact. I can't see it failing to sell in its 10's or 100's of thousands.

I've always assumed that combining this large a sensor with this large(ish) a zoom range was an insurmountable challenge in a small camera. And maybe it was - this isn't a small camera! But it's small enough to carry as an all-in-one and I agree they should sell a bunch. Then again, the slowness of the lens, particularly as you move up through the zoom range, suggests that it is still quite a challenge. It may be the large sensor version of the S90/95/100, the smallest body possible with whatever compromises you need to make to get it all inside. With slightly larger bodies, significantly faster lenses became possible in the XZ1 and X10 and EX1, so maybe someone else will come along and do a slightly larger version of this that will have reasonably faster glass throughout the range?? I don't see wanting this particular niche in my bag, but if I was a one camera kind of guy, this (or whatever comes next) might be a contender...

-Ray
 
Prototype for an ILC camera? I hope so. As for this particular camera, I'm not sure. Micro 4/3 redefined this class and size of camera years ago, and indeed I had a Canon G10 and G11 as a compact before switching across to Olympus/Panasonic. This camera feels like a bit of a tease i.e. here's the first half of the camera you wanted from us...
 
For those with more tech know how, could Canon have placed a faster lens and kept the package the same size? Weary of the in incremental improvement approach by most manufacturers.

The package looks attractive as an entry level DSLR replacement, assuming the auto focus is at least on par with a T3i. There wasn't anything mentioned about AF on any of the previews I read.

Bummed they got rid of the ISO dial.
 
Autofocus is going to be vital, and also how good the lens actually is. If they had to accept major compromises in the image quality, such as massive distortion at the wide end or general lens softness, that would put a damper on my interest.

But it looks really promising, 24mm would have been even nicer but it's not really surprising they stayed at 28.
1.9 fps continuous isn't impressive though, but I guess they don't want it to get too close to their DSLR line.

Sample images here http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/profe...s_digital_cameras/powershot_g1_x#SampleImages
 
That would have been a much nicer. But I guess 1.9 fps could be with full focusing and then 4-4.5 fps with locked focus/metering.

Edit:
The Canon US site claims "Continuous shooting speed is 4.5 fps." not sure what the 1.9 fps DPReview wrote is.
 
A decent camera, though not exciting.

It might be like my old XTi with the 17-85mm lens (FL eq of 28-135, stopping down to 5.6). It was a handy piece of kit, though I was never really "wowed" by the pics. So, this is utilitarian, but I'm not sure exciting.

Might check one out later, after prices drop. Interesting they've come up with their own sensor format.
 
Looks interesting. A compelling evolution of the G series. Might make a fantastic family or travel camera.

But I don't necessarily see it as a competitor to the standard CSC cameras. In my mind it's a choice between my Olympus XZ-1 and the G1X or Fuji X10 or etc... not the Ricoh GXR or Olympus EP3 or Sony NEX 7 or etc...
 
That would have been a much nicer. But I guess 1.9 fps could be with full focusing and then 4-4.5 fps with locked focus/metering.

Edit:
The Canon US site claims "Continuous shooting speed is 4.5 fps." not sure what the 1.9 fps DPReview wrote is.

Canon has always had the slowest continue fps except in their top line 1 series, so 1.9 didn't surprise me, lol. It'd be nice if they did, indeed, get up to at least 4fps, but my EPM1 is still faster, probably smaller and lighter, too. But Canon does have good sensor tech, so we'll have to see what the IQ is like.
 
Found the shooting speed

Continuous Shooting
Normal: Approx. 1.9 shots/sec. (in P mode), Approx. 4.5 shots/sec. (in High-speed Burst HQ mode)*
AF: Approx. 0.7 shots/sec. (in P mode)
LV: Approx. 0.7 shots/sec. (in P mode)

Canon has priced it to compete with m43, NEX and Nikon 1 series. It really needs to deliver in the image quality department to be able to do that because feature wise I think the others are ahead.
 
I've always assumed that combining this large a sensor with this large(ish) a zoom range was an insurmountable challenge in a small camera. And maybe it was - this isn't a small camera!

Indeed. I always imagined a less ambitious zoom. I would guess that there's a hell of a lot of in camera correction going on with this lens as it is

Prototype for an ILC camera? I hope so. As for this particular camera, I'm not sure. Micro 4/3 redefined this class and size of camera years ago, and indeed I had a Canon G10 and G11 as a compact before switching across to Olympus/Panasonic. This camera feels like a bit of a tease i.e. here's the first half of the camera you wanted from us...

It saves them going through all the rigmarole of a standard zoom, a pancake, a telephoto zoom, a lens road map, the "yes we're going to release sexier lenses in the future, honest!" statements. Its obviously cheaper and easier to make and it saves them getting into "mines bigger / smaller than yours" type conversations with other manufacturers, saves them having to play "catch up" and going toe to toe with Sony or Panasonic, or having to compromise their DSLR (large or small) range. Its just a "here it is and its got a big sensor" type deal and I can see lots of people going for it.

I've always thought they wouldn't go the CSC route, as though they are pretty much the market leaders in digital cameras, it would still be a large and long-term investment, and in a global recession would that be the way to go?

I agree with you comments about m4/3, and I think that Canon would have had to come out with with something substantial and almost approaching a complete system from scratch in order to compete. Fuji can probably do it because they don't have much else going on apart from their compacts, but Canon are into high end / medium range / beginners DSLR's, compacts, high-end pro video etc. and have to keep a lot of balls in the air at the same time. It strikes me as a good move, and a surprising one. Its not a camera for me, as Ive been searching for (and probably found) the "pro" CSC that I wanted with the NEX-7, but I do appreciate that its a very attractive package for those Canon (and other) users who like the idea of small and light but haven't been convinced by anything as yet. Just the name on it will convince a lot of people to shell out $800 and from the specs. it seems that they will probably be getting a pretty decent package.
 
Wish they had done a ring control ala S95. That would have been sweet. But it's nice to see Canon finally allow +/- 3 EV (instead of their usual +/- 2)
 
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