Canon Canon G1 X Mark II Announced and Looks Amazing

I think that I am genuinely starting to develop cold feet in considering the G1X Mark II over the original.

That's just fear of the unknown, Nic! What would have happened if Columbus had said, 'we can't go that far, I'm getting cold feet about the edge of the world'. Or if Captain Cook had said, 'I'm getting cold feet, I'm worried about dying a horrible death from being torn apart and eaten by cannibals'.

Um, wait a minute...
 
I am not into zooms, not into fixed lenses, and certainly not into the archaic lumbering beast called Canon. But this is almost an interesting camera. They just need to make the aperture restrictions work the other way. At 24mm I'd be content with f/4, so long as I had f/2 at 120 mm.
 
My doubts relate to how I use the MkI G1X, and specifically how I use it in relation to my other cameras. I think that if you were looking at either the MkI and MkII as your number one camera then yes, it would be hard to go past the MkII. Faster lens at longer focal lengths, a 24mm equivalent wide-angle setting, closer minimum focusing distance, what should be faster focusing, faster processor, touchscreen, etc, etc. A lot of things that make a camera easier to live with and easier to use in more varied conditions and when faster reflexes are required.

With the MkI G1X, the key features that I use are the flexibility of it's zoom lens, the very high levels of sharpness and clarity of the lens and sensor combination, the fits-like-a-glove size/weight/balance/ergonomics, and the utility of the fully articulated screen. The MkII might be able to tick all of the first three boxes, but it is the lack of the last feature that has me the most hesitant. The tilt-only screens are great in combination with touchscreen and fast AF for street photography, but that is a fairly limited use purpose for me and I don't see any way that the new G1X is going to better for that than an Olympus m4/3 camera (of which I have two :redface:) fitted with a prime lens. While they would be nice to have, I don't really need the G1X to do any of the things better that the MkII is advertised to do better.

I think that I tried to push it's limits further when I first got it, but with experience the G1X has turned into the camera where I stop, take my time, carefully consider all the angles, get the camera position just right (which is where the usefulness of the fully articulated screen comes in), usually take only ONE image, and then move on.

Really, I don't think that my doubts over the MkII G1X should have a great bearing on anyone else's decision to get one because they are solely based on me already owning and using the original G1X.
 
Canon US published 2 samples:
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consu...l_cameras/powershot_g1_x_mark_ii#SampleImages

thumbnail_sample_1.jpg

Shooting Mode: Background Defocus, 23.2mm f3.5
http://www.usa.canon.com/app/images/cameras/powershot/PS_G1X_Mark_II/sampleimg/original_sample_1.JPG


thumbnail_sample_2.jpg

12.5mm f6.3
http://www.usa.canon.com/app/images/cameras/powershot/PS_G1X_Mark_II/sampleimg/original_sample_2.JPG
 
^ Nice looking photos, but I love how Canon shows the 'Background Defocus' shooting mode by placing the model at the edge of a cliff where the background is hundreds of feet away. That's really showing off more of a technique for defocusing backgrounds with cameras with smaller sensors or lenses with smaller apertures than any 'mode specific' function of the camera.
 
^ Nice looking photos, but I love how Canon shows the 'Background Defocus' shooting mode by placing the model at the edge of a cliff where the background is hundreds of feet away. That's really showing off more of a technique for defocusing backgrounds with cameras with smaller sensors or lenses with smaller apertures than any 'mode specific' function of the camera.

Similar to those reviews that use macro distances to show how a particular point and shoot can create shallow DOF!
 
My excitement has died down until it gets into the hands of reviewers and the masses.

Everything looks good on paper, but I have my reservations. I can get an e-pl5 cheaper and I already have lenses for it.
 
This compact camera could be succicient for at least 90% I shoot. Since I have enjoyed shooting with my G12 so much (and I still do, even although I own the Olympus E-M5), this could be the perfect replacement for my G12.
 
I dismissed it because the lens is crap! After reading this review and many other,
I found the lens is very soft/blurry at F2.0, wide open.

http://www.monox.jp/digitalcamera-sp...g1xmk2-04.html

About half way down the page, you can see proof that the lens can't even resolve the 2 year old 13MP sensor.

http://www.monox.jp/img/canon_powers...125mm_f020.jpg

Once you get to about f4.0 it gets better (in the center), but then the corners get worse. This lens is one of the worse I've ever seen! It is way too big, heavy and definitely NOT worth $800
 
monox.jp seems to be down right now.

From day one nobody denied the lens and sensor quality of the original.
I didn't like the G1X very much but was off on a long haul holiday and wanted a new toy. By the time I got back I loved it.
I was so hoping that this version would be as good
 
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