So, Ray... so far your observations about the G7X have been generally positive, but also measured, as you have continued to learn and use the camera. What would you say at this point? A "strongly recommended"? The results certainly look good to me. This is the first camera that I can see replacing my Fuji XF1 as my truly pocketable all-rounder. Even the RX100 and RX100 II didn't move me enough.
I'm real positive about it Steve. I mean, it is what it is. I don't look for high end optical performance out of a compact zoom or for gobs and gobs of soft creamy bokeh. But short of extreme pixel peeping, I think the image quality is very very good, and exceptional for a pocket camera. It's good in low light, exceptional for a pocket camera. The lens is a little soft at the extreme focal lengths wide open but quite sharp stopped down about two thirds of a stop. It's zoom range is what I was looking for with a good 24mm wide angle and a useable portrait length of 100mm.
It solved my biggest objection to the RX100, by providing shooter friendly controls that makes the camera a blast to shoot with. Anything I've wanted to do with this camera I could figure out an intuitive way to do it, to get in and out of different shooting setups quickly and easily, etc. Stuff that took kludges and workarounds on the RX100 come really naturally and easily on this one. And, to my surprise, it's also a really good street camera for my specific set of street shooting preferences. This may not mean anything to many others, but it's sort of an acid test for me. A lot of really good cameras don't allow me to shoot the way I like to on the street. This does. So if it can satisfy me in this area where I'm VERY demanding, it's probably got a lot of other tricks up it's sleave too for most other types of shooting.
I've never really been happy with any compact fixed lens zoom as a regular camera before. I think the primary reason is that the gap in IQ between those and my other gear was just SOOOO big that I almost never grabbed the compact. The RX100 had the IQ but it was a camera I never enjoyed using at all, so it didn't meet the test either. The G7X is the first of these cameras that has the combination of IQ, zoom range, and shooting characteristics to make me want to pick it up pretty often. The dropoff in IQ is still there, but this passes some sort of threshold of "good enough" that I think I'll be happy to grab it for a lot of situations where I'd rather not carry more gear. A threshold that cameras like the LX5/7 and even Fuji X10, as much fun as they could be to shoot with, didn't meet. And it's fun to shoot with.
Time will tell how much shooting I'll end up doing with it and how much of a hit my other cameras take in terms of shooting time. My wife and I are going to New York in a couple of weeks and I'm thinking about just taking the G7X. Mostly because I don't want this trip to be a photo-centric trip and I know if I bring my better gear, it will. I'd imagine I'll come back from that trip with a pretty good idea of where this camera is gonna fit. It's still possible that in six months it will have taken up a dust gathering place on the shelf and not get much use, as has been the fate of similar compacts. This one is better enough that I don't THINK that will happen. But I can't make any guarantees.
But based on my experience so far, I'd give it a "strongly recommended" assuming it meets your preferences for things like focal range, viewing options, etc, etc, etc.
-Ray