Score 4
Advantages: quality - size - price ratio. shooting without flash almost everywhere - ISO up to 4000 is more than working. ergonomics are sane.
Disadvantages: the pleasing super-sharpness of the images was not found. autofocus is not perfect. the battery is dwarf, additional ones are insanely expensive, and the Chinese somehow (yet?) haven’t gotten around to it. a little flimsy (even compared to Mark l).
Comment: previous cameras: Zenit, then film, and then digital top Pentax, i.e. it's my first compact. So, THIS IS NOT A MIRROR, I told myself for the first 2 months, swearing. I'm already used to it. It’s paradoxical, but on DSLRs I used the purely manual mode noticeably less, but here I constantly have to think about it, especially for autofocus. With such small dimensions and the absence of wheels, it’s not easy.
I bought a viewfinder ($300!!!), it turns out I could have done without it - attaching and removing it here and there is a hassle. Maybe it will only be useful in very bright sun...
Conclusion: see the advantages;-)
Score 1
Advantages: It is difficult to talk about advantages when the disadvantages outweigh everything. However, color rendition is quite good for a camera of this class.
Disadvantages: With such a declared camera matrix, the quality of the images is an order of magnitude worse than that of its “sibling” brother Canon G16 (under absolutely the same shooting conditions and in different modes). The frame turns out “soapy” and not sharp; there is a lot of noise in the resulting frame. To get a more or less decent shot, you always have to shoot in RAWe, and therefore you can forget about serial shooting.
Comment: The camera was released by Canon exclusively with marketing purpose- a lot of meaningless bells and whistles. A decent photo can only be obtained with excellent conditions illumination Perhaps someone may find it useful when traveling to photograph landscapes and architecture, due to the wide-angle lens and when there is no desire to carry around a huge camera with interchangeable lenses.
Rating 5
Pros: Excellent photography in low light conditions without flash. And the Intelligent Image Stabilization system really does a great job of compensating for camera shake. You especially appreciate this when you shoot while driving in a car at high speed, on uneven roads and in low light. And for the camera to instantly understand what to focus on, just point your finger at the touch screen. I didn’t study all the possibilities, the automatic mode was quite enough.
Disadvantages: If you shoot intensively all day, by the evening the battery may completely run out. So for long-term filming it is better to buy a second one or recharge the first one on time.
Icherski January 14, 2015, Moscow
Score 4
Advantages: matrix, video quality, touch screen, connection with a smartphone.
Disadvantages: sometimes very smart, the original battery is VERY expensive, and there seem to be no analogues.
Comment: The camera is good, but of course not ideal. The main disadvantage is the expensive battery.
Score 3
Advantages: Paints, “air”, Made in Japan
Disadvantages: 1. Real Size soap.
2. Contour sharpening in anime style (including RAW) with:
- any apertures
- IS on-off
- focus bracketing
- macro and non-macro
...
3. As ISO increases, soap increases significantly.
4. Clumsy clamshell screen.
Comment: Pure colorful "airy" soap.
Familia Imya December 31, 2014, Kolpino \Using experience: less than a month
Rating 5
Advantages: A set of qualities from its predecessor G1x. This includes the lens, the matrix and, of course, the output image.
Disadvantages: Battery. You don't notice how quickly time flies with Canon.
Comment: From the very beginning I divided cameras into classes for myself and came across it, I thought that it was something unclear to which class to classify. They look compact, but in reality they compete with DSLRs. I was pleasantly surprised when I bought it and got to know it better.
Goncharov Pavel December 17, 2014, Moscow \Using experience: several months
Rating 5
Advantages: Convenient, perhaps the smallest for its quality, excellent optics, wheels on the lens can be adjusted for different functions
Disadvantages: I would like to set the wheel functions in all modes, and also leave manual autofocus with the wheel in auto.
Comment: A camera for those who don’t want to buy a DSLR that looks like a DSLR and doesn’t want to bother with interchangeable lenses. All the shortcomings of G1 were taken into account. And compared to the G11 that I had before it, it’s just a huge step forward. At the beginning I thought that this type of tilting the screen was worse than a rotating folding one, but if they did a rotating one, it would make it difficult to grip with the left hand when taking photographs when the screen is facing up, but with this method it is very convenient, and even for turning 180 degrees its location on top rather than on the side makes no difference.
I recommend it to those who are not yet ready to carry a large bag with photo bombs, but are no longer satisfied with the quality of the soap dishes, but want to manually set the parameters and there the background in the portrait is blurry and other goodies of good technology. It won’t disappoint fans of a full automatic either, but in my opinion it’s a little expensive for an automatic only.
Type- compact digital camera with non-replaceable optics
Matrix- CMOS sensor type 1.5 (18.7 x 14.0 mm), 12.8 megapixels
Crop factor - 1,85
CPU- DIGIC 6 using iSAPS technology
Picture format- JPEG, RAW (14 bit, original RAW file of the second version from Canon))
Video format - MP4 [Video: MPEG4-AVC (H.264), Audio: MPEG2 AAC-LC (stereo)]
Photosensitivity- ISO100-12800
Excerpts - 60–1/4000
Flash- built-in, has a hot shoe
Stabilizer - optical, 5-axis, built-in lens
Continuous shooting- up to 5 frames/s
Display- 7.5 cm (3.0") diagonal sRGB PureColor II (TFT) LCD touch screen. 1,040,000 dots
Viewfinder- no (possibility of connecting external)
Memory card - SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS Speed Class 1 compatible cards)
Interfaces - Hi-Speed USB (MTP, PTP), microHDMI, audio/video output (PAL/NTSC)
Wireless connection- Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11b/g/n), (2.4 GHz only) with NFC support
Battery- rechargeable lithium-ion battery NB-12L
Dimensions- 16.3 x 74.0 x 66.2 mm
Weight- 558 g (with battery and lens)
Lens- 12.5–62.5 mm (24–120 mm equivalent), f/2.0-f/3.9
Approximate prices in Moscow- 45-50 thousand rubles So, what do we have here? Quite a large matrix, very good zoom for a compact, decent aperture. Well, the absence of a viewfinder is noteworthy, and the Mark I version had one. For this type of device, it is proposed to purchase an EVF-DC1 viewfinder inserted into the hot shoe, at a price of only about 20,000 rubles, for which I can offer a lot of options for where they could put the viewfinder at that price, since it’s easy mockery. Scope of delivery The package includes: camera, NB-12L battery, CB-2LGE charger, neck strap, AC cable, set of user instructions. (My device was not included, so the picture is from the Canon website.)
At the top end there are controls, a hot shoe, and a pop-up flash. 
On the back there is a rotating display, controls and a small thumb rest. 
The display can tilt back and look down. 
He can also look up. 
Well, the display can also rotate 180 degrees - for the now fashionable crossbow, that is, selfie. 
This is how the lens moves out at the minimum focal length. 
And here it is - at maximum. 
The memory card and battery are in the same compartment. The memory card is quite convenient. 
On the right side under the plug: Hi-Speed USB (MTP, PTP), micro HDMI, audio/video output.
This is what the flash looks like when extended. 
Here is this camera next to the Sony RX100 III. It is noticeably larger and twice as heavy. 
The materials and assembly are quite good. But the camera doesn’t fit well in the hand: the protrusions don’t really help, and with a weight of more than half a kilo, holding it with one hand is not very comfortable. Camera control
It is clear that the body is small and there is not much to go around here, but Canon chose to make the controls according to the shortest scheme - like for an ultra-compact, although this is an ordinary compact. At the top end there is a traditional cogwheel of modes, a recessed power button, which you can’t immediately feel if necessary, a zoom rocker under the shooting button and a button for viewing the footage. 
Rear panel from top to bottom. Data transfer button to smartphone/tablet, video button (customizable), dedicated function button (customizable), manual focus button, focus frame shift button, four-position gear wheel with center button, Display and Menu buttons. The four-position circle has compensation functions, turning on macro mode, flash control and ISO. This doesn't change.
When you press the Fn button, quick settings for various options appear.
The camera menu essentially consists of two main tabs - photo and settings. There is also a custom settings tab. The settings are not very Kenon-like, poor, as if we are talking about a soap box. Type of settings that appear using the FUNC button.
Well, the only thing in the settings that is at least somehow similar to a more or less advanced camera is assigning the necessary functions to all three rings/wheels (two on the lens), the customizable S key and the video button. The rings and wheel, by the way, can be adjusted separately for each shooting mode.
But this is the only thing that looks like a normal camera. As for the rest, the information content, settings and control options are, well, a point-and-shoot and a point-and-shoot. And this is on a one and a half inch matrix! And for that kind of money! Battery life
The battery is small and weak. The manufacturer promises about 240 frames from one charge - yes, it’s not lying, that’s approximately what happens, but this is only JPEG. If you shoot in RAW, it actually comes out to about 150-160 frames. You can set the eco mode, in which the screen will be less bright, but this will not solve the problem globally (30-40 frames will be added), and shooting becomes completely inconvenient. If you count on the day of shooting (for example, an exhibition), then even when shooting in JPEG you will need buy a couple more batteries, especially considering the fact that Canon, unlike Sony compacts, cannot be charged via a USB port, so the camera cannot be recharged from an external battery. Examples of photos and videos
In cloudy weather, the camera showed far from the best results. The colors are completely faded; when focusing centrally on a distant plan, I often missed. (All photos are clickable.) 
Yes, and with the exposure I was also slightly mistaken in the “P” mode - most of the frames in cloudy weather were overexposed even in the average-weighted exposure metering. 
At home in daylight - this is normal. 
In sunny weather everything is fine. The colors are rich and natural. 
Dynamic range is not bad. 
Shooting in the evening before sunset. It's overexposed again. And the colors immediately subside. 
At night at 4000-5000 ISO. Everything is fine here. And the stabilizer works clearly: at shutter speeds of 1/20 there is no movement. 
At night, it focuses on illuminated objects as well as expected. In dimly lit conditions - expectedly bad. 
It's completely dark here - ISO 6400. Very good. 
Another city in good weather. 
Maximum zoom (120 mm equivalent). 
Dark room. 
Well, here’s an example of a video with the zoom lens working in cloudy weather.
What can I say about the quality of shooting? The quality is decent, but I expected more from such a matrix. It takes good pictures in the sun, but even smartphones take pictures well in the sun. In cloudy weather it takes pictures worse than expected: of course, you can manually adjust the parameters to adjust it, but why not shoot normally without adjustments? It focuses quite slowly; in cloudy weather, it often misses the focus on a more or less uniform picture - for example, it is almost impossible to focus on the horizon line over the sea. At the same time, multi-zone focusing works decently (which I never use). The video shoots well, the stabilization more or less works there. The zoom makes a slight buzzing sound when changing focal length, which is present in the recording, but not annoying. Sending media data to a smartphone It works completely fine: it can connect to some Wi-Fi networks, to which the smartphone is connected, can create its own. The corresponding application is launched on the smartphone (tablet), in which you can choose which photos/videos to download.
There is also a mode for controlling the camera from a smartphone.
The search for the ideal camera will probably end only when we learn to record impressions directly into the brain and easily retrieve them from there on demand, and even in a form that can be shown or transmitted to others. But for now everyone is looking for themselves best option among technical devices offered by manufacturers. In this article we will talk about a camera that, due to its qualities, can suit photographers with very different backgrounds and will be useful to them both on vacation and at work.
Text and photo: Anton SHARAPOV.
Specifications
Sensor - CMOS, 18.7x14.0 mm, 1.5” form factor, resolution up to 13.1 million pixels. (4:3);
Lens - rigidly built-in, with variable FR, 24-120 mm, F2.0-3.9;
Image stabilization— optical, 5-axis, built into the lens;
Viewfinder - external optional, 2.36 million points;
Display - flip-type, 7.5 cm diagonal, 1,040,000 dots, capacitive touch;
Focus - automatic contrast and manual, up to 31 focus points, face detection, single/continuous autofocus, minimum distance 5 cm;
Shutter speed ranges— 1/4000 to 60 s;
Shooting modes— P, A, S, M, fully automatic, 58 recognized scenes, Hybrid Auto mode, HDR, intelligent shutter;
Exposure metering - matrix, center-weighted, point;
Flash - built-in, guide number 6.8, short synchronization time 1/2000 s;
Sensitivity - from 100 to 12800 ISO;
Photo formats— RAW (CR2), RAW+JPG, JPG (2 compression levels);
Memory cards— SD, SDHC, SDXC, UHS-1 SD;
Continuous shooting- up to 5.2 fps (JPG/RAW with full resolution);
Time-lapse video shooting of stars - 15, 30 fps
Video shooting - Full HD (1920x1080@30 fps). The final format is MP4 (H.264);
Interfaces - miniUSB, microHDMI, Wi-Fi, NFC;
Nutrition - battery 3.6 V, 1910 mAh;
Dimensions - 116.3×74.0×66.2 mm;
Weight - 558 g (with battery and memory card);
Approximate retail price— 34,000 rubles.
Finding the perfect camera
Any professional strives to use the most advanced tools he can afford in his work. Photographers are, of course, no exception. We often see pros with two or even three cameras hanging on their chests with different lenses designed for specific scenes.
For example, the first one is for shooting from afar, the second one is for general plans, and the third one is for portraits. Pro photographers do this so as not to waste precious seconds changing “glasses”, because they have to shoot completely different moments and from different distances. Sometimes “DSLRs” make do with two cameras with zoom lenses that have different focal length ranges (FL).
But professionals need not only heavy, large cameras in their working arsenal; to solve some problems, it is advisable and convenient to use more compact and inconspicuous models. However, despite the auxiliary role, the second and third cameras should provide the professional high level picture quality.
A few years ago, a class of compact cameras with large sensors (most of the APS-C form factor) appeared, equipped with high-quality and fast lenses with a fixed phase response. Among them now there are wide-angle, so-called normal, and even long-angle (portrait). Their use is quite justified for certain types of photography (for example, reportage), because they will significantly increase the photographer’s mobility if they replace a “DSLR”. But is a photographer always ready to walk around, hung with even such photographic equipment?
There are probably professional photographers who don’t even want to think about photography while on vacation. But still, most of them, in any situation, catch interesting scenes with their trained eyes that they immediately want to capture. Rest is rest - not many people would agree to carry around bulky work “DSLRs” with them, but you want to have something with you that can produce the usual high quality.
Here we again remember about compact cameras with large matrices, but we immediately understand that on vacation the choice of subjects is very diverse, and for them (with equal success) it will not be possible to use any of the “fixes”. It turns out that you need the same serious compact camera, but with a universal zoom lens. What can the market offer us in this situation?
As a more compact alternative to DSLR cameras, the so-called “mirrorless” cameras appeared six years ago. The choice of models and brands is considerable, and each manufacturer has a zoom lens “for all occasions”. But it is found, as a rule, in two non-ideal variants.
Either it is quite light and compact, has a high magnification, but at the same time does not have a high aperture ratio and cannot provide the same quality throughout the entire range of phased arrays. Either it is very good in terms of optical properties, but is therefore heavy, has a low zoom ratio and costs exorbitant money.
It turns out that a photographer with high demands on the quality of shooting will have to either select several high-quality lenses for a mirrorless camera, or try to find another universal solution that will allow him to avoid the hassle of juggling several “glasses” and the need to carry a special camera bag or backpack for them. And there is such a universal solution on the market - a camera with a hard-built high-quality and fast zoom lens. One of the most compact models in this class was created by Canon and already exists in a second, improved version. We will talk about it further.
Competitive advantages
The compact Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is a major upgrade from its predecessor, the PowerShot G1 X, and has a number of important advantages over it. The second-generation camera corrected many of the shortcomings of the first: the design was improved and the dimensions of the body were reduced, the FR range of the zoom lens was expanded, and the ability to use an external electronic viewfinder (EVF) was added. Now we will tell you in detail about all the advantages of the new model.
Collateral high quality The G1 X Mark II features a large 1.5" CMOS sensor (slightly smaller than APS-C sensors and slightly larger than Four Thirds) and a 5x zoom lens with equivalent focal length 24-120 mm and aperture F2.0-3.9. Of course, the powerful DIGIC 6 processing processor also makes a significant contribution.
An experienced photographer knows that to obtain decent shooting results in any situation, the camera requires speed and flexibility in setting all the main shooting parameters. He will expect the same from the model that replaces his main “DSLR” on vacation. The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II camera, of course, does not duplicate the buttons and dials of SLR cameras, but offers no less flexible and convenient controls in its own way.
Looking ahead a little, I will say that the second model of the family now has the ability to work with an external electronic viewfinder (EVF). Among other things, this allows you to shoot while holding the camera to your face, just like a DSLR. In this case, the most convenient location for the main controls is the front panel and the base of the lens.
When creating the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II camera, the developers took into account the traditional design of “manual” lenses, the most successful technical solutions in terms of hardware engineering, developments that have been successfully tested in digital compacts from Canon and some other manufacturers. The most obvious result of this synthesis were two control rings located on the fixed part of the lens.
Design and control
The camera body is made of lightweight and durable magnesium alloy. However, it still turned out to be heavier than regular compacts, because it is equipped with a fast zoom lens. It looks like it weighs no less than the “carcass” itself. The massive lens barrel does not protrude too much from the front, so there is room for the camera in almost any bag.
However, on tours and excursions, the camera will most likely hang on the owner’s neck - it will look stern and respectable, and the readiness for shooting will be maximum. In addition, when using an external viewfinder (we will talk about it later), it will not be so inconvenient to take the camera out of the bag every time, and this accessory can be damaged in a hurry.
However, the designers also provided an option where the camera would often be taken out of the bag and put back. Therefore, the buttons that can turn on the camera are prudently recessed into the body. Yes, exactly “buttons” - there are two of them. The first, of course, is the standard power button. And the second, according to a long-established tradition for Canon cameras, is a button for activating viewing of the footage. It is characteristic that with this alternative activation of the camera the lens does not extend.
Although the camera weighs about half a kilo, thanks to the non-slip protrusions on the front and rear panels, it is comfortable to hold with one right hand. At the same time, you can take photographs quite comfortably, and also switch shooting modes by rotating the corrugated selector dial thumb. To activate and shoot video, it is still better to hold the camera with your left hand, since your thumb will need to be moved from the convenient back rest a little to the right. It should be noted that this solution protects well from inadvertently pressing the video recording button.
As already mentioned, the main innovation in the field of camera control was the two control rings located on the lens barrel. The outer one (farthest from the body) has a smooth movement and, in fact, is a focusing ring familiar to interchangeable optics, which does not have a travel limitation. In this capacity, it can be used along with the multi selector ring.
Here it would be appropriate to talk about manual focusing tools. For rough pre-focusing, an on-screen scale that displays the distance to the object in centimeters or meters is useful. Focus Peaking provides more accurate manual focusing. It illuminates the outlines of objects in focus with one of the selected colors: yellow, blue or red. By pressing the DISP. The focus area can be further increased by two or four times. I will add that a separate MF button is provided for quickly switching to manual focus mode.
In addition to focusing, the outer ring can also be used to adjust one shooting parameter (shutter speed, aperture or exposure compensation value), which is pre-selected separately for each of the creative shooting modes (P/A/S/M).
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II. Top view in working order
The inner ring, unlike the outer one, switches discretely, i.e. with clearly visible clicks. Through the main menu, you can also pre-assign to it the adjustment of the main parameter (shutter speed or aperture), and also combine this process with exposure compensation and setting another parameter such as expansion dynamic range, shadow correction, ISO, white balance, aspect ratio and incremental zoom. To switch within such a combination of settings, the upper “button” of the multi-selector is used, and the change in the parameter is displayed on the virtual scale that appears on the screen during the process of switching the ring. As you can see, work with the main settings is organized conveniently and clearly, and most importantly, it can be performed without taking your eyes off the viewfinder.
In other shooting modes, the inner ring serves as a more convenient alternative to the multi selector ring when selecting a scene program, effect filter, or color filter. It can also always be used to switch between numerous parameters of the operational menu, called up by the FUNC button.
The remaining camera controls—the multi-selector, made in the form of a ring with “button” edges, and regular buttons—are located within the range of your thumb, to the right of the LCD screen. Their functions are typical and understandable to any more or less experienced photographer.
We have already found out that the control rings and the FUNC. button. allow you to call up most important settings and functions, but this camera has other reprogrammable controls. This is the S button and the video recording button. Each of them can be associated with one of the 20 provided functions. However, the author would not reassign the function of the video recording button - it is well located and is often useful. But not using the S button, on the contrary, would be wasteful. After all, on a compact camera there won’t be anything superfluous, for example, a button for freezing exposure (AE lock) or turning on a neutral density filter (ND), focus tracking mode (Servo AF), activating manual white balance or another function.
Concluding the story about ergonomics, we can say with confidence that you quickly get used to the camera in your hands, and all the main functions “are at your fingertips” by the end of the first day of acquaintance. No inconsistencies were noticed in the menu design or settings algorithms. In a word - a convenient and flexible tool for those who understand.
Optical system
Anytime digital camera The optical system includes not only a lens, but also a light-sensitive sensor. The Canon G1 X family of cameras uses a large 1.5-inch CMOS sensor. This form factor is unique in today's photo market. In the new product, unlike the first model, out of 15 million pixels, only about 13 million are used. This was done so that frames with an aspect ratio of 3:2 and 4:3 could fit into the “working” part of the round image formed by optics, and this preserved the same angle of view for them. The G1 X lacked the ability to shoot something called multi-aspect.
Compared to the G1 X, the lens of the new model also has a noticeably expanded range of focal lengths - 24-120 mm (35 mm equivalent). At the minimum FR, the zoom has become much more convenient for shooting interesting buildings on narrow city streets or majestic architectural monuments, mountain ranges, canyons, etc.
Even a 24mm focal length is barely enough to capture such majestic buildings. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/500 s, 24 mm
Only a focal length of 24 mm made it possible to fit the entire front part of this retro car into the frame. And the rotating screen allows you to film it from the desired angle. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/160 s, 24 mm
In the other extreme position, the lens has become closer to the “telephoto” and brings distant objects closer than before.
An example of good detail when shooting long-focus with an open aperture. Sighting was carried out on a horizontally located screen. ISO 100, F3.9, 1/320 s, 120 mm
A sample of urban landscape photography at minimum zoom. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/400 s, 24 mm
A sample of urban landscape photography at maximum zoom. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/400 s, 120 mm
But in addition to expanding the FR range, the new zoom lens has also been improved in terms of light transmission (F2.0-3.9 versus F2.8-5.8 for its predecessor). This makes it easier for the photographer to achieve shallow depth of field in creative shots (such as portraits), and for the camera to focus in difficult conditions lighting. Another advantage of the new zoom is the greatly reduced minimum focusing distance: now it is only 5 cm in any shooting mode.
Daytime close-up shooting with high sensitivity. The volume of the pretzels is conveyed well. The effect of digital noise on image quality is minimal. ISO 2500, F3.5, 1/125 s, 46 mm
One of the many functions that can be assigned to the discrete control ring on the lens is “step zoom”: each click of the ring leads to a step change in the focal length of the lens, and all these values are classic: 24, 28, 35, 50, 85, 100, 120 mm .
Any experienced photographer, especially those who have worked with prime lenses, will definitely appreciate this opportunity - after all, he has a good idea of the nature of the image obtained with optics with a certain phase-definition.
Let’s not forget to say that the lens is equipped with a convenient protective curtain, which solved the problem of the “standard” cap always getting in the way or getting lost. By the way, to the list additional accessories The camera lens includes a protective hood and a filter ring adapter.
Features of LCD Screen
Canon has equipped many of its advanced cameras (including the G1 X model) with a movable LCD screen that tilts to the left and, thanks to the hinge design, can take almost any arbitrary position. However, in recent years, increasingly in cells different manufacturers a folding design screen is used that can only be rotated down and up.
This is exactly the screen installed in the G1 X Mark II model. It goes down 45 degrees, which is quite enough to shoot something over the heads in front standing people or behind a high obstacle such as a fence or high windowsill. The screen can tilt up to the top by 180 degrees. Thus, in positions close to horizontal, it will provide work with all sorts of non-standard scenes (for example, macro photography of low-lying objects or secretive shooting) with a top-down view. As you rotate the screen further to a vertical position, it will face forward. As you might guess, this makes it possible to comfortably take selfies and group portraits.
Our ward’s LCD screen is not only movable, but also touch-sensitive. During shooting, this allows you to select the desired position of the focus area with one touch and even take a photo. In viewing mode, we can scroll through captured photos and videos, as well as zoom the image. In a word, you can act in the manner familiar with smartphones.
Of course, the LCD screen is convenient because it allows you to compose a plot based on a large image, and service information is almost not distracting, since it is located on the periphery of the future frame. But for people with low vision, shooting across the screen may not be very convenient. In addition, the screen is the main drain on battery power. Therefore, it was pleasant to learn that the designers have added the ability to install an electronic viewfinder (EVF) to the new model of the Canon G1 X family.
External electronic viewfinder
This additional but very useful accessory, in addition to reducing the power consumption of the camera, provides many photographers with the most familiar way of shooting. In addition, this is perhaps the only guarantee of comfortable shooting in the bright sun - everyone has long known that in this situation the LCD screen not only consumes more energy, but also has a lot of glare, and sometimes almost goes blind.
External EVF from Canon model EVF-DC1 is attached to the “hot shoe”. To connect it to the camera, a separate “comb” of contacts has been added to this connector at the front, and a lock with a button is provided to securely mount the viewfinder in the “shoe”. According to its main characteristics, this EVI meets the highest modern requirements: it contains 2.36 million pixels (XGA resolution), has a movable design (can take positions from horizontal to vertical) and diopter adjustment, and is equipped with an IR sensor for automatically switching images between EVIs and LCD screen. If we summarize what has been said about EVI in one phrase, then it can significantly increase the comfort of shooting, especially for an avid “DSLR” photographer, and from my point of view, completely replace the optical viewfinder.
To be fair, one minus of EVI should also be mentioned. Because it occupies the hot shoe, it cannot be used on the camera simultaneously with compatible external flashes or a wireless Speedlite transmitter.
Functionality and creativity
As mentioned above, the Canon G1X Mark II gives experienced photographers convenient access to all the settings familiar to DSLR cameras. But it will be no less friendly towards owners who are not too familiar with photography, but, nevertheless, like to be creative. They offer a wide selection of subject programs, artistic effects and color filters, covering all the typical needs of tourists and home-based photographers. Many of these “creative gadgets” have already become a de facto standard, so we will only mention the most interesting ones.
For those who have not yet mastered the principles of how a lens aperture works, ready-made filters for the “Blurred Background” and “Soft Focus” effects will help you create beautiful portraits. And those who like to take selfies and take pictures with friends and family will be helped not only by the folding screen, but also by the proprietary “Intelligent Shutter” program, which takes pictures according to a given condition (the appearance of a smile in the frame, the appearance of a new face, blink detection).
Thanks to effective noise reduction and proprietary programs - “Starry Sky” and “Starry Trail” - the camera will help you create impressive pictures of the night sky, including those traced with luminous trails of stars. There is also a program for shooting portraits against the background of a starry sky and time-lapse video for creating a video with a rotating sky.
Beginning creators who have not yet decided exactly how to transform standard frames in a more creative way will be helped by the “Creative Shot” mode, which saves one frame in several versions after processing with various effects.
Communication capabilities
It is no longer possible to imagine a modern camera without wireless communications. Of course, the G1 X Mark II also has them. The Wi-Fi module provided it with such functions as remote control of the shooting process, sending footage to the external environment (to other Canon cameras, to mobile devices and computers, to printing devices and to Internet resources), as well as receiving GPS coordinates from mobile device to link images to the shooting location. The camera is capable of connecting to external devices, both directly (acting itself as an access point) and through an external access point.
In order for our camera to work in tandem with mobile devices, you need to install the CameraWindow application on them. The NFC module built into the camera simplifies this procedure as much as possible. It is enough to bring the NFC sensor of your smartphone to the corresponding mark on the camera body, and the application store will open on your mobile device and you will be prompted to install the mentioned application. It will allow you to download pictures to your phone, as well as remotely control the shooting process.
Canon has an online service called Image Gateway, which includes cloud storage. After registering your new camera in this service, the user has additional convenient functions, such as automatic synchronization of pictures that have not yet been saved (both in the online service and on the computer). To simplify this process, there is even a special button on the camera body that can be assigned to automatically activate the Canon Image Gateway service.
Practical photography
It has already been said that you get used to the G1 X Mark II camera quickly. Therefore, its owner has every chance to concentrate directly on the creative component of the shooting. And the pictures themselves speak volumes about its results.
Typically, advanced photographers disdain cameras with a contrast focusing system. Yes, so far, even despite increasingly powerful processors, it has not been able to show the agility that is necessary for reportage and sports photographers and is achievable with the phase focusing method. But since the G1 X Mark II is intended to be used mainly on vacation or for the occasional needs of professionals, where the nature of shooting is not so intense and fast-paced, the capabilities of the contrast AF system are quite sufficient. This can be confirmed by the minimal number of out-of-focus pictures taken during testing.
Portrait of a guard, taken offhand. Autofocus did not disappoint. Of course, the closed aperture also played a role in the clarity of details. ISO 125, F5.6, 1/200 s, 77 mm
Usually the scene is focused in the wrong place where the photographer wants it only when the automation uses all the AF sensors in some scene program. No such failures were recorded, for example, in aperture priority mode, where the photographer himself selects the AF zone. This confirms that autofocus in this camera is quite accurate and fast.
Shooting example active action. The movement phase was caught accurately, autofocus did an excellent job. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/500 sec, 98 mm
A creative person will certainly be pleased that the nature of the picture painted by the zoom lens of the Canon G1 X Mark II camera can be described with the words “artistic” and “plastic”. Test images show beautiful bokeh even at a significantly closed aperture (F8.0).
Close-up shooting in backlight demonstrates how the character of the image changes at different aperture values.
F3.9, F4.5, F5.6, F8.0; 120 mm, ISO 100; 1/400 s, 1/320 s, 1/200 s, 1/100 s.
Particularly soft artistic images are obtained when shooting in backlight with a fully open or only slightly closed aperture. The boundaries of well-lit objects that are not in focus do not double, but dissolve into shining halos. And here I want to add the characteristic “airy” to the picture.
An example of an “aerial” picture when shooting long-focus with an open aperture and backlighting. ISO 100, F3.9, 1/640 s, 120 mm
A soft portrait shot wide open in daylight diffused by a tent. ISO 640, F3.9, 1/320 s, 120 mm
In general, the lens confidently handles oncoming light: contrast is noticeably reduced only if you allow bright light to burst into the frame without interference.
Shooting with measured oncoming light entering the lens. The high contrast of the scene was preserved. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/500 s, 26 mm
Shooting in overhead light with an open aperture. The details of the figures in the shadows are worked out quite well. ISO 100, F3.9, 1/2000 s, 93 mm
If in backlight with an open aperture the lens draws softly at the edges, then in a situation with back and side light, even with an open aperture it is quite sharp. As befits a camera with a large sensor, the Canon G1 X Mark II, when shooting with an open aperture, demonstrates a very shallow and clearly visible zone of sharpness, which turns into decent bokeh.
The image demonstrates the depth of field when shooting wide open at the maximum zoom position. ISO 100, F3.9, 1/400 s, 120 mm
In general, the nature of the images obtained with the G1 X Mark II is typical for Canon devices: colors are moderately saturated, both in daylight and at night. The auto white balance function does a good job of maintaining color in most situations, including mixed lighting and some artificial lighting (for example, halogen).
Still life shot indoors with mixed artificial lighting, with automatic white balance. Focusing through glass. ISO 800, F5.6, 1/50 s, 50 mm
Wide-angle indoor shot taken in mixed lighting. ISO 3200, F5.6, 1/60 s, 26 mm
The 1.5-inch sensor also excels at smooth tonal transitions.
Long-focus photography of interesting details of a retro car. The colors, textures and undertones of painted and polished metal are reliably conveyed. ISO 100, F5.0, 1/320 s, 120 mm
In terms of image detail, the Canon G1 X Mark II is not inferior to “cropped DSLRs” with a similar resolution, although with standard factory settings, the increase in edge sharpening on small details sometimes looks aggressive. You can compensate for this “diligence of the internal intelligence” of the camera for the JPG format by manually adjusting the sharpness of the “My Colors” function, and for the “raw” format - in the sharpening settings of RAW converters.
Landscape photography under light clouds. Excellent attention to detail on all plans. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/250 sec, -0.33 EV, 35 mm
We would like to emphasize that the zoom lens has never been observed to cause blurring or vignetting of the image at the edges of images saved in JPG. Chromatic aberrations, which can sometimes be found in images saved in RAW format, are almost completely absent in JPG versions.
This wide-angle landscape shot taken on a cloudy day shows that the lens is sharp across the entire frame. ISO 125, F5.6, 1/60 sec, 24 mm.
Camera automation tends to slightly overexpose the image, but this can be easily “treated” with a small negative exposure compensation (-0.3 or -0.7 EV).
An example of daytime shooting on a cloudy day with slight negative exposure compensation to better highlight the clouds. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/640 sec, -0.33 EV, 100 mm
An example of daytime wide-angle shooting on a sunny day with positive exposure compensation to better develop shadows. At the same time, there are slight losses in the highlights. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/320 sec, 0.67 EV, 24 mm
A good supply of information for scenes with very high contrast is provided by recording images in RAW format (14 bits). From this “raw” material it is possible to restore many details in the highlights, and also (if they have not been worked out) from the shadows.
Capture high-contrast daytime landscapes with JPG recording without automatic dynamic range correction. The shadows were well developed, but the lightest midtones did not fully fit into the dynamic range. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/250 sec, 0.33 EV, 61 mm
Light halftones were restored after processing the RAW file in the Adobe Camera RAW converter. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/250 sec, 0.33 EV, 61 mm
If the photographer does not know how to process RAW files and records images in JPG, then to better convey scenes with very high contrast (or when there is a lot of sky with light clouds in the frame), he will only need to enable the functions of auto dynamic range correction and auto correction of dark areas.
Shooting and recording in JPG with automatic dynamic range correction disabled. The light colors of the clouds are not fully developed. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/500 sec, 32 mm. An example of a photograph recorded in JPG with automatic dynamic range correction enabled. The light colors of the clouds are fully developed. ISO 200, F5.6, 1/1000 s, 32 mm. However, the camera sometimes copes well with conveying the tones of high-contrast scenes, even if you forgot to turn on the auto-correction function.
The dynamic range of the camera was able to “digest” this high-contrast scene. ISO 100, F5.6, 1/640 s, 24 mm
The dynamic range of night scenes due to bright lighting, for example, individual building elements, is often no less wide than when shooting on a sunny day. In addition, artificial lighting creates additional problems with color rendering. Therefore, shooting in “raw” format and subsequent conversion will be preferable.
An example of a night shot in which post-processing of the RAW file in the Adobe Camera RAW converter was performed to restore highlights and color correction. ISO 3200, F5.6, 1/15 s, 40 mm
When it comes to night photography, it makes sense to check two more things: the effectiveness of the optical stabilization system and the level of digital noise.
To solve the first part of the problem, a DF of about 58 mm (equivalent) was selected and several series of images were taken in turn, after each of which the shutter speed was doubled. Since the camera is declared to have an efficiency of 3.5 stops, the starting point was a shutter speed of 1/15 s, which is 2 stops from the classic safe one (for the selected FR). The last was a series with a shutter speed of 1 second. A study of the images showed that shutter speeds of 1/15 s (2 steps) and 1/8 s (3 steps) can be used without fear for the clarity of the pictures. At shutter speeds of 1/4 and even 1/2 s, with sufficient firmness of the photographer’s hands, there is every chance of getting 50-60% of clear shots, and when the shutter speed lasts a full second, you can achieve clarity of no more than one third of the frames.
Night shots demonstrating the operation of the Intelligent IS system when shooting handheld at shutter speeds of 1 s, 1/2 s, 1/4 s, 1/8 s, 1/15 s.
It should be added that the manufacturer called the built-in stabilization system intelligent (Intelligent IS), and for good reason - it not only compensates for camera shake when taking photographs, but also can smooth out camera shake when filming video while walking (so-called dynamic stabilization). The only thing that was a little disappointing was the inability to quickly get to the IS system settings - they are only accessible through the main menu.
An effective stabilization system allows you to use fairly long shutter speeds when photographing at night, so in most cases you can avoid excessively high ISO values. For example, a combination of a shutter speed of 1/8 s, an aperture of F4.0 and 800 ISO will provide a very decent result.
An example of a night shot that strikes a balance between shutter speed and ISO. Post-processing of the RAW format was performed in the Adobe Camera RAW converter. ISO 800, F2.0, 1/8 s, 24 mm
If you cannot do without higher ISO values, for example, when you need to shoot something moving or quickly, offhand - here a long shutter speed simply cannot suit us due to motion blur - then from the point of view of detail, you can use values up to 6400 ISO. When it is important to maintain the smoothness of homogeneous areas, sensitivity should be limited to 3200-4000 ISO.
ISO 640, F5.6, 1/60 sec, -2.0 EV, 24 mm
ISO 1250, F5.6, 1/60 sec, -1.33 EV, 24 mm
Architectural photography indoors at different sensitivity values.
An example of night shooting with an open aperture at maximum zoom position. ISO 3200, F3.9, 1/25 sec, -0.33 EV, 120 mm
Daytime shooting with high sensitivity. The influence of digital noise on picture quality is not visible. ISO 2000, F5.6, 1/200 sec, -0.33 EV, 62 mm
For static night scenes and long exposures, the G1 X Mark II offers a very interesting alternative in the form of a special program for handheld night photography (without a tripod). When used, the camera takes a series of pictures high sensitivity, which ensures no camera shake, then averages the information and combines it into one frame. With this processing, the noise level in flat areas, such as the sky, water, etc., is reduced by about 2-3 stops: for example, as if when shooting instead of 3200 ISO we used 800 ISO or even 400.
Night scenes are the most critical to video quality. Based on the results of city night photography, I would like to note the reliable color rendition (the auto white balance function works reliably), good job autofocus (without “nervous” continuous adjustments), absence (at least visually) of digital noise. The only thing I can complain about is aliasing on inclined, contrasting objects (for example, electrical wires). But this phenomenon is almost inevitable for a camera that shoots video.
Conclusions
Photographs taken with the G1 X Mark II allow us to confidently say that this camera is capable of being a good partner for a DSLR during work, and can also completely replace it, in terms of quality, when shooting on vacation.
The same applies to the speed of settings: although the photographer here does not have everything he needs right at hand in the form of separate buttons, after a short acquaintance with the ergonomics of the camera, he will learn to get to all the necessary settings in a couple of seconds.
Of course, at least part of the capabilities of a professional camera must be sacrificed for compactness. For example, the viewfinder is an optional accessory for the G1 X Mark II. But this gives the owner the right to decide how much he needs it. Especially in light of the above-mentioned “competition” with external flashes.
The advantages of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II camera, from the author’s point of view, significantly outweigh certain “disadvantages” (from the position of a professional photographer), and this gives reason to assert that it is currently one of the best options for those who choose a universal camera for recreation and travel.
I would like to say that it is equipped with a new 5x zoom lens with an extended FR range (24-120 mm). Thus, in one extreme position the lens became wider-angle (24 instead of 28 mm), which was so lacking in architectural photography, and in the other it became a stronger “telephoto”. In addition, the new zoom has an increased aperture ratio of F2.0–3.9 and a minimum focal length of 5 cm (this expands the possibilities for close-up shooting). Below we will return to assessing his abilities.
The body of the Canon G1-X Mark II has become noticeably smaller in height due to the fact that the engineers have rid the camera of the optical viewfinder, which caused many complaints in the previous model. The fact is that it was small and ineffective, and part of the view was blocked by the lens tube. However, a modern replacement was found for the previous solution: an electrically multi-pin connector appeared in the hot shoe, designed to connect an external electronic viewfinder EVF-DC1.
Unfortunately, at the time of testing this visor was not available, but in terms of the stated resolution (1024x768x3 or 2.36 million pixels), it corresponds to today's "de facto" standard for such devices and, most likely, is capable of providing the same level of comfort as similar devices of the latest generation for Leica, Olympus, Samsung and Sony cameras. It is also known that this EVI has a movable part that can rise up, which also meets modern ergonomic requirements. On a well-known online resource its price is $299.
In the first camera of the G1-X family, the vertical dimension was determined not only by the built-in viewfinder, but also by two disks aligned on the same axis. The one on top - the shooting mode selector - remains on the top panel, but has moved to the right. By the way, it has two new modes - “Creative Shot” and “Hybrid Auto”, which we will discuss below.
The lower, wider disk is now missing. It served to enter exposure compensation and not only added retro charm to the camera, but was also a very useful and visual tool when shooting in rapidly changing lighting conditions. Now for of this action in P/A/S modes, you can use the discrete dial on the lens barrel closest to the camera body (it switches with clicks), and in the last two, you can also use the multi-selector ring (then the disc will change the aperture or shutter speed). These options are toggled by pressing top edge rings, and the result of the selection is displayed at the bottom edge of the screen: there, next to the setting value and the exposure compensation scale, corresponding green icons appear.
It must be said that this process of changing settings is interactive: as soon as the photographer starts turning the ring or dial, an animated arc-shaped scale will appear above the mentioned settings indicators. If the exposure compensation value changes, an additional graphical hint appears on the right that when you press the DISP button, the exposure bracketing mode will be activated.
However, what is described above is not all the options for customizing settings, but only the default option. The menu also allows you to assign one of the settings to the external, smoothly rotating dial on the lens barrel (by default, it is used for manual focusing), a second to the discrete dial, and a third to the multi-selector ring. And all this - separately for each of the P/A/S/M modes. Isn't that kind of flexibility impressive?
If the external disk on the lens, depending on the shooting mode, can be assigned only one or two functions (aperture/exposure compensation, shutter speed/exposure compensation, exposure compensation), then for the discrete disk and multi-selector ring the choice is wider: eight functions. In addition to the options mentioned above, features include highlight and shadow correction, white balance, ISO, aspect ratio, and incremental zoom. The latter option allows you to discretely switch the lens within the following standard values: 24, 28, 35, 50, 85, 100, 120 mm.
Returning to the controls on the top cover, we note that a small button for activating the viewing mode has been moved there.
Traditionally for Canon cameras, it is able to turn on the camera in playback mode without extending the lens. It is unlikely that you will be able to do this by accident: the button is almost recessed into the lid, which eliminates accidental presses. The small power button located nearby is also recessed and is additionally protected from accidental pressing by its close location to the selector dial.
The design of the external flash has also been changed compared to its predecessor. Now it does not rise like an elevator, but when you move the mini-lever, it jumps up and a little forward on a thin spring-loaded bracket, which does not look very strong, although it is made of metal. At the very least, it is better to avoid lateral loads on the flash.
The small control wheel has disappeared from the front panel, but, as we understand, even without it, the camera settings can be controlled with greater convenience. The protrusion-grip has become a little smaller, but the shape is more comfortable. In addition, it is equipped with a non-slip pad. Overall, the camera no longer feels bulky and feels more comfortable in the hand.
The second major change in the camera design was the LCD screen. In the first model of the family, it was traditional for Canon prosumer cameras - it can take almost any position, that is, tilt to the side and rotate around the hinge axis 360 degrees. Now it has become less mobile: it can tilt down 45 degrees, up 180 (which allows you to take selfies), and also, together with the additional metal hinge section, take the position of a “house roof” behind the camera, creating a stable support for it in a vertical position. and also with the lens raised 45 degrees upward. This will probably be useful for those who like to photograph the night sky. Screen resolution has been increased to 1.04 million dots. In addition to the above, it is important to add that the screen has become touch-sensitive, which of course expanded the camera control capabilities.
Functionality
The electronics of the Canon G1-X Mark II camera are based on a CMOS sensor with an effective resolution of 13 megapixels. The processing processor is now Digic 6, and not 5, as in the first model. The shutter appears to have remained the same. At least his shutter speed range is the same.
The range of sensitivity values (100–12800 ISO) has not changed in the new camera either. Interestingly, it is fully available for the ISO auto-selection function (in steps of 1/3 EV), only the upper limit can be set to a value no lower than 400 units, i.e. it will be narrowed as much as possible from 100 to 400 ISO.
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ISO 1600 |
ISO 3200 |
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ISO 6400 |
ISO 1280 0 |
Handheld indoor test photography: the impact of ISO on image quality
The number of contrast autofocus sensors in the new product has been increased from 9 to 31, which naturally affects its accuracy and efficiency of the tracking mode. Thanks to the touch screen, you can select the autofocus area with a touch of your finger. Moreover, you can enable one-touch shooting mode, typical for smartphones, through the menu.
In the “Auto” and “Hybrid Auto” modes, touching the screen with your finger does not simply move the focusing area, but activates the tracking AF mode in this place, and the area adapts to the shape of the contrasting object located in this place. However, the auto modes are intelligent, so they turn on tracking focus themselves as soon as they suspect that in front of the lens is not a landscape, but a scene with an object in the foreground, or they simply discover an object that stands out in contrast and shape.
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ISO 1600 |
ISO 3200 |
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ISO 6400 |
ISO 12800 |
Test night photography with a tripod: the impact of ISO on image quality
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To quickly switch to manual focusing mode, a separate MF button has appeared on the rear panel. It's easiest to focus manually using the front ring on the lens barrel, but you can also use the multi-selector ring on the rear for this purpose.
When manually focusing, the distance scale displayed on the right side of the screen, the function of increasing the focus area by 2 or 4 times, as well as the already quite widespread focus peaking function - highlighting the high-contrast boundaries of objects that come into focus - come to the rescue. This camera allows you to select one of two sensitivity levels and the outline color (yellow, red or blue).
Of course, like any modern camera, this one has a face recognition mode, and the ability to register them. There is also a “smart shutter” mode, equipped with functions for activating the self-timer (you can set the number of shots) when a smile is detected, blinking, or a new face appears in the frame.
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Examples of the weak influence of the aperture number on the detail and depth of focus of the image.
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The camera could not find an automatic function for expanding the dynamic range with several gradations, like some competitors, but it does have HDR functions and separate adjustments for the light and dark areas of the future frame.
A couple of phrases should be said about hybrid auto mode. If a photographer uses only it during the day, then before each photo frame the camera automatically records a video lasting 2–4 seconds, which is then combined into a video compilation - a kind of short video diary is obtained.
For beginners in photography, in addition to the intelligent auto mode, the camera offers a set of scene programs, and for those who like to experiment with images directly during the shooting process, the “Creative Shot” mode, which allows you to take several photos in one fell swoop with the overlay of various effects, such as “retro” , “monochrome”, “children’s camera”, “miniature”.
Examples of shooting in backlight
Clicking on a thumbnail will open a full-size image.
To conclude the description of the functionality, let’s mention the presence of Wi-Fi and NFC modules in the camera, the first of which will allow you to establish communication with desktop and mobile computers, and the second will quickly establish a communication session with mobile devices equipped with the same module.
Practical shooting
After three days of studying the camera and analyzing test images, we got the impression that the camera we received was not yet fully brought to “saleable” condition. For example, some functions assigned to reprogrammable buttons did not always work.
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ISO 100, camera JPG |
ISO 100, converted from RAW |
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ISO 800, camera JPG |
ISO 800, converted from RAW |
Day and night shots recorded in JPG and after software processing of the RAW file
Clicking on a thumbnail will open a full-size image.
Having studied the test images recorded in JPG, we can easily conclude that the automation raises the contrast too much, which sometimes causes losses in highlights and shadows, and also increases sharpness too aggressively unsharp masking, causing a white outline to appear at the edges of contrasting parts of the photo. Unfortunately, typical settings for sharpness, contrast and color saturation were not found in the camera menu. Let's hope that they will appear in the next firmware.
In our case, after processing RAW files that were recorded in parallel with JPG, the lost information was easily restored, color rendition and sharpness were restored. which, naturally, were adjusted flexibly. However, automation is better than manually at eliminating chromatic aberrations. Note that their level detected in RAW files is not high when shooting in both wide-angle and telephoto positions of the lens, which indicates its fairly high optical properties.
Example of bokeh when shooting with different aperture values (F2.2)
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Example of bokeh when shooting with different apertures (F4.0)
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Example of bokeh when shooting with different aperture values (F5.6)
Clicking on a thumbnail will open a full-size image.
Sometimes you hear criticism about the color reproduction of Canon SLR cameras. We can all agree that working with color sometimes does take longer than with images taken with some competitors' cameras. However, in the case of this, such a feeling does not arise, at least when analyzing photographs taken outdoors in good weather.
The white balance function generally works well, although not in all lighting conditions. For example, if it is of a mixed type and there is a predominance of daylight, artificial light sources do not interfere with the automation, but if artificial light dominates and is mixed, the automation gives in, and it is better to turn on the appropriate preset.
Examples of color rendering in various modes and conditions
Clicking on a thumbnail will open a full-size image.
Regarding the phenomenon of aggressive “sharping”, it should be added that this property of automatic processing visually enhances luminance digital noise. It is brightness, since the built-in “noise reduction” copes with the color component very effectively, even when shooting at very high ISO values.
A pleasant surprise was that with sufficiently good lighting in the room, the noise reduction system not only confidently fights digital noise, but also maintains an acceptable level of detail in photographs taken even at the maximum ISO value (12800), which can be seen by examining small details on all test photographs of the series taken in GUM, as well as in photographs taken early in the evening on the street.
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Handheld shooting mode aperture priority |
Handheld shooting mode "Handheld Night Shooting" |
Handheld night photography.
Clicking on a thumbnail will open a full-size image.
In street photography taken late in the evening, images taken at ISO 3200–4000 retained a quite acceptable level of detail. If the photographer does not need to convey very fine details, you can raise the bar to a value of 6400. However, in this situation, especially when shooting not too dynamic scenes, the handheld night shooting program will be useful: the automatic unit combines information from several frames. filmed in one series. This reduces digital noise and eliminates slight blur caused by camera shake.
An example of the detail and dynamic range of the device in good conditions filming.
ISO 100, F5.6, 1/200 sec. Average exposure metering.
Clicking on a thumbnail will open a full-size image.
However, practice has shown that at night you can get nice pictures and in aperture priority mode, if you do not raise ISO above 3200 and open the aperture wider.
Here we gradually approach the description of the positive qualities of the zoom lens and the optical system of the Canon G1-X Mark II camera as a whole. An experiment conducted with checking the depth of field depending on the aperture value showed that if there are no important objects in the foreground. then even with an open aperture you can get a sharp picture at distances from 2 meters to “infinity”, while gaining a gain in the shutter speed length or the used ISO.
Evening shooting of a dynamic scene
This seemed rather strange to us (after all, the sensor in the camera is quite large), but useful. At the same time, when shooting an object at close range, the lens pleased us with its beautiful bokeh, which we appreciated in the aperture range from F2.2 to F5.6.
Good flame transfer when filming
Our standard test of the effectiveness of the built-in image stabilization system. which we carried out when shooting at the maximum FR (120 mm) gave the following results, depending on the shutter speed: 1/15 s (3 steps) - 100%, 1/8 s (4 steps) - 65%, 1/4 s (5 steps) - 40% clear images. That is, this system will provide handheld night photography without blurring of the image (when using moderate focal lengths) quite reliably.
Daytime shooting of a dynamic scene
The camera is capable of recording video in Full HD quality at 30 frames/sec. Even in low light conditions, it produced acceptable picture quality in terms of color reproduction and digital noise level. However, the impression of video shooting is spoiled by the strong flickering of light contrasting details of the plot, especially when they are small (about 1-2 pixels).
Results
Summing up the results of a brief test of the camera, it is pleasant to note that the developers took into account most of the wishes and criticism in relation to the previous model, and did a great job, which is why this model has become noticeably better in such indicators as DF range, ease of control, and photo image quality. The ability to install an external electronic viewfinder has been added, which greatly facilitates shooting in bright sunshine, when even the best LCD screens go blind. Thus, this small and flexible camera has become an almost ideal option for a traveler who values comfort and is not ready to bother with interchangeable lenses.
But for now the question of the price of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II model remains open. Russian market. In Western retail chains it is offered for $799, and the rare preliminary prices currently announced in our country are $200 higher. In this case, the new product, it seems, will experience strong competition from more technically advanced mirrorless and SLR cameras.
| Nikon 1 AW1 | Sony Alpha SLT-A58 | Pentax K-30 | ||
| Matrix type |
18.7 x 14.0 mm |
23.2 x 15.4 mm |
23.6 x 15.6 mm |
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| Permission |
12.8 megapixels4 |
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| Lens | 24-120 mm, f/2.0-3.9 (non-replaceable) | Nikon 10-100mm f/4.0-5.6 VR | Sony DT 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 SAM | Pentax DA 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 AL WR |
| Sensitivity | Auto 100–12800 ISO |
ISO 100–3200 (Auto) |
100-3200 ISO (Auto) |
100-3200 ISO (Auto) |
| Shooting speed | 5.2 fps | 60 fps | 8 fps | 6 fps |
| Built-in flash | There is | There is | There is | There is |
| Viewfinder | EVF, optional | EVF, built-in | EVF, built-in | optical, built-in |
| LCD screen | 3.0’’, 1 04 megapixels | 3’’, 0.9216 megapixels | 2.7'' 0.460 8 megapixels | 3'' 0.92 megapixels |
| Excerpt | 60–1/4000 s | 30–1/16000 s | 30–1/4000 s | 30–1/6000 s |
| Memory cards | SD, SDHC, SDXC | SD, SDHC, SDXC |
Memory Stick PRO Duo, |
SD, SDHC, SDXC |
| Image formats | JPEG, RAW | JPEG, RAW | JPEG, RAW | JPEG, RAW |
| Battery capacity | 240 (300) photos | 220 photos | 510 photos | 410 photos |
| Video recording format | 1920x1080 pixels, 30 fps | 1920 x 1080 pixels, 60 fps | 1920 x 1080 pixels, 30 fps | |
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Dimensions and weight (without lens) |
116.3x74.0x66.2 mm |
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| Price | i 37 thousand | i 37.6 thousand | i 27 thousand | i 37.3 thousand |
Compact with one and a half inch sensor
Large matrices are still in fashion, and manufacturers tirelessly confirm this. So Canon is actively working at the forefront. For quite some time now, the G and S lines of compact cameras with 1/1.7″ image sensors have gained popularity among those who want complete control over their shooting and who care about the quality that a compact can provide. The trend towards minimizing devices has long been forgotten, so now manufacturers of compact cameras can not limit themselves to body sizes and install fairly large matrices in “compact” cameras. After releasing the Canon G1 X compact camera with a one and a half-inch image sensor, the manufacturer decided to continue the line and released the Canon G1 X Mark II. It's still a compact, but you can't just stuff it into a regular pocket. And the most important question that we have to answer with this article: is it worth it? So let's get down to business.
Characteristics
| Basic | |
| Matrix | CMOS, 1.5" (18.7 × 14.0 mm) |
| Permission | 13 million effective pixels, maximum resolution 4160x3120 |
| Image Stabilizer | 5-axis optical with movable lens group |
| Photosensitivity | ISO 100-12800 |
| Lens | f/2.0-3.9; 24-120 in 35mm equivalent; 5x zoom |
| Flash | Throwable, 50 cm - 6.8 m |
| Shutter speed modes | 60 - 1/4000 second |
| Shooting modes | PASM, Smart Auto, Stars |
| File Format | JPEG, CR2, MP4 |
| Video | 1920×1080 30 fps, MP4 |
| Memory | Memory cards SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-1) |
| Screen | 3″ (7.5 cm) diagonal capacitive touch LCD display |
| Connectors | Mini-USB, Micro-HDMI, remote control connector RS-60E3 |
| Min. focusing distance | Approx. 5 cm (in wide-angle zoom position), tele - from 150 cm |
| Power supply | Li-ion battery NB-12L (approx. 240 shots/300 min.) |
| Wireless interfaces | Wi-Fi, NFC |
| Dimensions, weight | 116×74×66 mm; 558 g (including battery and memory card weight) |
Appearance
 | There is nothing superfluous in front - a lens and an autofocus illuminator eye. The lens, as expected, communicates almost all the necessary information about itself: EGF 24-120 mm, f/2.0-3.9. |
 | The rear view shows a rotating touch screen and a fairly standard set of controls for Canon. |
 | On the left you can only find a mechanical lever to open the ejectable flash and an NFC icon. |
 | On the right, under the plug, there are three connectors: AV-out (Mini-USB), Micro-HDMI and a remote control connector. |
 | From above you can see the hot shoe under a plug and a set of quite standard controls. |
 | At the bottom there is traditionally a tripod socket and a battery compartment cover, which also contains a memory card. |
 | All controls are not scattered throughout the body, but are collected under the right hand, which is good news. This approach has long been attractive to Canon compacts. The usual buttons here need no introduction, and the recently introduced button with a smartphone image activates Wi-Fi and connects the camera to the smartphone to transfer images. Also nicely complementing the right side is a rubber pad under this very button, which is very convenient to cling to with your thumb. |
 | The lens is covered with metal fan curtains. There are two rings on it, the functions of which can be customized. One - with discrete positions, the other - without. Both rings are, of course, electronic. |
Canon has moved away from its camcorder-style flip-out displays, which I found to be quite convenient. True, in the absence of a viewfinder, part of their functionality (the ability to close the display completely) is certainly lost. New type in this case, it has many advantages, but it is not without its disadvantages. At least it has larger total rotation angles than just folding displays.
In general, despite all the possible dissatisfaction with the new solutions or their unfamiliarity, camera control is very pleasant and even convenient.
Interface and operating features
I personally have never had any questions regarding the organization of the interface and menu of Canon devices. In general, I am inclined to consider it a kind of standard of simplicity and clarity. Of course, in SLR cameras it is implemented somewhat more conveniently, but even in compact cameras you don’t have to go far for most of the important parameters, and exposure settings have been placed on the shooting display since ancient times.
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| Now you can customize the Func menu. |
What's nice is that the functionality of the camera has increased somewhat, but the camera is not overloaded at all. Having considerable experience with Canon models, you just pick it up and start using it right away. At some point, you notice with surprise that the screen is touch-sensitive, since there is no need for it, although it allows you to quickly set the focus point, scroll through the menu and assign some functions to four gestures such as “knight’s move” in viewing mode, in which, however, , especially useful functions and no: smart contrast, selection modes available color profile, you can crop the image. In this case, you can also use the functionality of the touch display, or you can do without it.
The implementation of the manual mode deserves special attention. Despite the fact that on cameras of this form factor it is not always convenient to rotate the lens rings, here they perform many really useful functions that can also be reconfigured. In manual mode, the full potential of the physical controls is revealed. By default, the front ring of the lens controls the aperture, the rear ring controls the shutter speed, and the dial on the back of the camera controls the light sensitivity, the upper limit of which can only be set by pressing the menu button during adjustment.
As expected, the macro mode was pointless. The only thing that distinguishes it from the normal mode is the inability to focus on distant objects. The focusing speed does not change noticeably. In normal mode, focusing is also possible in the near range. However, when doing macro photography, the camera often makes a mistake, refusing to focus on a near object, especially if it is moving, and choosing a distant shot. In this case, manual focus helps a little, which needs to be “tamed” before you can confidently use it. The manual focus assistant works noticeably, but not very clearly, so choosing the right shot is very difficult, especially with a small depth of field. It also happens that after focusing, it goes astray during shooting, but this should be attributed more to the photographer’s mistakes out of habit, since after some time of use this problem mysteriously disappears.
Despite the fact that you can focus in the classic way for DSLRs (by rotating the ring on the lens, albeit an electronic one), the classic method of focusing for the PowerShot series by rotating the function dial on the rear panel of the camera seems much more convenient and, most importantly, faster.
The camera has plenty of controls, so the touch display was never useful during the entire testing period, although it is certainly convenient for quickly setting the focusing frame or even touch shooting. In addition, it can be convenient when viewing images, especially given the multi-touch support.
The zoom lever allows you to more precisely control the zoom: if the electronic ring provides a choice of only seven focal lengths of 24-28-35-50-85-100-120 mm, then using the zoom lever you can achieve as many as nine.
Thanks to long period testing, we were able to check the autonomous operation of the camera. The battery lasted for 460 pictures in RAW+JPG format, which is much more than indicated in technical specifications meanings.
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Image quality
The camera passes the standard photosensitivity test well. To be honest, I would like more from such a combination of optics and matrix, but the result obtained characterizes the camera quite worthy. Judging by the graphs, the camera is able to produce a resolution of 0.8 lines per pixel, regardless of shooting conditions. Even ISO 6400 is theoretically quite workable, although in practice it should only be used as a last resort, since the camera's noise reduction does not work very smoothly.
| JPEG | RAW | |
| ISO 100 |  |  |
| ISO 200 |  |  |
| ISO 400 |  |  |
| ISO 800 |  |  |
| ISO 1600 |  |  |
| ISO 3200 |  |  |
| ISO 6400 |  |  |
| ISO 12800 |  |  |
Values around 0.8 lines/pixel up to ISO 3200 indicate a good sensor, and also, judging by the JPG curve, not very good camera processing. In general, the noise test can be considered passed with dignity, especially for RAW.
Now let's see how camera resolution is affected by optics.
Optics
The optics test does not show such outstanding results, although, making allowances for “compactness” and design features cameras, they can be considered acceptable. Resolution in the center quite naturally decreases with increasing focal length, while resolution at the edge of the frame, on the contrary, increases. The average and maximum resolution values are not too high, I would like it to be higher.
| EGF = 24 mm | |||
| f/2.0 | f/4.0 | f/8.0 | f/16.0 |
| center of frame | |||
| 0.66 lines/pixel | 0.78 lines/pixel | 0.74 lines/pixel | 0.68 lines/pixel |
| frame edge | |||
| 0.47 lines/pixel | 0.49 lines/pixel | 0.49 lines/pixel | 0.45 lines/pixel |
| f/2.0 | f/4.0 | f/8.0 | f/16.0 |
| frame edge | |||
The wide angle shows a not very pleasant dependence. The edge of the frame has completely “floated” beyond the permissible limit, and the open and closed apertures produce approximately the same resolution values, which is not very cool. Although in terms of the absolute value of the resolution in the center everything is not so bad, it is still not the level of a device of this class.
| EGF = 50 mm | |||
| f/3.5 | f/5.6 | f/8.0 | f/16.0 |
| center of frame | |||
| 0.68 lines/pixel | 0.72 lines/pixel | 0.72 lines/pixel | 0.67 lines/pixel |
| frame edge | |||
| 0.63 lines/pixel | 0.63 lines/pixel | 0.63 lines/pixel | 0.59 lines/pixel |
| f/3.6 | f/5.6 | f/8.0 | f/16.0 |
| frame edge | |||
The graph is much “smoother” than at wide angle, which is not surprising. But according to maximum value he sank greatly, and this cannot but upset.
| EGF = 120 mm | |||
| f/3.9 | f/5.6 | f/8.0 | f/16.0 |
| center of frame | |||
| 0.72 lines/pixel | 0.74 lines/pixel | 0.72 lines/pixel | 0.66 lines/pixel |
| frame edge | |||
| 0.63 lines/pixel | 0.67 lines/pixel | 0.66 lines/pixel | 0.63 lines/pixel |
| f/3.6 | f/5.6 | f/8.0 | f/16.0 |
| frame edge | |||
Well, at the long end the result is quite good. Moreover, it is approximately the same as on the average one, which clearly indicates the high quality of the optics. As you can see from the graphs above, the most successful aperture values for shooting are f/4-5.6 at almost all focal lengths.
It took quite a long time to find the shutter speeds at which the camera would start losing lines, so by that time my hands were already shaking. Nevertheless, the result is quite decent for a compact stabilizer. According to our estimate, the effectiveness of the stabilizer is approximately 4 EV steps. At the same time, the manufacturer claims 3.5 steps at the maximum EGF, that is, at 120 mm. Well, it is possible that the figure is quite real. The result we obtained indicates a fairly good performance of the stabilizer.
Video
The video turns out quite good. There is some slight ripple in the image, but still images are mostly as clear as possible at 30fps.
| Video | Sound | |
| Download | 1920×1080, 29.97 fps, AVC [email protected], 11.6 Mbit/s | AAC LC, 128 Kbps, stereo |
The large relative aperture and relatively large sensor will also allow you to shoot artistic videos with a shallow depth of field.
Bottom line
It’s nice that Canon is trying to keep up with the market and release similar models that many people have probably dreamed of. However, so far the implementation of a great idea leaves much to be desired. I would like to believe that the compact with a large matrix embodied in the G1X Mark II is not the limit of capabilities and technology. Moreover, when studying the current market for compact and mirrorless cameras, you begin to understand that modern technology is capable of more.
Since I've been familiar with Canon cameras for a long time, I can't help but be saddened by their slow growth. Sometimes it seems that the manufacturer has established a path for itself in the production of good compact cameras and does not want to turn away from it or speed up. Modern Canon cameras show decent results, slightly better than their predecessors, but cannot show anything outstanding. And the G1X Mark II is no exception. This is a really good camera, on which the manufacturer has worked a lot, but it is not “several times” or “an order of magnitude” better than the previous cameras of the G and S series. It is better only as much as the image sensor is larger and the optics are cleaner. Although from such an expensive model you want a noticeable improvement in quality, visible even to the eye. And in this case, it wouldn’t be a shame to pay 35 thousand rubles for it (at the start of sales, and now all 40). In the meantime, the reality is a little sadder than expectations, and therefore the price seems a little too high.
Nevertheless, someone will like this option. Apparently, the camera is in demand. But we will still be looking forward to that breakthrough from Canon that will allow us to move a little away from the established path and create not just a “Canon style” camera, but a truly outstanding camera capable of taking high quality pictures, albeit “Canon style” "
