Value & Verdict

Canon PowerShot G1 X review – Value

The £699 launch price has set many tongues wagging. It’s an awful lot of money and some £100 more than a 600D with 18-55mm kit lens at the time of writing.

Is it worth it? If DSLR-like image quality is an essential feature in a compact body then yes it is. There’s nothing else out there short of the fixed-focal-length and more expensive Fujifilm X100 that could take on the G1 X for overall image quality. The eminently more affordable Fujifilm X10 – the G1 X’s most direct competitor – has decent enough image quality, but the Canon still has the upper hand in this department.

If the price drops by £100 upon launch in many retailers then the G1 X will be a more attractive prospect to a wider audience. As, and let’s face it, at its current price it’s got a niche market.

Canon PowerShot G1 X review – Verdict

The Canon G1 X’s sensor is the star of the show. The images this camera can produce are exceptional, easily of a DSLR quality – and it’s not often that’s said.

But in use there are issues. The hefty price tag ought to bring a better, more advanced autofocus system, plus the close-focus distance of the lens can be limiting.

The viewfinder, too, is no better than that found in the PowerShot G12. What with electronic viewfinders making headway in other cameras such as the Fujifilm X-S1, the Canon G1 X’s low field-of-view, small and off-set optical viewfinder just doesn’t cut it. But then it does have one, which is more than can be said for almost any other compact.

On the plus side the build is sturdy, the layout functional and everything falls into its right place in use. Find that stride when shooting and the G1 X will have plenty of appeal to candid street snappers, landscape photographers, or those that demand the utmost in image quality. Considering the high £699 price-point the camera’s performance is underwhelming, yet its images are so good that the G1 X is guaranteed to win over a demanding audience. It’s that good.