Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II - Refreshed and Improved

Introduction

Canon used to be the compact camera manufacturer to beat, with many models in different segments of the compact camera market. With Olympus and Panasonic pushing the mirrorless system camera as well as smartphone photography on the rise, point-and-shoot compact cameras experienced a drop in demand over the last couple of years.

But while the general compact camera market is showing a downward trend, the premium compact segment is showing signs of growth. Many camera companies have been quick to capitalize on this trend, with Sony releasing the Cyber-shot RX100 and Panasonic with its Lumix LX7, to name a few. In response to this trend and the increasing threat from mirrorless system cameras, Canon released the original PowerShot G1 X back in 2012. With a 1.5-inch sensor, optical viewfinder and an articulating display, the PowerShot G1 X looked to be a major compact camera powerhouse that could rival a mirrorless system camera.

Unfortunately while the PowerShot G1 X looked good on paper, it did suffer from quite a few issues such as sluggish autofocus and an inability to focus close for macro shots. The result was a niche camera that was suitable for those who knew what they could get out of it.

Canon hasn’t rushed to release an update and it's only after two years that we finally see its successor: the PowerShot G1 X Mark II. But was the two-year wait worth it?

Design and Handling

The PowerShot G1 X Mark II is a semi-portable compact, so it’s still larger than your standard point-and-shoot camera. While it’s slightly smaller than its predecessor, it’s still more comfortable in a camera bag rather than in a pants pocket. Build quality is good, and it does not feel cheap or plasticky. However, its size and heft makes it difficult to shoot with one hand at times; this is a camera that shoots best with your left hand under the lens to stabilize it.

The PowerShot G1X Mark II also comes with step zoom, which just means that the camera features preset focal lengths (24, 28, 35, 50, 85, 100, 120 mm) which are useful if you want to shoot at any of these focal lengths without having to fiddle with the zoom lever.

The PowerShot G1 X Mark II loses the lens cover found on the original G1 X and comes with a retractable lens cover instead, which is better as there’s no need to worry about misplacing the lens cover anymore. As one can expect, the camera will appeal to those familiar with manual controls and it now comes with two control rings, a shortcut button and a scroll wheel. The scroll wheel and a shortcut button even allow you to assign functions to as well.

The two control rings are found on the lens barrel, and you can assign various functions to them such as adjusting aperture or exposure compensation. The two rings make it more convenient when shooting since it gives you the ability to adjust two shooting variables without having to access the menu system. One control ring turns smoothly, while the other has some tactile feedback (you know, the 'clicky' feel).

One example of how you would use them both would be to assign step zoom functionality to the smooth control ring, and assign aperture control to the clicky control ring. This lets you zoom and adjust aperture in aperture priority mode without having to even access any menu.

The optical viewfinder on the original PowerShot G1 X has been removed from the Mark II, though you do get the option to purchase an electronic viewfinder (EVF), which you can mount onto the hotshoe at the top of the camera. Beside the hotshoe is the pop-up flash, which can be tilted. This gives you a bit more leeway when it comes to using the flash instead of having it fire straight-ahead all the time.

The display on the PowerShot G1 X Mark II cannot be rotated out, unlike the one on the first G1 X. It can still be tilted up or down though, which lets you take selfies. The display is also touch-enabled, so you can tap to focus, or tap to snap a shot. In terms of connectivity, the PowerShot G1 X Mark II comes with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, with the NFC contact area found on the right of the camera.

User Interface and Camera Performance

The PowerShot G1 X Mark II took about slightly below two seconds to get it up and running, which is pretty quick. One of the main complaints about the original PowerShot G1 X was its sluggish autofocus speed, and it’s safe to say that that issue is mostly fixed. We say "mostly" because the PowerShot G1 X Mark II still occasionally struggles in low light; there were times the camera took longer than usual to focus, or on rare occasions, would not focus at all.

With a sensor that’s slightly smaller than those found in APS-C DSLR cameras, the PowerShot G1 X Mark II should produce images that are of high quality. And it doesn’t disappoint. In terms of resolution the PowerShot G1 X Mark II did very well, considering that it’s still a compact camera (albeit a larger one). And images shot at ISO1600 still show a lot of detail and none of that detail smudging that you see in lesser compact cameras.

The original PowerShot G1 X didn’t fare too well when it came to macro shots, with a minimum focusing distance of 20cm. The Mark II fares better with a rated minimum focusing distance of 5cm, and it also comes with a ND filter to help with overexposure when you’re shooting wide open in environments with sufficient light. The Mark II’s lens is capable of shooting at F2.0 to F3.9, with a focal length of 24 to 120mm (35mm equivalent), which is not only faster, but offers more reach compared to the original’s 28 to 112mm which could only shoot at F2.8 to F5.8.

The user interface is relatively easy to navigate, and besides assigning functions to the various controls, you can also just press the Function button to access other shooting options. However it wasn’t very apparent how one would adjust aperture while in Manual mode, though a quick glance at the manual solved that.

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II also comes with built-in Wi-Fi, and you get the option to share photographs with another camera, a smartphone, a PC, a printer or a cloud service. We noticed the camera does take a while to connect to a network; in fact it takes longer than some of the other compact cameras we have tested.

With all the improvements found in the Mark II, it’s disappointing to see that battery life still remains an issue. The G1 X Mark II has a battery life that’s actually inferior to the original, at 240 shots compared to the 250 shots found on its predecessor, which was already considered a weak performer.

Below are sample photographs shot with the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II. The photos have not been post-processed and are copyright to SPH Magazines. They are provided for your reference only and we ask that you do not reproduce them elsewhere. Click for the full-resolution images.

Conclusion

The PowerShot G1 X Mark II addresses many of the shortcomings of the original, such as a faster lens, quicker autofocus and a shorter minimum focusing distance of 5cm. The 24-120mm F2.0 -3.9 lens is much faster than the one found on the original G1 X, and the maximum aperture lets you shoot with a shallow depth-of-field as we've shown in some of the sample shots.

The control rings and the dial on the D-pad allow for more control and greater ease of use as shortcuts and functions can be assigned to them. The tilt screen also allows for the camera to take low-angle or overhead shots, which wouldn’t be possible with a fixed display. Image quality and noise control is very good for a 'compact' camera, so if it’s just image quality you’re concerned about, then there aren’t that many contenders in this playing field. In fact, we've established that the original G1 X could easily compete and even surpass some mirrorless cameras when it comes to image quality results.

However, having a large sensor has resulted in a bulky camera. Some might find this a worthy trade-off for the image quality, but if you’re looking for a more compact solution as a second camera to your DSLR, then there are other alternatives such as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX-100 Mark III. Alternatively you could also take a look at mirrorless system cameras such as the Olympus OM-D E-M10, which provides the flexibility of changing lenses and a body that’s not that much larger than the PowerShot G1 X Mark II.

While the original G1 X was considered a niche camera due to its quirks such as the sluggish autofocus and in-ability to focus close, the Mark II improves on all these issues. This makes the Mark II a better all-round camera, but its size and asking price of S$1,099 (costlier than its predecessor) means that you should do some research before deciding if it’s suitable for you, especially with the dipping price points of entry-level mirrorless system cameras and the increased number of contenders for premium compacts.

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