Short review of the new Canon G7X (what matters to me most)

The birth of a new camera - Canon G7X. This time, Canon seemed to have abandon her 1.5" sensor and favour the 1 inch sensor format that had been make pretty popular by Sony RX100 series of compact cameras.

When Canon introduced this camera, I am excited... very excited, especially with the launch price. It was at US$699 when you get it from the United States and S$799 when you got it from Singapore. And frankly speaking, this type of pricing is incredibly good when compared to the price of a Sony RX100 mkIII which cost around US$799.99 in US and in excess of 1k when you get from Singapore.

When there was a promotion in one of the stores that I like, I jumped at the opportunity and gotten my hands on one. I will do a quick review of this camera after a few hours of playing with it.

Below is some of the powershot G7X features (courtesy of canonrumors.com)
(http://www.canonrumors.com/2014/09/official-canon-powershot-g7-x/)

New 1.0-inch, 20.2 Megapixel* High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor combined with Canon’s powerful DIGIC 6 Image Processor creates the Canon HS SYSTEM for outstanding low-light performance up to ISO 12800, enhanced image quality, and fast operation.

A bright f/1.8 (W) – f/2.8 (T), 4.2x Optical Zoom (24mm–100mm), 9-blade iris diaphragm and IS equipped lens enables you to capture more in your frame, and is ideal for low-light conditions or using shallow depth-of-field for dramatic, soft backgrounds. Focus range starts at 2.0 in. for Macro and 1.3 ft. for Tele.

Selfie-ready multi-angle capacitive 3.0″ touch panel LCD with a screen resolution of 1,040K dots for a sharp, clear display and easy operation and sharing.

High-Speed AF (0.14 sec.) greatly improves focus speed. 31 AF points provide an expanded and more accurate focus area. Paired with continuous shooting speeds of up to 6.5 fps and the removal of buffer time, you can get your best shot in full resolution.

For easy Wi-Fi® connectivity**, built-in NFC (Near Field Communication) allows quick and simple pairing to a compatible Android™ device***.

Capture stunning 1080p/60p Full HD video for lifelike images and convenient playback on an HDTV via the HDMI output. Record at up to 60 frames per second for even more detailed, superb results in MP4 format.

Intelligent IS automatically chooses from eight different modes to optimize image stabilization for virtually shake-free images in a wide variety of conditions.

Convenient control ring, exposure dial, and mode dial provide intuitive manual adjustment.

Shoot breathtaking images and video of the stars with Star Mode designed to better capture the brilliance and wonder of the night sky.

Now let us get on with the review do note that this review is only on what matters to me most when choosing and shooting with a camera. I did not nor would I test every single function and feature of the camera.

When I first hold the camera in my hand, I am amazed at its great built quality. There was absolutely no flimsy structure, no squeaky button, etc. Even the tilting screen is nice and tight.

  

 

The camera is not exactly pocketable unlike the S120. It was kind of thick, but if you have a cargo pants, it shouldn't be a problem.

There is however a couple of issues I immediately noticed with the camera.

1) No hotshoe. (Yeah, yeah. I know, there is no hotshoe right from the beginning and I should have known. But still... no hotshoe) and that means no add on accessories like a viewfinder.

2) No viewfinder (not really a biggie if you don't plan to shoot under direct sunlight).

3) The camera to phone connectivity can only be compatible with android and apple phones because you need to download an app. into your phone. So since I am using windows phone, I cannot use that function.

4) The battery/ SD card compartment is so close to the tripod hole that when I mounted a tripod quick release plate (the smallest I can find) on the camera, I still cannot open the door to access my battery and SD card.

Otherwise the camera is perfect for my use, thus far.

I did a quick shot out of my room and at my backyard and found that the image quality while not DSLR or m4/3 standard, are actually pretty impressive.

ISO test

Note that this was not a scientific test, nor was it mean to be one. Anyway, I try to keep all variable as constant as possible. I mount my camera on a tripod, position my subject around 1 meter from the camera and shoot at f8 at 24mm focal length.

 ISO 125

 ISO 200

 ISO 400

 ISO 640

 ISO 800

 ISO 1000

 ISO 1600

 ISO 2000

 ISO 2500

 ISO 3200

 ISO 4000

 ISO 5000

 ISO 6400

 ISO 8000

 ISO 10000

 ISO 12800

From the ISO test that I have taken, I noticed that image all the way to ISO 3200 is pretty usable, although I would not go as far as saying that it had not noise at all, but I find that for a compact camera, I can accept this level of noise.

AF speed

The Autofocus speed of the G7X is good, I used the OMD EM5 with a 12-50mm lens to compare with it and found that in good lighting they came very close with each other, of course OMD-EM5 wins in this area and in poorer lighting, the AF speed of the G7X is lagged behind quite significantly but not consider slow.

There is slight shutter lag, but in my opinion it is not really that bad for a compact camera.

Scenes

There really ain't that many scenes in this camera, although frankly speaking, I have not use any scenery mode for years and I don't foresee doing it.

Manual Control

There are plenty of manual controls on this camera, especially the function ring which is a joy to use. I became an instant fan of this ring.

The control ring is set to control the aperture of the camera as standard when at aperture control (Av) and control the shutter speed when at Shutter control (Tv) mode. However, you could also customise it to a couple of thing such as manual focus, zoom, ISO, etc. Normally I would just use the control ring as its default, however, at times I would set it to MF since I find it easier to manual focus that way as oppose to its normal manual focus method.

The manual focus is pretty accurate especially when you can magnify the image, however I find the control a bit lagging. I had try to MF on a subject once and was thoroughly frustrated by this lag. I think I am too use to a DSLR and m4/3 control and had lost touch with compact camera.

Flash

Although there is no hotshoe on the G7X to allow for a external flash (there are other ways though), it does have a build in flash. Of course that flash is not that powerful, but it did illuminating nearby subject pretty well.

 

 

Conclusion

Although I would have like to do a more detail review, my time with the camera is still pretty limited and I am too busy with work and school, so I can only do a simple review on what matters to me most on this camera.

All in all, I am pretty happy with the money spend and would have like to do more in near future with this camera. Stay tune.

Some shots from G7X

   

   

What I am excited about G7X

1) Quite a small camera, like the size and it can fit into all of my bags.

2) Great image quality for a compact all the way to ISO 3200.

3) Good to use function ring (I think it is the best thing since sliced bread)

4) Excellent focal range (24-100mm as compared to Sony RX100III 24-70mm)

5) Excellent lens speed (f1.8 to f2.8)

6) Great AF speed for a compact camera

7) Great price as compared to competitor (like Sony RX100III)

What I am not too excited about G7X

1) Phone connectivity don't work for Windows Phone

2) No weather sealing (not a deal breaker though)

3) (Still trying to determine if this is a problem) I distinctively felt the camera getting warm after a couple of shots in my room, not too sure about this though, gonna try again.

4) Tripod hole too near to the battery/ SD card compartment

5) If the LCD screen can be twisted to face downward it would be better so I can take over the head shot at my subject.

6) No hotshoe...

7) No viewfinder

8) No filter thread or accessories for add on filters

What I really hope G7X would implement

1) Viewfinder (one like the Sony RX100III)

2) App for windows phone (I mean, come on! There are heaps of people using windows phone!)

3) External filter thread accessories, like the G1X/ G1XmkII