Shortly after the start of the new year, Canon announced a new camera in its “Powershot” series, the Powershot G1X. While the “Powershot” label might bring to mind something more like a consumer point and shoot camera, the G1 X provides considerably more capabilities than that might suggest. (G1 X at site sponsor B&H.)
There is a lot to note about this camera, but one of the most interesting and important features is its use of a larger sensor than used in previous Powershot designs. The earlier cameras (including the current “high end” of the series, the G12 and the closely related S100) use very small sensors. This allows those cameras to be very small and light, especially because smaller lenses can be used. They can produce quite good image quality at low ISOs, but the IQ breaks down relatively quickly if you have to shoot at a higher ISO in low light.
The G1 X sensor is considerably larger. Its 14+ megapixel sensor is only a bit smaller than that found in the Canon APS-C cropped sensor DSLR bodies (like the t3i and the 7D, etc) and it is a bit larger than the sensors in the compact four-thirds cameras. It is a lot larger than the sensor in the previous Powershot cameras. Since many photographers who have been otherwise attracted to the smaller cameras (like the S100 and the G12 ) have been slightly put off by the compromises inherent in the very small sensors, this is a big deal. The G1 X provides a relatively small and compact camera that can provide image quality that is very competitive what that produced by cropped sensor DSLRs. Continue reading Canon’s New Powershot G1 X Camera
