Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III came close to being the most fantastic camera. It stood out from the crowd with a larger sensor and an excellent wide-aperture zoom lens.
G1 X Mark III has an APS-C sensor, similar to what you’d find in an SLR, but it’s smaller and lighter. However, the Mark II’s 24-120mm f/2-3.9 zoom replaced a smaller 24-70mm f/2.8-5.6 lens.
Because there was no EVF and the camera only had a 13MP picture sensor, it couldn’t compete with the Sony RX100 III. But despite that, this camera has several things to talk about. Here are some of the salient features of G1 X Mark III.
Table of Contents
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III Review
Design
The G1 X Mark III’s size is a significant selling factor. It’s more extensive than the G5 X, which has a smaller 1-inch sensor and an identical design, but it has a larger screen.
The Mark III may fit in a pocket or purse with a 3.1 x 4.5 x 2.0-inch (H x W x D) and 14.1-ounce weight. Compare this to the G1 Mark II, a hefty (2.9 by 4.6 by 2.6 inches) and unwieldy (1.2 pounds) small camera.
Mark III’s sensor is more significant than the predecessor, but the f-stop is smaller. As with the EOS 80D, this is a tried-and-true design that performs admirably at higher ISOs. As a result, you’ll have to increase the sensitivity in low-light situations, although the bigger sensor compensates for this.
The lens has a ring around it that you can manipulate. It may be used as an aperture or shutter control, ISO dial, white balance adjustment, or a manual focus ring. By default, it is used to change the magnification.
The Mode dial may be found above the EVF, to its left. It has a locking mechanism that requires you to push the middle button down to spin it.
The 3-inch LCD has a vari-angle design, which means it may face forward, up, or down when swung out from the body. It has a feature called Touch and Drag AF, which allows you to set the focus by tapping on the screen.
Moving your finger around the display while holding the EVF to your eye will enable you to adjust the focus point, which other firms refer to by different names.
Zoom Range
The zoom range is a trade-off for the increased size. Zoom range was not one of the G1 X Mark II’s flaws that prohibited it from receiving our highest recommendation. This camera has a zoom range of 5x (from 24 to 120mm) with an aperture range of f/2-3.9, making it extremely bright.
If you want the same brightness over the entire image, you’ll need a larger lens for the Mark III.
Canon has opted to reduce the zoom range of the camera. Like the RX100 III and other top 1-inch compacts, the Zoom RX100 III’s zoom range is between 15 and 45 mm (or 24-72 mm in full-frame terms).
LCDs and ViewFinder
The 1,040k-dot LCD screen has a good amount of brightness. The screen may be tilted to prevent glare outside in bright sunshine. The EVF, which is enormous and crisp, is also available (2,359k dots).
The viewfinder and back LCD are automatically switched via an eye sensor. However, there is one major flaw: the sensor stays active when the LCD is swung to the side for shooting at misaligned angles, making it easy for your hand to activate it and completely obscure the LCD.
Autofocus and Performance
In around 2.2 seconds, the camera powers up focus and takes a picture. Even with the help of a solid orange autofocus assist beam, the camera’s autofocus locks onto a target in bright light in roughly 0.1 seconds. Although 0.8-second latency is more than we want, slowness in weak light is expected.
The G1 X Mark III focusing mechanism encountered various troubles. While the camera was generally reliable, there were a few instances where it struggled to maintain focus. On-sensor phase detection is typically accurate and dependable in our field tests with the Mark III camera.
A yellow box with an exclamation point will appear on the camera’s display when it can’t lock on to a specific point of focus, but it’s not an issue that happens frequently and only occurs when using a single point of focus.
Video and Image Quality:
The Canon G1 X Mark III is an SLR camera with a fixed lens and a compact body. Since the 80D, Canon has used the same 24MP sensor in nearly every SLR, and a mirrorless camera was introduced.
Video Quality
This stunning quality camera can offer 1080/60p video capture.
The G1 X Mark III 1080p video capture is a little stale nowadays. There is no reason why a camera costing this much money wouldn’t be able to shoot 4K. Because of in-lens stabilization, the video is clear and stable, even at low resolutions, and you can choose between 24fps, 30fps, or 60fps frame rates.
As a result of the Dual Pixel AF technology, focus transitions are smooth and attractive.
Despite the lens’s 24-72mm equivalent focal length, the camera’s 24MP resolution gives you considerable leeway in cropping. Using a conventional center-weighted assessment, 2,538 lines of resolution can be seen at 24mm f/2.8. The quality is good for the frame.
When you reduce the aperture from f/4 to f/8, your final score rises to 2,746 lines, with a sharper 2,227 lines for the edge. F/5.6 (2,778 lines) and f/8 (2,659 lines) are the best settings, whereas f/11 (2,501 lines) and f/16 (2,659 lines) are the worst (2,055 lines).
Diffraction reduces image quality because it scatters light at small apertures.
Image Quality
Still, images are the strongest suit of Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III. With effective 24 megapixels, it can shoot both RAW and JPEG.
Shooting in raw format lets you get the most out of your camera. ISO 6400 has a lot of grain, but the details are considerably better preserved than JPG. Grain is more robust at ISO 12800 and 25600, but the photographs aren’t fuzzy like the JPG equivalent.
The APS-C sensor has the edge over a 1-inch sensor like the one in the G5 X for high ISOs. Even though the G1’s wide-angle lens is one stop darker than the G5’s, the G1 X Mark III still takes crisper photographs in low light.
In terms of the 45mm equivalent, f/4.5 is the widest aperture. The image quality is excellent, with an average of 2,798 lines and an average of 2,100 lines for edges. Edges are as sharp as 2,400 lines when the iris is narrowed to f/5.6, with an average resolution of 2,890.
Two thousand eight hundred thirty-one lines appear at f/8 before performance declines at f/11 and f/16 (2,297 lines).
At f/5.6, the lens exhibits 3,104 lines at 72mm, with the margins approaching 2,800 lines at this focal length. Images remain clear and sharp at f/8 (3,088 lines), f/11 (2,807 lines), and f/16 (2,807 lines) (2,398 lines).
Connectivity and Memory
The Mark III incorporates Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC for connectivity with a smartphone. A smartphone or tablet may remotely control and transmit photographs from the camera to the phone using the Canon Camera Connect app.
There’s also a little wall charger in the box. Storage and transportation are made easier with an integrated plug that folds in. Micro USB may also be used to recharge the camera’s battery. The only inputs are a micro HDMI and a 2.5mm remote control interface.
To reach the memory card slot, you must remove the bottom plate. SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards are all acceptable options. You can’t take advantage of the quicker write times afforded by UHS-II media since the speed is limited to UHS-I.
Battery
The G1 X uses the same NB-13L battery as the G7 X Mark II and other G series cameras. However, the G1 X Mark III’s bigger sensor takes more power and reduces the estimated battery life to 200 photographs or 85 minutes of video than the G7’s 265 images (per CIPA standards).
You’ll need a backup battery or two if you plan to use the G1 X as a trip camera.
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III Specifications:
- 2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
- DIGIC 7 Image Processor
- 3x Zoom Lens, 24-72mm (35mm Equivalent)
- 36m-Dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder
- 0″ Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
- Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF, Image Stabilizer
- ISO 25600, 9 fps Continuous Shooting
- Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC, Bluetooth
- Dust- and Water-Resistant Construction24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
- DIGIC 7 Image Processor
- 3x Zoom Lens, 24-72mm (35mm Equivalent)
- 36m-Dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder
- 0″ Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
- Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF, Image Stabilizer
- ISO 25600, 9 fps Continuous Shooting
- Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC, Bluetooth
- Dust- and Water-Resistant Construction
Pros:
- Big, APS-C image sensor
- Compact body
- Dual Pixel AF
- EVF
- Vari-angle touch LCD
- Dust and moisture resistance
Cons:
- Expensive
- Short, narrow aperture zoom lens
- Disappointing battery life
- Eye sensor active with LCD away from the body
- Video limited to 1080p
Conclusion
It’s the first time an APS-C sensor and a zoom lens have been combined in a form factor this small, and both the lens and sensor perform well. Just as in the company’s SLR and mirrorless lines, Canon’s Dual Pixel AF technology is equally robust here.
Focusing isn’t spectacular, but it’s good enough for most scenarios, especially when using a 24-72mm zoom lens.
Even yet, there’s still the nagging suspicion that Canon might have made this camera even better by staying true to the design of the Mark II. Adding an EVF to the G1 X and G5 X versions would have made a more significant distinction between the two models had the company done so.
Overall, if you are looking for a camera with superior still images, Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III is highly recommended from our side <– Affiliate Link 🙂
