I remember someone using this camera for work, to document the deliverables of a large industry factory. and it was chosen for its strong body, compactness and good enough images for documenting details and full shots of the build components. I think for that industrial job, this was a great option back then.
In my everyday back pack I keep the successor G 5X mkII, a very pleasant camera, easy to use, tilting screen, zoom range very practical, good quality images. (For 'serious' work I have EM-1mkII!)
A very unique camera that I recently considered buying. People complained about very slow focus and the sensor size didn't seem to improve much on MFT dynamic range. Prices btw in the US remain high on this one, $200 or more .. I got a 40D for $77 instead, so at least I can be disappointed in my retro camera images at lower cost :D
I've used a pair of G1X for stereoscopic photography of Burning Man for nine years, synced with StereoData Maker. They work great. After many trips to Black Rock Desert, the lenses now have dust in them, so I bought a replacement pair of used G1X.
Hello Robin, Thank you for the nice video! I've used the G1X as a carry-along camera alongside mFT gear for over seven years and I'm still very satisfied. For me, it has a decisive advantage: you don't attract attention, you just won't be taken. And you achieve an image quality that (almost) corresponds to that of a modern mFT camera. Always good light ;-)
Another great video. I had this as my first digital camera. Loved that the buttons were easy to use with gloves, loved the b+w filter, and it had decent video. But it was also a very slow camera to operate and the minimum focus distance was a hindrance but overall the positives outweighed the drawbacks IMO. I’d recommend for beginners but for advanced shooters an interchangeable lens system would be more flexible.
I was thinking to buy this one, but finally I bought Ricoh GR3. At the time, there was a legendary pocket camera called "Canon Powershot S95" 😁 it was premium pocket camera. The image quality is pretty good for a small camera. I bought it in 2013, went for Ricoh for a while, but back to Canon S95 again, because it's truly pocketable. While the G1X and GR3 are too large to put in my pocket due to large sensors.
Interesting. Thanks. toronto canada. I've recently started using my Canon s110 camera again. With it's 1/1.7" sensor. Nice compact camera to camera around. I normally use Panasonic m43 gear.
I bought this new back in the day. It was my first digital camera. I used it at bodybuilding shows. The main issue was video. For some bizarre reason you couldn’t get manual control in video mode, it was all auto. This might have changed in the mark 2 and 3 but Canon still didn’t put a headphone jack in it. I had to down grade to a Canon G3X to get manual control in video mode. Surprisingly on both cameras I’ve had published photos in magazines, newspapers and national tv. Nowadays my iPhone 12 Pro Max has taken over as the workhorse at bodybuilding shows. The quality is good enough but I get super fast upload to social media.
After having owning this and the G1X Mark ii, the Mark II is much better in pretty much all aspects except for the fully articulating screen. If you think the Mark I feels solid, wait until you hold the Mark II. It just oozes quality, really feels like a big block of metal. Also, it has a faster lens with a longer reach: 24-120mm f2 - 3.8. There is a ton of other features that they have added including fully customisable controls like a smooth ring, clicked ring, and a dial allowing the use to have full control of the exposure triangle without having to dive in the menu or press a button. It also has step zoom so one can select the preferred focal length like 24mm, 28mm and so on. It has a very usable detachable viewfinder unlike the useless one on the Mark i. That said, I would even argue that the Mark ii is better than the Mark iii.
I had the G1X II, same sensor, better processor, far better lens (24-120mm f2-f3.9) I sold it because the AF was very bad The picture quality is great, not so much dynamic range but good enough I think its better option to get an old small DSLR fron Canon or Nikon. Its cheaper, better IQ, and you can change lenses for dirt cheap. I have seen old Canon DSLRs for 50usd with kit lens. You can find a Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 for other 40usd
Had a G1X as my first camera, thought me a lot. Image Quality was nothing to fuss at, tho the lens was incredibly, and I mean INCREDIBLY slow to focus. Add the pre-installed filters and it's pretty much unusable. Something to keep in mind, but it's certainly a machine bargain when it comes to prices are around the globe. 🌍
I really enjoyed this video. Can you please make a review of the Canon G1X Mark iii? Maybe even show the difference between it and other APS-C zoom point and shoot cameras. Thank you.
Being pedantic, "Micro Four Thirds" is a lens fitting i.e. interchangeable lenses, those camera usually use a "Four-Thirds" sensor which has not been the sole domain of MFT cameras. A few like the GH3 multi-aspect sensor (shared with the G5) have been a bit outside the box.
In 2023 it is still surprising how few cameras, even system cameras for pros, have three dials that can be set up to directly control the corners of the exposure triangle
Jan Buhler (go look for his videos on the Canon Powershot) waxes lyrical about this range of Canon compacts. However it just goes to show how much we were spoilt by Olympus. I wish though that OMS would make an E-PM3, as the E-PM2 is now my favourite m43 camera!
Robin, I am just an amateur photographer. I was inspired by your channel to buy Olympus. You worked tirelessly to promote Olympus, but I am saddened by your treatment by OM. I have since moved to Sony, and I will also urge you to move to Sony.
Still my go to carry about zoom compact from new, as a long standing Canon user. When I want to use a fixed focal length for street shots, it’s my recent buy, a used E-M5ii with 20mm 1.7mm.
Always good to see these great gems. There was a sweet spot in the 20-teens that made some of these cameras classics. Thanks for your review and thanks for sharing. Love the poratbility and of course there is going to be limitations! But the design is great.
Wow, great video. I'm a m43 pani-boy who is also rocking a G1x mk1 in 2023. It's a great camera but like u said, that min focusing distance can be a bummer. The image quality is still awesome and there are some firmware hacks you can load up to squeeze a little more out of it.
@@krystianbv87 sorry, I meant i use CHDK which is more like a firmware bypass. I use it to bypass the iso limits and what not. It cant fix the min focusing distance tho, that's not part of the firmware.
Have been eyeing your Canon G1X on your Carousell for the past 15 days 🤭, but im still not sure to buy it yet since like what you said, the MFT can offer much more and i'm still saving to get my first MFT Camera
Hi Rob, how does it perform in low light condition , and how effective it with built-in flash. I am planning to buy this one as my inspection camera, mostly work inside confined spaces with minimal light..Thanks
I think it is not a correct comparison between the G1X and OM-D, one is a fixed lens, the other an interchangeable lens. Yes, it was expensive when G1X first launched, but there wasn't other option at that time. But, later on the year of 2012, we had Sony RX100 first launch.
And it is also wrong to compare to Sony RX100, the sensor is so tiny. The point I was making - OM-D offers more value, and people gravitate toward that.
@@robinwong Hi Robin, I get your point. But when I bought it, I was looking for a compact high quality, good looking camera. DSLR/mirrorless was just not in the category. In fact, I remembered Canon marketing strategy / pitch was that G1X was a backup camera for serious / Professional photographer, just to illustrate how good it was. However the big and well known con very quickly was the poor macrophotograhy as you have mentioned. Not sure if you agree, probably the Fuji X100 would be good comparison. And, the Lumix LX100 in 2014.
I just watched another video of yours, where you mentioned the place you got your G1X from. If not wrong Singapore has a popular photography forum where lots of people sell their used cameras/gears in one of its thread. I wonder if Malaysia has any photography community/platform like that.
I try G1x and dislike the form factor about this. It is too heavy and look close to G15/G16. I expect the high ISO performance is good but in fact NO. So I keep my Panasonic GM1.
Unfortunately since approx 5 years there is no improvement in compact cams. It es because the gap of quality bedween smartphone and (cheap) compact cams becomes closer and closer. My Canon G12 died 3 weeks ago and there is no equivalent product on the market now!!! Actual Canon G-cams did not cover my need. Too small zoom and unfortunately overpriced.
I remember someone using this camera for work, to document the deliverables of a large industry factory. and it was chosen for its strong body, compactness and good enough images for documenting details and full shots of the build components. I think for that industrial job, this was a great option back then.
One of the best fixed lenses ever put on a compact camera.
I love the way you look at colours in you photography: agreeable and artistic
In my everyday back pack I keep the successor G 5X mkII, a very pleasant camera, easy to use, tilting screen, zoom range very practical, good quality images. (For 'serious' work I have EM-1mkII!)
Just helped my daughter purchase one of these for her first non phone camera lol Time for her to learn! Thanks for the vid!!
A very unique camera that I recently considered buying. People complained about very slow focus and the sensor size didn't seem to improve much on MFT dynamic range. Prices btw in the US remain high on this one, $200 or more .. I got a 40D for $77 instead, so at least I can be disappointed in my retro camera images at lower cost :D
Love these classic camera reviews.
I've used a pair of G1X for stereoscopic photography of Burning Man for nine years, synced with StereoData Maker. They work great. After many trips to Black Rock Desert, the lenses now have dust in them, so I bought a replacement pair of used G1X.
Hello Robin,
Thank you for the nice video!
I've used the G1X as a carry-along camera alongside mFT gear for over seven years and I'm still very satisfied.
For me, it has a decisive advantage: you don't attract attention, you just won't be taken.
And you achieve an image quality that (almost) corresponds to that of a modern mFT camera.
Always good light ;-)
I like your retro reviews!
I've been looking at the G1X. You may have sold me on getting one now. Thanks for the "review" and the content.
Another great video. I had this as my first digital camera. Loved that the buttons were easy to use with gloves, loved the b+w filter, and it had decent video. But it was also a very slow camera to operate and the minimum focus distance was a hindrance but overall the positives outweighed the drawbacks IMO. I’d recommend for beginners but for advanced shooters an interchangeable lens system would be more flexible.
Hi Robin I have a g1x and i shoot in manual mode it's a great camera i use a hood with it works great.
I was thinking to buy this one, but finally I bought Ricoh GR3. At the time, there was a legendary pocket camera called "Canon Powershot S95" 😁 it was premium pocket camera. The image quality is pretty good for a small camera. I bought it in 2013, went for Ricoh for a while, but back to Canon S95 again, because it's truly pocketable. While the G1X and GR3 are too large to put in my pocket due to large sensors.
Another camera I owned, and looking back at my photos taken with it, regret selling....
Isn't that the thing all of us feel at some point?
Interesting. Thanks. toronto canada.
I've recently started using my Canon s110 camera again. With it's 1/1.7" sensor. Nice compact camera to camera around. I normally use Panasonic m43 gear.
I bought this new back in the day. It was my first digital camera. I used it at bodybuilding shows. The main issue was video. For some bizarre reason you couldn’t get manual control in video mode, it was all auto. This might have changed in the mark 2 and 3 but Canon still didn’t put a headphone jack in it. I had to down grade to a Canon G3X to get manual control in video mode. Surprisingly on both cameras I’ve had published photos in magazines, newspapers and national tv. Nowadays my iPhone 12 Pro Max has taken over as the workhorse at bodybuilding shows. The quality is good enough but I get super fast upload to social media.
Still have a G1x .. Very nice and robust .. And decent IQ
200 dollars is this a normal price for a camera like this now?
After having owning this and the G1X Mark ii, the Mark II is much better in pretty much all aspects except for the fully articulating screen. If you think the Mark I feels solid, wait until you hold the Mark II. It just oozes quality, really feels like a big block of metal. Also, it has a faster lens with a longer reach: 24-120mm f2 - 3.8. There is a ton of other features that they have added including fully customisable controls like a smooth ring, clicked ring, and a dial allowing the use to have full control of the exposure triangle without having to dive in the menu or press a button. It also has step zoom so one can select the preferred focal length like 24mm, 28mm and so on. It has a very usable detachable viewfinder unlike the useless one on the Mark i.
That said, I would even argue that the Mark ii is better than the Mark iii.
Thanks for the review.
I have used the Canon G11 and G15 but never the G1X.
I had the G1X II, same sensor, better processor, far better lens (24-120mm f2-f3.9)
I sold it because the AF was very bad
The picture quality is great, not so much dynamic range but good enough
I think its better option to get an old small DSLR fron Canon or Nikon. Its cheaper, better IQ, and you can change lenses for dirt cheap. I have seen old Canon DSLRs for 50usd with kit lens. You can find a Yongnuo 50mm f1.8 for other 40usd
that defeats the point of a small compact fixed lens camera though?
@@s1dew1nd3r4 the g1x is not small. Not like a RX100 or G7X.
Had a G1X as my first camera, thought me a lot. Image Quality was nothing to fuss at, tho the lens was incredibly, and I mean INCREDIBLY slow to focus. Add the pre-installed filters and it's pretty much unusable.
Something to keep in mind, but it's certainly a machine bargain when it comes to prices are around the globe. 🌍
I really enjoyed this video. Can you please make a review of the Canon G1X Mark iii? Maybe even show the difference between it and other APS-C zoom point and shoot cameras. Thank you.
Thank you Robin .
Despite your disclaimer, Robin, this sure seems like a review to me! Thanks for posting. 8^)
Robin has a new toy, that's good!
Being pedantic, "Micro Four Thirds" is a lens fitting i.e. interchangeable lenses, those camera usually use a "Four-Thirds" sensor which has not been the sole domain of MFT cameras. A few like the GH3 multi-aspect sensor (shared with the G5) have been a bit outside the box.
I am used to see more sharp photos from you. So this is not a good advertisement for the G1x, but I see that you can still make your point.
In 2023 it is still surprising how few cameras, even system cameras for pros, have three dials that can be set up to directly control the corners of the exposure triangle
The design of G1X III changed which close to G5X. It make more sense. But I dont have chance to test it
Jan Buhler (go look for his videos on the Canon Powershot) waxes lyrical about this range of Canon compacts. However it just goes to show how much we were spoilt by Olympus. I wish though that OMS would make an E-PM3, as the E-PM2 is now my favourite m43 camera!
Robin, I am just an amateur photographer. I was inspired by your channel to buy Olympus. You worked tirelessly to promote Olympus, but I am saddened by your treatment by OM. I have since moved to Sony, and I will also urge you to move to Sony.
Bought one based on your enthusiasm 🎉. Nice addition to my canon collection
What would be a good price for the G1X in your opinion? Is €200 too much?
A truly great compromise betwen a compact and a DSLR with easy handling. The only thing that bothers me somewhat is the poor macro capabillities.
Still my go to carry about zoom compact from new, as a long standing Canon user.
When I want to use a fixed focal length for street shots, it’s my recent buy, a used E-M5ii with 20mm 1.7mm.
Always good to see these great gems. There was a sweet spot in the 20-teens that made some of these cameras classics. Thanks for your review and thanks for sharing. Love the poratbility and of course there is going to be limitations! But the design is great.
Wow, great video. I'm a m43 pani-boy who is also rocking a G1x mk1 in 2023. It's a great camera but like u said, that min focusing distance can be a bummer. The image quality is still awesome and there are some firmware hacks you can load up to squeeze a little more out of it.
Firmware hacks? What do you mean?
@@krystianbv87 sorry, I meant i use CHDK which is more like a firmware bypass. I use it to bypass the iso limits and what not. It cant fix the min focusing distance tho, that's not part of the firmware.
How about the comparison to Nikon P7100 ?!
Have been eyeing your Canon G1X on your Carousell for the past 15 days 🤭, but im still not sure to buy it yet since like what you said, the MFT can offer much more and i'm still saving to get my first MFT Camera
Thanks!
Thanks!
Which should I choose if I buy Canon g1x or Nikon Coolfix p7700
I will have to go to Malaysia to buy second hand gear. Robin always finds bargains there!
For size/price/output comparison something like Olympus EPL-6 with EVF and 14-42 would be better competitor than large EM5 ;)
Hi Rob, how does it perform in low light condition , and how effective it with built-in flash. I am planning to buy this one as my inspection camera, mostly work inside confined spaces with minimal light..Thanks
Thank you :)
I recently thought about getting the mark 2 version.
Bro, i need advise, G1X vs G16. Daily use, street, landscape, potrait, macro and video. Which one worth. Thanks
HI Robin, I'm new with camera... Do you know where can I let my E-P1 check cos the ISO is not functioning... Many thanks.. Leon (KL)
Wow I see I can purchase one in Australia thank you
If you want a Canon G series compact with a faster but slightly smaller zoom range, then the G16 with its f1.8 - f2.8 is the one for you.
:) yes it does qualify
Very nice! It would be fun to remove the lens and put an m42 or E mount :-)
All Canon compacts deliver Canon color!!!!
Also some people like CCDs because somehow they look better to some people.
I has one but is very difficult to handled.
I think it is not a correct comparison between the G1X and OM-D, one is a fixed lens, the other an interchangeable lens. Yes, it was expensive when G1X first launched, but there wasn't other option at that time. But, later on the year of 2012, we had Sony RX100 first launch.
And it is also wrong to compare to Sony RX100, the sensor is so tiny.
The point I was making - OM-D offers more value, and people gravitate toward that.
@@robinwong Hi Robin, I get your point. But when I bought it, I was looking for a compact high quality, good looking camera. DSLR/mirrorless was just not in the category. In fact, I remembered Canon marketing strategy / pitch was that G1X was a backup camera for serious / Professional photographer, just to illustrate how good it was. However the big and well known con very quickly was the poor macrophotograhy as you have mentioned. Not sure if you agree, probably the Fuji X100 would be good comparison. And, the Lumix LX100 in 2014.
Does it record video well? Can the lens be replaced?
Any recommended source in Malaysia to buy older models used but good condition G series? Such as G5X M1, G1X M3, etc.
I just watched another video of yours, where you mentioned the place you got your G1X from. If not wrong Singapore has a popular photography forum where lots of people sell their used cameras/gears in one of its thread. I wonder if Malaysia has any photography community/platform like that.
G1X Mk2 actually has inferior dynamic range for some strange reasons, very odd.
I try G1x and dislike the form factor about this.
It is too heavy and look close to G15/G16. I expect the high ISO performance is good but in fact NO. So I keep my Panasonic GM1.
Impossible focal lengths it just goes up to 60.4mm, this is totally wrong.
The thing with the Olympus em5 . The shutter was rubbish
Imagine though. Would've been pretty rad if they made an entire MFT line.
The G1X used a 1.5” sensor, which was larger than M43. This was not an M43 sensor.
Did you even watch the video? 1:25
1:20 in video for comparison chart
Unfortunately since approx 5 years there is no improvement in compact cams. It es because the gap of quality bedween smartphone and (cheap) compact cams becomes closer and closer. My Canon G12 died 3 weeks ago and there is no equivalent product on the market now!!! Actual Canon G-cams did not cover my need. Too small zoom and unfortunately overpriced.
Thank you so much!
I decided to not buy it for 100 €, it is to expensive.
Thanks!
Thanks!