Canon Gives Meaning To The G-Series

2012.01.10

Today, Canon unveiled the Powershot G1 X. This premium compact is based on the G-series design of advanced photographic controls but puts the bulk of that camera to good use by fitting it with a 14 megapixels 1.5" CMOS sensor. This is between the size of a cropped-sensor DSLR and Micro Four-Thirds SLD. Matched with the new sensor is a wide-angle 4X optical zoom lens equivalent to 28-112mm, only slightly shorter than one on the G12.

The G1 X has everything expected from an advanced compact, including dual control-dials, full manual controls, manual focus, custom white-balance, bracketing and even a hot-shoe and optical viewfinder. The external design has been slightly simplified compared to the G12 while retaining the traditional mode-dial and exposure-compensation dial.

Canon is setting the suggested retain price of the G1 X to $799 USD which significantly undercuts the price of the premium fixed-focal-length Fuji Finepix X100, the only true competitor of the G1 X. The growing number of premium compacts is facing even more pressure because of compact SLDs which use similarly-sized sensors while providing the versatility of interchangeable lenses. The Canon Powershot G1 X is scheduled to be available at the end of next month.

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