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Canon G1 X Mark II Comparison Review

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is a fixed lens compact camera that was revealed to the public in February 2014 and is equipped with an 1.5-inch sensor. It offers a resolution of 13 megapixel.

camera

Is the Canon G1 X Mark II a good camera? The G1X Mark II has a Camera Elo of 1874. This rating puts the G1X Mark II below average of all travel zoom compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the G1X Mark II also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Canon G1 X Mark II is more than 10 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2014.

Headline Specifications
Canon G1 X Mark II
Fixed lens compact camera
24-120mm f/2.0-3.9
13 MP, 1.5" Sensor
1080/30p Video
ISO 100 - 12 800
Viewfinder optional
3.0 LCD, 1040k dots
Tilting touchscreen
5.2 shutter flaps per second
240 shots per battery charge
116 x 74 x 66 mm, 553 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Canon G1 X Mark II vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Canon G1 X Mark II vs credit card front
G1X Mark II versus credit card top view
G1X Mark II and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Canon G1 X Mark II alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon G1 X Mark II 116 mm 74 mm 66 mm 553 g 240 n Feb 2014 799ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 760D 132 mm 101 mm 78 mm 565 g 440 n Feb 2015 649ebay.com
3.
 
Canon G5 X 112 mm 76 mm 44 mm 353 g 210 n Oct 2015 799ebay.com
4.
 
Canon SX60 128 mm 93 mm 114 mm 650 g 340 n Sep 2014 549ebay.com
5.
 
Canon G16 109 mm 76 mm 40 mm 356 g 360 n Aug 2013 549ebay.com
6.
 
Canon S120 100 mm 59 mm 29 mm 217 g 230 n Aug 2013 449ebay.com
7.
 
Canon G1 X 117 mm 81 mm 65 mm 534 g 250 n Jan 2012 799ebay.com
8.
 
Canon 500D 129 mm 98 mm 62 mm 520 g 400 n Mar 2009 799ebay.com
9.
 
Canon 450D 129 mm 98 mm 62 mm 524 g 500 n Jan 2008 799ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus Stylus 1 116 mm 87 mm 57 mm 402 g 410 n Oct 2013 699ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic LX100 115 mm 66 mm 55 mm 393 g 300 n Sep 2014 899ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Canon G1 X Mark II was launched in the US market at a price of $799. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Canon G1 X Mark II features an 1.5-inch sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.85. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Canon G1 X Mark II among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Canon G1 X Mark II sensor measures

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Canon G1 X Mark II 1.5-inch 13.0 4160 31201080/30p21.510.858158
2.
 
Canon 760D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/30p22.612.091570
3.
 
Canon G5 X 1-inch 20.0 5472 36481080/60p21.412.347162
4.
 
Canon SX60 1/2.3 14.2 4608 30721080/60p19.210.812739
5.
 
Canon G16 1/1.7 12.0 4000 30001080/60p21.011.723054
6.
 
Canon S120 1/1.7 12.0 4000 30001080/60p21.311.924656
7.
 
Canon G1 X 1.5-inch 14.2 4352 32641080/24p21.710.864460
8.
 
Canon 500D APS-C 15.1 4752 31681080/20p21.711.566363
9.
 
Canon 450D APS-C 12.2 4272 2848none21.910.869261
10.
 
Olympus Stylus 1 1/1.7 11.8 3968 29761080/30p20.711.617951
11.
 
Panasonic LX100 Four Thirds 12.7 4112 30884K/30p22.312.555367
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The G1X Mark II indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the G1X Mark II can use is 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon G1 X Mark II and comparable cameras.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Canon G1 X Mark IIoptional n3.0 / 1040 tilting Y 1/4000s 5.2/s Y Y
2.
 
Canon 760Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
3.
 
Canon G5 X2360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/2000s 5.9/s Y Y
4.
 
Canon SX60922 n3.0 / 922 swivel n 1/2000s 6.4/s Y Y
5.
 
Canon G16optical n3.0 / 922 fixed n 1/4000s 2.2/s Y Y
6.
 
Canon S120none n3.0 / 922 fixed Y 1/2000s 12.1/s Y Y
7.
 
Canon G1 Xoptical n3.0 / 922 swivel n 1/4000s 1.9/s Y Y
8.
 
Canon 500Doptical n3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/4000s 3.4/s Y n
9.
 
Canon 450Doptical n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
10.
 
Olympus Stylus 11440 n3.0 / 1040 tilting Y 1/2000s 7.0/s Y Y
11.
 
Panasonic LX1002764 n3.0 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 11.0/s n Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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The LCD screen on the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the G1X Mark II

One convenient feature of the G1X Mark II is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Canon G1 X Mark IIYstereo / mono--mini2.0YY-
2.
 
Canon 760DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
3.
 
Canon G5 XYstereo / mono--mini2.0YY-
4.
 
Canon SX60Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
5.
 
Canon G16Ystereo / mono--mini2.0Y--
6.
 
Canon S120-stereo / mono--mini2.0Y--
7.
 
Canon G1 XYstereo / mono--mini2.0---
8.
 
Canon 500DYmono / mono--mini2.0---
9.
 
Canon 450DY- / ---mini2.0---
10.
 
Olympus Stylus 1Ystereo / mono--micro2.0Y--
11.
 
Panasonic LX100Ystereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
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It is notable that the G1X Mark II offers wifi support. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

The G1X Mark II has a zoom lens built in (12.5-62.5mm f/2.0-3.9), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length range from 24 to 120mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic that offers similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Further information on the features and operation of the G1X Mark II can be found in the free online Canon G1 X Mark II Manual or on the Canon support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the G1X Mark II handle or perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon G1 X Mark II3/5+..77/1004/54.5/5 Feb 2014 799ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 760D5/5+..77/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2015 649ebay.com
3.
 
Canon G5 X5/5+ +..78/1004.5/54.5/5 Oct 2015 799ebay.com
4.
 
Canon SX603/5+ +..75/1004/54.5/5 Sep 2014 549ebay.com
5.
 
Canon G164/5+....4.5/54.5/5 Aug 2013 549ebay.com
6.
 
Canon S120..+ +....4.5/54.5/5 Aug 2013 449ebay.com
7.
 
Canon G1 X5/5+..76/1004/54.5/5 Jan 2012 799ebay.com
8.
 
Canon 500D..+ +..74/1004.5/54.5/5 Mar 2009 799ebay.com
9.
 
Canon 450D..+ +..+ +4/54.5/5 Jan 2008 799ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus Stylus 1..+ +....4.5/54.5/5 Oct 2013 699ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic LX1005/5+ +..85/1005/55/5 Sep 2014 899ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Canon G1 X Mark II FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the G1X Mark II.

What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Canon G1 X Mark II?

The camera is build around a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Canon G1 X Mark II to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Canon equipped the G1X Mark II with the DIGIC 6 image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Canon G1 X Mark II?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 12800.

Can the Canon G1 X Mark II be equipped with an optional viewfinder?

Yes, Canon provides the EVF-DC1 as an accessory (here on amazon) that can be mounted on the hotshoe.

Does the Canon G1 X Mark II have a selfie-friendly screen?

Yes, the LCD-screen of the G1X Mark II is flexible and can be turned to be front-facing for capturing selfies.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Canon G1 X Mark II?

No, the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Canon G1 X Mark II?

The G1X Mark II offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Canon G1 X Mark II feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Canon G1 X Mark II for flash photography?

The G1X Mark II's flash sync speed is 1/4000 sec.

Does the Canon G1 X Mark II support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-I cards (data transfer speed of up to 104 MB/s).

Which battery does the Canon G1 X Mark II use?

The camera gets its power from the NB-12L (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Canon G1 X Mark II
    Camera Type Fixed lens compact camera
    Camera Lens 24-120mm f/2.0-3.9
    Launch Date February 2014
    Launch Price USD 799
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format 1.5" Sensor
    Sensor Size 18.7 x 14.0 mm
    Sensor Area 262 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 23.4 mm
    Crop Factor 1.85x
    Sensor Resolution 13 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 4 160 x 3 120 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.49 μm
    Pixel Density 4.96 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/30p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 12 800 ISO
    Image Processor DIGIC 6
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 58
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 21.5
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 10.8
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 581
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Viewfinder optional
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.0 inch
    LCD Resolution 1040k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen
    V-logging Friendliness Front-flip possible
    Touch Input Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Contrast-detect AF
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 5.2 shutter flaps/s
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support UHS-I
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Near-Field Communication NFC built-in
    Body Specs
    Battery Type NB-12L power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)240 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 116 x 74 x 66 mm
    (4.6 x 2.9 x 2.6 in)
    Camera Weight 553 g (19.5 oz)

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