Replacement for my ageing S90

TryAgain wrote:

I'm in a similar situation to you as I'm looking for a replacement for my trusty old S95 which is very similar to the S90. I'm sure that, like me, you've looked at all the other threads on this topic and

As ever it depends what you want to do with the camera but it looks like you are in the same market as me for a pocketable camera to supplement the 7D2 and M series cameras so I'll summarise my decision process.

The obvious candidates are the Canon G9X ii, G7Xii and the Sony RX100 series. There are a couple of Panasonic cameras but they are a bit larger. The Canon G5X is also a contender but the viewfinder, for me, eliminates it as it sticks out of the top of the camera making it feel much larger.

You will find on the other threads lengthy comparisons but basically the choice comes down to a compromise on size, zoom range and availabilty of a viewfinder.

My ideal camera would be a full frame sensor, 10-600mm f1.4 lens camera in an S95 form factor. Unfortunately I couldn't find a camera that met my ideal spec.

Based on spec alone I came down to either the G9X ii, G7X ii or the Sony RX100 iii or iv and shortlisted that to the G7Xii or RX100 iv. Nevertheless I decided that, as the reason I wanted this camera was so that I would carry it more frequently, that handling the camera for myself was probably key and I couldn't make a decision purely on the specification.

As a result I spent time in the camera dept of my local John Lewis store in the UK on Saturday. A very helpful assistant who was herself in the market for a similar spec camera helped me choose. She had opted for the RX100 as she was primarlly interested in vlogging whereas I decided on the Canon G7X as I liked the feel, ergonomics and the wider zoom range which I thought made it more suited to my usage.

The closest match I could find to the S series was the G9X ii. It's a comparable size to the S90/95 with an up to date spec. The downside is that it has a more limited zoom range - only up to 70mm or so and a slow lens. For me that was an elimination but it was the only camera that really "felt" like the S95. I thought long and hard before rejecting it but finally decided that the other cameras weren't so much larger or heavier that I wouldn't carry them as much as the G9. It really is a nice very pocketable camera and it was a hard choice to eliminate it.

I eliminated the Panasonics as I found them to be over the limit of what I would consider pocketable.

I liked the Sony and didn't have any problem with the menus which others have found to be confused. I liked the fact it had a viewfinder but didn't like the compromise on zoom range - again stopping at around 70mm whereas the G7X runs to 100mm. It has a quality feel and In all honesty I'm sure I would have been very pleased with it if I'd bought it. I am primarily looking for a camera for stills with the occasional video, if my usage had been more skewed to video I would have bought the Sony without hesitation.

For me the G7X ii was the best compromise. It's a little larger and heavier than the S95 but not greatly so and similar in size to the Sony. It does fit into a trouser pocket and easily into a jacket pocket. I liked the handling and the articulated screen and decided that a viewfinder wasn't really a key feature for me.

Your needs may be different of course so I would recommend handling the cameras yourself if you possibly can. You've probably seen that DPReview have also published a guide to Enthusiasts Pocket sized cameras which is in the "Buying Guide"section of the site.

The final barrier to my making a decision was the fact that there are rumours of imminent upgrades to these cameras. I concluded that there will always be better cameras in the pipeline and have bought the G7X ii.

Hope that helps.

That's helped a great deal and confirmed some of my own thoughts. I'm in the UK too at the southern edge of the Lake District which, unfortunately hasn't many camera shops to go and try things. I have a choice of order and take a chance or travel to try before buy.
One of the reasons I liked the G5X is the extra controls and articulating screen as otherwise it seems to have exactly the same spec as the G7X. I like to try and keep as many controls as I can as opposed to muttons and menus. I'm still old school having being brought up on film cameras. The two things that are now putting me off it are the older Digic 6 processor and with having the hump on the top starts to take it out of the realm of pocketable and begins to come nearer to the size of the M3. The G7x ii is stating to look as the better bet.

It's mainly going used where I would normally  use a phone camera. The camera on my iPhone X is superb but lacks so many features that a dedicated camera has. Plus it feels like I am holding a phone and not a camera. I wanted something with a decent oom but that doesn't go hand in hand with compact size. I have a Panasonic TZ60 tucked away somewhere for compact high zoom work, sacrificing a bit of quality.

I did look at the RX100 but like you said it has a smaller zoom range and doesn't seem as intuitive as the Canon for me.

Might see if I can get to a camera shop over the weekend.