Replacing My G12: G7X MkII, G1X Mk II or ?

KeepCalm wrote:

NWT wrote:

If size is not overall impressive to you, G7XII’s advantages over G1XII are the newer processor and higher resolution. G1XII’s advantages are larger sensor, longer zoom, better built, capacity to add an external EVF and flash, capability to add a filter, and cheaper. Coming from S120, G1XII is heavy and bulky, but coming from 6D, it’s light and compact.

The large advantage of the G1X II is that you have a better chance of subject separation with the G1X II. So more capacity for photography as opposed to deep field snapshots. You will likely not get a wide 12.5mm f2 to mid telephoto lens going up to 62.5mm f3.9 as compact as this and at the price anywhere else ever again. In ILC you are probably edging in to pro designated or priced stuff nowadays.

Plus despite the age of the sensor high ISO colour stands up much better than the 1" sensor so you have a big sensor advantage that if you drift in to high ISO to keep shutter speed up it is not such a problem. Look at Imaging Resource and DPR cross comparisons.

Not such an easy camera to use but a bit more scope. I would think the G5X is a better replacement for the G12 unless the OP is sure an EVF is not necessary or RAW speeds are not an issue.

Thank you both for the comments. First, regarding bulk, my G12 weighs over 400 g; that's heavier than the G5X (and obviously the G7X Mk II) even though the G12 and G5X have similar physical dimensions. Clearly, the G1X Mk II adds significantly more weight as well as a significant increase in depth due to the size of the lens. My G12 is not very pocketable but I usually use a wrist strap when it's not in its belt-attached pouch. I would expect to do the same with either the G5X or the G1X Mk II. I think of it as being "palmable." The smaller G7X Mk II actually looks to be pocketable.

Subject separation is of interest to me. Lately, I've been taking more people shots particularly portraits than I used to so having a camera that excels at that would be a real advantage.

I have handled the G5X and have to say I like the articulating screen as it's very similar to the one on my G12. The tilting screens on the G7X Mk II and the G1X Mk II feel somewhat more limiting but I can't honestly anticipate from my experience there's a shot I couldn't make with a tilting screen that I could make with one which articulates like the G5X. The biggest advantage of the articulating over the tilting screen IMHO is the protection you can achieve with the screen face turned into the camera body when not in use. I have the dent in the back of my G12 to attest to that although I have no way of knowing what the damage to the screen would have been had it been facing out at the time of the fall. I notice that the G5X has switched the location of the mode and exposure comp dials vs my G12. No biggie. From what I can see the G1X Mk II has a less convenient exposure comp adjustment or at least different from what I'm used to. But the G1X Mk II like my G12 appears to have two custom mode settings on the mode dial compared to only one on the G5X and G7X Mk II.

Regarding viewfinders, I've rarely used the simple optical viewfinder on my G12 but the electronic viewfinder on the G5X is light years ahead! My problem is that my glasses don't seem to permit me to get my eye close enough to see the entire view (including settings) at once- I have to move slightly this way and that to see the various details. Is this normal or is it the high degree of correction my eyes require or that the glass lenses are progressive? Would the add-on viewfinder for the G1X Mk II be any different?

Again, thanks for any insight!

Ian