G16 replaced my G15: some thoughts

0lf wrote:

If I may allow myself to participate, as a lockdown distraction This is not in relation to Peter search of a camera, but only a remark about high end compact evolution, taking advantage of this old thread resurrection.

I am not sad for the 1/1.7" sensors. In fact, if the transition to 1" had not occured, I would have stayed with mirrorless. For the history, I started with an FZ18 as my first camera, then I upgraded to a nex5 in a search of better IQ (and knowing that longer FL were not essential to me). The 1" is so much better it obviously triggered the death of 1/1.7" in high end compact. As so, I do not share the statements made by the OP and the "unknown member" on the first messages :

The OP selected the [screen] preset in DXO, which equalize DPI. As he compared a 12MP camera to a 20MP camera, it is like he looked to a A4 picture from the G16 and a A3 picture from the RX100... In practice, with same output size, the difference is much bigger : around 1 to 4/3 stop, as implied by the sensor sizes. This is also backed up by DPreview comparison tool.

This is what we got on Imaging resource comparing the G16 to the G5x2 :

Basically, the "stellar" G16 lens is marginally better in the extreme corners, and worse than the G5x2 on >90% of the frame. G7x extreme corners are similar if not a bit better than G5x2.

And what about the lens reach ? The G5x2 is in fact the compact PowerShot G with the most reach since the G7 and G9 in 2006-2007 with their 210mm eq lens. Here is a comparison (in 4:3 ratio, so the G5x2 is 18MP with 26-130mm).

And I am not talking about aperture... All of that in a lighter package with an included EVF... So yes, I am glad of the direction compact camera development took with the 1" sensor. High end compact cameras are now much better than what they used to be.

That said, that does not make the old 1/1.7" cameras bad by any means. Just relatively less good. But in a day where even large sensored cameras are chalenged by smartphones, 1/1.7" standalone cameras have no chance.

lots to contemplate there ...

I guess my isolation distraction has been indulging GAS urges, at least at the research stage.

I had come to a sort of conclusion, never having handled any of them, that the G5x looked like a great walk around with a 1 inch sensor. The one thing that has put me off is the apparently dismal battery life. If the idea is to have a camera you can throw in a backpack and hit the road (or track/trail) that might prove to be a huge irritation. My D3300 is rated to 700 shots ...

Then I saw a size comparison of the Oly OM-D E-M10 with pancake 14-42 lens vs Nikon D5600 (I think). The footprint is not that much different to the G5X and with a m4/3 sensor ...

But the price and size is going up, and approaching dSLR lens contribution levels, even used.

So if I wanted 'maximum' quality and battery life, I already have a very capable 24MP camera, and historically I have made room in my gear to travel with this camera ... With either the AF-P 18-55 VR or 35mm f1.8DX lens ('retro standard lens + SLR approach') it is still a relatively small package.

Which takes me back to the G16 - an all around compromise to be sure but 'gettable' at a bargain basement price, with the truly smallest footprint (of the models I've been comparing in this type of form factor), and with the smaller sensor giving that 'infinite depth of field' for snapshots in good light ... [not artistic I know but I actually like pictures like that]

I have really appreciated the sharing of experiences and thoughtful comments in response to my resurrecting/hijacking this thread, and have learnt quite a lot in the process. Thank you !