Considering a G1X m3

jw10 wrote:

My Sony rx100ii is on its last legs after almost 14,000 shots.

This seems awfully low. FWIW I had well over 100K shots on my first G1X3, which was stolen.

So I've been considering a replacement.

I hike and backpack a lot, so size and weight are extremely key considerations.

This time round I really would like to have an EVF. Considerations are the newer rx100's, and Canon G5x, m2.

Only last week I discovered the Canon G1x m3. For only an addtional 4 oz over my rx100ii, I get an EVF, APSC sensor, weather sealing.

You get far more than this (check my posts on this forum.)

I'm also the author of this resource, written with the help of my photo hiking community, which is rather large and includes quite a few retired pros, industry mavens, etc. The G1X3 is by far our most used high-end compact cam - some even use it as a backup cam to their pro rigs and it's often quite hard to figure out which cam took which pic... .

Reports on the lens seem to be generally good -- I've looked at many sample from different reviews and the lens is as good or better than any rx100 series as far as I can tell.

I can confirm this.

It may be a little less reach than some other choices, but I find it's rare that I use the 100mm (equiv) from my current rx100ii, and with a better lens, better sensor, the G1X m3 should be able to have a tighter crop and still have good resolution compared to a smaller sensor, so I think the reach comparison may be somewhat of a wash anyway.

The photosites on the G1X3 are far larger than on most 1" cams. Shoot in RAW and you will find that even with minimal post, its IQ is far superior.

Some other details:

99% of my shots are in AV mode. The other 1% is TV.

I wear glasses -- will the EVF give me any issues?

No.

I never have a tripod, and have gotten pretty good at stitching hand held panoramas where I pivot the camera around the image axis, usually in portrait orientation(see example).

I take fair amount of closeups of flowers, plants etc. Does the AF+MF work reasonably well for focusing -- considering often I'm tired, or in a rush not to slow down our progress on the trail too much futzing around would be annoying.

It's fine. More importantly, macro work is considerably easier (and safer with some insects) if you just open up the swivel screen, grab its edges with your left hand, and gently approach flowers and bugs (works similarly with pets and small kids), something you just can't do with the selfie screens of the RX100s, G5X2, etc. No more crawling on your belly, hurting your back, etc.

Other pluses include the same body alloy and shutter mechanism as the big Canon Ds (an absolute joy to use), the WP (I've used mine in pouring rain) the fast and sharp lens (f2.8 is all you ever need for hiking, not to mention that the flash is surprisingly powerful with a 30 ft reach) etc. etc.

Given the price of a G1X m3 is equivalent to the rx100's, and the lens focal length is looking acceptable, can you think of a reason to consider something other than the G1X m3?

Jeff, are you in the USA? I'm asking because I bought my second G1X3 from Canon USA as a refurb for roughly half the price of my first one. It supposedly was a refurb but it looked brand new to me.

Hope this helps a little!

Chris