Remarkably capable

jbuzzinco wrote:

rita416 wrote:

jbuzzinco wrote:

It is remarkable how much technology Canon managed to fit into this camera. Having an APS-C sensor gives remarkably clean images even in low light with higher ISO. The lens covers a very useful range covering landscapes, portraits and general street shooting. The AF speed, tracking and high frame rate make this a very capable sports and action camera in good light. The lens optics are consistently sharp from one end to the other so there is little need to stop down the aperture unless you want more depth of field.

The viewfinder is incredibly bright and responsive despite its diminutive size. I like being able to flip the rear screen around so it is off and hidden all the time. Articulation also makes it good for low level shooting.

Having a hotshoe is awesome. I used a comparatively massive full size flash on this camera with great results. This feature alone truly makes it possible for this camera to be a do-it-all solution for many folks.

The G1 X III struggles at the long end of the focal range given the relatively slow f/5.6 aperture. You won't get dramatic background separation unless your subject is quite close to you. Battery life is not what I'd hoped for. Canon should have opted for a bigger battery. A slight increase in the size of the camera overall would be worth it if battery life could be better. You need to carry at least one extra battery with you.

Overall I really enjoyed carrying this camera. Knowing that I have something capable of capturing such rich image quality tucked in my jacket pocket or small daypack means I don't have to worry about missing a shot because I "only have my phone". I highly recommend the G1 X III to interchangeable lens system users who want something pocket-able that is easy to carry for situations when you cannot or do not want to carry larger gear.

I am literally trying to decide whether to buy the G1x M3 from Canon refurbished, and I know it does well in the situations you mention, but if you don't mind, look at my gallery and how would it do on the close up photos I like to take of things in my house, like the doll in the red dress in my curio? I also take close ups of flowers but not macro, and when I search for images on this cam, I am getting mostly landscape type photos, and I do very little of that.

Thanks,

Rita

The G1 isn't designed as a macro specific camera. No compacts I know of are. It does have a "macro" setting that lets you focus down to ~4 inches at the wide end of the zoom. I've gotten very respectable results using it for product and tabletop type shots. Not technically "macro" (i.e. 1:1), but you can fill the frame with moderately sized subjects such as flowers or dolls quite easily.

My close up photos are not macro, so I have never needed or wanted to take a macro photo, but thanks for the reply.

Rita