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G9X with big thumbs

Started Aug 22, 2019 | Discussions
RickRhodes New Member • Posts: 9
G9X with big thumbs

Earlier this year I dropped my trusty S100.  Lens zoom makes weird sounds and the mode dial very flaky.  I love it's size and use it when I don't want to carry my LX7, so I'm thinking of replacing it.  Not wanting to spend a lot but wanting to upgrade at least some, I'm looking at a used S110, S120 or G9X.

My question is about the G9X.  While I like the idea of touch screen interface, I worry that my big thumbs won't work well with it.  Do you find you mostly use your thumbs, your fingers, or both for the interface?

Canon G9 X Canon PowerShot S110 Canon PowerShot S120 Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7
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NextShowForSure Contributing Member • Posts: 765
Re: G9X with big thumbs

RickRhodes wrote:

Earlier this year I dropped my trusty S100. Lens zoom makes weird sounds and the mode dial very flaky. I love it's size and use it when I don't want to carry my LX7, so I'm thinking of replacing it. Not wanting to spend a lot but wanting to upgrade at least some, I'm looking at a used S110, S120 or G9X.

My question is about the G9X. While I like the idea of touch screen interface, I worry that my big thumbs won't work well with it. Do you find you mostly use your thumbs, your fingers, or both for the interface?

I had a G9X and I suppose I used my fingers. It was a nice little camera to use from what i can remember. The only camera where the operating environment seemed specifically geared to the camera rather than a bodge of the previous models's one. Also most things could be done via buttons and the front dial if the touch screen did go down.

The G9X is a very slick bit of kit. It always amuses me that Canon who can at times can appear rather clumsy produce these little gems like this and the Ixus models.

Sony tend to superficially look very stylish but can be slippery little monsters to operate in hold and interface when you get them in your hands.

Stu Brennan Regular Member • Posts: 330
Re: G9X with big thumbs

While I don't have the largest hands, I've had no more trouble selecting things on the G9x touch screen than I've had with a phone touch screen or similar small screen.  The one annoying thing, clearly my fault, is that sometimes a finger will accidentally drift over the screen and change a setting.  I just have to remind myself how to hold it.

requa
requa Contributing Member • Posts: 860
Re: G9X with big thumbs

I don't claim to have especially large thumbs, but I do wear size large gloves (sometimes XL). More to the point, the touch screens do a pretty good job of figuring out that you're trying to tap the part in the middle of your thumb, even if the whole thumb overlaps the options above and below. Realistically, though, I tend to use the physical controls more than the touch controls just out of habit, with one exception: on the G9 X and others, I like the gesture option for erasing images. I still try to do that on my G5X-II, but the gesture disappeared on this model.

I did actually have a little bit of forced exposure to touch navigation in the past -- I previously owned an Elph 500 HS, with only a single physical button (playback) on the back of the camera. That took a little getting used to, but I suppose it trained me to be more comfortable with touch interface.

For any camera, the best use of a touch screen is the ability to select your focus point.

 requa's gear list:requa's gear list
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 Canon G5 X II
khunpapa
khunpapa Senior Member • Posts: 2,666
Re: G9X with big thumbs

My hand is XL. No problem with the G9x at all.

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Flashes of my Memory.

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Sigma DP2 Sigma DP3 Merrill Olympus E-M1 Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 OIS Sigma DP1 +10 more
Ring A Senior Member • Posts: 1,482
Re: G9X with big thumbs

RickRhodes wrote:

Earlier this year I dropped my trusty S100. Lens zoom makes weird sounds and the mode dial very flaky. I love it's size and use it when I don't want to carry my LX7, so I'm thinking of replacing it. Not wanting to spend a lot but wanting to upgrade at least some, I'm looking at a used S110, S120 or G9X.

My question is about the G9X. While I like the idea of touch screen interface, I worry that my big thumbs won't work well with it. Do you find you mostly use your thumbs, your fingers, or both for the interface?

Canon thanks you, they've almost written you off but you finally pulled through.

Canon wants them to fall/break,  That's who Apple learned from, Canon. Build slippery products, they fall, they have to be repaired, they generate money / Or they get to sell the butterfingers another one!

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You never know know what you can do until you try!

khunpapa
khunpapa Senior Member • Posts: 2,666
Re: G9X with big thumbs

-- hide signature --

Flashes of my Memory.

 khunpapa's gear list:khunpapa's gear list
Sigma DP2 Sigma DP3 Merrill Olympus E-M1 Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 OIS Sigma DP1 +10 more
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