Remarkably capable

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.

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

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

Hi Rita. Check this thread of the G1X III with plenty of examples and decide wether the close up capability is good enough for you.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/62432877

Swerky 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

Hi Rita. Check this thread of the G1X III with plenty of examples and decide wether the close up capability is good enough for you.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/62432877

Thanks, Rita

Leon Wittwer wrote:

I remember that when released, many were disappointed at only having a 3x zoom, considerably less than the G1X MK II. Otherwise, it was a fine camera.

I rarely zoom, but I do take a lot of indoor pics where none of my other Canon's have any issues (not using flash), including s95, G9x, G9x M2, G7x M2. But the samples for this camera does not have many samples of this type of photo.

I don't NEED the camera, and I do worry that  I won't like the lens cap not being attached and the size.  I have a disability and it's pushing what I can manage weight wise.

I think I just talked myself out of buying one.

Rita

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

rita416 wrote:

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

I may be in error and have used macro, after more thought.

Indeed. I owned the LX100 II and I did like that close focus capability. But the zoom mechanism would jam in cooler weather. A hair and dust made it inside the lens after a couple of months of use. So had to let it go and get the G1X, which was originally a choice I had to take between it and the LX100.

Ed B wrote:

rita416 wrote:

Leon Wittwer wrote:

I remember that when released, many were disappointed at only having a 3x zoom, considerably less than the G1X MK II. Otherwise, it was a fine camera.

I rarely zoom, but I do take a lot of indoor pics where none of my other Canon's have any issues (not using flash), including s95, G9x, G9x M2, G7x M2. But the samples for this camera does not have many samples of this type of photo.

I don't NEED the camera, and I do worry that I won't like the lens cap not being attached and the size. I have a disability and it's pushing what I can manage weight wise.

I think I just talked myself out of buying one.

Rita

This is an older thread, and I don't own a Canon camera, so I should probably keep my comment to myself, but I think you've brought up a good point with your response here.

Almost any modern camera, no matter the sensor size, or the brand, is capable of taking decent pictures outside, in good light, but not all compact cameras are good when it comes to indoor lower light photos.

I'm like you and, even though I own a one-inch sensor camera with a zoom lens, I hardly ever use the zoom function. Much of my use is indoors with the lens at its widest and fastest setting.

For me, the worth of any camera is determined by how well it performs indoors, and even though I own a more capable camera, I use the small sensor compact quite a bit.

So, even though it's just my opinion, the only real difference between an exceptional small sensor camera, and one that's just average is how well it performs indoors, and when it comes to image quality, not much else really matters.

I appreciate the input!

Rita

Leon Wittwer wrote:

I remember that when released, many were disappointed at only having a 3x zoom, considerably less than the G1X MK II. Otherwise, it was a fine camera.

I found the MK2 was the turkey of the range , it had the widest reaching lens but wow was it compromised, the old Mk1 lens was better optically and gave all the 14Mp of the sensor, the Mk2 lens did`t even cover the whole sensor at the wide end hence 12Mp at 24mm and what you got was like looking down a toilet roll and loaded with distortion. the camera was noisier per-ISO than the Mk1 , had no form of viewfinder without paying a mint for an extra and losing the hotshoe to use it and it lost the lovely twisty screen of the Mk1 and Mk3 ..

on paper the Mk2 looks better than the MK1`s narrow wide end, No-Macro at all, slower overall lens and the Mk3s comically short & slow lens but ends up quite the reverse, I sent the MK2 back and kept on with my Mk1 until it fell to bits after 50,000 shots and 8 years . I DO Wish they`d made the MK3 up to M5 size rather than G5X size so the lens could have at least been F2.8-4 or 24-105 but they didn't and thats that

AdamT wrote:

Leon Wittwer wrote:

I remember that when released, many were disappointed at only having a 3x zoom, considerably less than the G1X MK II. Otherwise, it was a fine camera.

I found the MK2 was the turkey of the range , it had the widest reaching lens but wow was it compromised, the old Mk1 lens was better optically and gave all the 14Mp of the sensor, the Mk2 lens did`t even cover the whole sensor at the wide end hence 12Mp at 24mm and what you got was like looking down a toilet roll and loaded with distortion. the camera was noisier per-ISO than the Mk1 , had no form of viewfinder without paying a mint for an extra and losing the hotshoe to use it and it lost the lovely twisty screen of the Mk1 and Mk3 ..

on paper the Mk2 looks better than the MK1`s narrow wide end, No-Macro at all, slower overall lens and the Mk3s comically short & slow lens but ends up quite the reverse, I sent the MK2 back and kept on with my Mk1 until it fell to bits after 50,000 shots and 8 years . I DO Wish they`d made the MK3 up to M5 size rather than G5X size so the lens could have at least been F2.8-4 or 24-105 but they didn't and thats that

The G1X III is a powershot camera. They couldn't have made it larger. Had to remain compact. I have no idea about the size of the Mark 1 and 2, but yeah, that's that. Still Canon has made an impressive job with it.

The G1X III is a powershot camera. They couldn't have made it larger. Had to remain compact. I have no idea about the size of the Mark 1 and 2, but yeah, that's that. Still Canon has made an impressive job with it.

These are all Powershot cameras of the same market , the MK3 is the smallest , they could have done it . the Pro-1 was even bigger let alone the likes of the Pro90 and SX series megazooms .

AdamT wrote:

The G1X III is a powershot camera. They couldn't have made it larger. Had to remain compact. I have no idea about the size of the Mark 1 and 2, but yeah, that's that. Still Canon has made an impressive job with it.

These are all Powershot cameras of the same market , the MK3 is the smallest , they could have done it . the Pro-1 was even bigger let alone the likes of the Pro90 and SX series megazooms .

Yes true. There's also the much bigger G3X. Forgot that. For some reason Canon decided to keep the G1X III a compact. A 24-100 f2.8-4 lens would have already made it much better. And a bigger battery to go with that.