The new Canon Powershot G1x Mk III has weather sealing and the same sensor in the M5.
It’s been a very long time since Canon updated their flagship point and shoot camera, but today we’re getting a refresh in the form of the new Canon Powershot G1x Mk III. And believe me, it’s quite the step ahead. The new camera has a 24MP APS-C sensor at its heart as well as what Digital Photo Magazine’s David Schloss tells us is “Drip proof construction.” There is no IP rating on this, but Canon is still calling it weather resistant and they’ve provided images on DPReview. What may be keeping folks away though could be the $1,299 price tag.
The new Canon Powershot G1x Mk III camera has a size similar to the company’s G5x camera. Besides the APS-C sensor (which is the same as the company’s M5), there is an f2.8-5.6 3x optical zoom lens attached to the lens. That lens autofocuses using some of the same algorithms as the company’s DSLRs and M series cameras. Plus there’s a built in EVF with 2,360,000 dots of resolution. That’s quite high for a point and shoot. Besides the EVF though there’s a touch screen, WiFi, NFC, bluetooth, and can shoot at up to 9fps in one mode or 7fps in another mode. Finally, there’s the DIGIC 7 processor at the heart of the camera.
You’re getting all of this for $1,299. That’s the same price as the Fujifilm X100f; with better features but an arguably worse sensor.
So who might this be for? It honestly seems like a nice option for travel photography or serious event photography of some sort. Most street photographers prefer smaller primes and this bright zoom lens could mean a whole big difference. Even though the camera has the same sensor as the M5, I hope the processor does more to kill the high ISO noise at 3200 and above. That was one of my main gripes about those two cameras.
But instead, a camera like this could be very useful for photographers who are traveling or don’t often need something more than the kit lens. In fact, Canon found in previous studies that most people don’t buy anything more than the kit lens. Why? They probably just want the professional look and feel. This is honestly giving it to them while giving them a brighter lens than what they get with a DSLR and the same sized sensor. If it’s sold accordingly, it could probably mean that we see less people walking around simply just shooting with their DSLR in auto mode or putting the lens in one pocket and the camera with the mount and sensor completely uncovered in the other pocket.
What is really nice though is the weather sealing Canon has provided. Very few other premium point and shoots have this option and I’m not sure why. If the Fujifilm X100F had weather sealing and a few other updates, it could be one of the most perfect cameras on the market. The same statement applies with Sony’s and Leica’s options. If you’re a street or travel photographer, this is really tempting as more and more street photographers try to shoot in the rain.
