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Last Updated on 04/20/2026 by Chris Gampat

The Canon G1x Mk III came at a very unfortunate time for the company. When it was released, Canon was still at the top in sales, but it was during a time when the brand cared little to nothing for serious mirrorless cameras. Reviewers admittedly stated that while they make good cameras, most other brands were ahead of them. Around this maelstrom, the Canon G1x Mk III was greatly overshadowed by the Fujifilm X100 series, the Sony RX series, and others. But in 2022, I acquired this camera, and it honestly has to be one of the best cameras I’ve ever owned.

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The Canon G1x Mk III in 2026

A Canon G1X camera rests on a textured, khaki-colored canvas bag with a metal buckle. — Canon G1x Mk III product image

The Canon G1X Mk III is still the best digital point and shoot camera ever made in my opinion. It does everything the Ricoh GR series does plus it has a zoom lens and weather resistance. It can emulate the look of Fujifilm’s RAW files. And it’s small. Folks have contacted me before about this, but the one email that really stood out to me came from reader Katharina Scheidig. She wrote:

Dear Chris,

This is a bit of a strange email, but I just wanted to say I read your article about the Canon G1X Mark III and really enjoyed it. I’ve used mine almost every week since I bought it in 2018.

Over the past couple of years I started eyeing up other, more “chic” models (Sony etc.) and got a bit bored of it — I even thought about selling it and upgrading.

I’m a photographer, so I use different cameras and brands for work, as you do. The G1X is my personal camera, so upgrading it was never a priority. I kept it.

Then today I crashed it in Kyoto and it genuinely made me sad. I tried to talk myself into the idea of buying something newer and fancier, but realised I actually love this camera.

I was trying to explain to a friend why it matters to me so much, and ended up googling: “Does anyone love the Canon G1X Mark III as much as I do?” — which is how I found your article.

So yes: I just wanted to tell you I can absolutely relate. 🙂 Thanks for your work.

Every now and again, Canon makes something that really slaps. There was the 5D Mk II, the 5Ds, the EOS R, the original EOS R5, and of course, the G1X series. Others really like the G7x series because their content creators. But if you consider yourself a photographer who makes still photographs and doesn’t make them so you can get some upvotes on Reddit or hearts on Instagram, then you’ll understand my love.

And to really do that, you have to embrace this idea: photographs aren’t social currency. They’re an expression of self. And often all I see on Reddit are a bunch of testosterone driven men posting photos for likes. If you ever try to talk to them about relating in words how they’re feeling or what they’re trying to express, they can’t do it. Often when they do this, it feels subversive. So what I end up doing is asking them about print sales, zines being made, or anything else that shows authenticity. None of them can.

That was quite a rant from me — and even I admit that. But it comes from a place of frustrated love that content creators really ruin photography for photographers in the same way that rich kids ruin art for the people who actually try to be sustainable.

As I write this article, an email came in from Profoto entitled, “Elevate your photography with Vanessa Joy and the Profoto A2.” Like all things in capitalism, it’s just a sales pitch.

But using older cameras isn’t a sales pitch. It’s a sign that you’re sick of all the products out there being nothing else but the same thing.

And that, ultimately, continues to blow my mind. So many years later and the Canon G1x Mk III is still my favorite point and shoot digital camera.

The other day, I did something with it that I haven’t done with any other camera: I cycled through all the images on it with someone else. Think about that, how often do you do that with a camera anymore? So many of us are used to importing, formatting, and then making new photos.

All of this from a camera that nothing else comes close to touching.

It boasts an APS-C sensor, a filter thread for stuff like pro mist filters (and doesn’t need a stupid special attachment), weather resistance, a zoom lens, and remains very pocketable. Plus there’s Wifi and it can take three imaging presets. In all ways, this camera was insanely ahead of its time.

Ultimately, it’s too bad that Canon let it die and chased after creators, who will ultimately not matter anymore because everyone is getting sick of influencers.

A red van covered in various QNS and local stickers is parked on a city street lined with shops and trees.

Urban street scene with cars, buildings, graffiti, and a large sign quoting a Bible verse in several languages.

Bottles on a table are seen through sunlight shining over an oven displaying the time 7:00.

View from inside a bus with open doors, people walking outside on a sunny street with shops visible.

A lit candle in a glass sits between upright menus, creating a warm, cozy glow.

A quiet urban street at night with parked cars, streetlights, and houses under a dark sky.

View through glass of a parking lot with people unloading groceries at Key Food Marketplace.

Passengers sit and stand inside a city bus with sunlight streaming through the windows in the afternoon.

A large potted monstera plant sits on a small table by a sunlit window in a cozy living room.

A row of parked cars in front of a plain, white apartment building with fire escapes and a green construction fence.

City sidewalk at dusk with construction barrels and a luxury furniture store on the right.

Dimly-lit stairwell leading to a glass door with an exit sign and two large bins beside the door.

Warmly lit restaurant interior with hanging lanterns, a neon sign, and window showing street signs outside at night.

A tray with rice, stir-fried vegetables, soda can, napkins, chopsticks, and sauce packets on a table.

A tray with Chinese takeout, a can of soda, utensils, sauces, and a phone on a restaurant table.

Dimly lit restaurant interior with empty chairs, cardboard boxes, and glowing lanterns near a window and door.

Blurry view through a subway window showing reflections of passengers and fast-moving lights outside.

A dimly lit storefront with an OPEN sign and a bicycle parked by the brick wall at night.

A dimly lit Chinese takeout restaurant, Pacific Moon, glows with a bright yellow sign at night.

A city street at night with tall buildings, parked cars, and glowing lights in the background.

Is the Canon G1x Mk III Still Great in 2025? Review Conclusions

The Canon G1x Mk III has weather resistance.

This article originally wasn’t what we’d call a review because it was of a camera that was released many years ago. But due to high curiousity about the camera, our coverage is being updated.

It’s now 2025, and I’ve been using this camera almost every single week. There was a short period of time where after reviewing the Canon R5 Mk II that I had to take a long break from Canon gear because of how amazingly let down I was about that camera. But when I bought the Canon S95, I was reminded of a joyous time from the past. That, in turn, made me pull this camera out of the camera bag that I keep all the Canon gear in. It still worked even after getting dunked on in a rain shower. And more importantly, I loved the image quality even more after switching the lens filter out to a Tiffen Pro Mist filter.

A Polycamerous Relationship

Taking a selfie with the Canon G1x Mk III

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t forgotten how a retro camera can be just that and not an overdue apology to brand-loyal consumers. But I think that poet Gabriel Janas puts it best in his book. The Initiation of Men: Poetry and Tales of Discovery. Gabriel says:

“Why is it that as you become older you find it harder

an harder to date? You meet new people and none of them feel right.

Is it the standards past lovers have set within your mind, or is it

your body’s natural instincts screaming NO! THIS IS NOT THE ONE FOR

YOU?! Of the seven billion people on this earth how are you suppose

to find the right one? How does love start in the first place? Is

it achieved with just a glance or is that simply lust? Is it the

comfort built over time that turns to love or is it simply a

chemical reaction to the safe and familiar? How important is trust?”
Gabriel Janas

This is the truth about cameras as well. I know many photographers who can only shoot Canon and specifically only the stuff from the EOS lineup. Put a Fujifilm retro-body in their hand and they’ll say words like, “interesting” which actually mean that they hate it.

But as a journalist running the Phoblographer for 15 years, I’m constantly in polycamerous relationships. Leica is my main partner while all the other brands serve their purpose. I’ve divorced from Sony, Canon, and Olympus before in the past — then decided to remarry some of them only to be divorced again and keep them as a side fling. Indeed, if you likened my camera usage to person’s relationships, you’d call me a mess and tell me that I need therapy. But you’d probably say that I need real therapy, and not shutter therapy.

The truth is that I like what I like. And as far as a compact camera goes, the Canon G1x Mk III makes for a phenomenal companion camera that you can not only carry everywhere with you, but you can truly adore. It’s small, lightweight, has accurate enough autofocus if you compose based on the center of the frame, has weather resistance, and has good enough battery life. Beyond that, I can actually attach a lens filter to it to get a unique look. And to make that even more spicy, we can use different in-camera scene modes like the Toy Camera mode to get something that you’d like right out of camera.

As of February 2025, this is still the single best point and shoot camera that you can get your hands on that has weather resistance and a large sensor. APS-C sensors at this point perhaps belong in compact cameras the most. And this one is no exception. You can even use the touchscreen to quickly navigate through the camera menu with ease.

Person in a dimly lit cafe, holding a phone, with an American flag hanging on a wall in the background.

Blurry lights at night create an abstract scene with streaks of color and hints of shapes.

Bartender igniting a cocktail with a torch, creating a fiery effect, at a bar counter.

A steaming hot pot with a chimney, surrounded by a bottle of beer on a glowing bar counter.

Dimly lit bar with patrons at the counter, vintage lamps, and posters on a brick wall.

Dimly lit retro arcade with neon lights, stairs, vintage posters, and arcade games.

Blurred view of a car interior at night, with lights streaking outside the window, creating a sense of motion.

Man smiling while taking a photo with his phone in a dimly lit restaurant, with a drink and bottle on the bar.

Night street scene with a row of cars, bright lights, and city skyscrapers in the background.

Person walking while looking at phone in a parking garage near a green elevator sign for Level 2, Crown Street.

Close-up of a thin crust pizza with various toppings on a metal plate, sitting on a wooden table in a restaurant.

Hand holding a can of Stubborn Classic Root Beer in a restaurant setting, with a person eating in the background.

Cozy room with abstract art, large speaker, and people sitting on benches against textured walls.

Close-up of a person holding a slice of thin bread topped with potatoes and cheese, with dining items in the background.

Person seated at a cafe table, smiling, with a phone to their ear. Others are in the background and a TV is on the wall.

Film camera on a wooden table next to a glass of water; person using a smartphone in the background.

Close-up of a hand holding a half-eaten burrito, with a blurred restaurant setting in the background.

A man with glasses holds a piece of food in a rustic restaurant with other patrons in the background.

Person holding a camera in a dimly lit room with wooden ceiling beams and people in the background.

Condensed milk being poured into a cup of coffee on a kitchen counter.

Person with glasses and a beard sitting at a table, looking down at a camera in their hands.

Café interior with people dining and ordering at the counter, dim lighting, and a Famous Pies sign in the background.

Framed black and white photo of a pizza on a wall, with shadow patterns and the number 4 below.

Two cooked pizzas with various toppings on a metal tray, placed on parchment paper.

Close-up of a plastic cup with ice and a clear carbonated drink being poured from a straw in it.

A person with glasses rests on a table with crumpled napkins and food remnants in a bright room.

A whole cheese pizza with a slightly charred crust on white parchment paper.

Dimly lit urban street at dusk, with pedestrians walking past storefronts and parked cars.

A lit train moves along an elevated track at night, with trees silhouetted in the foreground.

Sunlit room corner with a window, dark curtains, dresser, lamp, and a tall plant.

Open menu on a wooden table showcasing pizza options, house pie suggestions, and bar cocktails.

A person holding a menu labeled BAR in a busy restaurant with a TV on the wall.

Colorful mural on concrete wall depicting various urban and abstract scenes, including a womans face and a cat.

Sunlit tiled floor with two doormats, one saying Welcome, and a potted plant in the corner.

Abstract light streaks with blurred signs and glowing shapes in a dark environment, creating a dynamic effect.

Dark urban skyline silhouette at dusk, with dramatic clouds and a faint light on the horizon.

Person wearing headphones shopping for packaged vegetables in a well-lit grocery store aisle.

Urban sunset with tree silhouette and power lines against a cloudy sky.

Distant city skyline across a body of water under a cloudy sky.

Street signs near a brick building and tree, including Sallys Apizza and parking restrictions.

Person holding a bag of KitKat biscuits in a store, with a display of similar bags in the background.

Person with a cart shopping in a grocery store aisle filled with cereal and canned goods.

Sunlit window with a curtain, potted plants on the sill, and a house visible outside.

Six-story parking garage with minimal cars, street signs, and adjacent buildings on a clear day.

Three people posing for a selfie indoors with warm lighting and minimal background detail.

The Canon G1x Mk III is What Modern Compact Cameras Need to Be

The reason why tons of folks pick up dedicated cameras for the first time instead of using their phones is the ritual of photo-taking. Dedicated cameras put you in a completely different mindset that helps you become more intentional about the photos you make. New photographers often want a zoom lens; they don’t want a single focal length until they later learn why the image quality is so much better. Attending to all this, the Canon G1x Mk III gives those photographers everything they want and need. There’s a big sensor with versatility, a good lens, a small size, weather resistance, and good battery life. They’re easily sourced at Adorama and Amazon.

What’s more, this camera is incredible for professionals and advanced users who don’t want to lug around a heavy interchangeable lens camera. Undeniably so, this camera can do most of what you need.

The problem with marketing all this is that folks feel like a compact camera will limit them and force them to rely on the technology more than their own skill set.

No One Takes the Canon G1x Mk III Seriously, and That’s a Good Thing.

During my vacation, I went to a concert hall and brought along the Canon G1x Mk III. It’s small, good enough for photos, and fits into my coat pocket easily. As I went through security, I had to take it out of my pocket. One of the metal detector attendants mentioned the camera and asked her supervisor if it’s a problem.

“It’s such a small thing, let it go,” he said.

Sample image shot by the Canon G1x Mk III

I smiled and thanked him. Let me tell you, I was high off that buzz for the rest of the night as they truly didn’t understand how powerful a camera this is. The lens is more or less a 24-70mm starting at f2.8 and ending at f5.6. Additionally, there’s image stabilization that’s almost never failed me, a viewfinder, and the whole thing is incredibly compact. I took a few photos, but mostly spent the night enjoying the performance. But I’m amazed that this camera got through security with no qualms.

Good RAW Files

With the right settings and usage, the Canon G1x Mk III is a beast when it comes to image quality. There’s a 24MP sensor at its heart. And in the Standard, Vivid, and Landscape profiles, I get the best quality images. The camera can be set to ISO 400 in aperture priority and, most of the time, the image stabilization will work effectively to get clear and crisp images.

Though I don’t enjoy editing, I understand I need to do it with this camera. Overall, it’s easy to do.

For what it’s worth, I used it when I reviewed the Elinchrom 5 on a shoot. So yes, it can use all the professional lights in the world if that’s required. Knowing that it can be used effectively side by side with my Canon EOS R and EOS R5 is reassuring.

Weather Resistance = Better Photos and Less Fuss

Not many compact cameras are weather resistant. The Fujifilm X100V has it when a UV filter is added to the front. The Leica Q2 has it throughout the camera. And so, too does the Canon G1x Mk III. I’ve certainly taken it out in the rain, where it experienced zero troubles. This is the kind of durability I need.

Lots of photographers adore their Ricoh GR cameras like a cult. But they all also complain when there’s a problem with the lens or sensor dust. If Ricoh could just give their cameras weather resistance, they would be far better off. My Canon G1x Mk III has it, and it continues to function flawlessly. Ricoh shooters also love talking about the GR’s zone focus, but I can do the same with my Canon, and use a viewfinder while I’m at it.

Easy WiFi Connections

I think one of the most underlooked features is a good Wifi capability and a functional app. Fujifilm and Sony could both learn from Canon here. But if I want to share an image immediately, I can port it to my phone with one button on the Canon G1x Mk III. It’s remarkable.

Please Bring Back Good Compact Cameras

Lots of marketing reps say that the compact camera market is dead. I truly don’t think it is. I believe there is a market for it. The market may have evolved, and the consumer has changed, so the manufacturers should as well. With all this said, I hope that the Canon G1x Mk IV comes out one day.

Canon Made One of the Best Compact Cameras Years Ago