Canon PowerShot G3 X: What you need to know

Mariano,

So are you saying the Canon Powershot N, TX1, D10 are less goofy looking or that you haven't seen very many Canon cameras? ;-)

Actually there is nothing goofy looking about the G3X. it's a G-series design with a longer lens. Pretty strait forward, no wired angles (like the Sigma Quattro's) no useless protrusions. It might not be my 1st choice for a bridge camera, but looks-wise, it's clean and functional.

Wish Canon would produce a camera with the TX1 form factor and updated specs.

Think most would agree a built in EVF is far more important than a touchscreen. What good is touch screen if you can't even see it on a bright sunny day. Welcome to usability Damian.

Im not over reacting. Try to turn the camera to portrait position, and now flip out the tilt screen ... now do a low or high angle shot with it...! Its same as if it would be fixed.

Its a trend, and i hope it passes.

I see what you're saying; I thought you meant that the screen would only tilt up for selfies.

That's with any tilting screen, not just the selfie ones. By the same token, I have never liked the articulating screens as they get in the way of my left hand when trying to do a low portrait in horizontal.

Screen designs are a tradeoff, and I like the regular tilting ones more.

@T3. About the price, maybe the most of price is for lens.

@yoyokal
Agree completely. I've shot at 600mm using M43. I've used the 80-400 on the Nikon D90 and D300 all handheld. I've used little compacts with that extended to 750 and 1200mm. No blur, no problems. (Obviously IQ varied by quite a lot.) I see lots of people using the 70-300 on a Nikon 1 series (810mm Equivalent) with out any issues at all. 600mm on this thing should be no different.

Canon sees impossible. "You want what in a camera in 2015?! Impossible!"

LOL, I wonder if Canon regrets coming up with that silly slogan. It seems to be regularly coming back to haunt them. Have they used it ever since they introduced it?

@BeaniePic - this may come as a shock to you, but all EVF cameras *also* have a rear LCD. So when you have an EVF, you are not "restricted to having to put [your] camera to [your] face." You have the option of using the EVF *or* the rear LCD. EVF's even automatically switch from the EVF to the LCD when you move your eye from the EVF. I don't know anyone with an EVF who feels
"restricted" to putting the camera to their face in any lighting condition. EVF camera users are also free to use their rear LCD. However, when you have a camera that doesn't have an EVF, that's when you are "restricted" to only using a rear LCD.

A rear LCD certainly has its benefits. But lets not ignore the benefits of EVF. Many feel it's more comfortable for normal shooting, it adds stability, it shuts out ambient light, it's easier to see in a wider variety of lighting conditions, etc. And like I said, having an EVF does not "restrict" you to only using an EVF. You can also use the rear LCD any time.

How about we b*tch about the fact that the G3X only does 1 frame-per-second in AI Servo mode RAW? I mean, for $1K, in 2015, that's really really slow performance. It might be okay for 2005, but not for 2015.

@T3. You could, it's not going to do you any good. Just like it's not going to do me any good b*tching and whining that Sony didn't put a touchscreen on any of their newly announced cameras.

Guess what, they all have glaring omissions and/or short comings on features. I use my burst mode only a few times a year, if I had to give it up to get another feature I wanted I would. Each person is going to have to weigh this cameras pros/cons and decide for themselves.

You are welcome to skip this if its not for you.

And the A7R II costs $3000... and doesn't even come with lens. I would expect it to have some good (even notable) features to compensate for a lack of others. The G3X is designed for a completely different consumer. It's even geared for a different set of a consumer than the RX10 II or FZ1000, IMO. People who still want a good camera with zoom as one of their priorities might be quite happy with it. The G3X will be a good camera, like the RX10 II and FZ1000. Everyone's priorities are different. I just showed this, the RX10 II, & FZ1000 to my wife and explained just the pros on each. She said she'd prefer the Canon, simply for the zoom. I like the RX10 II myself. But I can see why others would choose something different.

"The G3X is designed for a completely different consumer."

I just wonder about the kind of consumer who thinks they can handhold a 600mm-equivalent lens without a viewfinder. I feel like Canon in preying on these people who think "Ooooh, wow, 24-600mm! It must take great pictures!" In other words, people who are buying it "simply for the zoom". I think it might appeal to people with a certain naiveté.

But I think Canon is over-estimating people's lack of wisdom. People who are willing to dump $1K into a compact camera generally aren't so naive. They'll look at the specs, see what they're getting for their money, assess the alternatives. Sometimes, complaints about a camera's shortcomings are warranted. And lately, it seems to be a pattern with Canon, like when they announced the XC10, a $2500 4K video bridge camera with no RAW and no EVF "for cost reasons". Heck, it won't even accept the $250 add-on EVF that the G3X accepts! "What was Canon thinking"?

@NowHearThis I'm afraid I find people who come on a camera tech message board and tell people not to express their opinion on x camera they like completely insufferable. Either skip the comments or go find a friendlier forum, because you're clearly in the wrong place.

"I just wonder about the kind of consumer who thinks they can handhold a 600mm-equivalent lens without a viewfinder."

LOL. Most of the time it's not even an issue. I've shot the 75-300 on various Oly Pens (even the older one that had mediocre IBIS) and never had issues in outdoor enviornments. Indoor, I can see the user might need to adjust their ISO to get a faster shutter speed. For the "Travelers Camera", (which is what I think this camera is targeted towards), it's users will do just fine with the 600mm reach and Canon's image stabilizer when they need it (on many occasions) - even holding it extended from their eye,

"Sometimes, complaints about a camera's shortcomings are warranted"
Agreed, every camera is flawed in some way, some more than others. And some short comings to one person might be completely inconsequential to others. People are going to decide for themselves. In 6 months it'll be interesting to see what this cameras sales have been like.

Beanie.

Problem is if you don't want that Canon logo on the camera you can get all what this offers with all what it doesn't offer. And then it will have double the performance in regards to speed
All of that for a 200-300 buck discount

Only difference it says lumix instead of powershot.

I don't think anyone is being criticized for liking anything per-se. Your initial comment was rather inflammatory, and you've stirred up a response.

Why does the b***ing bother you so much? We're all on a tech forum talking about cameras, but you want to make it clear to some people they should just be quiet?

I'm sorry but I strongly disagree with that entire approach. By all means tell us why you love a camera and don't care about a feature. Starting a post by admonishing people for expressing a valid opinion is unpleasant and unnecessary.

The Fz1000

it has a 16x zoom(25-400mm
however it's a full stop brighter from 164mm till 400mm.

Then it doesn't the same thing as this G3x
It's 2-3 times faster in burst mode shoots 4k video has a faster AF system with DFD technology and a built-in viewfinder for 200-300 bucks less.

So it's more for less no point in denying nor arguing

It wasn't adressed to you but that diehard canon fanboy above you.

I agree that there are more good lenses in FE-mount.
And they did a lot of good work in 2-3 years.
However they still have a long way to go.

Sorry I thought this was a "discussion" forum?

I don't think posting here saying "I know what you are all going to say and you're all wrong so don't bother" is exactly participating in a 'discussion'..

BeaniePic you are a bit of a masturbator mate. Every comment you post is about how YOU don't like something so therefore it's useless or YOU like something so therefore there is no alternative. Why don't you just STFU. Annoying fool. BTW save your reply as I'll block you as soon as I press the Post button. Continue with your miserable life.

That's a bold statement. "Is for people that don't know anything about photography" in what way? Just because someone doesn't need a handicap assistance (EVF).