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on March 8, 2015
First of all, I would like to mention that I did not buy the camera through Amazon. I found a very good deal from another store, but I bought the Canon Deluxe Leather Case PSC-5300BK, Canon Battery Pack NB-13L, and Sandisk Extreme SDXC 64 GB memory card through Amazon to be used with this camera. In the end I spent around $750 for everything, which was a good deal.
A little background. I have been an avid user of DSLRs since the last 10 years. The main reason I started using DSLRs was not because of the choice of multiple lenses but the features, e.g. bigger sensor, less noise, bigger aperture for blurring the background (nice bokeh), aperture, shutter, iso and manual controls. I owned Canon EOS 400D or Rebel Ti for 8 years or so, but always used a general walk around Tamron 17-50 f2.8 lens with it. I believe this background information is necessary to explain why I sold my DSLR and moved to G7x.
A DSLR captures very high quality photos, but one must always consider the size. For me as the years went by, I was taking my DSLR less and less outside. It was just not convenient to carry such a big camera bag around with the huge camera hanging around your neck. In the age of mobile phone which can capture crappy photos (good enough for whatsapp) at the expense of size and weight, carrying a DSLR requires lots of motivation. Maybe it comes with age, or if you are really enthusiastic about taking photos then it might not be an issue, but for me it was a big deal. In the last couple of years, I only took my DSLR for annual holidays, otherwise didn’t bother to use it. On the other hand, I was using my Lumia 920 for taking everyday photos, and was really frustrated by its image quality. At that point I started looking for a high end camera that can provide high quality images at smaller size and weight.
I looked at 4/3 and other mirror less cameras along with cameras with the 1’’ sensor. I quickly narrowed my selection to Sony RX 100 iii. The reviews were excellent and so was the image quality. Before, I was going to buy it, Canon announced G7x and Panasonic announced Lumix Lx100. I discarded Lx100 because it did not have a built-in flash. Even though I take more than 90% of my shots without flash, I did not want to be in a situation where you need the flash, and then you are fumbling in your pockets for one. Finally once G7x hit the market, I spent some time with both RX 100 iii and G7x.
Both cameras offer excellent image quality. I knew that with a 1’’ sensor, I cannot expect the image quality at the level of a DSLR but it was a trade-off that I was willing to make for the sake of comfort. Compared to my 8 years old DSLR, it seems that the sensor technology has moved forward a lot and at a lower ISO levels (800 or below) I see no difference between these cameras or EOS 400d. Both cameras offer all the manual controls that I used in a DSLR and provide a good control over the depth of field, thus one can blur the background while focusing on the subject, which was one of my main requirement for any camera. Built-in ND filter is very handy too.
Sony has a viewfinder, whereas Canon has the longer zoom and touch screen. Ultimately, the latter features (zoom and touch screen) sold me to G7x. Having the extra zoom is handy, but to select the focus point with a single touch is a revelation, especially if you love to re-compose the shots or focus on any specific part of the scene. I cannot stress how useful this feature is, especially if you want to choose a specific part of the image to be in focus and blur the rest of the image. You can see three examples in the attached images, the focus point changes from the front, middle and to the back. Having the additional zoom range also helps in this regard especially if you want to take portraits.
After using G7x, I find the focusing speed to be excellent. I didn’t have any issues with a young kid. Auto-ISO is on the conservative side, which I would like to have more control over. Hopefully Canon can offer some more control in this feature with some firmware update, but I don’t have much hope for it. Battery life is fine, but I always carry an extra battery, just in case. The image quality is really good. Since I am taking this camera with me, I am taking more photos, and the quality in some cases is stunning. I was surprised by the quality of sharpness in some of the images, and the overall quality is easily comparable to my old EOS 400D at the quarter of the weight and size. I always resize my photos to a smaller size, because honestly looking at a 20 MP photo in all its glory on a PC screen, or a mobile phone’s screen is not practical. For a person like me, who never prints a photo, a 4 MP image is equally fine. The movie mode is excellent, especially using the touch screen to move the focus point while recording the movie is a great tool for creative recordings.
Another great feature, which is a given in smartphones is WiFi transfer. Unfortunately, the camera does not support my Windows Phone, which is a shame, because I am not going to switch to Android or iOS because of it. I find Windows Phone to be much more elegant and aesthetically pleasing than other mobile OS. Here’s hoping that Canon will support it with Windows 10. On the other hand, WiFi transfer to Flickr is extremely useful. One can use the Flickr app to access the photos, share them on the social media or messaging apps very quickly. I use Flickr upload for the casual viewing and sharing. Having a 64 GB memory card is very useful, as you can wait between the transfers to some permanent storage.
Overall, I find G7x to be an excellent camera. It has all the features that I need as I move “down” from the DSLR. The image quality is excellent. You can do flash free photography. Capture images with blurred background, and record high quality videos. To have this amount of control and quality and this size and weight from a camera is truly amazing. It would be very interesting to see how camera companies will take these pro levels point and shoots to the next level.
A little background. I have been an avid user of DSLRs since the last 10 years. The main reason I started using DSLRs was not because of the choice of multiple lenses but the features, e.g. bigger sensor, less noise, bigger aperture for blurring the background (nice bokeh), aperture, shutter, iso and manual controls. I owned Canon EOS 400D or Rebel Ti for 8 years or so, but always used a general walk around Tamron 17-50 f2.8 lens with it. I believe this background information is necessary to explain why I sold my DSLR and moved to G7x.
A DSLR captures very high quality photos, but one must always consider the size. For me as the years went by, I was taking my DSLR less and less outside. It was just not convenient to carry such a big camera bag around with the huge camera hanging around your neck. In the age of mobile phone which can capture crappy photos (good enough for whatsapp) at the expense of size and weight, carrying a DSLR requires lots of motivation. Maybe it comes with age, or if you are really enthusiastic about taking photos then it might not be an issue, but for me it was a big deal. In the last couple of years, I only took my DSLR for annual holidays, otherwise didn’t bother to use it. On the other hand, I was using my Lumia 920 for taking everyday photos, and was really frustrated by its image quality. At that point I started looking for a high end camera that can provide high quality images at smaller size and weight.
I looked at 4/3 and other mirror less cameras along with cameras with the 1’’ sensor. I quickly narrowed my selection to Sony RX 100 iii. The reviews were excellent and so was the image quality. Before, I was going to buy it, Canon announced G7x and Panasonic announced Lumix Lx100. I discarded Lx100 because it did not have a built-in flash. Even though I take more than 90% of my shots without flash, I did not want to be in a situation where you need the flash, and then you are fumbling in your pockets for one. Finally once G7x hit the market, I spent some time with both RX 100 iii and G7x.
Both cameras offer excellent image quality. I knew that with a 1’’ sensor, I cannot expect the image quality at the level of a DSLR but it was a trade-off that I was willing to make for the sake of comfort. Compared to my 8 years old DSLR, it seems that the sensor technology has moved forward a lot and at a lower ISO levels (800 or below) I see no difference between these cameras or EOS 400d. Both cameras offer all the manual controls that I used in a DSLR and provide a good control over the depth of field, thus one can blur the background while focusing on the subject, which was one of my main requirement for any camera. Built-in ND filter is very handy too.
Sony has a viewfinder, whereas Canon has the longer zoom and touch screen. Ultimately, the latter features (zoom and touch screen) sold me to G7x. Having the extra zoom is handy, but to select the focus point with a single touch is a revelation, especially if you love to re-compose the shots or focus on any specific part of the scene. I cannot stress how useful this feature is, especially if you want to choose a specific part of the image to be in focus and blur the rest of the image. You can see three examples in the attached images, the focus point changes from the front, middle and to the back. Having the additional zoom range also helps in this regard especially if you want to take portraits.
After using G7x, I find the focusing speed to be excellent. I didn’t have any issues with a young kid. Auto-ISO is on the conservative side, which I would like to have more control over. Hopefully Canon can offer some more control in this feature with some firmware update, but I don’t have much hope for it. Battery life is fine, but I always carry an extra battery, just in case. The image quality is really good. Since I am taking this camera with me, I am taking more photos, and the quality in some cases is stunning. I was surprised by the quality of sharpness in some of the images, and the overall quality is easily comparable to my old EOS 400D at the quarter of the weight and size. I always resize my photos to a smaller size, because honestly looking at a 20 MP photo in all its glory on a PC screen, or a mobile phone’s screen is not practical. For a person like me, who never prints a photo, a 4 MP image is equally fine. The movie mode is excellent, especially using the touch screen to move the focus point while recording the movie is a great tool for creative recordings.
Another great feature, which is a given in smartphones is WiFi transfer. Unfortunately, the camera does not support my Windows Phone, which is a shame, because I am not going to switch to Android or iOS because of it. I find Windows Phone to be much more elegant and aesthetically pleasing than other mobile OS. Here’s hoping that Canon will support it with Windows 10. On the other hand, WiFi transfer to Flickr is extremely useful. One can use the Flickr app to access the photos, share them on the social media or messaging apps very quickly. I use Flickr upload for the casual viewing and sharing. Having a 64 GB memory card is very useful, as you can wait between the transfers to some permanent storage.
Overall, I find G7x to be an excellent camera. It has all the features that I need as I move “down” from the DSLR. The image quality is excellent. You can do flash free photography. Capture images with blurred background, and record high quality videos. To have this amount of control and quality and this size and weight from a camera is truly amazing. It would be very interesting to see how camera companies will take these pro levels point and shoots to the next level.
VINE VOICEon October 27, 2014
Finally, a competitor to the Sony RX100 series. I've been comparing the Canon G7X to my Sony RX100 for a couple of days. Here are some of my observations:
* Sony is slightly less thick and weighs a bit less. But both are definitely pocketable.
* Contrary to a review I read on Dpreview, the autofocus on the G7X is very fast...faster (more responsive) than the one on the RX100. I suspect Dpreview may have gotten a defective sample. But this one is lightning fast outdoors, and indoors. Even in fairly low light, the autofocus never hunted. It always snapped into focus instantly.
* shot to shot using JPEG is also very fast. I reeled off a dozen continuous shots with no slow down at all. Switch to RAW and the camera slows down considerably. It spends about 1 second to save the RAW file before letting you get another shot off.
* The G7X has an automatic lens cover which retracts when you turn it on, and closes when you turn the camera off.
*. The Dial around the lens can be customized for the feature you want. But not all features can be assigned the dial around the lens. But it lets you assign ISO, MR, WB, Zoom, DR Correction, Shadow Correct, Aspect Ratio and Custom. I left it on the Default which changes the feature depending on the shooting mode.
* You can also set the Ring Func button on the back. I set mine to metering more (Evaluative, Center, Spot). You can also assign a feature to the movie Record button. But I left mine on Record.
* At first glance Picture Quality appears fairly similar to the Sony RX100, which means it is excellent. (But see the update below of direct comparisons of same subject using JPEGs) At this level of picture quality there is little need to carry a DSLR. Thankfully, the G7X does not have the noise characteristic of the G1X Mark II (don't know what Canon was thinking of on that one).
* To my eyes the Canon lens is a bit sharper in the corners than the one on the Sony RX100. The Macro shot of the marigold shows off the sharpness.
* G7X has a nice touch screen. You can use it to point to the object you want to be in focus. It is very precise. You can also set it to take the picture when you touch the screen (again focusing on the point you touch). It is kind of fun, but I'm not used to taking pictures this way yet. Or, you can turn off the touch feature altogether.
*Annoyances: the wifi button is too easy to press even though it is recessed. So when putting the camera in my pocket or in a nifty case I have, it is too easy to accidentally turn on the camera by pressing the recessed wifi button. I haven't read the manual yet. So I need to check to see if it can be disabled. The Record button can also be turned on by accident. (But don't they all).
Overall a superb pocketable camera. I'll try to add to the review after I've used the camera more and read the manual.
Update October 31
==================
I did some extensive comparison JPEG shots between the Canon G7X and the Sony RX100. These were all taken on a cloudy day. I took shots at ISO 200, 400 and 800. In shot after shot the Sony was better exposed, showed more clarity and less noise. I was surprised at how much the difference is. You may get different results shooting RAW. But if you shoot JPEG, you are going to get better pictures shooting with the original RX100. I don't mean to take away from the excitement of the Canon G7X because it is an excellent camera. I'll try to post some comparison shots so you can see what I mean. Right now I can't find the "add photo" button.
* Sony is slightly less thick and weighs a bit less. But both are definitely pocketable.
* Contrary to a review I read on Dpreview, the autofocus on the G7X is very fast...faster (more responsive) than the one on the RX100. I suspect Dpreview may have gotten a defective sample. But this one is lightning fast outdoors, and indoors. Even in fairly low light, the autofocus never hunted. It always snapped into focus instantly.
* shot to shot using JPEG is also very fast. I reeled off a dozen continuous shots with no slow down at all. Switch to RAW and the camera slows down considerably. It spends about 1 second to save the RAW file before letting you get another shot off.
* The G7X has an automatic lens cover which retracts when you turn it on, and closes when you turn the camera off.
*. The Dial around the lens can be customized for the feature you want. But not all features can be assigned the dial around the lens. But it lets you assign ISO, MR, WB, Zoom, DR Correction, Shadow Correct, Aspect Ratio and Custom. I left it on the Default which changes the feature depending on the shooting mode.
* You can also set the Ring Func button on the back. I set mine to metering more (Evaluative, Center, Spot). You can also assign a feature to the movie Record button. But I left mine on Record.
* At first glance Picture Quality appears fairly similar to the Sony RX100, which means it is excellent. (But see the update below of direct comparisons of same subject using JPEGs) At this level of picture quality there is little need to carry a DSLR. Thankfully, the G7X does not have the noise characteristic of the G1X Mark II (don't know what Canon was thinking of on that one).
* To my eyes the Canon lens is a bit sharper in the corners than the one on the Sony RX100. The Macro shot of the marigold shows off the sharpness.
* G7X has a nice touch screen. You can use it to point to the object you want to be in focus. It is very precise. You can also set it to take the picture when you touch the screen (again focusing on the point you touch). It is kind of fun, but I'm not used to taking pictures this way yet. Or, you can turn off the touch feature altogether.
*Annoyances: the wifi button is too easy to press even though it is recessed. So when putting the camera in my pocket or in a nifty case I have, it is too easy to accidentally turn on the camera by pressing the recessed wifi button. I haven't read the manual yet. So I need to check to see if it can be disabled. The Record button can also be turned on by accident. (But don't they all).
Overall a superb pocketable camera. I'll try to add to the review after I've used the camera more and read the manual.
Update October 31
==================
I did some extensive comparison JPEG shots between the Canon G7X and the Sony RX100. These were all taken on a cloudy day. I took shots at ISO 200, 400 and 800. In shot after shot the Sony was better exposed, showed more clarity and less noise. I was surprised at how much the difference is. You may get different results shooting RAW. But if you shoot JPEG, you are going to get better pictures shooting with the original RX100. I don't mean to take away from the excitement of the Canon G7X because it is an excellent camera. I'll try to post some comparison shots so you can see what I mean. Right now I can't find the "add photo" button.
on October 18, 2014
It's pretty obvious that when Canon was making this camera it had it's target set to Sony's RX100 series of cameras. I was divided between buying the RX100iii or the G7X, finally opting for the Canon. They are approximately the same size, feature an 1 inch sensor (significantly bigger than other compacts) and have similar feature sets.
(Disclaimer: I own the G7X for about a week now and have been shooting with it around Beijing. I've only handled the RX100iii on a camera store and read online reviews and impressions.)
You can read reviews about the RX100iii here: Sony DSC-RX100M III Cyber-shot Digital Still Camera
The main advantages of the Canon compared to the Sony are:
+Longer focal range (24-100mm vs 24-70mm). I find the extra 30mm extremely useful both for portraits and semi-telephoto shots.
+Brighter aperture through the range. The Canon stops down slower and has a 2/3 stop advantage at 35mm.
+Touch screen. I find it very useful for quickly placing the focus point, touch to focus (both for video and stills) as well as touch to shutter (touch the screen and a picture is taken automatically). I find the last feature especially useful for capturing candid shots on the street.
+Better optical image stabilisation (IS). My experience with the Canon's optical image stabilisation is excellent. I can comfortably and consistently take shots at 24mm with a 1/4 secs exposure and they are tack sharp. I can't perform a direct comparison to the Sony but reading other reviews online it seems that the IS of the RX100 cameras is not to the same standard.
+It's 100$ cheaper.
On the other hand the RX100iii comes back with:
-Electronic viewfinder. If that's something you need on a compact then RX100iii is your only option.
-Video quality and options. 120fps, better codecs and bit-rates as well as a click less main dial mean the Sony is better at video.
-Supposedly a bit sharper lens, particularly at 24mm. I am not much of a pixel peeper so this doesn't really affect me.
Finally, in my personal, biased for the way I shoot, opinion the Canon is significantly better when it comes to..
Handling:
Auto-ISO implementation on Av mode: On the Canon you can specify the minimum shutter speed (you get three options, a slow 1/15, a fast 1/1000 and focal length variable one which ranges from 1/60 to 1/120). Sony gives you no way to specify minimum shutter speed and defaults to 1/40.
The G7X has a dedicated exposure compensation dial. It's a bit too stiff for my liking but at least it's there.
Canon is also more intuitive to use on auto-iso manual mode. Auto-iso manual mode is when you set the mode dial to M and activate auto-ISO. Thus you can specify aperture and shutter speed as normal but you still allow the camera to take control of the exposure by modifying the iso value. To shift the exposure up or down you use exposure compensation.
On the Canon you get direct access to all three variables needed for auto-iso M to work (aperture on the front, shutter speed on the back and the dedicated exposure compensation dial).
Finally, the G7X allows you to manually prefocus at a specific focal distance using the electronic distance scale.
Any negatives?
Other than small niggles like the sound of the main dial being a bit too loud and the exposure compensation dial a bit too stiff, not really.
The Canon G7X is small, comfortably fits in my jacket pockets (and snugly fits on my jeans front pocket), it has a long focal range with a wide aperture all the way through and a large 1 inch sensor. The addition of a great control scheme (for the way I shoot) makes this my favourite compact camera on the market at the moment.
(Disclaimer: I own the G7X for about a week now and have been shooting with it around Beijing. I've only handled the RX100iii on a camera store and read online reviews and impressions.)
You can read reviews about the RX100iii here: Sony DSC-RX100M III Cyber-shot Digital Still Camera
The main advantages of the Canon compared to the Sony are:
+Longer focal range (24-100mm vs 24-70mm). I find the extra 30mm extremely useful both for portraits and semi-telephoto shots.
+Brighter aperture through the range. The Canon stops down slower and has a 2/3 stop advantage at 35mm.
+Touch screen. I find it very useful for quickly placing the focus point, touch to focus (both for video and stills) as well as touch to shutter (touch the screen and a picture is taken automatically). I find the last feature especially useful for capturing candid shots on the street.
+Better optical image stabilisation (IS). My experience with the Canon's optical image stabilisation is excellent. I can comfortably and consistently take shots at 24mm with a 1/4 secs exposure and they are tack sharp. I can't perform a direct comparison to the Sony but reading other reviews online it seems that the IS of the RX100 cameras is not to the same standard.
+It's 100$ cheaper.
On the other hand the RX100iii comes back with:
-Electronic viewfinder. If that's something you need on a compact then RX100iii is your only option.
-Video quality and options. 120fps, better codecs and bit-rates as well as a click less main dial mean the Sony is better at video.
-Supposedly a bit sharper lens, particularly at 24mm. I am not much of a pixel peeper so this doesn't really affect me.
Finally, in my personal, biased for the way I shoot, opinion the Canon is significantly better when it comes to..
Handling:
Auto-ISO implementation on Av mode: On the Canon you can specify the minimum shutter speed (you get three options, a slow 1/15, a fast 1/1000 and focal length variable one which ranges from 1/60 to 1/120). Sony gives you no way to specify minimum shutter speed and defaults to 1/40.
The G7X has a dedicated exposure compensation dial. It's a bit too stiff for my liking but at least it's there.
Canon is also more intuitive to use on auto-iso manual mode. Auto-iso manual mode is when you set the mode dial to M and activate auto-ISO. Thus you can specify aperture and shutter speed as normal but you still allow the camera to take control of the exposure by modifying the iso value. To shift the exposure up or down you use exposure compensation.
On the Canon you get direct access to all three variables needed for auto-iso M to work (aperture on the front, shutter speed on the back and the dedicated exposure compensation dial).
Finally, the G7X allows you to manually prefocus at a specific focal distance using the electronic distance scale.
Any negatives?
Other than small niggles like the sound of the main dial being a bit too loud and the exposure compensation dial a bit too stiff, not really.
The Canon G7X is small, comfortably fits in my jacket pockets (and snugly fits on my jeans front pocket), it has a long focal range with a wide aperture all the way through and a large 1 inch sensor. The addition of a great control scheme (for the way I shoot) makes this my favourite compact camera on the market at the moment.
on November 29, 2014
I'm not a "photographer." We just had a baby and I wanted a camera that would work well inside and with low-light for both pictures and video. I refuse to get a DSLR. They're too big and I would ever carry it around.
I discovered the 1" sensor market via Costco via a great deal on the Sony RX 100 mark II. A lot of money still but all the reviews raved about it.
Well, we didn't like it. It's practically useless for non-photographers like ourselves. Auto mode does not work well, frankly, inside, resulting in blurred pictures. There's apparently a known issue with the camera not setting the shutter speed fast enough on auto or P mode. But also we didn't like the colors. They look bad, especially skin tones. I tend to think most of the reviewers for the Sony's have never used auto mode. I should say that the videos were good.
So I heard about the new canon G7x and returned the Sony. We love the canon. It takes beautiful pictures with gorgeous colors. Videos are amazing in low light. The zoom is better than the Sony's. The camera is fast. The controls are much easier and even I am starting to learn what manual modes are all about (bracketing is pretty cool and fast on this camera in jpg mode). But most important I can give the camera to anyone to take a picture of us and can expect auto or P mode to generally work well. That's a big deal. (I did experience a quality control problem where the from canon faceplate has a "gap" with the body. All of the g7x's have this to one extent or another, it's how the camera was designed. I don't think it's a big deal but kind of annoying. This camera is very new after all.) It takes good pictures as JPG out of the camera. I don't want to deal with RAW's huge file sizes. (But note that raw+jpg shooting on this camera is kind of slow if you are into that. )
I've read all the reviews and the forums, I don't doubt that the Sony mark III may be clearer at the corners or whatever. But who cares if it's impossible for me to take good pictures fast?
No camera is perfect - the g7x doesn't have amazing battery life, no panorama mode, limited video record times (set by disk limits? How retarded is that? I think 30 minutes for 30fps)
The camera is pocketable but it's a fairly big bulge - and a huge bulge with a case, which you kind of want with an expensive camera. I got the Black Rapid snapr 10 which is awesome and makes the camera impossible to drop and hard to steal (I'd say it could look a little dorky but I'm a dad now and often am found carrying a diaper bag with red flowers on it so that ship has sailed.)
So in other words, this is a great camera.
I discovered the 1" sensor market via Costco via a great deal on the Sony RX 100 mark II. A lot of money still but all the reviews raved about it.
Well, we didn't like it. It's practically useless for non-photographers like ourselves. Auto mode does not work well, frankly, inside, resulting in blurred pictures. There's apparently a known issue with the camera not setting the shutter speed fast enough on auto or P mode. But also we didn't like the colors. They look bad, especially skin tones. I tend to think most of the reviewers for the Sony's have never used auto mode. I should say that the videos were good.
So I heard about the new canon G7x and returned the Sony. We love the canon. It takes beautiful pictures with gorgeous colors. Videos are amazing in low light. The zoom is better than the Sony's. The camera is fast. The controls are much easier and even I am starting to learn what manual modes are all about (bracketing is pretty cool and fast on this camera in jpg mode). But most important I can give the camera to anyone to take a picture of us and can expect auto or P mode to generally work well. That's a big deal. (I did experience a quality control problem where the from canon faceplate has a "gap" with the body. All of the g7x's have this to one extent or another, it's how the camera was designed. I don't think it's a big deal but kind of annoying. This camera is very new after all.) It takes good pictures as JPG out of the camera. I don't want to deal with RAW's huge file sizes. (But note that raw+jpg shooting on this camera is kind of slow if you are into that. )
I've read all the reviews and the forums, I don't doubt that the Sony mark III may be clearer at the corners or whatever. But who cares if it's impossible for me to take good pictures fast?
No camera is perfect - the g7x doesn't have amazing battery life, no panorama mode, limited video record times (set by disk limits? How retarded is that? I think 30 minutes for 30fps)
The camera is pocketable but it's a fairly big bulge - and a huge bulge with a case, which you kind of want with an expensive camera. I got the Black Rapid snapr 10 which is awesome and makes the camera impossible to drop and hard to steal (I'd say it could look a little dorky but I'm a dad now and often am found carrying a diaper bag with red flowers on it so that ship has sailed.)
So in other words, this is a great camera.
on March 1, 2015
Overall, it's a great camera. It's not a replacement for a full-frame DSLR, but it's perfect for travel or for when you don't want to carry lots of gear. If you only want to have one camera, this should be on your short list.
The good:
* Image quality. The 1 inch sensor is a noticeable step up in quality from typical compact camera sensors. You get better detail, dynamic range, highlights, shadow detail, and less noise. Plus, it shoots in JPG and RAW. Use RAW and Photoshop Lightroom for the ultimate in image quality.
* Lens. It's f/1.8 at 24mm, and it zooms to 100mm, where it's still f/2.8! The lens lets in tons of light, and you can pretty easily blur the background for more professional-looking shots.
* Build quality. This is a well-built, solid camera. No cheap plastic here. It feels expensive.
The bad:
*Soft corners. When at its widest angle, the corners are softer than the center of the picture. Every lens involves compromise. In a camera this compact, but with a 4.2x zoom, the compromise is softer corners at wide angle. Zoom in a little bit and the corners sharpen up nicely. The Sony RX100III has sharper corners, but the lens only zooms to 70mm and isn't as bright along much of its length. It's a matter of personal preference which is more important to you. Me, I wanted the longer zoom range and brighter lens; I'm willing to live with softer corners at 24mm. If you're not, but can live with only a 70mm zoom, then go for the RX100III instead.
*Macro. Like to take close-up pictures? The specs say it'll focus as close as 2 inches. Yes, it will. But really only at f/3.2 or (numerically) higher. If you try to take a shot 2 inches away at f/1.8, the lens produces a blurry image. Step back to 8 inches at f/1.8 and it's fine. Again, it's a consequence of the compromises made in the lens.
The OK.
*Battery life. It's not as bad as some say. You just have to know how to use the camera. Set it so the screen turns off after a minute of inactivity. Keep the screen brightness less than maximum. You can get 300 shots out of a battery. Still,for $45, it's smart to have a second battery. That's true of most cameras, so it's not a criticism unique to this camera.
The verdict.
It's a keeper. Superb image quality (especially when shooting RAW). Small size. Great lens and zoom. It's the ultimate stealth camera. It looks like a $200 compact, but shoots images like a $1500 camera. Yes, the lens is soft in the corners at its widest setting, but that's the trade-off for the long zoom and bright lens. If you need sharper corners and less zoom is OK, get the Sony RX100III instead. If you need a long zoom AND sharp corners, you'll need to spend $2000+ for a DSLR and good glass.
The good:
* Image quality. The 1 inch sensor is a noticeable step up in quality from typical compact camera sensors. You get better detail, dynamic range, highlights, shadow detail, and less noise. Plus, it shoots in JPG and RAW. Use RAW and Photoshop Lightroom for the ultimate in image quality.
* Lens. It's f/1.8 at 24mm, and it zooms to 100mm, where it's still f/2.8! The lens lets in tons of light, and you can pretty easily blur the background for more professional-looking shots.
* Build quality. This is a well-built, solid camera. No cheap plastic here. It feels expensive.
The bad:
*Soft corners. When at its widest angle, the corners are softer than the center of the picture. Every lens involves compromise. In a camera this compact, but with a 4.2x zoom, the compromise is softer corners at wide angle. Zoom in a little bit and the corners sharpen up nicely. The Sony RX100III has sharper corners, but the lens only zooms to 70mm and isn't as bright along much of its length. It's a matter of personal preference which is more important to you. Me, I wanted the longer zoom range and brighter lens; I'm willing to live with softer corners at 24mm. If you're not, but can live with only a 70mm zoom, then go for the RX100III instead.
*Macro. Like to take close-up pictures? The specs say it'll focus as close as 2 inches. Yes, it will. But really only at f/3.2 or (numerically) higher. If you try to take a shot 2 inches away at f/1.8, the lens produces a blurry image. Step back to 8 inches at f/1.8 and it's fine. Again, it's a consequence of the compromises made in the lens.
The OK.
*Battery life. It's not as bad as some say. You just have to know how to use the camera. Set it so the screen turns off after a minute of inactivity. Keep the screen brightness less than maximum. You can get 300 shots out of a battery. Still,for $45, it's smart to have a second battery. That's true of most cameras, so it's not a criticism unique to this camera.
The verdict.
It's a keeper. Superb image quality (especially when shooting RAW). Small size. Great lens and zoom. It's the ultimate stealth camera. It looks like a $200 compact, but shoots images like a $1500 camera. Yes, the lens is soft in the corners at its widest setting, but that's the trade-off for the long zoom and bright lens. If you need sharper corners and less zoom is OK, get the Sony RX100III instead. If you need a long zoom AND sharp corners, you'll need to spend $2000+ for a DSLR and good glass.
on October 22, 2014
I have owned this camera for less then a week and I am putting it through some general use testing.
I will be updating as I learn more about it and get more comfortable using it.
This review is from the perspective of a pro photographer that is used to carrying a DSLR everywhere and wants a smaller camera with manual controls and can fit in my pocket for day to day use and vacations with family with high image quality.
PROS:
- The Lens: 24mm - 100mm 1.8 - 2.8 is very bright and sharp across the entire range.
- Size: I am a professional photographer who is looking for something as an alternative to my DSLR to put in my pocket... and this camera is the perfect size.
- Manual Controls: I like the ability to use the Front ring, the exposure dial, the back dial, 2 custom buttons and the touch screen to make adjustments. With a few different options available messing around and finding the one that works best for me is great.
- Touch Screen: I can use the touch screen to focus (changing focus points is wonderful, touch to shoot, make setting adjustments, zoom in during editing. It is like shooting a combination smart phone/slr style... best of both worlds and completely optional.
- Focusing is very fast in my use. I feel this is subjective and based on how the user will use it.
- Wifi: Great to have it to transfer images to my phone to post to social media instantly. I do wish it was faster and easier to connect and images have to be JPEGs to be saved to a smart phone. I usually shoot in RAW only but now I shoot with RAW+JPEG in a medium jpeg size jus tot transfer to mobile.
- Customizable menu and user interface. I actually like that I can hide all the features I don't need/use and streamline my menu to be able to make changes to the things I need faster. All I need is access to ISO, Color Temp, Self Timer, and ND filter.
CONS:
- Front click wheel is loud
- Exposure compensation dial is tucked in too far and is too stiff. This might improve with use as it will loosen up.
- Battery life is short. I don't have shot numbers as I have been playing around with settings and wifi. Actual use will vary and to follow.
- No Lightroom RAW support just yet so I can't test images through my normal process. Hopefully this will change soon and I can really put this camera to test.
- No 24P for video
Things I have heard people complain about in reviews but mean nothing to me:
- Tilt screen doesn't tilt down - flip the camera upside down and bang...
- No custom function button - actually you can assign a number of buttons to do custom functions and reorder and customize your function menu
- more to come
No camera is without quirks but finding a way around them and using it's strengths to create solid images is what its all about and this camera does just that.
I will be updating as I learn more about it and get more comfortable using it.
This review is from the perspective of a pro photographer that is used to carrying a DSLR everywhere and wants a smaller camera with manual controls and can fit in my pocket for day to day use and vacations with family with high image quality.
PROS:
- The Lens: 24mm - 100mm 1.8 - 2.8 is very bright and sharp across the entire range.
- Size: I am a professional photographer who is looking for something as an alternative to my DSLR to put in my pocket... and this camera is the perfect size.
- Manual Controls: I like the ability to use the Front ring, the exposure dial, the back dial, 2 custom buttons and the touch screen to make adjustments. With a few different options available messing around and finding the one that works best for me is great.
- Touch Screen: I can use the touch screen to focus (changing focus points is wonderful, touch to shoot, make setting adjustments, zoom in during editing. It is like shooting a combination smart phone/slr style... best of both worlds and completely optional.
- Focusing is very fast in my use. I feel this is subjective and based on how the user will use it.
- Wifi: Great to have it to transfer images to my phone to post to social media instantly. I do wish it was faster and easier to connect and images have to be JPEGs to be saved to a smart phone. I usually shoot in RAW only but now I shoot with RAW+JPEG in a medium jpeg size jus tot transfer to mobile.
- Customizable menu and user interface. I actually like that I can hide all the features I don't need/use and streamline my menu to be able to make changes to the things I need faster. All I need is access to ISO, Color Temp, Self Timer, and ND filter.
CONS:
- Front click wheel is loud
- Exposure compensation dial is tucked in too far and is too stiff. This might improve with use as it will loosen up.
- Battery life is short. I don't have shot numbers as I have been playing around with settings and wifi. Actual use will vary and to follow.
- No Lightroom RAW support just yet so I can't test images through my normal process. Hopefully this will change soon and I can really put this camera to test.
- No 24P for video
Things I have heard people complain about in reviews but mean nothing to me:
- Tilt screen doesn't tilt down - flip the camera upside down and bang...
- No custom function button - actually you can assign a number of buttons to do custom functions and reorder and customize your function menu
- more to come
No camera is without quirks but finding a way around them and using it's strengths to create solid images is what its all about and this camera does just that.
on December 23, 2014
So I have an EOS 70D and have lugged it all across the country in my travels, but I still seemed to miss photos. I really wanted to have a camera the G7X that I could keep in my pocket and have the ability to take pictures any where, any time, and quickly.
I have had my G7X one month and woah this thing is GREAT! Amazing pictures, amazing videos, easy to use. As soon as a book gets published that will help me learn how to use it better I'll buy it.
I so love telling story's about life through pictures please see attached pictures from my G7x on a cold 23 degree morning out on a farm in Snohomish, Washington.
I have had my G7X one month and woah this thing is GREAT! Amazing pictures, amazing videos, easy to use. As soon as a book gets published that will help me learn how to use it better I'll buy it.
I so love telling story's about life through pictures please see attached pictures from my G7x on a cold 23 degree morning out on a farm in Snohomish, Washington.
on November 26, 2014
For the past month I've been using both the Canon GX7 and the Sony RX100 M3. I bought both, because I couldn't predict whether I'd favor the built-in viewfinder on the Sony, the touch screen on the Canon, the superior battery life of the Sony, or the greater focal range of the Canon zoom. Here's my thumbnail comparison of the two cameras:
First of all, I'm a serious enthusiast, not a camera geek: I don't customize the buttons, because I find the existing layout already satisfactory for my needs; I never use manual focus, and haven't since I stopped using my medium format rangefinder in the 90's; and while I occasionally use the macro function, it is somewhat rare. I mention these things, because the otherwise excellent review of the two cameras on Youtube by The Camera Store, spent a lot of time on these functions, which weren't important to me.
What I've found is that both cameras take excellent snaps, and allow for a lot of user creativity, but ultimately I favored the Canon over the Sony. The Canon's allowance of touch screen focusing was not only an enormous convenience for me, but one that I was already very comfortable with, after having owned the iPhone 5 and 6. Touch focus on the Canon also allows you to change the exposure along with the focus point, if you've paired the exposure function with spot metering--much like the iphone allows. And in contrast to other reports that I've read, I sound the focusing on the Canon to be slightly quicker and surer than that of the Sony. On both landscapes and portraits, images were consistently sharp and accurate by both cameras, but the Canon consistently had a warmer, richer cast, to my eye.
I made much use of the articulated LCD screens ("selfie mode"), but I noticed a slight design flaw on the Sony screen: When I'm shooting I always check the displayed shutter and aperture values to make sure they match what I want. However, I found that when the Sony LCD screen was flipped up in "selfie" position, the exposure values were covered up and not easily viewable. Small issue, but annoying. In the Sony's favor, I took advantage of the package deal offered on Amazon by Focus Camera that offered an extra lithium battery, a 64gb SDHC card, a wall charger, and mini tripod. Since all these items were thrown in for the original price of the camera, I feared that they might be junky, or even worthless, but to the contrary, they've all worked perfectly. Hats off to Focus Camera.
Finally, I compared the Sony, the Canon, and my iPhone 6 as indoor vlogging cameras. I mounted each on a tripod and took audio-video samples with each using standard indoor lighting and with each camera set to AWB (AutoWhiteBalance). In my experiment, the iPhone was at a disadvantage because, using the front facing camera, it maxed out at 720p, while the Canon and Sony were full HD. To my surprise, what I found was that both the Canon and the Iphone handled the indoor light better than the Sony, and produced more pleasing indoor videos than did the Sony (as ultimately viewed on my 27inch HD monitor).
Am I saying that the Sony RX100 3 is not a great camera? Noooo, it is a great camera. But if I could only keep one, I'd pick the Canon GX7. And at a cost of $100 less, that's pretty impressive.
First of all, I'm a serious enthusiast, not a camera geek: I don't customize the buttons, because I find the existing layout already satisfactory for my needs; I never use manual focus, and haven't since I stopped using my medium format rangefinder in the 90's; and while I occasionally use the macro function, it is somewhat rare. I mention these things, because the otherwise excellent review of the two cameras on Youtube by The Camera Store, spent a lot of time on these functions, which weren't important to me.
What I've found is that both cameras take excellent snaps, and allow for a lot of user creativity, but ultimately I favored the Canon over the Sony. The Canon's allowance of touch screen focusing was not only an enormous convenience for me, but one that I was already very comfortable with, after having owned the iPhone 5 and 6. Touch focus on the Canon also allows you to change the exposure along with the focus point, if you've paired the exposure function with spot metering--much like the iphone allows. And in contrast to other reports that I've read, I sound the focusing on the Canon to be slightly quicker and surer than that of the Sony. On both landscapes and portraits, images were consistently sharp and accurate by both cameras, but the Canon consistently had a warmer, richer cast, to my eye.
I made much use of the articulated LCD screens ("selfie mode"), but I noticed a slight design flaw on the Sony screen: When I'm shooting I always check the displayed shutter and aperture values to make sure they match what I want. However, I found that when the Sony LCD screen was flipped up in "selfie" position, the exposure values were covered up and not easily viewable. Small issue, but annoying. In the Sony's favor, I took advantage of the package deal offered on Amazon by Focus Camera that offered an extra lithium battery, a 64gb SDHC card, a wall charger, and mini tripod. Since all these items were thrown in for the original price of the camera, I feared that they might be junky, or even worthless, but to the contrary, they've all worked perfectly. Hats off to Focus Camera.
Finally, I compared the Sony, the Canon, and my iPhone 6 as indoor vlogging cameras. I mounted each on a tripod and took audio-video samples with each using standard indoor lighting and with each camera set to AWB (AutoWhiteBalance). In my experiment, the iPhone was at a disadvantage because, using the front facing camera, it maxed out at 720p, while the Canon and Sony were full HD. To my surprise, what I found was that both the Canon and the Iphone handled the indoor light better than the Sony, and produced more pleasing indoor videos than did the Sony (as ultimately viewed on my 27inch HD monitor).
Am I saying that the Sony RX100 3 is not a great camera? Noooo, it is a great camera. But if I could only keep one, I'd pick the Canon GX7. And at a cost of $100 less, that's pretty impressive.
on October 19, 2014
I am avid street photographer and also street photography teacher ( www.arthurgorniakphotography.com ) and I had a chance to compare the RX100 Mk.3 to the G7X that I just got three days ago. First off - Canon fits much better in my hand and it seems to be much better made. Made in Japan vs Made in China for Sony. Operation is quick and AF seems to be faster and more accurate then the one from Sony. Touch screen on G7X is a good option that I can use to quickly select the AF point. The touch screen can be turned off. ND filter is not automatic (Sony activates ND automatically) but you can assign it to the red - camera record button to turn it on or off. ACR does not support the RAW files as of now so it is really tough to give final verdict in the image quality department. All black metal body seems to be much better alternative to the Sony's orange/black/blue color scheme. Battery life is not the best compared to DSLRs but I managed to get good 300 shots in the ECO mode RAW files only, no flash used. Writing files down to the SandDisk Extreme Pro 32GB 95Mb/Sec card is same for both cameras - very quick. Shutter lug is minimal and its performance is well then satisfactory for the street work with both cameras. Canon's controls have MUCH better feel then ones from Sony or recent Fuji models (X100 or XT1) and are simply joy to use. Zoom operation is slower then the one from Sony in my opinion which could be a deal breaker for some users but Canon gives longer end (100mm Vs. Sony's 70mm). The only downsize of the Canon G7X is its high price! My suggestion is : GET IT, pick couple Daido Moriyama books for inspiration and go out there on the streets capturing moments....
on January 1, 2015
Over the years, learning photography, I've gone from a Rebel to a 40D and now my current for the past few years and favorite, a 7D. I purchased the Powershot G7X first and foremost because there are times when shooting with a full size dslr just gets you too much attention, especially trying to blend in for those more candid shots. Sometimes, I just want to capture photos and not have to think about the lens, the bag, and just basically carrying a lot of stuff with me, and it just sometimes gets in the way of getting those shots quickly without a fuss.
I've always shot in raw, but with this camera I now shoot mostly jpgs. I found the quality of the jpegs are really really nice, right out of the camera and it saves time from having to process raw files, I do enough of that with the 7D.
The wifi connection to my android phone is very quick, have not had any issues. The android app (free) is really cool, I can place the phone down and view and shoot using my phone as a remote, it works brilliantly. The videos are very good to excellent as well, and the optical stabilization is very smooth, I was very impressed but I don't shoot video all that much, so that's just icing on the cake.
As all cameras at any price point have their strengths and weaknesses, this camera has without a doubt more strengths than weaknesses.
Some improvements...would have been nice to be able to connect my EX flashes to it, but that would defeat the portability aspects of the camera. The photos can get noisy in low light, but that's to be expected, the camera will try to use whatever means it can to get the shot, but in at high ISO the photos degrade pretty quickly, although I've been pleasantly surprised to see some very nice results even at ISO 8000, 12800 is kind of ridiculous...but it's there.
It is battery hungry, especially using the WIFI option and if you play with the menus a lot or spend a lot of time showing friends the pictures you've taken but I get through the day usually on a full charge, depending on how much shooting I do...but I did get a second battery for free when I purchased the camera...good deal there.
The best thing about the camera, though, besides the build quality and the portability, is really what we all buy cameras for....the quality of the photos. It never fails, when I show people the pictures right out of the camera, every person I've taken pictures of says, Wow! that camera shoots really nice pictures! There's a really nice quality about the pictures this camera takes, the photos have a really nice pop, portraits especially.
The camera is quite pricey, but I have no regrets with the purchase, after seeing the great photos the camera makes, and I definitely feel it's worth every penny I paid for it. Btw, here's a great case for it, also on Amazon. Tamrac TEK Fitted Case for Canon PowerShot G7X.
I really like the wifi feature through Canon's Image Gateway, with the ability to quickly send photos to my desktop computer, email recipients, social networking pages, cloud storage. Works very well and it's at the push of a button.
I've always shot in raw, but with this camera I now shoot mostly jpgs. I found the quality of the jpegs are really really nice, right out of the camera and it saves time from having to process raw files, I do enough of that with the 7D.
The wifi connection to my android phone is very quick, have not had any issues. The android app (free) is really cool, I can place the phone down and view and shoot using my phone as a remote, it works brilliantly. The videos are very good to excellent as well, and the optical stabilization is very smooth, I was very impressed but I don't shoot video all that much, so that's just icing on the cake.
As all cameras at any price point have their strengths and weaknesses, this camera has without a doubt more strengths than weaknesses.
Some improvements...would have been nice to be able to connect my EX flashes to it, but that would defeat the portability aspects of the camera. The photos can get noisy in low light, but that's to be expected, the camera will try to use whatever means it can to get the shot, but in at high ISO the photos degrade pretty quickly, although I've been pleasantly surprised to see some very nice results even at ISO 8000, 12800 is kind of ridiculous...but it's there.
It is battery hungry, especially using the WIFI option and if you play with the menus a lot or spend a lot of time showing friends the pictures you've taken but I get through the day usually on a full charge, depending on how much shooting I do...but I did get a second battery for free when I purchased the camera...good deal there.
The best thing about the camera, though, besides the build quality and the portability, is really what we all buy cameras for....the quality of the photos. It never fails, when I show people the pictures right out of the camera, every person I've taken pictures of says, Wow! that camera shoots really nice pictures! There's a really nice quality about the pictures this camera takes, the photos have a really nice pop, portraits especially.
The camera is quite pricey, but I have no regrets with the purchase, after seeing the great photos the camera makes, and I definitely feel it's worth every penny I paid for it. Btw, here's a great case for it, also on Amazon. Tamrac TEK Fitted Case for Canon PowerShot G7X.
I really like the wifi feature through Canon's Image Gateway, with the ability to quickly send photos to my desktop computer, email recipients, social networking pages, cloud storage. Works very well and it's at the push of a button.