The Canon G1X is the newest professional level compact camera from Canon. The G1X offers many features normally found on the larger DSLR's in a much smaller package. The G1X however is probably not the best choice for the photography beginner due to its complexity and price point.
The Canon G1X has a retail price of $799 placing it closer to the price tags of the entry level DSLRs than to your normal point-and-shoot camera.
Canon has a great video on their website which describes the G1X in detail and also the mindset of the engineers and designers responsible for it.
Some hand's on observations made by the Photography Examiner include:
1) The lens is a lot nicer and it basically replicates a 28-115mm dSLR (no you can't change the lens) with full-time (turn-off able) power IS which works in video or still mode.
The CMOS sensor size means the lens is really a 15.1mm to 60.4mm with a 1.9x crop-factor (compared to a 1.6x on the 7D) or a 4.6x on the G12 with it's 6.1mm lens.
There is an adapter available to use 58mm standard filters. However, you cannot use the filters and the optional screw on "tulip-style" lenshood at the same time.
2) Max aperature is up to F/22 from F/8 on the G12 due to that bigger lens.
Minimum is a variable F2.8 to 5.8 which makes it the same as a stock lens. I wish they could get the minimum down more, but it is decent in low light.
3) The camera feels "better built" meaning it feels substancial. it is not a typical point and shoot that you will be putting in a normal pocket though.
4) There is a hot shoe and it is compatible Speedlites higher than 270EX. With a 430EX mounted it is very top heavy. However, you can use a ETTL cord for off-camera flash. They also offer a flash bracket to move the flash position to the left of the camera. It does not have full ETTL functionality.
5) The in-camera flash now pops up (from behind the Canon logo) and when it is retracted is off.
6) The ISO dial is gone from the top of the camera (it is now up arrow on the back) and the exposure compensation dial is now under the settings. The exposure compensation dial now goes -3 to 3 and you can immediately see the impact on the LCD.
ISO range is 100-12,100. Auto ISO is adjustable but the max auto is 1600 (I turn mine down to 800 usually). I want to play with it on a tripod in the dark to see what it can do at higher settings.
7) It shoots RAW (one of the reasons for getting a G-series in the first place) and you can shoot jpeg+RAW and change aspect ratios on the jpeg shots. Here are some sample shots.
8) 14.3MP is nice and allows you to easily crop in on shots and still have good detail.
9) Have not played with video yet, but you can start filming with the push of a button from any mode on the camera instead of having to go to film mode. Built in stereo microphones (and wind filter function) but no way to hook in an external mic (that is a shame)
10) Max exposure time is 1 minute but there is still no "bulb" setting for night-time shooting.
11) The menus and options are similar to the G12 so there will not be too much of a learning curve.
Here is also a link to the full specifications on the G1X
The G1X fits a niche for DSLR owners looking for something smaller to carry with them as a day-to-day or travel camera. While it does not replace the flexibility of the DSLR with their inter-changable lenses and L-series glass, it is a great "back-up" camera.
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