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The premium compact camera market is an interesting place to be right now.
The G1X II is a genuinely decent piece of kit which I can see a lot of photographers being tempted by it, especially those who are loyal to the Canon brand.
After taking its time to update the G1X range, we had pretty high hopes for its successor, and happily I have not been disappointed with what the camera is capable of. Bright and punchy colours, tons of detail and low noise in high sensitivity shooting situations, mixed with improved operation speeds and focusing all lead to a worthwhile upgrade.
On the other hand, the G1X II is bulky and heavy in comparison with other compact cameras – there's no getting away from that fact. Due to the large sensor, it has to be, but don't expect this to be something you can easily slip into a pocket. That may be a little offputting for somebody looking for something which is conveniently portable – in which case the Sony RX100 II still sits pretty at the top of the premium compact market.
If you can live with the large size, the G1X II is great to use – with the large touchscreen making it easy to set the autofocus point and the customisable buttons and rings around the lens allowing you to work however you want.
We liked
Rather than rushing out an upgrade to the G1X, Canon has taken its time to produce an upgrade which is actually an overhaul rather than a tweaked version of the old camera. The new Digic 6 processor makes for superb low light performance and super quick operation speeds.
We disliked
The G1X II has to be large to facilitate its very big sensor, but it results in a camera which is bulky – it's larger than some of the compact system cameras currently on the market, which means that it's not pocketable and, if that's what you need from a second camera, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, some will enjoy the camera's large size and weight, as it makes it feel like a 'serious' camera.
Final verdict
By keeping the same sensor but basically rebuilding the rest of the camera's key components around it, Canon has produced something which could potentially worry the likes of Sony and Fuji – it will be interesting to see how sales figures shape up.
For now, with its high price and bulky build, I can't see the G1X II taking too many sales from the current king of the compacts, the Sony RX100 II. However, image quality is better than from the Sony, so if you are looking for the ultimate in performance from something which is (relatively) pocketable, this is the camera for you – especially if you already have an affinity with the Canon brand.
