5 things to Love [and 5 things to Hate] about Canon G1 X

This week, I got my greedy little hands on a Canon G1 X and I have to say, I was {and still am} absolutely giddy over this camera. Bear in mind, it’s been about 6 years since I even owned a point + shoot so getting this camera was like going from VHS to blue ray. There were 5 things that struck me as amazing about this little camera as well as 5 things that made me say “what on earth?”.

5 things to love

1. The sensor is gigantic for a compact digital camera. It’s only 20% smaller than the sensor in Canon’s 7D!
2. Response time is phenomenal. From the time I press ‘on’ to ready-to-shoot is about 1.5 seconds. And the same for hitting the shutter. So fast – I won’t miss a single shot due to my camera starting up.
3. For a DSLR shooter, this camera is an excellent addition to my kit. It has all the same capabilities as my high-end cameras so I don’t feel like I’m being kept in the dark. Right down to easy-to-toggle focus point.
4. I found everything about this camera to be super intuitive since I’ve been shooting Canon for so long. I didn’t need the manual for anything – I just started it up and knew exactly what to do.
5. I can’t believe I’m saying this but the pop up flash is -like- WOW! I will actually be using it on this camera.
6. Ok one extra thing I love – shooting in auto actually gives fabulous results for this manual shooter. I know! Shocker!

5 things to hate

1. Viewfinder. Need I say more? It’s a joke. If you’re having a hard day, just look through the viewfinder on this camera. You’ll laugh yourself happy.
2. The macro capabilities are also quite hilarious. Or incapability, I should say.
3. Get a second battery. It’s astonishing how fast the battery drained.
4. The grip is nice unless you actually want to press the shutter button.
5. The camera gets hot quite quickly and makes my hands sweaty and slippery {yuck}

Overall, though, I think this camera is amazing and I’m very much looking forward to not lugging a 5D to the playground anymore.

Get a price on the Canon G1X at Amazon.