There must be something very rotten in the state of Denmark when Alpha Whiskey starts talking about gear. Have I completely lost my mind?! Did I give in to the Dark Side of The Force? What’s the matter with me? Joking aside, this isn’t as comprehensive a look at a camera as one of Nasim’s reviews. I’ve always had a tremendous appreciation for the Herculean effort he puts into his reviews; now that I’ve written this brief article about a camera myself that appreciation is infinite. And while our gear is secondary to our creativity, of course the latter benefits from the former; it’s just not something I usually spend my time worrying about.
So this isn’t going to be that kind of review, or even a review for that matter, but rather a user experience with a relatively new compact camera. I’m afraid I’m not going to pixel peep into the corners for you. I’m interested in photography more than technology so my account is based on what this camera offers, feels like to use in practice, and whether I would recommend it to anyone looking for a compact camera. I will also explain my criteria for choosing this model lest that should be helpful to anyone. These criteria and experience could surely be referenced in lieu of any compact camera model. Many of you use compact cameras for your sole photographic use or as a back up and I’m sure you get some stunning results with them.
Now, I actually didn’t buy this camera for myself. I bought it for my sister who has travelled all over the planet and has never been particularly fussed about the snapshots she takes. She’s doesn’t have an interest in photography per se but she has a decent eye. Her previous camera (a Canon Ixus something or other) was about a gazillion years old and she asked me to find a newer model. So little brother knuckled down to do some research and settled on the Canon G5 X.
I was recently invited to the country of Bangladesh and not being shy of accepting intriguing invitations I flew out there, taking this Canon G5 X with me to test drive. I carried it inside the EveCase Digital Camera Pouch that I had also bought for it. I left all my other camera gear behind.
Despite its political and socio-economic challenges, I found Bangladesh to be a beautiful country with extremely cordial, hospitable and generous people. I actually didn’t get much time for photography but as there was an abundance of vivid colour, delicious food and boisterous crowds there was no shortage of potential opportunities.
The decision to buy the Canon G5 X for sis was based on her criteria, so my bias in choosing a camera had to take that into account. Like many people she absolutely did not want the bulk and ‘hassle’ of an interchangeable lens camera, having been used to a tiny compact for so long. Not being a hobbyist photographer she wanted something that was very easy to use and gave great images straight out of the camera. She wanted something with a wider lens but tremendous zoom wasn’t too important to her. She wanted something that could take useable images in low light since she likes photographing her food in various eateries around the globe (a habit I also contracted from her).
The Canon G5 X meets a lot of these criteria. It has a 20.1MP 1-inch sensor behind a fast lens (24-100mm F/1.8-2.8) with a fully articulated vari-angle touchscreen for focusing. From my own experience using a touchscreen on my Olympus I found this to be a very useful feature for focusing and shooting, especially in conjunction with a tilting/articulated screen, so I was happy to find it on the Canon. Simply touching the screen where you want the focus to be will activate the shutter release when shooting in awkward positions or above a crowd. The camera has lens-based image stabilisation and the now typical WiFi and NFC functionality.
Noise performance was reasonable for sensor this size, even up to ISO 6400 in good light. In practice I tried to stick to speeds of ISO 1600 or less most of the time.
One of the reasons I chose my Olympus E-M5 model over the smaller PEN versions was the built in electronic viewfinder (EVF), which can be invaluable for shooting in bright sunlight or in low light. I wanted my sister to have that benefit (in fact, even her old Ixus compact had a tiny optical viewfinder built into its body). The Canon G5 X’s EVF adds bulk to the top of the camera but we felt this was a small trade-off. The EVF has good resolution (2.36m dots) and an eye sensor that activates the EVF and switches off the LCD when you place your eye to it. The sensor is perhaps a little too sensitive, shutting off the LCD if anything gets remotely near it.
The Canon’s maximum shutter speed tops out at a meagre 1/2000sec but it does have built in 3-stop ND filters, which fortunately (for someone like sis who wants a easier time of it) are activated to function automatically by default. It has a reasonable JPEG burst rate (5.9fps) but is painfully slow shooting RAW images, around 1 per second, if that. Not being one to see the glass as half empty, this didn’t bother me too much as neither my sister nor I would use this camera for burst or action shooting, and we otherwise tend to take one shot at a time rather than spray and pray. If a camera forces me to stop and think before making each shot then so much the better.
While not having the dynamic range of larger sensors the RAW images from this camera have more latitude for selective noise reduction and highlight and shadow recovery than the JPEGs. I personally always shoot RAW for that reason. All the images presented here were converted from the camera’s RAW files using Adobe’s DNG Converter. When I asked my sister if she would prefer to shoot RAW her response was that she was unlikely to shoot something after she was cooked. Er, yeah, ok, so she’ll probably stick to JPEGs.
The metering was pretty consistent and the exposure compensation dial is conveniently located on the top of the camera. The AF was usually pretty fast but had trouble locking onto a subject on occasion. The autofocus is a contrast-detect system and thus has a limited ability tracking moving objects. Another slight frustration was that it took at least a second or two to activate from a sleep mode, by which time the opportunity was gone. I am used to the faster start-up times from my mirrorless camera and DSLR.
Furthermore, its macro capability is limited to the widest end of its zoom range and closest focusing distance is only 5cm (the distance is much greater at the telephoto end of the zoom). Obviously, there are compact cameras with better macro capabilities that can focus as close as 0 cm so bear that in mind if you do a lot of close-up photography.
The image stabiliser was particularly effective, allowing me to take hand-held shots at shutter speeds of 1/8 second.
Having read (and then discovered) that the battery life was not great I ordered a second battery at the same time as purchasing the camera. I think most compact camera batteries have this issue; the battery is simply too small to hold a lengthy charge. Fortunately, the camera can be charged by USB and I took an Anker Powercore charger with me on my trip.
Another choice I considered buying for my sister was the Sony RX 100 IV. It’s a brilliantly engineered device with many attractive features in a smaller package, including a high-resolution pop-up viewfinder (although not as large or as bright as the Canon’s). Image quality from the Sony (using a similar if not the same sensor) was comparable to the Canon to my eyes. The Sony has a much faster maximum shutter speed (1/32,000!), also has built in ND filters and has better video recording specs (my sister isn’t fussed about video). It has a better burst rate and deeper buffer, especially when writing RAW files, and is better at tracking moving subjects. It is more expensive than the Canon but money is no object when buying for my sister. However, the Sony has a no touchscreen, a shorter zoom range and an apparently more complicated menu system and user interface to navigate. Now my sister is immeasurably more intelligent than I but I reckon even she would find this frustrating. We both like simplicity in our gadgets. User interfaces need to be simple even for seasoned photographers, where the time taken to change something could mean the difference between making and losing the shot.
Canon also released the G9 X at the same time, which is a much smaller and lighter camera, akin in size to the Sony RX100 series. But the lens on G9 X is not as wide (starting at 28mm), it has a fixed screen and lacks a viewfinder.
Last year’s G7 X was also a smaller model with many of the same features as the G5X but it also lacks a viewfinder. In contrast to the G7 X, G9 X and Sony RX series the G5 X has a grip on its right side. However, I found the natural resting position for my thumb was atop video record button on the back of the camera and a few times I inadvertently activated it. The G5X has a control ring around the lens, which gives a nice clicky tactile response when adjusting aperture or shutter speed, but like myself taking these images I imagine my sister will stick with Program Mode to start off with.
Well, hopefully the images demonstrate that the Canon G5X makes a worthy travel camera. Of course the images won’t match the technical quality of larger sensor cameras at the pixel level and you’re not going to shoot sports or action with it. But for a travel camera I found it to be fit for purpose; it’s light, easy to use and captures images of good quality. I think my sister will approve.
You can see more images from my trip here.
P.S. None of these images required any talent, just location, opportunity and my finger on the touchscreen :)
Thanks for the great review. I appreciate your knowledge and sense of humor. My question is a comparison between the canon G5x and Sony cybershot HX80. At the store I visited, the sales person said the HX80 got better image quality shots than the G5x despite the its smaller sensor size because the Zeiss lens was superior to the Canon softer lens. Do you have an opinion.
Hi Howard,
I don’t know anything about the Sony but I think the Zeiss lens is probably a good one, and the Canon stretches the corners out with software correction so it is slightly soft in the corners at F/2.8. But the lens is plenty sharp for me, and you can see in the can of beans shot the writing is pretty crisp even at ISO 6400. But I would personally rather have the larger sensor of the Canon, especially for detail at higher ISOs, as well as the touchscreen functionality. Hope this helps!
(It’s actually my sister’s camera and she has since taken it around the world and acquired some great shots.)
Cheers :)
Great write up. Could I ask a question for a complete photography newbie. Have just bought the g5x and am travelling around Canada so surrounded by beautiful scenery. What settings would you suggest for taking a good landscape shot? I need to move away from auto mode to prevent everything on the horizon looking tiny and haven’t a clue.
Many thanks in advance
Darren
Great write Up! Just found your blog. It is exactly what I was searching for. Your style of writing and shooting is much appreciated. Your blog did it for me, this is going to mine asap. There are better specced cameras out there by now, but none are as well suited for the things I want to do. Many thanks Again!
Your welcome Perry, thank you :)
Hello Sir,
Greetings from Indonesia and thank you for the article!
I do have a question: which one should I choose, Fujifilm X30 or Canon G5x? I am currently a Fuji X-E2 user with some lens, and I am going to buy a pocket camera for my father (and myself as well). Please do advise.
Thank you!
Dear Sir,
Apologies for the late reply. I have been busy over the seasonal celebration period :)
To answer your question, I think the G5X probably has better absolute image quality (especially in low light) given the larger sensor and higher resolution compared to the Fuji X30. The G5X also has a touchscreen which I think makes it very easy to use, and a wider angle at its shortest focal length. I’m not sure that there is much difference between them in term of size.
Hope this helps. Wish you and your father the best :)
Thank you so much!
I decided to get the G5X. My dad brought it for the holiday, and he said it is a good one.
Awesome photos and description! I feel for your sister – I love to just point and shoot but once in a while I’d like to tweak the settings a bit. Do you mind sharing on the battery life and whether it’s necessary to get another spare battery?
Thank you Afifah. The battery life isn’t great and I would definitely get a spare. I don’t recall how many shots I got from a single charge but I ordered a second battery at the same time as ordering the camera.
Cheers :)
Great Review. I just picked up the G5X and also considered the rx100 IV and the new G7X II. I preferred the G5X because of the feel of the camera. It’s sort of a miniature SLR in feel. The other biggie for me is that this is one tough little camera. The RX100 is very tempting and I have had one in the past but that camera is awkward to hold and it feels delicate. The G5X has a foldable screen can be put away with an unexposed glass. That makes it much more likely to survive a beating even if that is in my pocket. Given you bought it for travel I was surpised you did not mention these as pluses. Thanks for the review
Those are very good points Steven and it was remiss of me not to mention them. Thank you for pointing them out and I’m glad you’re enjoying the G5X. I’ll have to steal it away from my sis again soon and take it out for a spin!
Cheers! :)
hello sir,
nice review as always..
this camera is perfect for my needs, light and compact, adding a cool EFV, the build quality is nice too, but…
there are only a few specific points that make me doubt..
– can i turn of the EFV, if i just want to shoot in LCD only sometimes, like fuji did? (means, a couple menu on EVF with eye sensor, LCD only and shooting with EFV only?)
– can i put the UV filter on the lens? just for protecting the lens with the scratching, fingerprint or something bad happens to your lens when shooting?
or its lens itself is strong enough to withstand scratches?
Hi there,
Regarding the EVF/LCD option, you can disable the EVF. On the Setup1 menu, select the item called “Display Settings”. Change “Display Control” to “Manual”. Once you have set it to manual, a second line on the menu comes up called “Menu Display”. You can set this item to “screen” or “Viewfinder”. If you set it to screen, the viewfinder is disabled. Also, if you want to use the EVF only then swivelling the LCD screen so that it is closed against the back of the camera enables only the viewfinder.
As for the UV filter on the lens, I personally wouldn’t but apparently Lensmate make a filter adapter for the G5X:
Hope this helps :)
Nice article. However, the pictures look too harsh. All of them. Is it something to do with your processing style? Or are the pictures really like that?
The images are reduced in size and quality for this site and slightly sharpened. That might account for it. :)
Coming very late to the party here, I’m afraid, but I just saw this post and wanted to thank you for your engaging photos and good information about the G5X. I’ve been looking for a smaller “walk-around” camera for some time. I tried the Sony RX-100 M2 and liked it very much, but missed having a viewfinder. I tried the M3 and liked the viewfinder, but missed the greater reach of the M2. Now I’m trying out the G5X and love it’s sturdy feel, its grip (I was always afraid I’d drop the Sony), viewfinder, and fully articulating LCD that closes like the one on my T3i. The jpegs look good, as well. My only problem is that I shoot mostly in RAW, and the version of ACR that supports the G5X is available only on Adobe CC. (I have CS6.) I do most of my editing (as a very amateur photographer) on ACR, so this is a big deal for me. I downloaded DNG 9.4, but it doesn’t seem to see the G5X CR2 files.
If you don’t mind answering a question this late in the game, I wonder if you could tell me how you processed your CR2 files. Do you have Adobe CC or do you know if I might be making some mistake with DNG?
No problem if you don’t want to answer this. I gained a lot from the article as is. Thanks!
Hi BlueRidgeGal,
It’s never too late and thank you for the kind words!
I had exactly the same obstacle as yourself with regards to the RAW files. So I used Adobe DNG Converter to convert the RAW files to DNG files and then I opened the DNG files in Lightroom and ACR and was able to edit them as per usual.
When you open Adobe DNG Converter you select the folder containing the Canon files (alas you can’t select the individual files, just the folder), then select the folder where you want to save them (I simply created a new folder called Canon DNGs and selected that as the destination folder). Then go ahead and click on Convert. DNG Converter then goes about converting the files to DNG files (a box appears showing the progress). When all the files appear in your destination folder you can simply delete the ones you don’t want to edit. I think my version is also 9.4. It’s not as slick a way to do it as simply opening the RAW files in ACR but there we are :)
Hope this helps you out :) Keep shooting and I hope you continue to enjoy the G5X!
Regards,
Sharif.
That worked! Hooray for the triumph of the technically illiterate!
And thanks for your help! Not being able to process RAW files would have been a deal-breaker for me.
Glad it worked! Glad to be of service :)
Last year we took a bus tour from Medellín to Zapiquirá, Tunja, Paipa, Ráquira, etc.and other municipalities of Boyacá. (departamento = state or province ). Less city congestion, thin, clean air, beautiful lakes, farms, and mountains, first time I had seen sheep instead of goats in Colombia…loved it.