Canon PowerShot G5 X - Reviews

(4.3)

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8.12.2015

Update March 2016I've had the camera for a few months now and had chance to take just under 500 or so photos.In terms of image quality I am noticing its not as sharp as my old RX100 iii at the wide angle end.Its particularly noticeable in the corners - and I don't just mean extreme corners but 20% of the edges.At first I thought it was camera shake or just depth of field issues. But one image I shot of a boat on dry land from a reasonable distance was taken at 24mm ( 35mm equiv ) at f7.1 and shutter of 1/800 of a second on sunny(ish) day.I can hold a camera pretty steady - the boat was in a dry dock so not moving - seems doubtful it was a shake issue.Its far from terrible - but when I look atmy Canon G5X photos and look at my old Sony RX100iii photos the Sony does seem to just pull off sharper images when viewed on screen at 100% For standard size prints both will look fine - its only going to be big poster size images it'll really be noticeable.I'm trying to not let it disappoint me. At the end of the day the laws of physics mean the wider range of the Canon in a lens the same size is going to require some compromises on image quality.Quality is not so noticeable to put me off the Canon completely - as I say on most size prints you'd never notice the difference. And the extra zoom range is useful...Update Late Feb 2016I've reduced it by a start to 4 stars due to the camera lens being prone to dust.I don't mean the front of the lens - I mean dust appears to easily get in under the front lens.I'm fanatical about keeping my camera clean - always in a bag - always careful when its out a bag.So I was a bit surprised to see a 2mm hair ( or something ) on the lens. No problem - a quick use of my dust pen thing will take that off. Hey its not coming off! Ok time for the big blower - still not coming off!This was weird so I took a look under a powerful magnifying glass - and the hair was actually under the front lens element despite my fanaticism to keep the camera clean.I thought I was doomed - but used a Metro DataVac Pro vacuum I use for cleaning computers to suck out the micro sized hair. But I guess it shows its easy for dust to get under the front lens element.I doubt even a 2mm hair would cause major problems with image quality - except possibly if shooting with the sun in the frame - the hair may well glow or cause some sort of obvious glare. Not sure about that - just my theory.Its not a showstopper but a little disappointing. I think I'll avoid using the blower - risks blowing more dust under the lens than it does removing it!Update Feb 2016I've been using the camera for a few months now and remain impressed.I hear it has bad battery life - but personally I've not found this. I went on a weekend away and took the camera with me. I guess I took 150 shots and lots of checking the screen to see what I'd taken. By the end it was still saying plenty of battery life.Also I find battery levels don't change much when the camera is off - some cameras seem to use battery power even when turned off. I've been caught a few times by my Sony a6000 - I leave it fully charged and come back a few weeks later and its already 75% depleted. This doesn't happen with the Canon G5X. All Lithium ION batteries will self discharge - but it takes many, many months to get to low battery.I've got used to the controls - the original issues were just getting used to a different camera.Visiting museums - lots of people about - pushing and shoving - little time to carefully compose and take photos - have to be quick - but the camera rarely let me down with poor focus or exposure.I went round HMS Alliance at the submarine museum in Gosport - very low light - tight spaces and little time. I never felt it struggled with focusing at any time.I mostly use the camera on auto ISO in aperture priority mode. If its in circumstances where I can hold the camera fairly still then I set auto ISO "Rate Of Change" to slow - this works well most of the time and keeps ISO low. Normal for where I can't hold the camera still - for example in high winds or on a rocking boat. The Fast setting is way too fast - its a huge jump from normal. Perhaps useful for capturing fast action with high shutter speeds.I find where there's a risk of blur I use manual mode - set the shutter and aperture and leave the camera to figure out the ISO speed.All in all a great camera - I've not missed very much from my Sony RX100 v3.*************UpdateI did some brief comparisons to some other cameras I own.First I heard that with the extended zoom range the Canon lens was not as sharp - in particular at the 24mm wide end - compared to the Sony RX100iiiI did some careful test shots indoors at 24mm and f1.8, f2.8, f4 and f5.6After very careful pixel peeping I could see no significant difference in sharpness between the RX100iii and Canon G5X.Its a non-issue. I didn't test the other ranges as most reviews suggest the Canon is better at the mid to telephoto range.All I did notice was that the Sony always exposed for slightly longer times. So if the Canon was f5.6 at 1/10 of a second then the Sony would be f5.6 at 1/5 of a second. Same pattern in all shorts. As a result the Canon was a fraction darker - but not by a noticeable degree unless comparing images side by side in Adobe Lightroom.I also have access to a Panasonic DMC-GM1 Four Thirds camera - a year or two old but with a slightly larger sensor.I compared at various ISO ranges from ISO125 up to ISO6400. ISO400 and below the Canon actually looked better. ISO800 slightly more grain and softness in the Canon vs the Panasonic - but close enough you'd only notice with the two images side by side.ISO1600 and above it becomes clearer the slightly larger Panasonic sensor wins out - images less mushy and less grain.**** Original review ***Its early days with this camera but here's my experience so far...I've upgraded from a Sony RX100iiiThe Sony is a great camera and for its size took good photos. But I missed the extra range of the first RX100 which was 100mmMany times I've found with the Sony I needed a bit more zoom to help focus in on a subject. Sure sometimes you can just move closer - but sometimes that's not possible or by the time you are closer the subject has moved or the lighting has changed.It was for the extra range and touch screen that I upgraded - not any differences in image quality.I mostly take landscape shots and general travel photography.I thought switching to the Canon G5X would be easy but there was a bit of a learning curve! Much is similar but enough differences to throw me.After a couple of days its starting to feel more familiar.Things I like about the Canon G5X:* The extra zoom!* The excellent touchscreen that makes choosing a focus point so easy* Lots of dials and buttons so I don't have to mess round with menus* Colours are quite warm and punchy - the Sony was more accurate in its colours but in some ways the Canon is more pleasing* Articulated LCD screen* Canon seems slightly quicker to go from off to ready to shoot* Able to blur backgrounds more so as to emphasise your main subject. The Canon zooms to 100m at f2.8 - whereas the Sony only zooms to 70mm f2.8. This means by sticking to f2.8 and zooming to 100mm you can get a nicer defocus than on the Sony.Things which are pretty much the same between Canon G5X and Sony RX100iii:* Viewfinder quality. However the Canon and to some degree Sony's viewfinder make the colours look punchier and brighter than either the LCD screen or how it looks when downloaded to your computer and printed out.* Image quality ( with occasional white balance issues on the Canon )* Both seem sturdily built. Canon is Made in Japan - Sony in China* Autofocus good in both the Sony and Canon - even in low light I don't have major issues with either. Having said that I'm not shooting sports photography - mostly still objects and landscapes.Things I'm not so keen on:* I still find I occasionally accidentally press a button. Something that never appeared to happen with the Sony. There's so many buttons I guess its hard not to hit one by mistake sometimes. Not a showstopper but annoying* The Canon is a little bigger and heavier - but its still within an acceptable range to be jacket "pocketable" - neither the Sony or Canon would fit comfortably in any normal trouser pocket but the Sony is nether the less smaller* Canon seems a little slower in taking multiple shots - though this is not something I do much - if I was shooting wildlife I'd use my Sony a6000 with a long lens.* If you articulate the screen to the left and then start touching it the viewfinder sometimes kicks in and switches off the LCD screen. The first time it happened I thought the camera had powered down! But the screen came back after a few seconds. If I could allocate one of the unused buttons to disable/enable view finder that would solve the issue. Sadly I can't. Again not the end of the world but a bit of a pain at times. I find I now tend to open up and flip backwards the view finder so its sitting back in its slot in the body but facing me - much like a normal camera. That avoids the viewfinder issue to a large degree.* Canon's auto ISO can be a bit over zealous with the colours. Generally it looks nice but I took a photo of my garden which despite it being an overcast day in winter came out in an alienesque green so bold and bright they just looked artificial. I have now set the front ring to set white balance adjustment - making it easy to dial down when the Canon produces artificial looking colours.* I wish more of the Canon's buttons could be customised - there's buttons whose function is pre-set and can't be changed and which I never use. Would be great to customise all buttons. I think the Sony wins in this sense are more of the buttons can be customised.* Suffers from flare if the sun is in shot - but to be honest so does the Sony. Not generally a major issue. Sony a6000 has less issues with flare than either the Canon or RX100 ( depending on lens used ).* Battery life. Not an issue for me so far but I read that the Canon's battery life is shorter than the Sony'sOverall I think both the Sony and Canon are great cameras. Really it comes down to:1. Size - if size is a major thing for you then go with the Sony2. Touch screen - this is quite useful and definitely a big reason to go with the Canon. It makes choosing focus points very easy.3. The extra 30mm of focal length - ok its not a huge difference but its a significant benefit to me4. Canon has a shallower depth of field at 100mm f2.8 vs Sony's 70mm f2.8 so enabling increased ability to blur the background5. Video - I understand the Sony RX100iii and IV both have better video capabilities - I very rarely shoot video but if you do this may influence your decision.Both are excellent cameras - still image quality is going be quite similar but for me the Canon G5X wins by a whisker.One thing I have found difficult is finding a good case.In the end I went with the LowePro Newport 30. Its a snug fit but it does fit and the case adds minimal weight or bulk to the camera. It provides some protection but its not a very padded case so not that much protection from dropping.Now I know this is going off topic but one of the biggest improvements to the way my photographs look is DXO Optics Pro 10 Elite edition. It has a "ClearView" filter that makes every photo I've used it on look better - but in a natural and not an over processed way.It basically does in one click what I'd spend 10 or 15 minutes trying to do in Lightroom - i.e. make photos sharper, more punchy and vibrant and pleasing to look at but without that horrible over processed look.Works on JPGs as well as RAW files.

3.5.2016

My previous PowerShot was a A640. What I like about the PowerShot range is that they are powerful little cameras which are easy to carry around. Handy if you don't want to lug your DSLR and lenses about. All in all I used the A640 a lot, was impressed with its features, and it came to be my go to camera when I wanted to do some macro photography.Regarding its features, the Canon PowerShot G5 X is a lot like the A640. Boasting a tilt and rotate touchscreen, a great little viewfinder, and countless shooting modes, the G5 X comes with neck strap, battery, battery charger, and quick start guide.It looks like a mini DSLR. In some professional reviews, others have regarded it as a bit ugly looking,but I actually think it's pretty cute. It's bulky (which will be a downside for some people, don't expect to go shoving this in your pocket), however, with all its dials and switches you can see why. The strap that comes with it is easy to fit and should sort any carrying problems, just sling it around your neck.The screen on the back flicks out and rotates. This has always been a favourite feature of mine. The A640 did it, and I'm pleased to see that they've continued to implement this feature. It's great if you have people in front of you (think at a concert or something like that), you can lift the camera above the crowd, and tilt the screen so that you can still see what you are shooting.As a touch screen it works well and is very responsive. You can also tell the camera to focus on something in particular, by just tapping on the screen.If the touch screen isn't your thing, and you want to do it the traditional way, the G5 X has a great viewfinder for you to use. I'm pleased that this is the case, the viewfinder on the A640 was terrible, and for some reason never showed you everything that the lens was seeing.Modes wise, there are plenty, and those who have used a Canon DSLR will recognise each symbol and how each mode works.The modes are as followers: Auto (smart auto - perfect for beginners, or someone lacking confidence in shooting), TV (shutter priority), AV (aperture priority), M (manual mode - adjust shutter and aperture), C (custom), movie mode (shoot films), special scene mode (settings designed for a specific scene - such as fireworks or snow, also includes some fun effects such as fisheye, tilt-shift and toy camera), and creative shot mode (takes a selection of photos and applies different effects to them).If you are a beginner to photography and thinking, 'I'll never remember all this', the G5 X will display on the touch screen what you have selected and what that mode does. Handy.Which leads us onto the question, is this camera newbie friendly? Absolutely. For those uncertain about the many modes, or lacking in confidence about getting a shot, just switch the dial to 'auto'. The camera is then excellent at setting up the shot, without you having to do a thing accept press the shutter button. In this mode it will do things like, if you get close to something, detect that you want to take a macro photo, and automatically adjust everything without you lifting a finger.It's a camera that looks impressive and serious, but it's not without its sense of fun. Tucked away in the 'special scene mode', you'll find some fun effects. As this is a camera with a fixed lens, Canon, have added some effects that you'd only get with a DSLR by adding the relevant lens, such as fisheye and tilt-shift.Performance wise, don't go expecting something that will be able to match a DSLR in performance. Whilst its shutter is quite nippy, it doesn't match up to the shutter on my DSLR. However, this isn't the point of the camera. This camera is a hybrid, its meant to have a balance between and point-and-shoot and a DSLR, and the G5 X gets that balance pretty well.Downsides? Well yeah sure, it would be pretty handy to have something that just slots into my pocket. But if I want that option, I'll just use the camera on my phone. So size-wise, I don't consider the G5 X's chunkiness to be its downside.I will however, mention that the only manual you get is a quick-start guide. If you want the manual that tells you the ins and outs of this camera, then you have to download it from Canon. I find this disappointing as, if you want to look up how to do something (unless you have the manual printed out), you'll have to access the manual on your phone. The manual is also 217 pages long. Can't say I'm willing to use ink up to print it off.It's also worth mentioning the lens. It collapses up and in to make the camera a bit more compact. However, be careful, as it does have a habit of sucking up hair and other bits with it. I haven't had it happen with the G5X, but with my A640 (that had the same lens mechanics), it dragged a hair into the lens, and I ended up with a hair appearing on all my pictures until I sent it away to be fixed.For some people, the battery life might be considered a negative. However, I haven't had much of a problem. I've seen other reviews that say it devours battery life quickly, and this might be true. If it does become a problem for me then I'll buy another battery.Price wise, I consider this camera to be a little too expensive. Yes, it's impressive, and powerful, but for the price you could buy a DSLR and lens. With a price tag like this, it's probably going to scare off any beginner to photographer thinking that with a price like this, this camera is only for professionals, which is simply not true.In conclusion, I love this camera, and it has finally taken the place of my A640. It's a worthy successor. It's 20 MP means you get fantastic, highly detailed shots. It's many functions means there's a shooting mode for whatever you can imagine, whilst its fun effects encourages you to get even more creative . Built in wifi means that you can send your pictures from your camera to your phone or tablet quickly (just download the app). And there are so many features, and many I haven't even mentioned.

10.5.2016

This is a great little camera for me, as it does everything I've been missing with my current (now backup, spare, also-ran) Fujifilm Finepix.I generally have two main uses for my camera; I photograph landscapes, cityscapes and figures as source material or as supporting information along with sketches for paintings and I also use my camera to document my finished artwork.Although I naturally wish to take the best photos I can, they are secondary to my main practice; I categorically am not a professional photographer – not even a hobbyist; my camera is a tool which helps me better realise my primary goal.I'm therefore best served by a camera that's easy to use and set up,functionally reliable enough to allow me to snap away, secure in the knowledge that I'll get the results I need. The G5X is just such a camera.The most useful features are the large and incredibly practical turn and twist viewscreen, coupled with an excellent automatic image stabiliser; my Fuji had a slow and frequently unreliable autofocus, even with a tripod – no such problem with the G5X – even hand-held shots are sharp and exposure and colour balance is true and natural, all just on the automatic setting.Like any recent model of digital camera there's a fairly easy to use (and familiar) menu system, once you establish which buttons control the selection; there isn't much of a manual provided in the box but the downloadable PDF file provides a comprehensive guide. It's a damned nuisance not having an easier reference (digital manuals seem to be the current standard for practically every device now) but an hour or so of reading (and possibly a print-out of a few key pages) should be enough to use the camera with confidence.The build-quality is fine; metal-bodied, relatively well thought-out ergonomically, though like most compacts, buttons can be pressed accidentally until familiarity is established; the electronic viewfinder is an amazing feature, kicking in automatically when you raise it to your eye, which makes it feel like using a DSLR. The mounting of the viewfinder on the camera body rather spoils the overall design, making it rather bulky for a compact and harder to find a generic case for it, but that's a small point – at this price range though, it wouldn't have hurt Canon to have provided a soft cloth bag or something – aside from the strap, battery, charger and minimal starter manual there's nothing else provided.The Wi-Fi and NFC facilities are, I'm sure, attractive features to some (I know one professional who values the Wi-Fi connection) but these aren`t of a great necessity for me; again, many digital cameras have a multitude of features I don't need, but the serious user will find plenty of control options to satisfy here. The HD movie function, the touchscreen option etc., - it isn't lacking in bells-and-whistles. I'm particularly impressed by the stability and seamless operation of the macro function in automatic mode, which is very useful to me.If you regard my assessment as the viewpoint of a basic user, the G5X is a beginner-friendly, well-featured compact digital; it's the most expensive camera I've ever owned and has a lot of features, but for me a camera that does the basic things well with absolute reliability is worth paying for; it may not be the best option at this price-range but it is a very good one.

3.5.2016

While this camera is not a DSLR, it still packs a whole lot of punch for a device of this size. Roughly 11cm wide, 7cm high and 5cm deep, and weighing about 400g, the camera comes with a neat thin Canon strap, battery pack and downloadable instruction manual.The lens is retractable, meaning auxiliary lenses cannot be added, but the camera has numerous digital options to replicate these, including fisheye lens, toy camera lens, as well as all the usual options for night shooting, portrait mode, soft focus, sepia, monochrome etc.The best features for me are the ability to connect to WiFi/NFC/Bluetooth. You can use this to automatically sync and save photos to Canon Image Gateway website,which is extremely practical if you're on holiday and want to back up your photos every night. Not only does it allow you to free up space on your memory card, but it also allows you to keep your pictures safe even if your camera/memory card is lost or stolen.You can also download an app to link your smartphone or tablet to the camera, allowing you to send photos from the camera to your other device (making it quick and easy to share pictures on WhatsApp or social media); to scroll through all the items on the camera from this device; and to even use the phone to shoot photos remotely. This is quite a nice option in addition to the camera's customisable timer, giving you a bit more control over shots.The other standout feature for me is the rotatable screen. This not only makes it easy to take selfies (if you're so inclined), but, because the screen tilts through 180 degrees, means the camera can be placed on the floor, and you can angle the screen so you can still easily see what the viewfinder is capturing. I recently placed the camera in some long grass and took some shots of my nephew running around. I then angled it upwards and got some shots of him against the clear blue sky (example attached to this review). It provides a really stunning effect that I wouldn't have been able to capture without this rotatable screen, unless I was just going to angle the camera and shoot without knowing for sure what I was shooting.The screen can be made into a touchscreen, which is really useful when flicking through menus or checking out your photos at the end of the day. You can also set an option so that you can take photos simply by tapping the screen once. I prefer to use the button, but it's a nice option to have, and quite nice for young children who want to have a go on the camera.The camera is also capable of making full HD films (though you can amend the settings to reduce the quality of the film to just HD or lower).Technically, I am sure there are better cameras out there, but as a compact, portable, and practical camera with some nice features, I think you'll be pushed hard to beat this. While at home, I'd perhaps be more tempted to use my larger DSLR, for travelling, this Canon PowerShot is absolutely ideal.

22.2.2017

I did not buy my G5X via Amazon but as i have benefited by reading the reviewshere I thought I would add one.I use a Sony A6000 with various lenses for work product photography and when i'm in themood for more serious landscape photography.I generally very much like the camera, it is very solid and quite heavy. Good grip and Easy to hold.Very flexible controls , customisable and fits in jacket pocket. So now days its the camera I take with me most of the time. Great viewfinder and screen. Touch screen and menus are excellent.I often like to use manual focus for landscape work but its very slow and fiddly on the GX5. Usingeither one of the front dials for manual focus is slow and clumsy.

22.5.2016

This is, by far, the most expensive camera I have ever owned, with my last one having an 8 megapixel picture quality, so obviously upgrading to a 20 megapixel quality camera is a massive step up and the definition so much sharper than what I've been used to. Most of the time I've settled for the convenience of using my iPhone to take photos, but - as decent as it is for a phone - they have their limitations. Up to now, I haven't had much of a chance to give this camera a proper road test, with all I used it for is taking pictures of the family and a few outside shots. As it seems wasted with someone like me who really doesn't see the point on taking a professional standard camera out with him,

2.6.2016

This is a quality camera with lots of features but manual in the box is useless for the price £579, they could have included a comprehensive manual like which was provided with my beloved Minolta dynax 7D.The people that print Canon manuals are Robert Scott publishing telephone 01869331741 and cost £14.99 plus postage,A5 fully professionally bound.They the official agents to Canon for printing their manuals,i like to read books as a reference as i dont have a smart phone and books are far more convenient to look up information so, shame on you Canon for not including the user manual if you have no degree in technology or science so why put so much technology into a camera if this is not explained

30.10.2019

Very high quality photos perfect holiday companion great videos too recently used for a wedding and holiday snaps was perfect super small not exactly pocket sized but got a case easy to carry not bulky like my full size dslr would definitely recommend :)

28.11.2018

brilliant bit of kit and not heavy easy to carry

5.5.2016

Excellent camera

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