The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is a high-end compact camera aimed at those who desire DSLR quality in a smaller, fixed lens body. Announced in February 2014, the G1X Mark II is the successor to the original G1 X, launched two years earlier, but despite the Mark II name, it's a considerably...

Great image quality from 1.5in sensor; Best in class, Flexible 5x zoom range with bright aperture, Tilting screen with touch capabilities, Built-in Wifi with NFC and smartphone control

No built-in viewfinder - it's an optional accessory; Too large to fit in most pockets; Very basic movie capabilities; Average continuous shooting speed; Rudimentary smartphone remote control; Sticky-feeling control ring

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II's photo quality is excellent and videos are improved. We have no problems recommending it.

Excellent stills; quality videos; Much improved performance; Very solid feel

No built-in viewfinder; Screen has reflectivity issues in bright sunshine; Videos only 30p

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II ($799.99) is a camera that doesn't fit snugly into any specific category, which makes it interesting, if a bit difficult to evaluate. Its 1.5-inch image sensor is larger than you'll find in a Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera, but a bit smaller than the APS-C chip...

Big 1.5-inch image sensor; Wide-aperture 5x zoom lens; Tilting touch-screen display; Quick focus; Excellent manual focus mode with peaking; Creative Shot mode; Raw capture; Add-on EVF available; Wi-Fi-enabled

Expensive; Soft-focus halo effect when shooting macro images at f/2; Inconsistent autofocus accuracy; Edges never sharpen, even at narrow apertures; Lacks mic input port; Not pocket friendly; Heavy

Canon's G-series has been around for a long time - a check on Wikipedia reveals that the first PowerShot G1 ?-camera was released as far back as 2000. BIG LENS: The G1X Mark II has a larger, brighter lens than its predecessor, which is better for low-light work.

Good build quality; excellent images at high ISO settings; extensive control options

Pricey

With a price tag around $800 you might be tempted to look past the fixed lens Canon Powershot G1 X Mark II. After all you can find an entry-level DSLR or mirrorless ILC model for less money, giving you more versatility than what you'll find with a fixed lens model.

Great option for portrait photography; Image quality is good most of the time in either RAW or JPEG; Camera has a very solid build; Many options for manual controls and customization; LCD screen tilts and offers touch capability

Extremely high starting price; Control rings are awkward to use and have some responsiveness issues; No viewfinder included (can purchase an external one separately; Camera's menus aren't optimized for touch screen LCD; Optical zoom is small at 5X; Some autofocus misses in certain photography...

The PowerShot G1 X Mark II is an enthusiast compact whose fast lens and large sensor allow it to produce impressive photos in both bright and low light. Its well-built body offers three dials, and numerous controls can be customized.

Very good photo quality; Fast lens with good focal range; capable of very shallow depth-of-field; Solid build quality; with two grips to choose from; Three dial operation: two 'clicky'; one smooth; 3-inch tilting LCD flips up 180 degrees for self-portraits; Highly customizable (buttons; dials; and...

Considerable shadow noise in Raw; Abrupt highlight clipping; Program line's tendency to use wide apertures can lead to unintentional background blur; Inner lens ring can be frustratingly unresponsive; AF system can struggle in low contrast / low light situations; No manual focus or exposure...

I'm not sure why Canon dubbed this PowerShot G1 X a "Mark II." It's a completely different camera than its predecessor: a significantly redesigned body, new sensor, and wider-aperture lens. Basically, everything that matters.

With a couple of exceptions; the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is very well designed with a functional shooting layout

The camera is relatively slow and given the price, the photo quality should be better; Also, the grip isn't big enough to maintain a solid hold

Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II Review - The Canon PowerShot G1 Mark II looks to build upon the performance and feature set of its predecessor at the top of the manufacturer's compact camera line-up.

Strong image quality; Solid build; Addition of handgrip welcome; Wi-fi and NFC functionality

Removal of viewfinder will disappoint some; High list price

All tests were taken using a SanDisk Class 10, 16 GB SDHC memory card, Program Mode, Flash off, Review on, ISO Auto and all other settings at the factory defaults unless noted otherwise.

Image quality is outstanding most of the time; Terrific camera for portrait or product photography; Allows recording in JPEG or RAW; Camera works quickly most of the time; Fast f/2.0 lens; Solidly built camera; Tiltable LCD works well for use with a tripod; Offers touchscreen LCD; Uses same field of...

Very heavy for a fixed lens camera; Small optical zoom capability at 5x; Battery life is poor; Camera's performance is slow when using flash or in low light; Design of step ring on lens is poor and has some responsiveness issues; Autofocus sometimes struggles in scenes with no obvious subject or in...

Boasting a wider, longer, brighter lens than its predecessor, and a faster DIGIC 6 image processor, Canon aimed to fix some of the trouble spots seen in the original G1 X. Autofocus performance has been improved as has macro shooting, but we found no real net improvement in image quality over the...

Wider, longer, faster lens than predecessor, with good overall optical quality; Faster AF performance; Closer macro shooting; Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC with remote shooting; Decent JPEG burst performance; Excellent build quality, Wider, longer, faster lens than predecessor, with good overall optical...

Localized flare issue when wide open; No real net improvement in image quality over predecessor; Slow burst mode when shooting RAW files; Poor battery life; Video quality is so-so (not like Canon DSLRs), Localized flare issue wide open (diminishes as you stop down, but somewhat negates having a fast...