Canon has made some much needed improvements to the G1X Mark II, but it still occupies a slightly strange space. A great backup camera to your DSLR, it won't fit in your pocket.

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mk II succeeds the original as the top model in Canon's acclaimed PowerShot compact camera line-up. It has a redesigned body and several interesting tweaks to the specification.

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

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 found in SLRs and the Leica X Vario($2,950.00 at Amazon) zoom, which it's similar to in terms of design, but with a lens that's physically deeper. But even with its collapsible lens, the 12.9-megapixel G1 X Mark II is a bit too bulky to fit into a pants pocket, which makes it less portable than our favorite premium zooming compact, our Editors' Choice Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II( at Amazon). The RX100 II keeps its place atop the heap in part due to ergonomics—the G1 X Mark II is a little awkward to hold and use—and in part because, even though its sensor is smaller, it holds its own in terms of image quality. But the Canon isn't a disappointment like the original G1 X, so it's worth a ...

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II fixes just about every fault of the original G1 X, but it's got some stiff competition for your dollar.

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

The sequel to Canon's acclaimed G1 X is here, and it's no slouch.

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 is a new premium compact camera with a large CMOS image sensor and a fast lens. The metal-bodied G1 X Mark II has a 1.5-type multi-aspect sensor, a 5x f/2.0-3.9 lens zoom lens, full manual controls, shooting mode dial, 3-inch tilting LCD touchscreen with 1,040K dots,...

Nice with automatic lens cover (its predecessor lacked). Feels plastering work with. Hearty to hold. The display feels better than its predecessor with. 14-bit RAW files are not of the picks and is really nice to work with.

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...

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. That said, there are numerous improvements that could be made, especially in terms of dynamic range and responsiveness.

Those desiring a flexible compact camera that's even good for portrait photography.;

Photographers who demand wide dynamic range. Auto/Program mode shooters. Videographers.;