Another week, another premium compact camera drops onto the desk. This time it's from Canon, whose PowerShot G3 X differentiates itself from a swathe of rivals by virtue of its 25x optical zoom lens, which it teams up with a 1in sensor.

I had been looking for a camera with many pro features (esp. RAW format, rapid shots per second, quality of photos, zoom extension beyond 100mm, and overall customizabilty of the camera itself based on need) that I could use when I do not have my regular DSLR around (in my instance, it is the Canon...

I took this camera to Mexico and got great photos, including nights (with flash) at the celebration of the Day of the Dead). Unfortunately for me, the price seems to have dropped by $100 since my purchase in September

Excellent zoom range; Good Image Quality; Good Image Stabilization; Great Zoom; Large Clear LCD

No Viewfinder; Price too high; Short Battery Life

I do like this one a lot but I dont like the LCD the way its exposed :( why cant you all come out with the same model and dont change none of the features so far just Nothing, But add a Flippy LCD like the G5X. as of now the LCD is more likely to be scratched if your not careful

This camera is easy to set up, nice to hold and very quiet in operation, but early adopters be aware that Adobe have not yet updated the Camera Raw plugin to deal with raw files from the G3x, so in the short term, the raw files must be processed in Digital Photo Professional.

Bright LCD; Comfortable Controls; Good Zoom Range; Great Picture Quality; Quiet In Use

No viewfinder

The Canon Powershot G3 X packs the most powerful lens fixed to a large-sensor digital camera. Its 20 megapixels 1" CMOS sensor combines with a 25X optical zoom lens to deliver high image-quality and versatility in a sturdy weather-sealed body which makes this an ideal all-in-one camera for travel...

Low image-noise; Impressive retention of details until ISO 800; Good dynamic-range; Nicely saturated colors; Reliable and consistent metering; Instant shutter-lag with very short black-out; Mostly sturdy and weatherproof body; Built-in 3-stop ND filter

Strong edge softness; Yellowish cast under artificial light; Slow AF near telephoto; Slow to exit Playback; No continuous drive RAW buffer; Many controls hard to press; impossible with gloves; Poor LCD visibility in bright light; LCD hinges wiggle

The competition in the high-powered, enthusiast-grade zoom camera category continues to heat up! The Canon G3X bests its popular Sony and Panasonic rivals with a class-leading 600mm-eq. optical zoom lens.

Good overall optical performance from the 24-600mm eq. lens; Very good image quality and high ISO performance for this class, especially with RAW; Lots of external controls; Comfortable grip; Shoots 1080/60p video; Includes both mic and headphone jack, Focus peaking for video; Clean HDMI

No built-in EVF; Mediocre AF speeds; Sluggish burst rate with RAW/RAW+JPG and with servo AF; Below average battery life; No 4K video unlike competitors

Compact cameras with large image sensors typically pack fixed focal length lenses. Think Fujifilm's X100T or the Leica Q. Meanwhile, cameras with incredibly long zooms are generally paired with smaller sensors.

Comfortable design; large, tilting display; versatile focal length; large image sensor

No viewfinder; lacks 4K; slower than competition; pricey; sub-par battery life

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. Large zoom, fixed lens digital cameras are tempting pieces of equipment.

Outstanding image quality; 25x optical zoom lens; Lens moves fast throughout zoom range; Above average shutter lag and burst performance in JPEG versus other large zoom cameras; High-quality; large LCD screen that's a touch screen and that tilts up to 180 degrees; Mode dial; EV dial; and command...

Expensive starting price; No built-in viewfinder; Problems with camera shake when using maximum telephoto setting and hand holding G3 X; Slow burst mode performance in RAW; Bulky camera that weighs more than 1.5 pounds; On the model I tested; interior components of lens seemed to slide around when...