Laurence Kim Photographer

It’s been a pretty big week for the camera industry.  Lots of new stuff announced.  Some quick thoughts:

Canon G1X

I’ve always been a fan of the Canon G series.  At one time I owned the G2 and right now I still own a G11.  There’s always been a lot to like about the series:  solid build quality, sharp built-in lens, raw, dedicated control knobs for exposure compensation and ISO so you don’t have to go menu-diving, hotshoe, etc.

As nice as the G Series body is, it’s main limitation has always been the tiny sensor.  Now, with the G1X you get all the benefits of the G series combined with a sensor that’s just a tiny shade smaller than APS-C – 6.3x bigger than the sensor in the G12.  Combined with the Digic 5 processor, I expect the image quality to be very, very good indeed.

Two things that (on paper) I really like about the G1X:

- The large, 14 megapixel sensor.  I like the fact that they didn’t try to cram too many pixels in there.  14mp seems just about right.

- The video implementation looks great:  1080p at 24fps (the preferred frame rate that makes your videos look “cinematic”).

I’m guessing the image quality will be on par with Canon’s crop sensor DSLRs.  If the lens is as good as prior G-series lenses, sharpness should be better than the kit lenses that come with the Rebel line.

The 2 primary limitations are the puny optical viewfinder and the lack of interchangeable lenses.  The lens itself is a 28-112 (equivalent) f2.8-5.8.  The focal range is quite useful and I wouldn’t miss the ability to change lenses – this would be all I need.  However, the aperture does have some limitations.  Since it’s a couple stops slower than the lenses on some of the best compacts (Oly XZ1 or Fuji X10), you’ll need to boost ISO a couple stops to compensate in low light.  Therefore, the large sensor loses some of its advantage.  In addition, since it’s so slow at the long end (f5.8!), you might not get much of a shallower dof either.

Another limitation – if I’m reading the specifications correctly – is the flash sync.  On my G11, I can sync at any speed due to the electronic shutter.  This has a massive advantage when using off-camera lighting in bright conditions.  I’m not sure, but the G1X appears to have a mechanical shutter because the specs say the max sync with external flashes is only 1/250.

All in all, the G1X is a massive leap forward for the G series.  I look forward to seeing what it can do.

Fuji X-Pro1

This is the camera I wanted the X100 to be.  Beautiful design, innovative viewfinder, interchangeable lenses.

While of course everything is speculation until the camera actually gets tested and evaluated, I anticipate this camera to have stunning image quality.  Why?  First of all, the X100 IQ is no slouch, and this sensor is said to be a significant improvement on that.  In addition, due to its lack of an AA filter, perceived clarity/sharpness/resolution should be stunning.

The logical comparison is between the X-Pro1 and the M9.  There will be highly animated debates between supporters of these two cameras, probably similar to the old debates between the Contax G2 and Leica M6.

What to make of the X-Pro1?  I fully expect this camera to have the best IQ of any mirrorless camera out there.  It should be better than any crop sensor DSLR as well.  How it compares to a full-frame DSLR like the 5DII or D700 remains to be seen, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was very, very close.  While the camera looks great, let’s see if Fuji has improved on the x100′s limitations (autofocus speed/accuracy, speed of operation, buffer, etc.).

The biggest knock on the X-Pro1 will probably be the price, which is expected to come in at around $1,700.  Very cheap compared to that little old company in Wetzlar, very expensive compared to micro 4/3 and Sony.

Some preliminary observations:

The Canon G1X appears to be a terrific camera for vacations or outings with the kids.  It also would make a pretty darn good landscape camera.  You’ll get dslr quality in a compact package.  It probably wouldn’t be a good tool for professional portrait work due to the slow lens, but who cares?  That’s not what it’s designed for.

The Fuji X-Pro1 creates more of a dilemma.  The IQ will probably be sufficient for professional portrait work, so this camera might be the first mirrorless that I would be tempted to use not only for casual use, but for professional work as well.

Concluding thoughts

It will be fun to see the samples and read the user reports for these cameras.  While the Fuji sounds like just an awesome camera/system, it doesn’t seem likely that I’ll buy one.  I already have a camera that suits me quite well for professional work (my 5D), so I’m not sure anything would be gained by purchasing the Fuji, other than my bank account being drained.  For casual use I’d rather use a cheaper system like m4/3 or the Canon.  Of course, I could change my mind once I see the results.  These are fun times for gear lovers!

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