Canon G9X Mark II Review

Overview

In November of 2015, Canon launched the smallest camera with a 1-inch sensor, the PowerShot G9X. The camera offered a 3x zoom lens and utilized a 20.1-megapixel 1"-type CMOS sensor in a very compact form factor that could be easily slipped into a pocket. The Japanese manufacturer has followed it up with the Canon G9X II, which uses the same sensor and lens but packs in a much faster image processor and several new features while retaining the same compact form factor of its predecessor.

Canon G9X Mark II: A very compact PowerShot

The Canon G9X II looks essentially identical to its predecessor, which means that it is compact and has a sleek design. The G9X II has dimensions of 3.9 x 2.3 x 1.2 inches (98.0 x 57.9 x 31.3 millimeters) and weighs a paltry 7.3 ounces (206 grams) with the battery and a memory card inserted.

While very compact, the Canon G9X II doesn't skimp on its rear display. The camera is equipped with a 3-inch touchscreen LCD display with 1.04 million dots. The display is fixed, so you won't be able to tilt it, but the fixed design does help keep the camera thin. To the right of the display are four buttons and a thumb grip. You'll notice that the camera doesn't have any sort of directional pad or navigation buttons, so you will be relying exclusively on the touchscreen for navigating menus.

The top of the camera features a mode dial, shutter release and rotating switch for controlling the focal length. There is also a “playback” and power button. Further, the camera has a pop-up built-in flash with a flash release switch on the top left. The flash has a range of 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) to 20 feet (6 meters) at the wide focal length and 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) to 7.9 feet (2.4 meters) at the telephoto focal length when using Auto ISO.

Speaking of focal length, the Canon G9X II features a built-in lens with a focal length range of 10.2 to 30.6mm, which offers a 35mm equivalent range of 28-84mm. The 3x-zoom lens has a maximum aperture of f/2 at 28mm which narrows to f/4.9 by 84mm. The lens barrel has a ring which can control a variety of shooting settings, including exposure settings. You can change the control ring’s function using the touchscreen.

Canon G9X II shooting features highlighted by DIGIC 7 processor

User experience is always important, but especially for a compact camera which Canon hopes will appeal to many types of photographers, including DSLR users who want a second, compact camera to have in their pocket. To help make the user experience better, the Canon G9X Mark II includes Bluetooth, making it the first PowerShot camera to do so. This feature allows nearly-instant sharing of your photos to social media when using a compatible smartphone or tablet.

Autofocus and Metering

Other improvements to the user experience come from the inclusion of the DIGIC 7 image processor, which is of course faster than the DIGIC 6 chip found in the G9X. The new processor helps the G9X II accomplish lower shutter lag, faster autofocus, and better subject tracking during continuous AF. Otherwise autofocus features remain the same. The camera still offers minimum focus distances of 2 inches (5 centimeters) and 1.1 feet (35 centimeters) at wide and telephoto focal lengths respectively. Metering is unchanged as well. Metering modes including evaluative, center-weighted average and spot options and the camera offers up to +/-3.0 EV of exposure compensation.

Continuous Shooting: Much faster than its predecessor

Continuous shooting performance has seen a massive improvement thanks to the DIGIC 7 image processor. According to our tests, Large/Fine JPEG shooting speed is just over 8 frames per second when using One-Shot AF with a buffer depth of 31 shots, representing an increase of about 1.5 fps and 21 frames over the results we reported for the original G9X. Servo AF will drop the speed down to 5.3 fps, but increase the buffer depth to a reported 102 frames.

JPEG improvements are impressive, to be sure, but the increase in RAW burst speeds are much larger. The Canon G9X shot RAW images at a mere 0.8 fps. The G9X II can shoot RAW images at full speed, at just over 8 fps. And the buffer depth is 20 frames, which is also quite good. See our lab Performance test results for details. Obviously, the G9X II is much faster than the G9X and thus addresses one of our biggest complaints about its predecessor.

Shooting modes: Improvements to Auto and time-lapse modes

Shooting modes include the standard assortment of Manual (M), Aperture-priority (Av), Shutter-priority (Tv), Program (P) and Auto, but the G9X II also includes Hybrid Auto, a custom C shooting mode and a wide array of special stills and video modes. The camera has Portrait, Panning, Star Portrait, Star Nightscape, Star Trails, Star Time-Lapse Movie, Handheld Night Scene, High Dynamic Range, Fish-eye Effect, Art Bold Effect, Water Painting Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Background Defocus, Soft Focus, Grainy B/W, Fireworks, Standard Movie, Short Clip, Manual Movie, Time-Lapse Movie, and iFrame Movie modes.

The time-lapse modes have been improved by allowing exposure to be changed while shooting, whereas in the original G9X it was locked. Further, Picture Styles are said to be more advanced and Auto mode is claimed to be more accurate with its scene recognition capabilities. Advanced users will appreciate the ability to perform in-camera RAW conversion as well.

Video: More of the same, still no 4K UHD video recording

Video specifications appear mostly unchanged, meaning that the G9X II still cannot shoot 4K UHD video or high-speed video. Resolution still tops out at 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) and the framerate is capped at 60p frames per second, although there is a new 24p option. When recording video at 60fps, the maximum clip length is 10 minutes. If you need to record longer clips, you can do so at 30 or 24fps, which allows for clips of up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds at Full HD. HD (1280 x 720) which is available at 30fps has the same limit, but up to one hour can be recorded at VGA resolution (640 x 480).

Connectivity, media and battery

The Canon G9X II has a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (Micro-B) port and a Micro HDMI (Type D) port. The camera records media to SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards with support for faster UHS-I types. The body includes built-in 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n), NFC and Bluetooth 4.1 wireless functionality.

The G9X II uses a proprietary 3.6V 1250mAh NB-13L lithium-ion battery, the same battery pack as the G9X used. It's rated for approximately 235 shots (CIPA standard) when used normally and 315 shots in ECO mode, compared to 220 and 335 shots respectively for its predecessor. In-camera charging via the USB port is supported (USB cable not included), though a dedicated battery charger is included in the bundle.

Canon G9X II improvements over its predecessor

• New DIGIC 7 image processor offers better autofocus performance, improved noise reduction at high ISOs and much faster continuous shooting performance, particularly when shooting RAW images.
• The G9X II has improved Dual I.S. image stabilization performance, now offering up to 3.5 stops of correction compared to the 3 stops in the original G9X.
• Shooting modes have been improved as well. In particular, auto mode has better scene recognition capabilities and time-lapse shooting now offers the ability to change exposure settings during shooting.
• Slight improvement in battery life from 220 to 235 shots per charge in normal mode.

Canon G9X II pricing and availability

The Canon G9X Mark II began shipping in February 2017 for around US$530, but has since become available for under US$450. The camera comes in silver or black color options, the former having brown accents.

In the Box

The Canon PowerShot G9X II retail box includes (may vary by region):

• Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II digital camera (black or silver/brown)
• NB-13L Lithium-ion battery pack
• CB-2LH battery charger
• WS-DC12 wrist strap
• 1-Year Limited Warranty

Recommended Accessories

• Large capacity SDHC/SDXC memory card. We recommend a faster UHS-I type card.
• Extra NB-13L battery pack (~US$50)
• Small camera case

Optics

Lens

Zoom
Limited 3x optical zoom ratio, but with decent far-field performance for its class.

The Canon G9X Mark II's 3x optical zoom lens covers the equivalent of about 28-84mm on a 35mm camera, the same as the G9X. That's a fairly limited zoom ratio and not as wide as most compacts go these days, but that's how Canon kept the G9X-series size so small. Maximum aperture varies from a pretty fast f/2.0 at wide angle to a somewhat slow f/4.9 at full telephoto.

The following table reflects the maximum and minimum apertures as reported by the camera:

Focal length (eq.)	28mm	30mm	33mm	35mm	46mm	55mm	70-84mm
Max. aperture	f/2.0	f/2.2	f/2.8	f/3.2	f/4.0	f/4.5	f/4.9
Min. aperture	f/11 at all focal lengths

Sharpness and contrast are good across much of the frame at maximum wide angle and f/5.6, though corners show some softness because of the strong distortion correction applied (see below). Only a minor amount of chromatic aberration is visible as it is effectively suppressed in JPEGs, and flare is well controlled in this shot. At medium focal length (~50mm eq.), far-field performance appears to be quite good at f/5.6 with excellent sharpness and contrast, and although some CA is visible, it's still fairly well controlled. Results at full telephoto and f/5.6 are quite good, with good sharpness and contrast across the frame. Again, chromatic aberration is low because the G9X II does a good job suppressing it in JPEGs.

The G9X II also offers digital zoom up to 4x, and what Canon calls a "digital teleconverter" at preset magnifications of 1.6x and 2.0x which can be used at any optical focal length. We've included images using those modes above, since optical zoom ratio is limited.

See below for our studio test shots.

Macro
About average size macro area, with very good detail in the center. Flash overexposed at closest focus.

The Canon G9X II's lens captured an average size minimum area of 2.80 x 1.87 inches (71 x 47 millimeters). Sharpness is quite good in the central area of the frame, though corners and edges are quite soft from field curvature. (Most cameras have some softening in the corners in macro mode.) The Canon G9X II's built-in flash didn't throttle down enough at closest distance, overexposing part of the shot even at f/11, and illumination wasn't very even because of the location of the flash. You'll likely want to use external lighting for close macro shots with the G9X II.

Distortion
Very low to moderately low distortion in JPEGs; very high at wide angle in uncorrected RAW files.

In-camera JPEGs
Mixed distortion at 28mm eq. is about 0.1%
Barrel distortion at 84mm eq. is about 0.4%

JPEG: The Canon G9X II's JPEGs show just over 0.1% of complex barrel distortion at wide angle, a sure sign of in-camera correction (see below). The nearly 0.4% barrel distortion at the telephoto end is moderately low and not the pincushion type of distortion we normally see at telephoto. This is the tendency for the lens to bend straight lines outward (like a barrel -- usually at wide angle) or inward (like a pincushion -- usually at telephoto).

Uncorrected RAW
Barrel distortion at 28mm eq. is about 4.3%
Barrel distortion at 84mm eq. is about 0.4%

Uncorrected RAW: When converting RAW files using RawDigger (no corrections applied), we see that actual barrel distortion at wide angle is extremely high, at about 4.3%. Uncorrected distortion at full telephoto is still about 0.4% barrel, so the in-camera JPEG wasn't corrected for geometric distortion a full telephoto. Canon's bundled Digital Photo Professional and Adobe Camera Raw automatically correct for geometric distortion, yielding distortion measurements similar to in-camera JPEGs.

High distortion is quite common at wide angle in smaller lenses these days, and most raw converters will automatically correct for it. There is however going to be a loss of resolution as well as possible interpolation artifacts as a result of such strong correction, because pixels in the corners of the frame are being "stretched" to correct for the distortion. And it's not just the extreme corners as the G9X II's sensor captures much more than the viewfinder shows requiring significant cropping and interpolation back to full 20-megapixel image dimensions. If you look closely at the corners in the G9X II's wide-angle JPEGs, they are not only soft but detail is a little rough with straight edges in the USAF resolution target looking jagged. Obviously, a lens that doesn't require so much correction and is also sharp in the corners to begin with would be preferable, but relaxing constraints on distortion brings other benefits in the lens design, such as a very compact, lower-cost design.

Chromatic Aberration and Corner Softness
CA is very low to moderate at wide angle, and lower at telephoto in JPEGs. Mild to moderate blurring in the corners of the frame at wide angle, but good corner sharpness at full telephoto.

Maximum Aperture
Wide (f/2.0): Lower right CA: Moderate Softness: Moderately soft	Wide (f/2.0): Center CA: Very low Softness: Sharp
Tele (f/4.9): Upper left CA: Moderately low Softness: Fairly sharp but lower contrast	Tele: (f/4.9): Center CA: Very low Softness: Sharp

Chromatic Aberration. Lateral chromatic aberration is moderate in the corners at wide angle at maximum aperture, with some wide but fairly faint purple fringing, and there's very little CA in the center. At full telephoto wide open, lateral chromatic aberration is moderately low in the corners, and very low in the center. See below for examples of uncorrected C.A. Chromatic aberration is a type of distortion visible as a slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.

Corner Softness. The Canon G9X II's lens produces moderately soft corners at full wide angle when wide open. Blurring is about the same in all for corners and some softness extends fairly deep into the frame, but the center is quite sharp. Rough edges and much of the softness are due to the strong geometric distortion and CA correction taking place at wide angle. Corners at full telephoto are fairly sharp but not as contrasty as the center with clear signs of CA suppression, while the center is pretty sharp.

Corner Shading. Vignetting is fairly low at either end of the zoom, even wide open.

Aperture f/5.6 / f/7.1
Wide (f/5.6): Lower right CA: Low Softness: Moderately soft	Wide (f/5.6): Center CA: Very low Softness: Sharp
Tele (f/7.`): Upper left CA: Very low Softness: Fairly sharp	Tele (f/7.`): Center CA: Very low Softness: Fairly sharp

Stopped Down. When the lens is stopped-down to f/5.6 at wide angle, sharpness didn't improve in the corners and actually degraded a bit, although contrast improved and CA levels were a little lower. At full telephoto stopped down to f/7.1, the corners remained about the same, but the image was slightly softer in the center due to diffraction. Vignetting was reduced and is not significant at either end of the zoom range.

Chromatic Aberration Correction

In-camera JPEG	Uncorrected RAW
Wide (f/2.0): Upper left CA: Moderately low	Wide (f/2.0): Upper left CA: Moderately high
Tele (f/4.9): Upper left CA: Moderately low	Tele: (f/4.9): Upper left CA: Moderately high

As expected, chromatic aberrations are much higher in uncorrected RAW files than in camera JPEGs. As you can see, the Canon G9X II's DIGIC 7 image processor does a pretty good job suppressing most of the lateral chromatic aberration in JPEGs (crops on the left) versus RAW files converted in RawDigger (on the right), which does not correct for CA. Also notice how much the images needed to be processed in terms of distortion and sharpness at the wide end, and sharpness at the telephoto end. Note that most commercial converters like Adobe Camera Raw will automatically correct for CA, as the G9X II's .CR2 RAW files have a built-in lens profile.

Overall, not a bad performance for such a compact lens coupled to 1"-type sensor, however optical zoom range is rather limited and there are inevitable tradeoffs at wide angle which need a lot of digital correction.

Viewfinder

Coverage
Very good accuracy from the LCD monitor.

The Canon PowerShot G9X II's LCD monitor displayed very good coverage accuracy in record mode, showing just over 99% coverage at wide angle, and just under 99% coverage at full telephoto. That's pretty impressive considering the amount of digital correction taking place.

The images above were taken from our standardized test shots. For a collection of more pictorial photos, see our Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II Photo Gallery .

Exposure

Color

Saturation & Hue Accuracy
Realistic saturation levels with very good hue accuracy.

ISO Sensitivity
125	200	400
800	1600	3200
6400	12800
In the diagram above, the squares show the original color, and the circles show the color that the camera captured. More saturated colors are located toward the periphery of the graph. Hue changes as you travel around the center. Thus, hue-accurate, highly saturated colors appear as lines radiating from the center. Mouse over the links above to compare ISOs, and click to load a larger version.

Saturation. The Canon G9X II produced realistic saturation levels, with only mild boosts to blues, browns and orange, and moderate boosts to red. Bright yellow, light green, aqua and cyan were undersaturated by relatively small amounts. Mean saturation at base ISO is 106.3%, or 6.3% oversaturated, which is lower-than-average these days. Overall, though, the Canon G9X II's images still appear to have pleasing colors and realistic saturation levels, and you can always adjust saturation using the camera's "My Colors" options. Most consumer digital cameras produce color that's more highly saturated (more intense) than found in the original subjects. This is simply because most people like their color a bit brighter than life.

Skin tones. With Auto white balance in simulated daylight, the Canon G9X II did a very good job with rendering Caucasian skin tones that appeared realistic with a healthy pinkish tint. Where oversaturation is most problematic is on Caucasian skin tones, as it's very easy for these "memory colors" to be seen as too bright, too pink, too yellow, etc.

Hue. The Canon PowerShot G9X II produced a few color shifts relative to the correct rendering of colors in its images, most visibly pushing cyan toward blue (probably for better-looking skies). Mean "delta-C" color error after correcting for saturation at base ISO was 4.05 which is better than average, and without any yellow to green shift we often see. Hue is "what color" the color is.

Sensor

Exposure and White Balance

Indoors, incandescent lighting
Strong color casts with Auto and Incandescent settings, but very good with Manual white balance setting. Average exposure accuracy.

Color balance indoors under incandescent lighting was pretty awful with Auto white balance setting, producing a strong red/magenta cast. The Incandescent white balance option was better, but too warm, with a strong yellow/orange cast. The Manual white balance setting was pretty accurate, though, but a touch cool. The PowerShot G9X II's exposure system handled this lighting well, requiring a typical amount of exposure compensation (+ 0.3 EV) for this shot. Our test lighting for this shot is a mixture of 60 and 100 watt household incandescent bulbs, a pretty yellow light source, but a very common one in typical home settings here in the U.S.

Outdoors, daylight
Slightly cool colors, with high default contrast. Average exposure compensation required.

The Canon PowerShot G9X II performed quite well in the simulated outdoor lighting of our "Sunlit" Portrait shot. Average exposure compensation of +0.7 EV was needed to keep the mannequin's facial skin tones reasonably bright, the number of blown highlights in her shirt and the flowers is actually not bad for such a compact camera, and detail in the shadows is pretty good. The G9X II underexposed our outdoor far-field shot a bit producing some very deep shadows, but as a result very few highlights were blown. Luminance noise is a bit high in deep shadows, however chrominance noise is fairly well controlled, though very deep shadows are discolored. Color outdoors was good with the Auto white balance setting, just a touch cool.

See full set of test images with explanations
See thumbnails of all test and gallery images

Resolution
2,500 ~ 2,550 lines of strong detail from in-camera JPEGs, about the same from converted RAW files.

Our laboratory resolution chart revealed sharp, distinct line patterns up to about 2,500 lines per picture height in the horizontal direction, and to about 2,500 lines in the vertical direction in a JPEG straight out of the camera, though there was some aliasing visible as low as 2,100 lines in both directions. Extinction of the pattern occurred just past 3,000 lines in the horizontal direction, and just past 3,200 lines in the vertical direction. Adobe Camera Raw was able to extract a bit more resolution, however it did generate more false colors than the in-camera JPEG. Use these numbers to compare with other cameras of similar resolution, or use them to see just what higher resolution can mean in terms of potential detail.

See full set of test images with explanations
See thumbnails of all test and gallery images

Sharpness & Detail
Fairly sharp, detailed images overall, though with some visible sharpening artifacts on high-contrast subjects. Noise suppression limits detail in low contrast areas.

Sharpness. The Canon PowerShot G9X II captures fairly sharp JPEG images at default settings, though some edge enhancement artifacts are visible on high-contrast subjects such as the halos around lines and text in the crop above left. Sharpening isn't too overdone as with some cameras, but enthusiasts might want to shoot with a lower sharpening setting and apply additional sharpening in post processing, or shoot RAW for complete control over sharpening. Edge enhancement creates the illusion of sharpness by enhancing colors and tones right at the edge of a rapid transition in color or tone.

Detail. The crop above right shows some significant smudging of low contrast detail due to noise suppression, as individual strands of hair are blurred together in midtones and shadows, but performance here is still better than average for a compact digicam. Noise-suppression systems in digital cameras tend to flatten-out detail in areas of subtle contrast. The effects can often be seen in shots of human hair, where the individual strands are lost and an almost "watercolor" look appears.

In-Camera JPEGs: Standard vs Fine Detail Picture Style setting
The Canon G9X II offers the Fine Detail Picture Style first seen on the Canon EOS 5DSR/5DS DSLR. Below is a comparison with the default Standard Picture Style.

Base ISO (125)
Camera JPEG, defaults	Camera JPEG, Fine Detail

In the table above, we compare the Canon G9X II's default Standard Picture Style setting (left) to its new Fine Detail preset at base ISO. Like more recent Canon DSLRs, the Canon G9X II offers users much more flexibility in sharpening than other PowerShot models, allowing you to adjust not only the "Strength" (from 0 to 7) but also the "Fineness" (1 to 5) and "Threshold" (1 to 5) operators. We believe these parameters correlate to unsharp mask options for strength, radius and threshold available in photo editing software such as Photoshop, although we don't know what the equivalent units might be.

The result is a slightly improved, more natural-looking rendering of fine detail along with slightly less obvious sharpening halos than the default Standard setting. However, noise is more visible in flatter areas, and contrast is lower, making the Fine Detail image appear to have less "pop" than the default Picture Style. There also appear to be minor differences in color, even though Color Tone, Saturation and Contrast settings are identical between these two Picture Styles presets. Given the flexibility in settings, though, you may be able to find a better combination than the defaults compared above.

RAW vs In-Camera JPEGs
As noted above the Canon G9X II produces fairly sharp, detailed in-camera JPEGs at base ISO. But with a good raw converter, more detail can often be extracted with fewer sharpening artifacts. See below:

Base ISO (125)
Camera JPEG, defaults	RAW via Adobe Camera Raw

In the table above, we compare an in-camera JPEG taken at base ISO using default noise reduction and sharpening (on the left) to the matching RAW file converted with Adobe Camera Raw 9.1 via DNG Converter 9.12 using default noise reduction with some strong but tight unsharp masking applied in Photoshop (300%, radius of 0.6 pixels, and a threshold of 0).

Looking closely at the images, ACR did extract additional detail that isn't present in the JPEG from the camera, particularly in the red-leaf swatch where the thread pattern is likely treated as noise by the JPEG engine. Fine detail in the mosaic crop is also slightly improved, but as is often the case, a lot more noise can be seen in the bottle crop. You can of course apply stronger noise reduction (default ACR NR used here) to arrive at your ideal noise versus detail tradeoff. Color was improved as well, with ACR removing the slight yellow-to-green shift in the JPEG. And, as expected, sharpening halos aren't nearly as strong as the default camera output. Still, in-camera default JPEG processing isn't bad, but as usual you can do better with a good RAW converter however you'll likely need to experiment with noise reduction and sharpening.

ISO & Noise Performance
Very good high ISO performance for a camera its size.

Default Noise Reduction
ISO 125	ISO 200	ISO 400
ISO 800	ISO 1,600	ISO 3,200
ISO 6,400	ISO 12,800

The PowerShot G9X II performed well here for its size, with improved color and reduced noise compared to its predecessor, though default noise reduction appears to be stronger. ISO 125 and 200 are quite clean with good detail, however low-contrast areas in the hair are already smeared. ISO 400 is noticeably softer due to stronger noise reduction, but detail and clarity are still pretty good. ISO 800 is the point where lumanance noise starts to become noticeable, but the noise "grain" is quite fine and detail is fair. ISO 1600 is of course noisier and chroma blotching starts to become an issue in darker areas, but there is still some fine detail left. Image quality drops off rapidly at ISO 3200 and above here under tungsten light, with very soft details, strong luma noise and noticeable chroma blotching in darker areas.

Note that the G9X II offers three levels of noise reduction (Low, Standard and High), and these shots were taken using the default Standard setting.

Of course, the impact of noise and detail loss are highly dependent on the size the photos are printed at, and pixel-peeping on-screen has surprisingly little relationship to how the images look when printed: See the Print Quality section below for recommended maximum print sizes at each ISO.

Extremes: Sunlit and low light tests
Pretty good dynamic range for its class. Good low-light performance, capable of capturing bright images in near darkness at all ISOs.

Sunlight. The Canon PowerShot G9X II did fairly well under the deliberately harsh lighting in the test above. To keep facial tones fairly bright, +0.7 EV compensation was required, which led to some clipped highlights in the mannequin's shirt and flowers, but not as many as expected for its size. Some may prefer the +0.3 EV setting for its reduced highlight clipping, but we found the face a bit too dim and +1.0 EV has too many blown highlights. Detail is quite good in the shadows at +0.7 EV, though very deep shadows are a little grainy and posterized, however chroma noise is well-controlled. Very good results in harsh lighting for such a compact camera, but consider using fill flash in situations like the one shown above; and it's better to shoot in the shade when possible.

Because digital cameras are more like slide film than negative film (in that they tend to have a more limited tonal range), we test them in the harshest situations to see how they handle scenes with bright highlights and dark shadows, as well as what kind of sensitivity they have in low light. The shot above is designed to mimic the very harsh, contrasty effect of direct noonday sunlight, a very tough challenge for most digital cameras. (You can read details of this test here.)

Face Detection

Face Detection Examples
Aperture Priority 0 EV	Face Detection 0 EV	Smart Auto 0 EV

The table above shows results with the default exposure using Aperture Priority AE, as well as with face detection enabled, and Smart Auto mode. As you can see, the G9X II's face detection and Smart Auto modes both increased exposure dramatically compared to the default exposure in Aperture Priority mode, going from very underexposed to bright images. Smart Auto mode selected the maximum aperture of f/4.9 instead of f/5.6 we used in Aperture Priority and also employed Standard Auto Lighting Optimizer (see below).

Highlights and Shadows
Previous generation PowerShot models offered an Intelligent Contrast (i-Contrast) feature, with "Dynamic Range Correction" to help tame highlights, and "Shadow Correct" to bring out more shadow detail, however the G9X II implements Highlight Tone Priority as well as Automatic Lighting Optimization, just like Canon's EOS models.

Highlight Tone Priority
While very few highlights were blown to begin with at default exposure, below you can see the Canon G9X II's Highlight Tone Priority (HTP) option still toned down highlights while essentially leaving shadows and midtones alone. (Mouse over the Off and On links to load the corresponding thumbnail, histogram and crops.)

Highlight Tone Priority (+1.0 EV)
HTP Setting: Off On
Highlights
Shadows (Levels boosted to reveal noise.)
Histogram

Both shots above were captured at the same +1.0 EV exposure, the only difference being that HTP was enabled for the second shot which necessarily increases the minimum ISO to 250; part of how HTP works. If you look closely at shadows (the levels in shadow crops above are heavily boosted to reveal noise that would be difficult to see otherwise), you'll notice an increase in noise and stronger blurring due to noise reduction is the price you pay.

Far-field Highlight Tone Priority
Off	On

Above you can see Highlight Tone Priority at work in our Far-field shot. Because the default exposure was a bit dim there weren't any blown highlights to begin with, however you can see that some of the brighter highlights have been toned down.

Auto Lighting Optimizer
Like Canon EOS models, the G9X II offers three selectable levels of Automatic Lighting Optimization (ALO), plus Off. In fully automatic mode (Smart Auto or Hybrid Auto) and some scene modes, ALO is automatically enabled and it's available in P, Tv, Av and M exposure modes. Mouse over the links below to load the associated thumbnail and histogram, and click on the links to load full resolution images.

Automatic Lighting Optimizer (0 EV)
ALO Setting: Off Low Standard (default) High

As you can see above, ALO has the effect of shifting shadows and darker mid-tones in the histograms to the right, brightening shadows and indeed most of the image without affecting highlights much. ISO is not boosted for ALO so increased noise is not an issue, though it may be slightly more visible in shadows that have been boosted significantly.

Far-field Automatic Lighting Optimization
Off	Low	Standard (Default)	High

Above are the effects of ALO on our Far-field shot. As you can see, it operated mainly on the shadows and midtones, leaving highlights pretty much intact, producing a more balanced and pleasing exposure.

HDR Mode
The Canon G9X Mark II's HDR feature takes three continuous shots at different exposures and merges them together to create an image with wider tonal range than would be possible with a single exposure. Unlike Canon EOS cameras, there are no strength options on the G9X II, however the camera still lets you choose between Natural, Art Standard, Art Vivid, Art Bold and Art Embossed effects. Note that the source images captured are not saved, and RAW mode is not supported.

Far-field High Dynamic Range
Off	On

Above is in-camera "Natural" HDR comparison of our Far-field scene (mouse over the links above to load the corresponding thumbnail). Notice that all settings produce a slightly cropped image which is upsampled to full resolution, so details are a little softer than the non-HDR image, but quality is otherwise quite good with no noticeable haloing even at the highest setting. Be aware that ghosting can occur when elements of the scene move during the sequence capture, though, as can be seen with the flag and some of the leaves in this shot.

Dynamic Range Analysis (RAW mode)
While we once performed our own dynamic range measurements based on in-camera JPEGs as well as converted RAW images (when the camera was supported by Adobe Camera Raw), we've switched to using DxO Labs' results from their DxOMark website. As technology advanced, the dynamic range of modern high-end cameras in some cases exceeded the range of the Stouffer T4110 density scale that we used for our own measurements. DxO's approach based on RAW data before demosaicing is also more revealing, because it measures the fundamental dynamic range of the sensor, irrespective of whatever processing is applied to JPEGs, or to RAW data by off-the-shelf conversion software.

In the following, we use DxO's "Print" dynamic range results, which are scaled based on camera resolution. As the name suggests, this scaling corresponds to the situation in which you print at a given size, regardless of how many megapixels the camera might have. (In other words, if you've decided to make a 13x19 inch print, that's the size you're printing, whether the camera's resolution is 16 or 300 megapixels.) For the technically-minded, you can find a discussion of the reasoning behind this here on the DxOMark website. Also note that DxO Labs uses a signal-to-noise (SNR) threshold of 1 when defining the lower boundary of acceptable luminance noise in their dynamic range measurements, which corresponds to the "Low Quality" threshold of the Imatest software we used to use for this measurement.

Here, we've decided to compare the Canon G9X II's dynamic range to its predecessor, the G9X, as well as to another enthusiast compact, the Sony RX100 III, as all three use a 1"-type 20-megapixel sensor. You can always compare to other models on DxOMark.com.

As you can see from the above graph (click for a larger image), all three cameras have very similar dynamic range, and while on paper the G9X II comes out slightly ahead at base ISO (12.49 EV vs 12.27 for the other two), the differences are so minor, that they are negligible.

Bottom line, the Canon G9X II produces very good dynamic range for a camera its size.

Click here to visit the DxOMark page for the Canon G9X II for more of their test results and additional comparisons.

	1 fc 11 lux	1/16 fc 0.67 lux	1/16 fc No NR
ISO 125	0.8s, f2.0	12.6s, f2.0	12.6s, f2.0
ISO 3200	1/32s, f2.0	0.5s, f2.0	0.5s, f2.0
ISO 12800	1/128s, f2.0	1/8s, f2.0	1/8s, f2.0

Low Light. The Canon PowerShot G9X II performed very well in our low-light tests thanks to its fast lens at wide angle, capturing clean, bright images at the lowest light level (1/16 foot-candle), even at the lowest sensitivity setting (ISO 125). Keep in mind the lens gets a little slow (dim) as you zoom towards the telephoto end (f/4.9), so try to use as short a focal length as possible for best low-light results.

As expected for a 1"-type sensor, luma noise is a little high at ISO 3200, but it's fairly fine-grained, while chroma noise is very well controlled even when noise reduction is minimized (far right column). The G9X II's highest ISO of 12,800 is quite grainy and somewhat blotchy with strong blurring of fine detail, but that's no surprise.

Color balance is pretty good with Canon G9X II's Auto white balance setting, just a touch cool, even at highest ISO and lowest light level. We didn't notice any significant issues with hot pixels, pattern noise or heat blooming.

LLAF: The camera's AF system was able to focus on our legacy low-contrast target down to about -1.6 EV unassisted, and on our newer high-contrast target down to -2.5 EV, which is pretty good for its class. The G9X II has AF assist lamp, which lets it focus in complete darkness as long as the subject is within range and has sufficient contrast.

How bright is this? The one foot-candle light level that this test begins at roughly corresponds to the brightness of typical city street-lighting at night. Cameras performing well at that level should be able to snap good-looking photos of street-lit scenes.

NOTE: This low light test is conducted with a stationary subject, and the camera mounted on a sturdy tripod. Most digital cameras will fail miserably when faced with a moving subject in dim lighting. (For example, a child's ballet recital or a holiday pageant in a gymnasium.) For such applications, you may have better luck with a digital SLR camera, but even there, you'll likely need to set the focus manually. For information and reviews on digital SLRs, refer to our SLR review index page.

Output Quality

Print Quality
Excellent, detail-rich prints up to 24 x 36 inches at ISO 125-200; Nice 8 x 10-inch prints at ISO 3200; and usable 5 x 7-inch prints at ISO 6400.

ISO 125 prints look really nice up to an impressively large 24 x 36 inches. With a 20MP 1-inch-type sensor, this is pushing the limits of the sensor's resolution, but prints up to this large size look great with lots of fine detail and pleasing, vibrant colors. In fact, 30 x 40-inch prints, though showing some pixelation upon close inspection, could be acceptable for wall display.

ISO 200 images look nearly identical to base ISO files, again, showing excellent detail and nice colors up to 24 x 36 inch prints. We only observed an extremely subtle decrease is low contrast details, mainly in our notorious red-leaf fabric swatch, but overall, it's hardly enough to impact print size.

ISO 400 prints display a slight increase in visible noise, though not to any severe degree. Still, 24 x 36-inch prints are a bit soft to our eye compared to the lower ISOs, so we're calling it at 20 x 30 inches for this ISO sensitivity. At this size, fine detail looks crisp and clean.

ISO 800 images begin to show more prominent noise, especially around darker, shadow areas. Noise is still fairly well controlled elsewhere, but it forces us to drop the maximum print size down to 13 x 19 inches. With careful post-processing or for less critical applications, a 16 x 20-inch print could be acceptable.

ISO 1600 prints show an expected increase in noise and a further, yet subtle, drop in fine detail compared to the previous ISO. Print sizes at ISO 1600 therefore top-out at 11 x 14 inches, with a 13 x 19 useful for less critical applications.

ISO 3200 images definitely show noise-related softness, which takes a toll on fine detail across the image -- and our red-leaf fabric swatch is practically devoid of detail. Therefore, the largest prints size we're comfortable with is 8 x 10 inches at this sensitivity, which is still quite impressive for a pocketable compact camera.

ISO 6400 prints are quite noisy, and noise-reduction processing definitely impacts fine detail. 5 x 7-inch prints are really the largest size we recommend at this ISO sensitivity.

ISO 12,800 images are much too soft and lacking in detail to really be useful for print making. Perhaps a 4 x 6-inch print could squeak by for less critical applications, but otherwise, we'd avoid this ISO for prints.

Like the larger PowerShot G7X II, the ultra-portable Canon G9X II sports a 20MP 1-inch-type CMOS sensor and faster DIGIC 7 image processor; up from the DIGIC 6 processor of the original G9X. Overall, the G9X II offers similar print quality performance to the G7X II, with subtle improvements in image quality at certain ISOs compared to the original G9X. At lower ISOs, the G9X II is capable of excellent, large prints up to 24 x 36 inches at ISO 125 and 200. In the midrange of ISOs, the G9X II begins to show some visible noise, but it remains very well controlled, allowing for prints up to 11 x 14 inches at ISO 1600. As the ISO is raised further, noise becomes more of an issue and impacts fine detail. However, we're still able to make usable prints up to 5 x 7 inches at ISO 6400. The G9X II's maximum ISO of 12,800, however, should be avoided for prints.

The images above were taken from our standardized test shots. For a collection of more pictorial photos, see our Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II Photo Gallery .

Not sure which camera to buy? Let your eyes be the ultimate judge! Visit our Comparometer(tm) to compare images from the Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II with those from other cameras you may be considering. The proof is in the pictures, so let your own eyes decide which you like best!

Performance

Image Quality

Below are crops from our laboratory Still Life target comparing the Canon G9X Mark II's image quality to its predecessor's, the G9X, as well as to a range of compact enthusiast cameras: the Canon G7X Mark II, the Panasonic LX10 and the Sony RX100 III. We've also compared it to the Sony A5000, which is an entry-level 24-megapixel APS-C mirrorless camera that is available for about the same price with a kit lens as the G9X II sells for.

NOTE: These images are from best quality JPEGs straight out of the camera, at default settings including noise reduction and using the camera's actual base ISO (not extended ISO settings). Clicking any crop will take you to a carrier page where you can click once again to access the full resolution image as delivered straight from the camera. For those interested in working with the RAW files involved, click these links to visit each camera's respective sample image thumbnail page: Canon G9X II, Canon G9X , Canon G7X II, Panasonic LX10, Sony RX100 III and Sony A5000 -- links to the RAW files appear beneath those for the JPEG images, wherever we have them. And remember, you can always go to our world-renowned Comparometer to compare the Canon G9X II to any camera we've ever tested!

Canon G9X Mark II vs Canon G9X at Base ISO

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 125	Canon G9X at ISO 125
Similar to what we saw when we compared the G7X II and the G7X, we see better color from the G9X Mark II than from its predecessor at base ISO, with much less of a green shift in yellows and beiges, and more accurate pinks. The G9X II image looks a bit punchier with slightly lower noise as well, though the G7X retains a bit more detail and contrast in our tricky red-leaf fabric.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Canon G7X Mark II at Base ISO

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 125	Canon G7X Mark II at ISO 125
Here we compare the G9X II to its slightly larger and more expensive sibling, the G7X II. Both of these cameras use the same sensor and image processor, so it's no surprise that their image quality is very similar. Color and noise characteristics are nearly identical and the minor differences we see in detail and sharpness are likely attributed to the different lenses they have (the G9X II has a 3x 28-84mm eq. f/2-4.9 lens and the G7X II has a 4.2x 24-100mm eq. f/1.8-2.8 lens).

Canon G9X Mark II vs Panasonic LX10 at Base ISO

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 125	Panasonic LX10 at ISO 125
Both of these rivals employ a 20-megapixel 1"-type sensor, possibly even the same one, so it's no surprise resolving power is nearly identical. The LX10's less heavy-handed noise processing as well as what appears to be a slightly sharper lens does yield a little more detail than G9X Mark II except in the red-leaf fabric, although the Canon image is a bit cleaner with better color and a more pleasing tone curve.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Sony RX100 III at Base ISO

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 125	Sony RX100 III at ISO 125
Here, we decided to compare the G9X II to the older Sony RX100 III which is closer to the Canon's price range (but still significantly more expensive at about $700 vs $450). The Sony RX100 III's image looks a little softer overall, though it has less obvious sharpening halos along high-contrast edges than the Canon's image. The Sony however does exhibit much better detail and contrast in our troublesome red-leaf swatch as well as in the pink fabric, though noise levels appear a bit higher and less natural in flatter areas. The Canon produces noticeably better and more accurate color. Both obviously do very well here at ISO 125, but keep in mind that unlike the Canon, the Sony can extend its sensitivity down to ISO 80.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Sony A5000 at Base ISO

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 125	Sony A5000 at ISO 100
We decided to include a comparison to the Sony A5000 APS-C mirrorless camera here, because as of this writing it sells for exactly the same price with a 3.1x 24-75mm eq. kit lens. As you can see, the 24-megapixel A5000 does capture more detail with less noise and better sharpness, and the Sony again renders more detail and higher contrast in our red-leaf and pink fabrics. However, the G9X II compares remarkably well here at base ISO considering its much smaller size and built-in lens (the A5000 was shot with a sharp 50mm f/1.8 prime lens which likely performs better than its kit lens, so keep that in mind). Again, the Canon's color is more pleasing and accurate.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Canon G9X at ISO 1600

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 1600	Canon G9X at ISO 1600
Above at ISO 1600, we see an increase in clarity and high-contrast detail from the newer G9X II. The Mark II's noise suppression appears to be a little smarter with better detail retention, though noise reduction artifacts are a bit more visible around fine detail versus higher noise interfering with fine detail from its predecessor. Both blur our tricky red-leaf swatch pretty badly here, but the G9X II does hold onto a bit more detail. Color and contrast continue to be more pleasing from the newer Mark II model. Overall, a nice bump in image quality here.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Canon G7X Mark II at ISO 1600

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 1600	Canon G7X Mark II at ISO 1600
Again, very similar results here at ISO 1600 from these two siblings with the G7X II arguably providing just a tad more detail and sharpness likely due to better optics.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Panasonic LX10 at ISO 1600

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 1600	Panasonic LX10 at ISO 1600
The Canon G9X II leaves behind a bit more noise in flatter areas though detail retention is also slightly better, and the Canon continues to produce better color and contrast than the Panasonic.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Sony RX100 III at ISO 1600

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 1600	Sony RX100 III at ISO 1600
Apart from the red-leaf and pink fabrics, the Canon G9X II comes out ahead here with better overall detail, similar noise levels, fewer noise reduction artifacts and much better color. Contrast is higher from the Sony, but fine detail in the mosaic crop looks smudged and somewhat "scorched" from the Sony here at ISO 1600.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Sony A5000 at ISO 1600

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 1600	Sony A5000 at ISO 1600
As expected, fine detail is better, sharpness and contrast are higher, and noise levels are lower from the A5000, however the Sony's noise reduction algorithm does generate some unwanted artifacts that make flatter areas look a little unnatural and more "processed". Colors are still more pleasing from the G9X II.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Canon G9X at ISO 3200

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 3200	Canon G9X at ISO 3200
Noise levels in flatter areas look similar here at ISO 3200, however the G9X leaves behind a lot more noise in areas containing detail, obliterating finer elements and giving the image a stippled look. The G9X II on the other hand does a better job at removing noise while producing better contrast and leaving more fine detail intact, however it does generate some unwanted artifacts in the process. Both badly smear away almost all detail in our tricky red-leaf swatch though again the older G9X holds onto a bit more. The G9X II continues to offer better color. Again, a nice improvement overall compared to its predecessor.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Canon G7X Mark II at ISO 3200

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 3200	Canon G7X Mark II at ISO 3200
Once again, very similar image quality from the two current siblings at ISO 3200 though the G7X II still has a slight edge likely due to better performance from its lens at this focal length.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Panasonic LX10 at ISO 3200

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 3200	Panasonic LX10 at ISO 3200
The Panasonic LX10's noise reduction algorithm leaves behind slightly less noise in flatter areas, but it tends to generate rectilinear artifacts which look a little less natural than the G9X II's noise pattern or "grain". The LX10 does a little better in the fabrics but color and contrast are still better from the G9X II, and overall the Canon comes out ahead here.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Sony RX100 III at ISO 3200

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 3200	Sony RX100 III at ISO 3200
At ISO 3200, the Canon's image is a little grainier, but the grain pattern is quite fine and tight, giving the image more of a film-like appearance. The Sony on the other hand looks a bit cleaner but softer and more heavily processed, and its color isn't nearly as good as the Canon's. Both struggle with fine detail at this sensitivity, but overall we'd give the edge to the Canon here.

Canon G9X Mark II vs Sony A5000 at ISO 3200

Canon G9X Mark II at ISO 3200	Sony A5000 at ISO 3200
Again, the 24-megapixel APS-C A5000 comes out ahead in terms of noise, detail an contrast, but the advantage over the tiny G9X II is perhaps not as much as you would think. The A5000 does noticeably better in the red-leaf and pink fabrics, however much of the detail in the red-leaf swatch is heavily distorted.

Canon G9X Mark II vs. Canon G9X, Canon G7X Mark II, Panasonic LX10, Sony RX100 III, Sony A5000

Canon G9X Mark II ISO 125 ISO 3200 ISO 6400	Canon G9X ISO 125 ISO 3200 ISO 6400	Canon G7X Mark II ISO 125 ISO 3200 ISO 6400	Panasonic LX10 ISO 125 ISO 3200 ISO 6400	Sony RX100 III ISO 125 ISO 3200 ISO 6400	Sony A5000 ISO 100 ISO 3200 ISO 6400
Detail comparison. High-contrast detail is also important, pushing cameras in different ways, so we like to look at it too. The G9X Mark II does noticeably better than its predecessor, with higher contrast even at base ISO, and better detail retention as well as lower noise as ISO rises. The G7X II's performance is similar, but slightly better (again, likely because of the lens). The Panasonic LX10 does very well at base ISO, but it also produces the most obvious sharpening halos. The LX10's performance at higher ISOs is good with less haloing, though contrast is a little lower than the pack. The RX100 III starts out well at base ISO with the least sharpening artifacts, though fine detail drops off a little more than the G9X II as sensitivity climbs. Unsurprisingly, the A5000 performs the best here, with low sharpening artifacts and the least drop off in quality as ISO is increased.

Excellent, detail-rich prints up to 24 x 36 inches at ISO 125-200; Nice 8 x 10-inch prints at ISO 3200; and usable 5 x 7-inch prints at ISO 6400.

ISO 125 prints look really nice up to an impressively large 24 x 36 inches. With a 20MP 1-inch-type sensor, this is pushing the limits of the sensor's resolution, but prints up to this large size look great with lots of fine detail and pleasing, vibrant colors. In fact, 30 x 40-inch prints, though showing some pixelation upon close inspection, could be acceptable for wall display.

ISO 200 images look nearly identical to base ISO files, again, showing excellent detail and nice colors up to 24 x 36 inch prints. We only observed an extremely subtle decrease is low contrast details, mainly in our notorious red-leaf fabric swatch, but overall, it's hardly enough to impact print size.

ISO 400 prints display a slight increase in visible noise, though not to any severe degree. Still, 24 x 36-inch prints are a bit soft to our eye compared to the lower ISOs, so we're calling it at 20 x 30 inches for this ISO sensitivity. At this size, fine detail looks crisp and clean.

ISO 800 images begin to show more prominent noise, especially around darker, shadow areas. Noise is still fairly well controlled elsewhere, but it forces us to drop the maximum print size down to 13 x 19 inches. With careful post-processing or for less critical applications, a 16 x 20-inch print could be acceptable.

ISO 1600 prints show an expected increase in noise and a further, yet subtle, drop in fine detail compared to the previous ISO. Print sizes at ISO 1600 therefore top-out at 11 x 14 inches, with a 13 x 19 useful for less critical applications.

ISO 3200 images definitely show noise-related softness, which takes a toll on fine detail across the image -- and our red-leaf fabric swatch is practically devoid of detail. Therefore, the largest prints size we're comfortable with is 8 x 10 inches at this sensitivity, which is still quite impressive for a pocketable compact camera.

ISO 6400 prints are quite noisy, and noise-reduction processing definitely impacts fine detail. 5 x 7-inch prints are really the largest size we recommend at this ISO sensitivity.

ISO 12,800 images are much too soft and lacking in detail to really be useful for print making. Perhaps a 4 x 6-inch print could squeak by for less critical applications, but otherwise, we'd avoid this ISO for prints.

Like the larger PowerShot G7X II, the ultra-portable Canon G9X II sports a 20MP 1-inch-type CMOS sensor and faster DIGIC 7 image processor; up from the DIGIC 6 processor of the original G9X. Overall, the G9X II offers similar print quality performance to the G7X II, with subtle improvements in image quality at certain ISOs compared to the original G9X. At lower ISOs, the G9X II is capable of excellent, large prints up to 24 x 36 inches at ISO 125 and 200. In the midrange of ISOs, the G9X II begins to show some visible noise, but it remains very well controlled, allowing for prints up to 11 x 14 inches at ISO 1600. As the ISO is raised further, noise becomes more of an issue and impacts fine detail. However, we're still able to make usable prints up to 5 x 7 inches at ISO 6400. The G9X II's maximum ISO of 12,800, however, should be avoided for prints.

Field Test

Good things can come in small packages

By Jeremy Gray · 06/21/2017

The Canon G9X Mark II arrives less than two years after the original G9X, which launched as the world's smallest camera with a 1-inch sensor. Much about the G9X II is the same as its predecessor and that's not a bad thing. There are several new features and improvements to be found in the new pocketable compact camera though including a new, faster processor which leads to improved overall performance.

Key Features and Info

• Pocketable form factor
• Built-in 28-84mm equivalent lens with f/2.0-4.9 aperture range
• 20.2-megapixel 1-inch type sensor
• ISO 125-12,800 range
• Continuous shooting at just over 8 frames per second
• Full HD video at up to 60 frames per second
• Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC
• $529 price, although it has been available for as low as $429

10.2mm (28mm equiv.), f/2.0, 1/160s, ISO 125. Click for full-size image. Click here for RAW image As a note: At least on my calibrated display, the RAW version shows dramatically different colors in Adobe Lightroom. Download the RAW file and see for yourself.

Compact camera offers pocketable form factor, excellent touchscreen interface

The Canon G9X II retains the same very compact form factor as its predecessor. The camera weighs only 7.3 ounces (206 grams) with its battery inserted and has dimensions of 3.9 x 2.3 x 1.2 inches (98 x 51 x 31 millimeters). I have been carrying the camera around in the pockets of my jeans and lightweight jacket with ease. It uses a wrist strap rather than a neck strap, as is typical for a compact camera. The strap is okay, but it would be much better if it had a way to cinch it firmly around your wrist.

With its small size, there are necessarily some compromises. The camera does not have any protruding front grip except for a small rear thumb grip. The front grip could stand to be a bit "stickier," so to speak, but it does its job. The G9X II also lacks a viewfinder of any kind.

In the absence of a viewfinder, you rely solely on the camera's 3-inch rear display, which is bright and sharp, offering 1,040,000 dots (345,600 pixels) of resolution. Given the camera's price point and compact size, it is not surprising that the display does not tilt, but that does occasionally lead to usability issues in bright light. In particularly bright conditions, you can increase the brightness of the display, which does help, but this comes at the cost of battery life.

On the top of the camera, there is a built-in pop-up flash, a playback button, power button, shutter release (with a surrounding zoom lever that toggles left and right) and a mode dial. The mode dial has extensive options, including standard program auto (P), aperture priority (Av), shutter speed priority (Tv) and manual (M) modes. Additional modes include a custom shooting mode, auto, hybrid auto, scene mode and movie recording mode.

The rear of the camera is dominated by the display. Along the right side, there's the small thumb grip and four buttons. The G9X II does not have any directional buttons. Rather than using directional buttons to navigate menus, you can use either the touchscreen or you can use the zoom lever around the shutter button on the top of the camera and the control ring around the lens. The focal length switch changes the menu tab and rotating the lens ring moves up and down a particular tab. It takes a little getting used to, but it works fine and the menus are well-suited for touch navigation if you want to go that route. In fact, the user interface as a whole works very well with the touchscreen, including while shooting and when using the Q Menu.

Speaking of the Q Menu, this shortcut menu is launched with the dedicated "Q/SET" button, and it offers quick access to the following settings: AF area mode, AF drive mode, image quality, drive mode, self-timer, flash mode, white balance, Picture Style, metering mode, focus distance (macro off versus on) and neutral density filter.

The built-in flash is manually released and has a range of 19.7 inches (50 centimeters) to over 19 and a half feet (6 meters) at the wide end of the lens and 19.7 inches (50 centimeters) to nearly eight feet (2.4 meters) at the telephoto end of the lens when using Auto ISO. The max flash sync is 1/2000s thanks to the leaf shutter and the flash has auto, flash on and slow synchro flash modes.

Overall, the Canon G9X Mark II camera body feels good and offers nice usability considering its very compact form factor. The touchscreen display does an excellent job serving as the primary means for controlling the camera, and the control ring around the lens works well in a variety of shooting modes.

Shooting Experience: Canon G9X II offers a positive overall shooting experience

The Canon G9X II utilizes the same 20.2-megapixel 1-inch type CMOS image sensor as its predecessor. The sensor does not have any sort of sensor-shift image stabilization or on-sensor phase detect pixels, although optical stabilization for the camera is available via the built-in lens.

Given the G9X II's reliance on the same image sensor as the G9X, it is unsurprising that image quality would be similar. However, the G9X II uses the new DIGIC 7 image processor, which helps to achieve better JPEG image quality in addition to performance gains, which we'll discuss later.

The camera delivers nice-looking JPEG images straight from the camera. There are a variety of Picture Styles you can use, although I found myself tending toward the "Faithful" Picture Style in many situations. RAW images are quite nice too, offering a good amount of flexibility during processing. You can see a few before (JPEG images straight from the camera) and after (processed RAW images) below.

The Canon G9X II has an ISO range of 125 to 12,800, with no expanded ISO range. The camera includes an Auto ISO setting, but there is not a lot of customization available beyond setting a maximum ISO and selecting a rate of change. A minimum shutter speed option would be nice, but the Auto ISO functionality is good considering the class of camera.

Canon G9X II ISO Comparison 100% center crops from highest-quality JPEG images with default camera settings. (Click images for full-size JPEG files, see captions for links to accompanying RAW files).
ISO 125 Full Scene
ISO 125 (RAW)	ISO 200 (RAW)
ISO 400 (RAW)	ISO 800 (RAW)
ISO 1600 (RAW)	ISO 3200 (RAW)
ISO 6400 (RAW)	ISO 12,800 (RAW)

As far as JPEG images at higher ISOs are concerned, I find that quality drops off quite dramatically at ISO 1600, but it remains very usable. There remains a lot of fine detail in files at ISO 1600, but it's a pretty dramatic shift from 800 to 1600 compared to the shift from ISO 400 to 800. At ISO 3200, there is a precipitous drop in fine detail and at ISO 6400 images become blotchy in addition to not being very detailed. ISO 12,800 is likely not usable except for perhaps very small prints or sharing on social media. When viewing the full-size files, take note of the mottling detail in the plastic of the X-Rite color checker in my test scene, as this shows very well how the default in-camera noise reduction changes with ISO. Further, the fine details in the sea glass is a good barometer as well.

Regarding other aspects of in-camera processing, I found that the in-camera sharpening was generally quite good. It adds crispness to the image without causing too many artifacts. Looking at the white millimeter markings in the full-size JPEG files, you can see that there are minimal issues, even with the high-contrast detail. However, even at base ISO, the off-white background displays some visible noise when viewing the file at its full size. This will not appear in scenes with consistent detail throughout the frame, but it could be problematic when shooting a bare blue sky, for example. To avoid this, you can handle RAW processing yourself and use selective sharpening.

Speaking of the RAW files, they are quite dull straight from the camera, as is to be expected. I was a bit surprised at how soft they are, but that indicates that the camera is doing a lot of sharpening to JPEG files, which makes its processing perhaps more impressive. The story is quite similar between RAW and JPEG files as you increase ISO. There is a big jump in visible noise from ISO 800 to 1600, and there is some visible noise even at base ISO. Beyond ISO 800, RAW files will require a careful processing touch to bring out the most in the files.

The Canon G9X II can capture very nice images for its camera class and price point. The sensor is good for its size, and the in-camera processing is impressive, thanks in part to the new DIGIC 7 image processor. It's easy to get vibrant, sharp and clean images straight from the camera with the G9X II, but the RAW files are flexible enough to offer enterprising photographers a good starting point when editing images.

Click here to see a variety of test images for the built-in lens in our Canon G9X II Gallery.

The Canon G9X II offers a built-in lens with an equivalent focal length of 28-84mm (its actual focal length is 10.2-30.6mm). The 28-84mm lens offers a maximum aperture range of f/2.0-4.9, which is quite fast at the wide end. However, the aperture changes quickly. The maximum aperture changes to f/2.5 just over 30mm (equivalent) and reaches f/4.9 at around the 70mm equivalent focal length.

The lens is decent, although its performance is not excellent across the board. There is quite a bit of sharpness falloff as you move toward the edges, particularly at the wide end of the lens. There is a bit of distortion as well, while vignetting is generally handled well by the camera. Chromatic aberration isn't severe, unless you're working with RAW files, which show a bit more issues than the JPEG images, which have a lot of corrections baked in.

With its close focus distance of two inches (5 centimeters), the G9X II can capture decent macro images. I like how close you can get, but optical issues are apparent. There is a considerable amount of sharpness falloff, which can sometimes be beneficial depending on your subject, but is not great overall. Further, there is some blur around high contrast edges that looks strange.

10.2mm (28mm equiv.), f/2.0, 1/1000s, ISO 125. Click for full-size image. Click here for RAW image. While the macro performance is not great from an image quality perspective, it is still nice how closely you can focus with the G9X II.

Overall, the built-in lens is decent considering the class of camera and how compact it is when the camera is turned off. However, it would be great if the lens were a bit wider at the wide end and offered more consistent performance across the focal length range. All things considered, though, the G9X II's lens offers acceptable performance.

The G9X II offers good, reliable autofocus performance with its 31-point contrast-detect autofocus system. The touchscreen works well with the autofocus system, particularly when using single-point AF. However, the single AF point is sometimes too large when trying to precisely focus, particularly when shooting macro photography.

The camera includes a tracking autofocus mode that incorporates face detection and face select features and also includes touch-to-track AF functionality. Tracking AF work well in my experience; subject tracking is sufficient for slower subjects, but it struggles to keep up with quicker ones.

When autofocus isn't sufficient, you can use manual focus as well. To start using manual focus with the G9X II, you have to tap on the AF button when shooting. The camera defaults to a 5x zoom when manually focusing. On-screen arrows are used for adjusting focus and you can also trigger AF while manually focusing to get focus close to where you want it. You can also use the control ring around lens to manually focus. By pressing the menu button, you can initiate focus bracketing, which is handy.

The Canon G9X II offers generally good autofocus performance. In most situations, autofocus is quick and accurate. When extra precision is needed, it's nice to have access to manual focus.

Exposure and auto white balance metering performance is solid across the majority of shooting situations. The camera has a shutter speed range of 30 seconds to 1/2000s, which is not always quick enough when shooting wide open at f/2.0, but there's a built-in neutral density filter which is set to Auto by default to help slow down your shutter speed in bright shooting conditions. The G9X II offers evaluative, center-weighted, average, spot (linkable to the AF frame) and face detect AE metering modes. When the metering is not delivering desired results, there's +/- 3 EV exposure compensation available as well, which can be adjusted in 1/3 stop intervals.

With its new DIGIC 7 image processor, the Canon G9X II has good overall performance for its class. It can shoot at over 8 frames per second, which is quite quick. Its buffer depths are pretty impressive too, topping over 20 frames for RAW images in our lab, but buffer clearing was slow, which proved problematic in the field. The buffer takes over 20 seconds to clear when shooting RAW and RAW+JPEG images. While buffer depths are improved over the G9X, the G9X II is still a slow camera to clear its buffer. This is frustrating when burst shooting, and the issue is exacerbated because the camera is basically unusable while it is processing files. You cannot view previously-shot images nor is there full access to the menus.

While not an issue, for me personally, during my time with the G9X II, but its built-in flash is very slow to recharge, taking around 10 seconds to recharge after a full power flash. The battery life is also not impressive, at least not with default power management settings, rated for only 235 shots. There's an available ECO mode, which is supposed to improve battery life to 315 shots by dimming the LCD and turning off quicker than normal after being idle. I was often shooting in bright conditions, so the dimmer LCD was an issue, but for some users, the ECO mode could be useful. In either case, a second battery is recommended because the battery life is not sufficient for a full day of shooting.

With a variety of shooting modes, the Canon G9X II is a versatile compact camera. It has a standard assortment of shooting modes, such as program auto, aperture priority, shutter speed priority and full manual, but it also includes creative-oriented shooting modes such as various scene modes and filters as well as a built-in HDR mode. You can see some of the creative filters in the Canon G9X II Gallery.

When shooting in an automatic mode or with the automatic Picture Style, the G9X II is said to offer improved scene recognition. I was impressed with its automatic mode in general, and I think the G9X II is well-suited for photographing in a fully automatic mode, semi-automatic and fully manual modes.

Through the use of the Canon Camera Connect application, which I tested with my iPhone, you can connect to the camera, geotag images, transfer files and remotely control the camera. The camera has built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC. The connection process was straightforward, although it was annoying to need to enter a password.

When remotely controlling the camera, you can control focus, exposure compensation and more. The slider for the focal length didn't entirely fit on my phone's display for some reason, but it's a minor user interface issue that doesn't hinder overall functionality. You can also change the drive mode and focus mode with the app. If you want to change the shooting mode, you must do so physically on the camera, which then requires you to go back to the application's home screen and then back into remote shooting in order for that change to be reflected.

Overall, the app is functional and offers a good level of control. The ability to quickly scan through images and transfer them to a phone is nice as is the ability to location tag images, but the remote control functionality is not as good as I have experienced with camera/app combinations I've seen with other manufacturers.

The Canon G9X II doesn't offer 4K UHD video recording, but it is nonetheless a capable compact camera when it comes to video if you're content with Full HD. It can record 1920 x 1080 video at up to 60 frames per second, although you must be in the dedicated video shooting mode to access the 60fps option, otherwise the camera records in 24 or 30fps modes. Speaking of shooting modes, the camera can record when in other modes, such as aperture priority, by simply pressing the dedicated record button.

Despite not having 4K UHD recording, the G9X II does not record using the full width of its sensor, as you can see in the still frames below. With its built-in lens already not being very wide, that is rather disappointing. However, on the flip side, you have a bit more reach when recording video than when recording still images.

Video quality itself is pretty good. The Full HD video didn't blow me away, but it is adequate. Similarly adequate is the autofocus system, which while not blazingly fast, is sufficient for recording video of many subjects. Metering performance was good.

High ISO video performance is okay, although I would not want to record a lot of low light video with the G9X II.

Overall, considering the class of camera and the price point of the Canon G9X II, its video performance and features are quite good. The fact that a camera like this has full manual video recording is impressive. The lack of mic and headphone jacks, while disappointing, is surely to be expected for a small camera like this. For someone looking for a camera which can quickly record decent-looking 1080p video, the G9X II should fit the bill.

What I like:

• Very compact form factor easily slips into a pants or jacket pocket
• Very good image quality from the 20.2-megapixel 1-inch sensor
• Good touchscreen control
• Quick autofocus
• A solid value

What I dislike:

• Display can be difficult to use outdoors, especially without tilt capabilities
• Built-in lens has some issues and it would be great if it were wider
• Performance is improved, but buffer clearing speeds are problematic during real-world shooting
• No 4K UHD video recording

The Canon G9X II is an impressive camera in its own right, but it is particularly impressive given its compact size and its price point. It does not offer the best video features in its class, but for the money, you get a lot of camera and the Full HD video quality is decent.

While there are compromises with regards to its form factor, the touchscreen user interface is so good that I rarely missed extensive physical controls while shooting. The autofocus system is quick, the camera and its DIGIC 7 image processor deliver solid all-around performance for the most part and, most importantly, the G9X II captures nice photos. If you're looking for a capable camera you can easily slip into your pocket but don't want to sacrifice image quality very much, take a long look at the new Canon G9X Mark II.

Flash

Canon G9X II Flash

Built-in Flash Test Results

Coverage, Exposure and Range
A weak flash with uneven coverage at wide angle, but with good performance for a such a compact camera.

Coverage
28mm eq.

Coverage. Flash coverage was quite uneven and a little narrow at wide angle (that's not unusual, though). We no longer test this at full telephoto, as wide angle is invariably the worst case.

Exposure
Normal Flash f/4, 1/60s, +0.7 EV, ISO 200

Exposure. When it came to exposure, the Canon G9X II's pop-up flash underexposed our Indoor Portrait subject at its default setting, requiring +0.7 EV flash exposure compensation which is about the average required for this shot. This is quite good for such a compact camera as we often have to switch to Auto ISO and let the camera boost sensitivity above ISO 200 for this shot.

Manufacturer-Specified Flash Range
7.9 feet ISO 800 1/60s, f/4.9

Manufacturer Specified Flash Test. Canon rates the PowerShot G9X II's flash range at 2.4 meters or 7.9 feet at telephoto and maximum aperture, when using Auto ISO. In the test shot above, the PowerShot G9X II's flash performed to Canon's specifications, producing a well-exposed flash target image wide-open at full telephoto, with the camera boosting ISO to 800.

We shoot at manufacturer-specified camera settings, at the range the company claims for the camera, to assess the validity of the specific claims.

Conclusion

The Canon PowerShot G9X Mark II is Canon's latest compact camera with a 1-inch sensor. There is a lot about the G9X II that is similar to its predecessor, including a very compact form factor, but there are many new features such as a faster processor. We have had the G9X Mark II in the field and put it through its paces in our lab. Let's take a final look at the Canon G9X II and see how it stacks up.

G9X II offers good image quality, especially with color accuracy & high ISOs

Featuring a 20-megapixel 1-inch type CMOS sensor, the G9X II uses the same image sensor as its predecessor, but there have been improvements made to image processing and overall image quality. For example, we found better color and detail from the G9X II than the original G9X. In fact, the G9X II produces essentially identical image quality as its more expensive and larger sibling, the G7X II.

When you increase the ISO, the improvements in the G9X Mark II over its predecessor are even more apparent. The G9X II delivers cleaner and clearer images at higher ISOs than the G9X. When considering print quality, the G9X II can deliver excellent 24 x 36 inch prints at ISO 125 (base ISO) through ISO 200. At ISO 1600, you can make an okay 13 x 19 inch print, although 11 x 14 works much better. A good 8 x 10 is even possible at ISO 3200 and usable 5 x 7 prints can be produced with ISO 6400 images. This is impressive performance for a compact camera with a 1-inch sensor. We believe that improvements in image quality over the original G9X are due to the improved image processor, as the cameras do utilize identical image sensors and the same built-in lens.

3x zoom lens is compact but a bit limited compared to the competition

The Canon G9X II has a 28-84mm-equivalent built-in lens which has a maximum aperture range of f/2.0-4.9. This is a fast maximum aperture, although the lens does become an f/2.2 lens 30mm and an f/2.8 lens at 33mm, so it is only fast at essentially its very widest focal length. Speaking of the wide focal length, the G9X II does not offer a very wide lens.

The 3x zoom lens proved to offer decent far-field performance for its class. While its zoom is not quite as impressive as some of the competition, the G9X II retains a very compact form factor so there had to be compromise. Macro performance is about average, but distortion is particularly well-controlled in most cases. The case where distortion is bad is when considering RAW images captured at wide angle; uncorrected files have very high distortion. Most RAW converters will automatically correct for it, so it is not a big deal but is worth keeping in mind if you shoot a lot of RAW. This will also reduce the quality of the corners in wide angle shots as the corrections stretch the pixels. This applies to JPEG images as well, which are corrected automatically, as the corners are noticeably soft in wide-angle shots.

Combined with the image sensor, the G9X II's built-in lens offers pretty good performance, and the camera produces images with good fine detail. Save for corner performance at wide angle focal lengths, the G9X II offers solid imaging performance across the board.

The Canon G9X II offers improved performance thanks to its new image processor. The G9X II has a DIGIC 7 image processor and can shoot at over 8 frames per second. This is impressive speed for the compact camera and is about 1.5 fps faster than the original G9X when shooting JPEGs, and over 7 fps faster when shooting RAW format as the G9X II no longer slows down with RAW files like the G9X did. Buffer depth is pretty good as well, with the G9X II offering 31 JPEG frames and 20 RAW frames when continuously shooting, or 19 if you're shooting RAW+JPEG. Startup time, autofocus speed, shutter lag and cycle times have also improved.

In the field, the G9X II proved to be a pretty quick camera as well. However, an area where the G9X II comes up quite short is in terms of how fast the camera is to clear its buffer. While shooting speeds and the buffer depths themselves are pretty good, the camera can take nearly 20 seconds to clear its RAW buffer and over 20 seconds to clear the RAW+JPEG buffer. It's a rather small blemish on an otherwise good set of performance results.

A more important weak area for the G9X II is its battery life. The camera is rated for 235 shots, which is a 15-shot improvement over its predecessor, but remains only mediocre. There is an optional "Eco" mode, which improves the battery life to 315 shots by dimming the LCD and turning it off quicker when the camera is not being used. A spare battery is still highly recommended if you regularly go on extended outings.

Overall, the G9X II offers pretty good performance for its class. While it's not perfect, it is improved over its predecessor and is competitive in the compact camera class.

G9X II autofocus is fast for most subjects, but struggles with C-AF

With 31 autofocus points and a contrast-detect autofocus system, the G9X Mark II does well with focus in most situations. The camera includes single-point autofocus, touch to track, fully automatic autofocus, face detect and more. The continuous autofocus performance proved to work well with slower subjects, but couldn't keep up with speedy ones. One of the highlights of the camera's autofocus performance is its good touchscreen implementation, which allows you to easily move your autofocus point around the frame. Overall, the G9X II offers quick, reliable autofocus in most scenarios although may not be well-suited for tracking fast-moving subjects.

Video: G9X II captures fine video and offers some nice features

The Canon G9X II records 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) video at up to 60 frames per second, which is quite nice. It is worth noting that the camera can only record at 60 fps when using the dedicated video recording mode. If you start a recording using the dedicated "movie record" button in other shooting modes, the camera tops out at 30 fps. The video quality is quite good, although disappointingly the G9X II crops in when recording video, rendering a camera that already does not have a very wide lens even less wide for video. Generally, the video features and performance on the G9X II are not excellent but they are certainly usable and pretty good for a compact camera.

If you have used a G9X, then the G9X II will prove very familiar to use. The camera retains the same form factor as its predecessor, which is to say that it's very compact. The G9X II weighs only 7.3 ounces (206 grams) and can easily fit in pants pocket or a jacket pocket. The small size comes with a few compromises in terms of usability. As with the original, the G9X II has very few physical controls, forcing you to use the touchscreen extensively. Those accustomed to cameras with more buttons and dials might find this frustrating. The lack of a front grip can make it tricky to get a good hold on the camera body, and the camera lacks a viewfinder. Without a viewfinder, you have to exclusively use the 3-inch rear display for framing your images. The display works well, but does not tilt, which makes it difficult to use in bright lighting conditions. If you want a compact camera, the G9X II definitely checks that box, but it is worth considering the trade-offs.

Review Summary: Canon G9X II is a solid all-around compact camera

The Canon G9X II takes what made the original a good compact camera choice and adds a few upgrades along the way. The camera is faster and more refined, but it still has some of the same weaknesses. The built-in lens is not very wide -- although it is fast -- and it does not offer excellent performance. The camera lacks a viewfinder, and the display does not tilt. However, the G9X II captures nice images in a compact form factor and has a wallet-friendly price tag, thus earning it a spot as a Dave's Pick.

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