Canon G1X Mark II vs Canon G3X

Cameras
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Canon G1X Mark II vs Canon G3X

1.5 inch 233.8mm²
13.1 megapixels
24.00mm - 120.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Canon G1X Mark II Review.
How does it shoot? Canon G1X Mark II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the G1X Mark II.
Compare Canon G1X Mark II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon G1X Mark II conclusion.

1 inch 116.2mm²
20.2 megapixels
24.00mm - 600.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Canon G3X Review.
How does it shoot? Canon G3X in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the G3X.
Compare Canon G3X image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon G3X conclusion.

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Differences

Canon G1X Mark II advantages over Canon G3X

Larger sensor
1.5 inch vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Less expensive
$599 vs $749
Save money for lenses or accessories
Bigger pixels
~ 4.30 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Larger lens aperture
f/2.0 vs f/2.8
Take photos in low-light or isolate your subject
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
G1X Mark II test data on DxO Mark G3X test data on DxO Mark

581 vs 521 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Thinner
66 mm vs 105 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
563g vs 739g
Lighter weight
Less shutter lag
0.21 vs 0.41 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 9 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
1.4 fps vs 0.7 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Faster shutter
1/4000 vs 1/2000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Canon G3X advantages over Canon G1X Mark II

More telephoto lens reach
600 mm vs 120 mm
Capture objects farther away
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
G3X test data on DxO Mark G1X Mark II test data on DxO Mark

12.3 vs 10.8 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

300 vs 240 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
Higher-res screen
540k vs 346k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
More pixels
20.2 vs 13.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bulb shutter
Bulb vs No bulb
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
Faster JPEG shooting
7.3 fps vs 5.3 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Both provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
Integrated ND filter
Both provide
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Eye-level viewfinder
Neither provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read G3X User Reviews

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Canon G3X

Review Excerpt

Wider, longer, faster lens than predecessor, with good overall optical quality; Faster AF performance; Closer macro shooting; Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC with remote shooting; Decent JPEG burst performance; Excellent build quality.
Localized flare issue when wide open; No real net improvement in image quality over predecessor; Slow burst mode when shooting RAW files; Poor battery life; Video quality is so-so (not like Canon DSLRs).
Read our Canon G1X Mark II Review

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.
Read our Canon G3X Review

The Competition

Compared to Panasonic FZ1000

Canon G1X Mark II

Panasonic FZ1000

$599
1.5 inch

Less expensive
Larger sensor

$773
1 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon G1X Mark II vs Panasonic FZ1000

Canon G3X

Panasonic FZ1000

$749
1 inch

Touchscreen
More telephoto lens reach

$773
1 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon G3X vs Panasonic FZ1000

Compared to Panasonic LX100

Canon G1X Mark II

Panasonic LX100

$599
1.5 inch

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

$598
4/3

Eye-level viewfinder
Shoot 4K video

Compare Canon G1X Mark II vs Panasonic LX100

Canon G3X

Panasonic LX100

$749
1 inch

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

$598
4/3

Larger sensor
Less expensive

Compare Canon G3X vs Panasonic LX100

Compared to Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

Canon G1X Mark II

Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

$599
1.5 inch

Less expensive
Touchscreen

$875
4/3

Eye-level viewfinder
Shoot 4K video

Compare Canon G1X Mark II vs Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

Canon G3X

Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

$749
1 inch

Less expensive
Touchscreen

$875
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon G3X vs Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

Compared to Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Canon G1X Mark II

Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

$599
1.5 inch

Less expensive
Larger sensor

$899
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
Shoot 4K video

Compare Canon G1X Mark II vs Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Canon G3X

Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

$749
1 inch

Less expensive
Touchscreen

$899
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
Shoot 4K video

Compare Canon G3X vs Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Compared to Panasonic LX100 II

Canon G1X Mark II

Panasonic LX100 II

$599
1.5 inch

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$898
4/3

Eye-level viewfinder
Shoot 4K video

Compare Canon G1X Mark II vs Panasonic LX100 II

Canon G3X

Panasonic LX100 II

$749
1 inch

Tiltable Screen
Fast startup

$898
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon G3X vs Panasonic LX100 II

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