Canon G9X Review: Our final verdict on the smallest 1”-sensor compact yet!
posted Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 5:35 PM EDT
Late last year, the Canon G9X launched, adding yet another option to the company's fast-growing line of premium compact cameras based around 1-inch sensors. In the process, it took these popular cameras back to the heart of their original concept, when all around they were gradually shifting in another direction.
When the Sony RX100 first created the category back in mid-2012, it was clear what this camera was about: Fitting the largest sensor and brightest lens possible into a body that was jaw-droppingly compact. Since then, though, as the RX100-series has grown in terms of capability, it has also put on some weight. (And so, too, have its rivals from other manufacturers). You'll still fit these cameras in a pants pocket, but not with the same degree of comfort that you once did.
The Canon G9X turns all of that on its head, fielding a body which is noticeably smaller than even the original RX100, and that makes it a very interesting camera indeed. And not just that, it also features in-camera Wi-Fi, making it easy to get your photos onto your smartphone (and from there, to social networks). It also sports a touch-screen display for easy subject selection when shooting, and simple, smartphone-like gesture controls when reviewing your images.
But of course, Canon has had to make some compromises to achieve a camera this small. There's no electronic viewfinder, for example, and the LCD monitor is firmly fixed in place when many rivals are articulated for greater flexibility. And so we went into our Canon G9X review keen to find out whether the tradeoffs were worthwhile when allowing for an even more pocket-friendly design.
Today, we've completed our review and are ready to provide the answer to that question. If you want to know whether this tiny little shooter belongs in your pocket, you'll want to read our in-depth Canon G9X review now, and find out!
If you've already read the review -- including our real-world field test, which was published recently -- then feel free to skip ahead to the conclusion for the full answer. If not, though, be sure to check out these earlier sections first to get a feel for how this interesting little camera handles, and to see what results you can expect from it.
