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| The G1X3 can render very large amounts of fine detail at all focal lengths |
The G1X3 comes with a very useful “Getting Started” guide in the box. I recommend this to any new user.
There is also an online 231 page PDF “User Guide” which can be downloaded from any Canon website by following the prompts under the “Support” tab for the product.
May I suggest this is essential reading for any G1X3 owner as the camera has many functions. The operation of some of these is not evident from the displays in camera.
The layout of the Guide is not altogether coherent making some items difficult to locate. Hence this little post.
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| Modified lens cap with enhanced lugs. Filter in place on the lens. |
Preliminaries
* Lens cap. In my view the perpetrators of this thing need to be set homework to remove and replace it 1000 times, then re-design it.
The problems:
First, the edge lugs for getting a finger grip are too shallow and smooth.
Second when the cap is engaged in the filter thread on either the front of the lens or a filter if fitted, it is difficult to remove. The serrations on the edge of the cap are sharp and grippy and do not want to let go.
I fixed the first problem by adding a little ridge of polyester filler at the front of each finger grip. You can see this in the photo.
The second problem remains. I hope the cap will get easier to fit and remove with time.
An option would be to get one of the generic lens caps sold on eBay about which I have had good reports.
NOTE The Getting Started booklet advises on Page 16 …”Always remove the lens cap before turning the camera on”. To which I would add …”and don’t replace it until the lens is retracted”.
Why ? Because the process of getting the lens cap on and off requires some pushing and jiggling. The lens is of the power zooming double inner barrel type which I suspect could be subject to damage from pushing and pulling on the outer end.
Apparently Canon thinks so anyway.
Oh yes… And I don’t fit the lens cap retaining string. When attached by the string the cap dangles about in a most irritating fashion. Well it irritates the heck out of me anyway. Maybe I am just a grumpy old man.
* Filter. The lens has a 37mm filter thread which takes standard 37mm filters. Strangely this gets no mention at all (not that I could see anyway) in any of the G1X3 documentation and a filter is not listed as an accessory. Odd that.
Anyway I fit one. My preference is for B+W XS Pro clear MRC nano filters. I find the multi resist coating actually works and the filter is much easier to keep clean than the lens front element with no risk of damaging the lens. My tests show no detectable loss of lens performance from the filter.
A lens hood is listed as an accessory but I will not be bothering with one. It appears to be a screw in type, non reversible so would be a nuisance for general photographic use. I just use my left hand to shield the lens from the sun as required.
* Battery. Buy at least one spare battery at the time of purchase, preferably two if you plan on all day outings with the camera. The NB-13L is very small and runs out of power quickly.
* Wrist strap. The camera comes with a neck strap. My suggestion : Leave that in the box. Invest in an el cheapo, no name basic wrist strap. See the photo for how I carry the camera when out and about.
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| G1X3 in Think Tank Mirrorless Mover 5 bag. |
* Carry bag. Some users say they carry the camera in a large pocket. Fine but make sure you slip it into a plastic sleeve first or it will pick up loads of that dust and junk and other stuff which accumulates in pockets.
It will fit into a Lowe Pro Portland 30 pouch with the red inner divider cut out but a bit of a wiggle is required to get the camera in and out.
I mostly carry it in a Think Tank Mirrorless Mover 5. This bag is a fraction larger than absolutely necessary but it allows the camera to be inserted and removed easily and there is plenty of room for 2 spare batteries, microfiber cloth and SD cards.
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| Holding the camera. |
* Holding the camera. Every camera user guide I have ever read tells you to place the left hand beneath the lens. This is the classic position and in the good old days of all manual cameras with an aperture ring and manual focus ring on the lens barrel was pretty much the only serviceable way to hold the camera.
However modern cameras do not require the left hand to be in the classic position.
I personally find I am much more comfortable with the “left hand over” position particularly with a light compact like the G1X3.
I find this position allows me to keep the left wrist straight and gives me a secure left hand grip on the camera (see photo) when I need to release grip with the right hand to change the AF frame position.
Basic decisions
* Touch screen operation. The G1X3 has a well implemented touch screen capability, with many functions.
Go to Menu>Wrench4> Touch Operation>Standard. (The Guide suggests using the Sensitive option if a screen protector is fitted). But you don’t need a screen protector as the monitor can be turned inwards for protection.
I have no idea why this basic Touch option is on the Wrench4 Menu when all the rest of the touch options are on the Camera2 Menu. Unfortunately all the camera makers have menus like this with like items scattered about and unlike items grouped together. Go figure.
Now go to Menu>Camera2>Touch shutter>Enable/Disable. I suggest you give touch shutter a try. It might suit some users to work this way. When you touch the screen the camera focusses ( at the touch point if AF Frame Pos’n is set to Touch point), sets the exposure then fires the shutter. The camera feels like a smart phone when set up this way.
Let’s assume you bought a camera expecting it to work like a camera. In that case disable touch shutter.
The next tab below on Camera2 is Touch & drag AF settings.
The first sub tab is Enable/Disable. Select Enable.
Next down is Pos’n method. Choices are absolute and relative. I suggest relative, see below.
Next down is Active touch area. There are 6 options !
I suggest Right for right eye viewers and Left for left eye viewers.
Now how does all this work ?
When you are viewing using just the monitor screen, the AF frame appears wherever you touch and/or drag a finger on the screen. AF is initiated by a half press on the shutter button.
When viewing on the monitor the whole screen is used regardless of the Active touch area setting.
When viewing through the EVF, touch operates in a different fashion, similar to the Touch Pad AF function on a Panasonic camera.
If you have the absolutesetting then when viewing through the EVF the AF frame just goes where you touch.
If you have the Relativesetting the AF frame goes nowhere if you just touch. It must be moved by dragging on the screen.
It is inconvenient to use the whole screen with one’s eye to the EVF eyepiece, hence the part screen options provided. With one of these in effect you can drag and/or nudge the AF frame anywhere.
(actually not quite anywhere, the AF frame cannot be set right at the edge of the frame, but why would you want it there, anyway?)
Note you can still press and hold the [AF Frame selector] button anytime to recenter the AF frame.
You can still move the AF frame the old fashioned way using the [AF Frame selector] button to activate the AF frame (see it go orange) then move it with the left/right/up/down buttons on the control dial on the control panel.
Advantages of the old fashioned way:
* Monitor can be turned inwards for protection, lower power consumption and freedom from finger/nose grease smudges.
* No accidental bumping of the AF frame position.
* Left eye viewers are not so well served by the touch screen method although I find that if I use the left hand over hold I can work the touch screen with my left index finger reasonably well.
Advantages of the touch screen method:
* Faster, fewer actions required.
Fortunately you can have both set up and available all the time so take your pick.
* My Menu The G1X3 has a well implemented My Menu which is well explained on Page 109 of the User Guide.
The main thing to decide is which items you want there.
Some suggestions:
Check out what’s in the Q Set menu and don’t duplicate those items in the My Menu.
There is no need to duplicate items accessed via the up and left buttons on the control dial.
You can actually allocate 5 x 6 items to the My Menu however it makes more sense to me to think carefully about the items I really want there and just populate one set of 6 options.
For the record I have: IS Settings, Touch Operation, Touch and drag AF settings, Bracketing and Mute on the My Menu.
I expect most users will go through a process of trial and refinement to settle on a population of items for the My Menu.
* Custom Modes The Mode Dial has two custom Mode positions available, cunningly labelled C1 and C2.
The method for setting up a Custom Mode is well described on Page 108 of the User Guide. This also describes what settings can be allocated to a Custom Mode.
As with the My Menu, the main thing is to decide which settings to allocate to a Custom Mode.
For the record I put my “camera on tripod” settings on C1 and my “action” settings on C2.
The “camera on tripod” settings include Av Mode, f5.6, RAW+JPG, Single shot, Timer 2 sec, ISO 100 and Auto Lighting optimiser high. These settings anticipate landscape or interior architectural types of subject.
The “action” settings include Auto ISO, Tv 1/250, JPG quality, Drive Low speed continuous.
Individuals will have their own ideas about all of this.