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Canon G1X.3 pano stitched in Photoshop |
There has long been a market for compact devices which can deliver good quality photos.
This has largely been taken over by smartphones.
In the do-or-die race for survival in a falling market camera makers have pushed their product lines upmarket where the profit per unit is high enough to justify producing a limited run of that unit.
Such are the imperatives of the changing world of imaging.
But there are some of us who still prefer to make photos with a camera even though we have a competent smartphone in our pocket.
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One doesn't usually use a compact for bird photos but this one let me get close hoping for a feed |
I use a camera for many reasons:
* I like to be able to take control of the capture process, to use the various capture modes and adjustments in the service of getting the best shot. For this a comprehensive set of well designed controls is required.
* A camera can capture raw files which can be edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
* Any camera which I will use has an always ready, built in viewfinder of good quality with a proper eyecup. I live in Sydney, Australia where hard bright light is normal and trying to use a camera without a proper EVF in sunlight is an exercise in frustration. I have used those tedious pop-up-pull-out-push-back-push-down things and wish never to do so again.
* I want a fully articulating touch screen because it offers unbeatable flexibility for viewing (when conditions make screen viewing possible) above or below my head or down near the ground, in landscape or portrait orientation or viewing from the frontside of the camera. In addition I can fold it inwards for protection.
* I want a decent handle and thumb support which allow me to get a secure grip on the device. This seems such an obvious requirement to me but camera makers continue to offer models flat on both front and back with nothing onto which the fingers can get a purchase.
My main camera these days is a Canon R5 with a set of excellent lenses but there are times when I want to travel light but still be able to make good pictures using a camera suitable for an expert/enthusiast user.
I have a long history with compact cameras. In the film era I used models from Canon, Nikon, Konica, Contax and Olympus. Best of the bunch was the expensive but very nice Contax T3.
My first digital camera was a compact, the Canon Powershot S70.
This was followed by many other compacts from Canon, Nikon, Sony and Panasonic.
I also made extensive use of bridge type superzooms from Nikon, Sony and Panasonic.
I gave compacts away two years ago in favour of the Canon RF full frame mirrorless system.
But I got the wants and decided to get another compact.
When I reviewed what is available I found that Canon, Sony, Nikon and Panasonic still offer numerous fixed zoom lens models in both compact and bridge/superzoom style.
Fujifilm, Ricoh and Leica offer a limited range of fixed focal length models for enthusiast buyers seeking something a bit special.
It would appear that the compact camera genre is certainly reduced but still has some life in it. There remain plenty of options from which the buyer can choose.
Let’s see what alternatives are on offer in August 2021 in Sydney, Australia.
Here is a little table of the number of small compact models (excluding bridge type superzooms) listed on the Australian websites of the main manufacturers in August 2021.
Canon | Nikon | Panasonic | Sony |
11 | 54 | 8 | 8 |
The models listed by Canon, Panasonic and Sony are products which are actually for sale at major retail outlets, although availability is highly subject to variation these days.
But 53 of the 54 products listed by Nikon Australia are not available for sale. Most of them have been out of production for many years. The camera pictured on the heading of the compacts listings is the Coolpix A, which was released in 2013 and soon ceased production.
The only Nikon compact I could find actually for sale is a little budget waterproof job.
Nikon’s market share has been falling in recent years with various commentators offering opinions as to why.
However I think we can see one of those reasons right here. The people at Nikon appear to be out of touch with their own products and with their potential customers. Listing 54 products when in fact you only have one to sell is a sure way to alienate potential buyers.
I will never again buy any kind of camera without a fixed (not a pop-up) always ready EVF, a fully articulated monitor screen and a decently grippable handle with complementary thumb support. I also prefer a good quality zoom over a good quality prime.
Those requirements reduce the potential candidates considerably.
In fact….The only model which meets all my requirements is the Canon Powershot G1X.3.
By no means a recent arrival, the G1X.3 was released in 2017.
Initial reviews were mostly either diplomatically non-committal or distinctly unfavourable. The camera was criticised for a range of deficiencies, particularly the lens aperture of f2.8-5.6, which suffered in comparison to the specs of the previous G1X.2 model which had a greater zoom range and wider aperture. But the Mk2 had no EVF and a smaller sensor with fewer pixels and lower imaging capability.
It’s a case of swings and roundabouts. If you increase sensor size and keep overall size constant something has to give and that is generally lens zoom range and/or aperture. The reviewers were and are perfectly well aware of this but the poor little G1X.3 got bashed anyway. The teensy little NB-13L battery didn’t help either.
I had previously owned a G1X.3 and sold it along with several other cameras when I switched over to full frame. This was more a case of clearing the decks, so to speak, than any specific disaffection for the G1X.3.
Some people have suggested the Canon EOS M50 (in original or Mk2 variant) with kit 15-45mm lens as a viable alternative to the G1X.3 at a significantly lower price. I have owned and extensively used this combination. Unfortunately that kit EF-M 15-45mm f3.5-6.3 lens has an even smaller aperture than the one fitted to the G1X.3 and much inferior optical quality.
So the G1X.3 it is.
Some cameras receive a rapturous reception on initial release with many glowingly positive reviews. But after a while ordinary paying users get to spend time with their new device and report deficiencies over which the early reviewers glossed in their gushing enthusiasm. The pendulum of opinion swings back into negative territory and eventually levels out somewhere more expressive of the value of the device to its users. The eventual fate of the model depends on how well it sells and camera makers rarely tell us about that.
But we can hazard a guess based on
a) whether or not the model continues to be listed and
b) price trend.
Models which trend down in price more than average are likely to be those not selling so well, presaging removal from the catalogue when stock has been cleared.
Sometimes these disappointing models are well received initially because reviewers like their appearance, often with lots of ostentatious marked dials. But those dials can be an impediment to efficient operation leading to frustration.
Some cameras receive negative reviews on release perhaps because they seem rather pedestrian at first. But some of these are discovered on further acquaintance to be efficient and serviceable photographic companions worth keeping.
The Canon G1X.3 is one of these. It is not top of the class on any specific metric and its appearance is unassuming but the overall package taking into account specifications, features, capabilities, image quality, performance and ergonomics make it a keeper.
On the subject of price, I have noticed that most of the compact and bridge type cameras remaining on the market have retained their selling price rather well and in some cases even enjoyed an increase. I paid about the same for my G1X.3 in 2021 as I did in 2018.
The Panasonic FZ300 bridge superzoom which was released in 2015 is still available new at about the same price it has been for 6 years.
The Sony RX10.4 released in 2017 held its original price until quite recently this year.
The Fujifilm X100V has also dropped in price this year.
Conclusion
Like Arnie in the Terminator, there are still some compact cameras on the market which are old but not obsolete.
I nominate the Canon Powershot G1X.3 as one of the best of these. I will be reporting on my experience using the G1X.3 again over the next few months. Unfortunately Sydney and most of New South Wales are in Covid lockdown at the moment which makes using the G1X.3 in its most favourable setting, street and documentary, almost impossible. We shall see what eventuates.