Canon G1X Mark II

I decided that I wanted to buy a good compact camera to carry for instances where I didn't want to carry my big DSLR. I made a list of what I wanted in  the compact camera and then I started to look for cameras that fit my list. Frankly, there weren't any. I found that, as in life, I would need to make compromises and figure out which features were the most important to me.

Here is my basic list;

1. Picture quality - Since I wanted this camera so as not to miss good photos, I felt that the IQ was the most important thing to me. If I just wanted snapshots, I would not want a compact camera and would just use my cell phone.
2. Features - I wanted the basic features of a DSLR so I could control my photos and get the image I wanted. This included being able to shoot in RAW.
3. Fast lens - I wanted to be able to use as low an ISO as possible to maximize the quality of the photos.
4. Small and light - I wanted something that is easy to carry with no extra equipment needed that I couldn't carry in my pocket.
5. Good zoom lens - I wanted the best lens I could get with the widest angle to the longest zoom.

Price, while a consideration, was not initially thrown into the mix until I found specific cameras to compare.

Here's what I found;

1. Picture quality - The Canon G1X Mark II has the largest sensor of any camera in the class. AT 12.8 megapixels, it is not at the top of the list, but it is near it. But the actual sensor is almost twice as large as the other cameras in its class. Megapixels don't tell the whole story when it comes to IQ. The size of the pixel also counts and, in  a 12.8 megapixel camera with larger pixels on a sensor twice the size of the competition, the IQ would have to be better.
2. Features - The G1X has all the features I wanted, and then some. It has Wi-Fi built in, shoots Raw, JPEG or both together, is fully functional with manual operation, aperture priority mode, shutter speed priority mode and of course full automatic and the other specialty modes available in most cameras today. It has an LCD screen that folds out upwards for taking pictures at a low angle, but also can fold out downwards for taking photos from overhead. One thing that I was adamant about was having a view finder. Most of the cameras now come with only an LCD screen. I hate composing photos on an LCD screen in most situations. The G1X MII has an optional (about $250) viewfinder that mounts on the camera's hot shoe. 
3. Fast lens - The G1X MII has a lens that goes from f-2 to f-3.9. The few cameras that had faster lenses were barely any faster. The fastest lens in the class was an f-1.8.
4. Small and Light - The G1X MII isn't a pocket camera, but it is small enough and light enough to carry all day without any strain.
5. Good Zoom Lens - This is the one place where I really had to accept some trade offs. The G1X MII lens is a 24-120mm. The 24mm is fine, but the 120mm is not as powerful as I would have liked. However, my "walk around" lens on my Canon 6D has been a 24-105mm f4, so I am used to finding ways to compensate for the short focal length.

Photo taken with Canon G1X MarkII. Photo is not retouched at all, other than rotating it for viewing. It was 3:17 PM, storm clouds were rolling in and I was facing west. Shot at 18.4mm (not taking crop factor into consideration), 1/50 sec;   f/16;   ISO 100 Evaluative Metering.

The G1X MII was $799.00 and the view finder was $250.00, putting the package at $1,050.00, well above any of the other cameras I looked at. However, after much consideration I realized that it was easily the best camera in its class and it would give me the picture quality I wanted. I could have bought something for several hundred dollars (or more) less expensive, but I know I would have regretted saving the money at the expense of picture quality and functionality. As much as I hated spending that much more money, I am happy with what I got for the money and don't have regrets about making that decision.