Canon PowerShot G5 X Review

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Preview posted 10/12/2015 by Michael Palmer
Full review posted 01/11/2016 by Kyle Schurman

Quick Take
Pros
  • Excellent image quality in most types of scenes with 1-inch image sensor
  • Good mix of automatic and manual control shooting options
  • Maximum aperture of f/1.8 is good for shooting portraits
  • Having a viewfinder is a great option in this price range
  • Electronic viewfinder is of a strong quality with more than 2.3 million pixels
  • Display screen is sharp and is fully articulated, while offering touch capabilities
  • Built-in Wi-Fi allows for remote control with a smartphone app
  • Video recording at full HD up to 60 frames per second
  • Q menu is a good design feature that makes G5 X easy to use in all shooting modes
  • Camera allows for both RAW and JPEG image formatting
  • Inclusion of hot shoe allows for addition of external flash unit
Cons
  • Optical zoom is limited to 4.2x
  • Camera is chunky with an odd-shaped design, making it tough to fit in a standard pocket
  • Some control buttons are a bit too small to be used comfortably
  • Battery life is well below average
  • Built-in flash unit only can be opened manually; there's no popup flash button
  • Camera's performance slows considerably when shooting in RAW image format
  • Shooting in RAW and JPEG at the same time requires changing an odd menu setting
  • Shooting RAW and JPEG at same time eliminates many special effect shooting options
  • Image sharpness suffers a bit at the most wide-angle focal length setting
  • Large number of dials requires practice to learn to use correctly and quickly
Bottom Line
The Canon PowerShot G5 X is similar to other models in the G series of PowerShot cameras, but it does offer an electronic viewfinder and an articulated display screen, both of which make this model easier to use than others in the G series. And the G5 X maintains the strong image quality of the other advanced compact cameras from Canon in this family, while starting at a reasonable price point. The G5 X has a small 4.2x optical zoom lens and well below average battery life, factors that may disappoint some photographers. But it is an overall strong camera if you want an advanced fixed lens model. Read more in our Full Conclusion.
Canon has announced two new 2015 entries to its powerful G-series line of compact point-and-shoot cameras. The Canon PowerShot G5 X boasts a 20.2-megapixel high sensitivity CMOS image sensor mated to the DIGIC 6 image processor as well as 4.2x (24-100mm) optical zoom lens with an f/1.8 - f/2.8 range of maximum apertures. The G5 is capable of recording Full HD 1080p videos at up to 60 frames per second and has an ISO range of 125 to 12,800.

Need a display, the G5 X has two -- a 2.36M OLED EVF (electronic viewfinder) as well as a 3.0" LCD vars-angle touchscreen display. Other helpful features include Wi-Fi & NFC capability, intelligent image stabilization, a new Star Mode focuses one capturing the heavens at night, built-in flash, built-in ND filter, dedicated hot shoe, a 3.5mm mini-jack, and DSLR-esque top-mounted mode and exposure compensation dials. The G5 X is also capable of capture RAW still images at up to 6 frames-per-second.

Canon PowerShot G5 X Features:
  • 20.2 MP High Sensitivity CMOS Image Sensor
  • DIGIC 6 image processor
  • 4.2x optical zoom lens
    • 24-100mm equivalent
    • f/1.8-f/2.8
  • Intelligent Image Stabilization (IS)
  • 2.36M OLED Electronic Viewfinder
  • 3.0" LCD Vari-Angle touchscreen
  • ISO 125 - 12,800
  • Wi-Fi & NFC
  • Compatible with Canon Camera Connect App
  • Full 1080p HD Video Recording @ 24, 30, or 60p
  • Star Mode
    • Stair Trails
    • Star Time-Lapse Movie
  • Built-in flash
  • Dedicated hot shoe
  • Top-mounted mode & exposure compensation Dials
  • Customizable lens-mounted Control Ring
  • 3.5mm mini-jack for optional RS-60E3 Remote Switch
  • Full Manual
  • RAW + JPEG image capture
  • Built-in ND Filter

The Canon PowerShot G5 X is available now with a $799.99 MSRP. See our best price box at the top right of this page for current online pricing.

What's in the box?:
  • PowerShot G5 X camera body
  • Neck Strap NS-DC12
  • Battery Pack NB-13L
  • Battery Charger CB-2LH
  • Strap Adapters

Additional Product Views





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Visitors of Steves can visit the stores below for real-time pricing and availability. You can also find hot, soon to expire online offers on a variety of cameras and accessories at our very own Camera Deals page.