{"id":2448890,"date":"2012-06-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-06-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/uncategorized\/canon-powershot-g1x-camera\/"},"modified":"2022-02-24T13:11:54","modified_gmt":"2022-02-24T20:11:54","slug":"canon-powershot-g1x-camera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/outdoor-gear\/gear-news\/canon-powershot-g1x-camera\/","title":{"rendered":"The 7 Best Cameras of Summer 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"
Nearly every major manufacturer jumped on the mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (MILC) trend this year. While we\u2019re big fans of the technology, we also like that, with the G1X, Canon<\/a> bucked the trend and honored a simple truth: most photographers prefer one versatile lens to a quiver of them. Canon wisely dropped the interchangeable-lens mount from the mirrorless G1X in favor of a 4x digital zoom that stretches from a very useful 28mm to 112mm and shoots between f\/2.8 and f\/5.8\u2014fast enough for 90 percent of everyday situations. Canon also beefed things up with a 14.3-megapixel CMOS sensor and a viewfinder that makes using the G1X feel like shooting with a vintage Leica. Other slick features include a tilt\/swivel LCD screen, HD-video capabilities, and an ISO range of 100 to 12,800. All told, the G1X may not fall squarely into the MILC category, but it\u2019s exactly the niche we hoped somebody would fill: DLSR quality in a package that takes up less space than a paperback in your travel bag.<\/p>\n FEATURES: 5 BEST FOR: Heavy-handed gadget geeks. THE TEST: A barometer on a camera<\/a> might seem like overkill, but it\u2019s fitting for the nearly indestructible DMC-TS4, which can withstand drops of 6.6 feet, is waterproof to 40 feet, and will keep on snapping when temperatures tumble to 14 degrees. The Lumix also includes a GPS that pinpoints where an image was shot, which makes uploading multimedia maps of your adventures to Google Earth a snap. It has ten photo modes, including macro, tilt-shift, and even 3-D. The features feel a bit gimmicky, and we\u2019d prefer that it kept working to negative<\/em> <\/em>14 degrees, but the respectable 12.1-megapixel image quality and armored body compensate. THE VERDICT: The Lumix is a fixture in our pack.<\/p>\n FEATURES: 5 BEST FOR: Pros; aspiring moviemakers. <\/strong>THE TEST: Acknowledging that most serious photographers also want to be able to shoot cinema-grade short films, Nikon<\/a> souped up the video capabilities of its new flagship HDSLR, the D4. It features a 3.2-inch LCD with onscreen audio levels as well as an in-camera editing mode. Nikon stuck with the 16.2-megabyte full-frame CMOS sensor of its D7000 but added an ultralight carbon-fiber shutter that fires at 1\/8,000th of a second. It also tailored ergonomics to videographers\u2019 needs, with a handy record button beside the shutter release and a repositioned joystick that makes it easier to adjust f-stop and exposure while shooting in vertical orientation. THE VERDICT: Warrants the hype.<\/p>\n FEATURES: 5 BEST FOR: Downsizing Pentax devotees. THE TEST: Pentax<\/a> took its K-01 in the opposite direction of the Gear of the Year\u2013winning Canon G1X, making it compatible with hundreds of K-mount lenses. This baby accepts everything from fish-eyes to a 600mm telephoto, though the included ultrathin 40mm f\/2.8 lens will be plenty for most enthusiasts. The lens options make it versatile, but the K-01 was still the most intuitive camera we tested. The ribbed rubber grip felt solid, and Pentax didn\u2019t skimp on horsepower: a 16.3-megapixel CMOS sensor powers the K-01, it can fire seven frames per second, and you can edit HD video onscreen. THE VERDICT: This brawny MILC was a close runner-up for Gear of the Year.<\/p>\n FEATURES: 4 The Pentax is among a new generation of cameras with interchangeable lenses but, unlike DSLRs, no mirrors between the lens and sensor. So-called mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (MILCs) blend DSLR performance with the ease of a point-and-shoot.<\/em><\/p>\n BEST FOR: ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø travel; nights on the town. THE TEST: We liked the simplicity of Sony\u2019s<\/a> latest point-and-shoot: it has just three buttons (on\/off, shutter, and zoom), and the 3.5-inch touchscreen\u2019s interface is as easy to use as an iPhone. We also loved that in burst mode it can shoot giant 18-megapixel images at a jaw-dropping ten frames per second, which is considerably faster than most DSLRs. The Sony also includes a sweep mode for easy panoramic shooting, is waterproof to 16 feet, and is the size of a deck of cards\u2014all of which makes its steep price tag palatable. THE VERDICT: Elegant, high-tech, and surprisingly rugged.<\/p>\n FEATURES: 5
VALUE: 4.5 (OUT OF 5)<\/strong><\/p>\nPanasonic DMC-TS4 Camera<\/h2>\n
VALUE: 4<\/strong><\/p>\nNikon D4 Camera<\/h2>\n
VALUE: 2<\/strong><\/p>\nPentax K-01 Camera<\/h2>\n
VALUE: 3<\/strong><\/p>\nSony DSC-TX200V Camera<\/h2>\n
VALUE: 4<\/strong><\/p>\nLeica V Lux 3 Camera<\/h2>\n