Ergonomics
The Canon G5X is quite comfortable to use with protruding rubber grips both at the front and the back. The top panel features mode dial and exposure compensation dial. There is a control ring around the lens, which can be assigned various functions. There is a vertical command dial near the shutter release button, on the front panel in addition to the one near the four-way button. The interface is intuitive, and menu self-explanatory. The buttons are small, yet easy to use.
Performance
The Canon G5X performed well in our tests. Autofocus was fast and spoton, and the system did not have any problem locking on to the subject even in low light. All metering modes performed well as expected.
The LCD monitor is of good quality, and the images were displayed crisp and clear. The electronic viewfinder is too small and tedious to use especially if you use it for a long time. However, this is still helpful to reduce camera shake at low shutter speeds.
A tinge of darkening was observed at the corners at the wide-angle end with the lens wide open, though it was barely noticeable. Images were reasonably sharp. At the wide-angle end, sharpest images were obtained at f/2.8, and f/2 to 5.6 were reasonably sharp. At the middle of the zoom (around 50mm equivalent), the sweet spot was found to be f/4, while f/2.8 to 8 were sharp enough. This sweet spot was maintained till the telephoto end, where f/4 to 8 were reasonably sharp. The images were free of any distortion in the practical sense, which is quite good.
Native print size was 12.16 x 18.24 inches at 300 ppi. At 25 percent, the images were noise-free up to ISO 3200. The images were usable up to ISO 6400. Enlarged to 50 percent, the images remained noise-free up to ISO 800, and were usable up to ISO 3200. Observed at 100 percent, we observed slight noise throughout the ISO range, but the images could be used till ISO 200.
The lens produced prominent flare along with heavy purple fringing at the wide-angle end with the lens wide open in strong against the light situations. The images had an overall red cast under all lighting conditions in Auto White Balance, but these were easy to remove in post-processing.
Value for Money
The Canon PowerShot G5X retails at an MRP of Rs.49,995. At this price, the camera seems good value for money since the latest 1-inch sensor compacts with similar specifications carry much higher price tags. |SP
FINAL SCORE 82%
Design and Build Quality 14/15
Key Features 14/15
Ergonomics 13/15
Performance
Autofocus 4/5
Metering 4/5
Noise Control 4/5
Sharpness 4/5
Darkening of corners 4/5
Flare and CA 3/5
Distortion 3.5/5
LCD/EVF 3.5/5
Auto WB 3/5
Sub-Total 33/45
Value for Money 8/10
PLUS
• Excellent build quality
• Fast aperture
• Good noise control
• Sharp results
MINUS
• Red cast in Auto White Balance
• Flare and purple fringing
VERDICT
The Canon G5X is a large sensor compact providing a maximum aperture range of f/1.8 to 2.8. The camera delivers superior performance, and is easily one amongst the most desirable compacts in the market. At this price, the camera is surely a Best Buy.
Sujith Gopinath
