Another mirrorless: Canon G1x

That G1X is appealing. There are many things to like about the G-series, and as an owner of a G11, this camera looks to be quite an upgrade. Yeah, there will be naysayers wondering why Canon didn't bring out a changeable lens camera, but some of us like the convenience and control of the G-series, and the G1X is a nice step up.

I think this will be the camera that delivers what the X10 promises. The G1X will give the resolution that the X10 can't because of the sensor size (size matters because of resolution limits of lenses). The noise and dynamic range will also be better. Unlike the Fuji, it will probably feel like a finished product, rather than a late beta version. I'd love to see Canon sell those sensors to Olympus.

I find both nikon and canon both ingenious in the way they approached mirrorless...They both have created products that appeal to the market yet protected their dslr (and lens) market. I much prefer the open systems of sony and m4/3rds. Anyone knows if one easily can adapt legacy lenses to the new fuji X1 system?

The sensor size is 18.7 x 14 mm that is smaller than the APS_C, nearly as small as major 4/3 cameras.
Yet Imaging Resource review calls it: "Company's first large-sensor, fixed-lens camera".

It look like a decent camera but the zoom range is limited. Ending at 112mm rather than 140mm like the G12 will not make this camera as attractive for a point and shoot. Still it is good to see Canon improving on the sensor size for a P&S.

The larger sensor is clearly a plus over the current G Series cameras. Couple of things I am pondering:
- is the optical viewfinder of better quality than what Canon offered so far?
- wish the zoom would start at 24mm and be f/4.5 or thereabouts at the long end. Could be problematic though as the lens would increase in size quite a bit.
- I am sure I would like it better than the G7 I currently own (and hardly use) - but $800 is a lot for a camera with the current lens specs and what I expect to be the same abysmal viewfinder as all the other G cameras.

I see nothing Wow about this.

APS-C, an awesome EVF, or even a faster lens could have elevated it into Wowness...

I have a complete NEX 5N kit of EVF, three e mount lenses and the upgrade bounce flash. The flash works really well. I am also a long time Canon user of L lenses and numerous bodies. Having said that I have always liked the G series and have seen a number of other peoples photos from them that were really good. I think this is a good upgrade for the G series and a very usable camera. The price is a little stiff compared to the G-12 I bought for a friend about six months ago but I am into a good bit more cost with my fully equipped Sony. I liked the G 12. The way than Canon has approached the smaller than 1.5 crop on the Sony looks like it might produce a very high quality picture for the size. Regardless of what mirrorless or micro four thirds it has been kind of a renaissance for for me to go light weight with really quite usable pictures. Retaining a fixed lens by Canon is quite interesting.

EDIT

Frank, I think "large sensor" these days means anything from Four Thirds on up: DSLR sensors, as opposed to tiny P&S sensors. Nikon CX now falls in between these groups, so the distinction is a little less clear than it used to be.

The GX1 looks to be an excellent upgrade for G-series users, but from what I've seen (maybe I missed something) it appears to follow the G-series in having a simple non-TTL optical viewfinder, the only TTL view being provided by the rear LCD. This puts it out of my consideration. A real TTL EVF or OVF is essential as far as I'm concerned.

Leslie makes a good point that Nikon and Canon are both clearly trying to protect their DSLR markets in the way they have designed their MILC/EVIL products. This may make sense for now, but as the technology continues to improve, I expect that DSLRs will eventually die out or at least become a niche product. The first MILC/EVIL camera that will really challenge the dominance of the DSLR for professional shooting will probably come from Olympus, Panasonic, Ricoh, or someone else who doesn't have a big investment in a market-leading DSLR line. And at that point Canon and Nikon will be in trouble.