G1X: Review at Imaging Resource

Imaging Resource has posted their review of the G1X.  Theirs is an extensive review including notes from a live Q&A session at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, still and video samples, performance tests, a gallery and hands-on impressions.  Even though the G1X is no longer “new”, the Imaging Resource review is well worth reading.  In fact, I intend to study it in hopes of finding that new technique or even a secret feature that I’ve overlooked.

G1X: Lens Hood

 

The Canon LH-DC70 lens hood for the G1X is a cute little thing but rather expensive considering its size and material. On the other hand, the LH-DC70 has a built-in adapter and can be mounted directly on the G1X; however, filters cannot be added to the LH-DC70 and, in turn, it cannot be added on top of filters. There’s a way around these problems -- well, sort of.

I remembered once having a cheap lens hood that screwed onto the filter threads of my SLR. After a bit of browsing, I found something similar with a 58mm filter thread. There are a number of variations available so I bought a cheap one for a few dollars. There’s good news and bad news about this filter thread mounted lens hood.

Generalizing from my brief experience with the cheap lens hood that I bought, the good news is that it works. That is, it can be screwed into either the Canon or Lensmate filter adapters. As can be seen, the threaded lens hood is quite a bit longer than the Canon lens hood but there was no vignetting even with the G1X at maximum wide angle.

The bad news comes when wanting to add the threaded lens hood to a filter. In my case, I put a Tiffen polarizing filter on the filter adapter and then screwed the lens hood into the polarizing filter. Unfortunately, this combination results in vignetting when the G1X is at wide angle.

Also, I have to say that, at best, a polarizing filter with a lens hood is daunting combination that becomes downright frustrating when the filter and hood are connected such that rotating one also rotates the other. I tried to have the lens hood only loosely screwed into the filter but the combination is still awkward. I don’t like it.

Still, cheap lens hoods are readily available for the G1X. Since there are many variations of filters and threaded lens hoods, there is some hope that a worthwhile, non-vignetting combination can be found – not to mention using step-up filter rings. Even so, I doubt I’ll be using these two devices together very often on the G1X. Since I primarily use the Canon LH-DC70 lens hood for protection, I’ll stay with the cute one.

G1X: Rainy Day

Although hoping for a beautiful sunset, water and beach scene, I was determined to take a picture of something and this was the best I could do.  Actually, I like it and have added it to my G1X collection at Smugmug.

This picture was taken at ISO 200, 1/15 second and f4.5 at a mid-zoom focal length.  The G1X was in manual focus mode at minimum focus distance – roughly 15 inches or so.  Although I could have elected to increase the ISO setting, I decided instead to brace the camera against the car seat and accept the 1/15 second shutter speed.

G1X: Pocketable?

One of the complaints about the G1X is that it is too bulky to be a true “compact” camera.  The G1X is certainly larger than the G12 but, to my thinking, not really that much larger.  In fact, I previously claimed that the G1X was “pocketable” and here is the proof.

The Pocketable G1X

Although I do not claim universal “pocketability”, I will note that for men of a certain age and fashion, the G1X is indeed pocketable.  As noted previously, “I did not subject myself or the G1X to the jeans of my youth!”. 

Realistically, I do not routinely carry the G1X in my pants or coat pocket but prefer my Domke man bag instead.  However, it is occasionally convenient to put the G1X into a coat or pants pocket – and it does fit!