As mirrorless cameras rise in quality and popularity, Canon is continuing to more or less ignore the category, and is instead doubling down on its high-end G series point-and-shoots. The new shooter in town is the G3 X, which boasts more pixels, more modes and more features. It also costs more dollars.
The Canon G3 X costs $999.99, which is $200 more than the company's current flagship: the G1 X Mark II at $799.99. However, the G3 X doesn't knock its predecessor from the top spot, mainly because its 1-inch 20.2-megapixel sensor is smaller than the 1.5-inch 12.8MP sensor on the the G1 X Mark II.
[seealso slug="worlds-smallest-1-inch-sensor-camera-turns-iphone-into-a-viewfinder"]
The G3 X brings plenty of other stuff to the table, though: The highlight is its 25x optical zoom -- the highest we've seen so far in the G series. Its retractable lens can go from 24mm to 600mm (f/2.8-5.6 aperture), which would result in a huge, heavy lens in the DSLR world, but the G3 X stays nice and pocketable. In addition, five-axis image stabilization will help compensate for shaky hands during those extreme close-ups.
Bugwatchers will love the G3 X's impressive macro photography abilities: You can be as close as 2 inches away from a subject, and still get sharp pics, Canon claims. An max ISO rating of 12,800 helps in low light.
The 3.2-inch rear LCD is extremely sharp, with 1MP resolution, and it conveniently tilts to help with those hard-to-get arm's-length shots. For even harder-to-get shots, you can pair your phone with the G3 X and use it as a remote viewfinder, snapping your photo from even further away.
Canon equipped the G3 X with a hot shoe as well, so you can add on accessories, such as an external flash, microphone or wireless flash controller.
That's a lot of camera technology in a relatively small package, although you can be well on your way to a great mirrorless camera for about the same price. At least then you'll be able to switch out lenses. Which way you go depends largely on whether you want a camera or a camera system.
The Canon G3 X ships in July.
