Canon G11 vs Pentax XG-1

Its time to look more closely at the Canon G11 and Pentax XG-1, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Canon and Pentax. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the G11 (10MP) and XG-1 (16MP) and the G11 (1/1.7") and XG-1 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The G11 was announced 5 years prior to the XG-1 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Canon G11 being a Compact camera and the Pentax XG-1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going into a thorough comparison, here is a brief summation of how the G11 grades vs the XG-1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot G11 and Pentax XG-1. The whole galleries are available at Canon G11 Gallery and Pentax XG-1 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Canon G11 comes with exterior dimensions of 112mm x 76mm x 48mm (4.4" x 3.0" x 1.9") along with a weight of 375 grams (0.83 lbs) while the Pentax XG-1 has specifications of 119mm x 89mm x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9") with a weight of 567 grams (1.25 lbs).

Compare the Canon G11 and Pentax XG-1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the G11 compared to the XG-1.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the G11 and XG-1 is 83 and 66 respectively.

Often, it's difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading specifications. The pic below should provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the G11 and XG-1.

Plainly, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The G11 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Pentax XG-1 will offer you extra detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged G11 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.