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Canon G3 X

 
Canon PowerShot G3 X front
 
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3.2" Tilting Display
  • ISO 125 - 12800 (Increase to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-600mm (F2.8-5.6) lens
  • 733g - 123 x 77 x 105mm
  • Announced June 2015
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
60
Imaging
52
Features
76
Overall
61

Canon G3 X summary

Canon G3 X is Canon's Large Sensor Superzoom camera initially announced on June of 2015. It includes a 20 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1" size sensor with a full resolution of 5472 x 3648.

The G3 X is rated #8 out of 9 in Large Sensor Superzoom cameras & overall #293 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. Please try out our Advanced camera search to find camera results based on your customized factors.

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The following is a diagram of specific factors used in the rating system.

Canon G3 X Pros and Cons

Here is a checklist of advantages and drawbacks of the Canon G3 X based on things that are usually regarded as crucial in a camera.

built-in flash
delivers RAW formats
does have external microphone port
does have HDMI port
does have headphone port
environment sealing
excellent zoom range (24-600mm 25.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
manual focus
NFC connectivity
nice clear screen (1,620 k dot)
pretty good screen size (3.2")
provides focus by touch
quite wide (24mm)
resolution is good (20MP)
screen is selfie friendly
sensor size is good (1")
supports face detection autofocus
supports tracking autofocus
tilting screen
touchscreen functionality
very long reach (600mm)
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lack of phase detect autofocus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
max fps low (5.9 frames per second)
not so great battery life (300 per charge)
sluggish at long end (f5.6)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Canon G3 X Sensor specs

The Canon G3 X is powered by the DIGIC 6 processor. The sensor measurement on the Canon G3 X is 13.2mm x 8.8mm (1"). The 116 mm² sensor is able to capture 5472 x 3648 pixels using aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera has Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization since the latter might lead to cropping.

Photography Glossary

The BSI-CMOS sensor has 20MP and features a native ISO range of 125 to 12800. The ISO can be expanded digitally to a maximum of 25600. RAW photos are supported therefore the user has more room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below displays the G3 X's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The G3 X sensor has a crop factor of 2.7 and is showcased in green.

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To get an understanding of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Canon G3 X dimensions

Canon G3 X weighs around 1.62 pounds (733 grams or 25.86 oz) & the dimensions of the camera is 123mm x 77mm x 105mm (4.8" x 3.0" x 4.1"). The weight of average Large Sensor Superzoom camera is 874 grams and the Canon G3 X is less heavy as compared to various competitors.

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The following is a pic of the Canon G3 X with a soft drink so you can get a sense of its size.

Canon PowerShot G3 X dimensions scale

The top view below will show the button arrangement on the G3 X.

Canon PowerShot G3 X topview buttons dials

Canon G3 X Lens details

The G3 X comes with a built-in lens offering a focal range of 24-600mm making it a 25.0 x zoom which is amazing and can allow you to zoom right in.

At it's widest 24mm, it has an aperture of f2.8 and that is kind of sluggish and not good for low light circumstances and you will find it hard to get good bokeh. You will likely also need to boost your ISO which causes noisy files. At the long end, 600mm is terrific zoom and comes with f5.6 which is very slow and you would have to utilize slow shutter speeds.

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Canon G3 X Connectivity

The G3 X has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • NFC Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras which have NFC or Bluetooth connectivity can be used wirelessly with smartphones. You can easily transfer pictures and sometimes alter settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.

Many apps also stream a Liveview and release the shutter if you are not near the camera. If the camera has a HDMI port, it can be connected to an external screen. Virtually all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Canon G3 X Video details

The highest possible video resolution on the Canon G3 X is 1920 x 1080 and you can record in MPEG-4 and H.264 format. 1080p resolution gives you an excellent balance between quality vs file size but 1080p isn't going to give you any room to downsample. The camera does include both headphone and microphone port making it pretty useful whilst recording sound.

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Canon G3 X Weather Sealing

Canon G3 X provides environment proofing which makes it a great pick for use during tough environments. This can be particularly beneficial in case you are uncertain about the elements you may encounter during outdoor photography.

Canon G3 X Display and Viewfinder

The Canon G3 X includes a 3.2" tilting display having a resolution of 1,620k dots.

The display is selfie friendly for self portraits as well as group photos if needed. Additionally the display is touch friendly which means you are able to adjust focus point plus adjust settings with your finger.

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The View Finder specifications for Canon G3 X are the following:

  • ViewFinder Electronic (optional)

For bright outdoor situations that make the camera displays washed out and hard to see, viewfinders are very useful.

Canon G3 X Shutter details

Canon G3 X continuous shooting speed is 5.9 frames per second. The highest shutter speed is 1/2000 sec.

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Canon G3 X Flash and Hot shoe details

Canon G3 X has both inbuilt flash along with external flash support.

Canon G3 X Autofocusing details

Canon G3 X has only Contrast Based AF & doesn't have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot snappier and exact as compared to Contrast Based focusing. The camera includes Face detect which is handy for taking photos of people.

The AF system includes 31 focus points to pick from. Canon G3 X has tap to focus. You are able to use your fingers to adjust focus. It also comes with Tracking AF for moving subjects. Canon G3 X can use manual focusing in case it is required during low light occasions or you require more exact focusing control.

Photography Glossary

Canon G3 X Battery life

The battery life (NB-10L) in the Canon G3 X is made to last for 300 photographs with respect to the CIPA standards making it less in comparison with it's competitors. The average Large Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 373. Sony RX10 III has got the best (420) battery life within this category of cameras.

Underneath is a list of Large Sensor Superzoom cameras having the best battery life:

Canon G3 X for varying types of photography

The following bar chart provides a summary of the Canon G3 X for varying types of photography. To understand more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.

Canon G3 X Portrait photography features

The Canon G3 X gets a rating of 71 which is above average, meaning that it is a respectable choice to use for portraits. Taking portraits favors heavily to sensor dimensions, support for RAW files in addition to the flexibility to work with external flash.

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manual focus
megapixel count decent (20MP)
sensor size is decent (1")
has face detect autofocus
saves RAW formats

Canon G3 X Street photography features

Having a above average points tally of 73, the Canon G3 X is a very decent pick for street photography. A good street photography camera features a good balance of picture quality and portability.

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has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
nice sensor size (1")
saves RAW formats
supports touch focus
weather proof

Canon G3 X Sports photography advice

A reasonable sports photography rating of 59 means the Canon G3 X is relatively appropriate for taking photos of sports. A camera needs fantastic tracking plus shutter speeds for sports photography.

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excellent zoom range (24-600mm 25.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
sensor size is good (1")
comes with tracking autofocus
environment sealing
slow fps (5.9 frames/s)
low battery life (300 per charge)
no phase detect autofocus

Travel photography with Canon G3 X

Size is super important in buying a travel camera. All things considered, the Canon G3 X gets a nice 65 for a travel camera which makes it a very decent pick to buy for your journeys.

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weather proof
includes touch focus
decent megapixels (20 megapixels)
flash built-in
screen is selfie friendly
pretty wide (24mm)
long zoom (600mm)
bad battery (300 per charge)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)

Canon G3 X Landscape photography details

If you find yourself looking to choose a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most vital factor will no doubt be image quality. The Canon G3 X and it's above average rating of 63 for a landscape camera is a good choice among it's competition.

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has manual focus
reasonably wide (24mm)
screen size is good (3.2 inches)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (1")
delivers RAW files
weather proof
cannot change lenses (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
not so great battery life (300 per charge)

Canon G3 X Vlogging information

A vlogging camera ought to have a moving screen, mic port and preferably image stabilization. Considering every thing, the Canon G3 X is a fine pick for vlogging as it receives a nice rating of 69.

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rather wide (24mm)
selfie friendly display
built-in touchscreen
has image stabilization (Optical)
offers face detect focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
includes microphone port
sluggish max aperture (f2.8)

Canon G3 X Alternatives

If you are looking for alternatives to the G3 X, here is a selection of the highest placed cameras that fall into the category of Large Sensor Superzoom.

The chart followed below shows you a bird's eye view of the G3 X compared to it's highest rated competitors mentioned earlier.

There are more cameras you may consider as alternate options. To go through a extensive comparison, click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Canon
Model type
Canon PowerShot G3 X
Category
Large Sensor Superzoom
Announced
2015-06-18
Body design
SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Powered by
DIGIC 6
Sensor size
1"
Sensor measurements
13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor surface area
116.2mm²
Sensor resolution
20 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution
5472 x 3648
RAW data
Highest native ISO
12800
Highest enhanced ISO
25600
Minimum native ISO
125
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points
31
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
24-600mm (25.0x)
Largest aperture
f/2.8-5.6
Macro focusing distance
5cm
Focal length multiplier
2.7
Screen
Display type
Tilting
Display diagonal
3.2"
Resolution of display
1,620k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Electronic (optional)
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
63
DXO Color Depth rating
21.4
DXO Dynamic range rating
12.3
DXO Low light rating
521
Features
Minimum shutter speed
30 secs
Fastest shutter speed
1/2000 secs
Continuous shutter speed
5.9 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
6.80 m (with Auto ISO)
Flash settings
Auto, on, slow synchro, off
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Highest video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
733 gr (1.62 lb)
Physical dimensions
123 x 77 x 105mm (4.8" x 3.0" x 4.1")
Other
Battery life
300 photographs
Battery form
Battery Pack
Battery ID
NB-10L
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I compatible)
Storage slots
Single
Retail pricing
$849