September 24, 2019
CANON POWERSHOT G5 Mk II: After almost 4 years of waiting, the second generation model in Canon’s G5 X series introduces a new, more compact body design with a longer zoom lens, stacked CMOS sensor and latest DIGIC 8 processor. Its EVF and longer lens will put it ahead of the Powershot G7 X III but behind the rival’s longer 24-200mm zoom range (1-inch type sensor) Sony RX100 VII (with a higher RRP of AU$199) . The offering of neutral density (ND) filters and a ‘more friendly’ user interface give the Canon camera an edge over its Sony rival.
RRP: $1430 (Canon online store)
Canon is introducing its new PowerShot G5 X camera to the casual consumer rather than the true enthusiast, albeit with enthusiast-grade features. Making the new camera pocketable means squeezing its high-resolution OLED EVF into the body, where it pops up with a lever on the left-hand side. The user must pull out the eyepiece to use.
The screen can be flipped up 180 degrees, touch also says this camera is for those who like to take quick pictures. The 24-120mm (equivalent) zoom lens will focus down to 5cm at the ‘wide’ 8.8mm position and 20cm at the telephoto end, a big improvement over the G5 X’s minimum size of 40cm.
Video capabilities have been updated by adding 4K UHD recording at up to 30fps to the previous model’s Full HD (1080p) capabilities. However, we found the review camera to be sensitive to high temperatures; it refused to record 4K clips in the 20-degree Celsius temperatures common in our tests, although there were no problems recording 1080p clips. No microphone socket is provided and without the accessory shoe there is no room to mount the secondary microphone.
Updating the image processor to DIGIC 8 makes the new camera more responsive and expands sensitivity to cover the native range from ISO 125 to ISO 12,800, with expandability to ISO 25,600. The inclusion of an electronic shutter increases the continuous shooting speed to 20 fps in single shot mode or 30 fps in CR3.RAW format. (Although Raw files are larger than JPEGs, they don’t require as fast processing.) The buffer can save up to 118 JPEG files or 55 CR3.RAW files at the highest frame rate.
Point of purchase:
1. This camera will appeal to travelers, family photographers, and casual snapshot buffs who want a compact camera that’s more versatile than their phone and takes better photos .
2. The 5x optical zoom lens extends the range to 24-120mm equivalent in the 35mm format, with an aperture of f1.8 to f2.8. Five-axis stabilization is built-in, providing up to four stops of vibration correction.
3. The new 13.2 x 8.8mm CMOS sensor has an effective resolution of 20.1 megapixels and features a stacked design to produce clearer signals with lower noise levels.
4. The tilting screen flips up 180 degrees for ‘selfies’, instead of being fully matched as on the original camera. It can also be tilted down about 45 degrees.
5. Movies can be recorded in most shooting modes with automatic or manual settings. Assisted and dynamic stabilization is available to compensate for vibration while walking and at long focal length settings. But no microphone socket is provided and without the accessory shoe there is no place to attach the secondary microphone.
6. Time-Lapse and Star Time-Lapse movie modes allow users to record star trails. The camera also offers HDR (High Dynamic Range) movie recording to improve video quality in bright, contrasting lighting conditions.
7. Canon has updated the menu system to accommodate EOS cameras. The option to select ambient (default) or white priority for automatic white balance measurement is a new addition to the white balance setting.
8. The new camera features a faster USB Type-C port, which can be used to charge the camera via the optional PD-E1 adapter without removing the battery.
Distributor: Canon Australia; 1800 021 167; www.canon.com.au.
– Margaret Brown
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