Canon PowerShot G3 X: It's all about the zoom

The latest camera Canon adds to its enthusiast G series leans more into megazoom territory than any previous model. The PowerShot G3 X incorporates the same 1-inch sensor as the G7 X , but pairs it with a 25x zoom lens in a body a bit bigger than the G1 X Mark II .

Canon plans to ship the camera in July for a whopping $1,000 or £799. No Australian pricing has been announced but some websites are suggesting it may be priced around AU$1200. While there are more expensive cameras, $1,000 is high for the features it offers.

The lens covers the 24-600mm focal-length range, but sadly, it's slow, with a maximum aperture range of f2.8-5.6. And usually Canon's lenses in these cameras get slow fast; in other words, the lens probably hits f5.6 as you zoom in a lot sooner than you'd like. In comparison, the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 's 16x lens runs f2.8 to f4, hitting f4 at 400mm where the Canon would be at f5.6, and the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 II 's 8.3x lens can stay at f2.8 across the entire zoom range. Yes, those ranges are shorter, but I'd take the faster apertures in a heartbeat.

Especially since the rest of the camera's specs look so lacklustre in comparison, with the exception of a 3.2-inch LCD. Both the Panasonic and the Sony have built-in viewfinders -- the G3 X's optional EVF-DC1 viewfinder costs $250/£200/AU$250 (though it tilts, which is nice). They've got faster continuous shooting, and based on past history, I suspect their autofocus performance is better as well. They also can shoot 4K video, and the Sony has a dust- and weather-resistant design like the Canon.

The design looks pretty efficient, with a more substantial grip than usual and a pronounced thumb rest. The LCD tilts as well as flips up for selfies; frequently, the LCDs only flip up. It also looks like a similar popup flash as the G7 X, which I'm hoping tilts back to bounce as well.

It has a markedly different control layout than previous models, with a separate mode and exposure-compensation dials and a vertical adjustment dial on top. The back controls are less cluttered looking, though that's partly because the exposure lock and AF-area buttons are on the top next to the thumb rest which can sometimes be awkward.

The image quality of the G7 X is quite good, and the only reason I can think of why the G3 X might not match it is the lens; the G7 X's is faster and I suspect brighter. Plus, it will be really interesting to see how the G3 X fares compared to the RX10 II and its new stacked CMOS sensor.

Comparative specs