Canon G1 X slow?

Mike

New Member
Good Morning,

Is it just me or is this camera really slow? We just attended a wedding and most times I was getting photos I didn't want due to the time it took to focus and snap. Not action shots, just folks walking down the isle. I was using it in auto mode, with and without flash. Really frustrating. After the wedding I listed the G1 X for sale, and I'm looking at an SL1. The pictures the G1 X takes are beautiful but not ones I necessarily want Any users have any G1 X tips to share? Or is the camera really that slow? Thanks in advance.
 
I've never handled one, but that was one of the initial criticisms of it. Somewhat slow lens (necessary to get that zoom range into a relatively small-ish camera with a pretty large sensor and slow reflexes, AF, etc. So I can't say if you're experience is out of the ordinary, but it was never a fast camera. Nic (Lucky Penguin) has or had one and liked it a lot and turned out some great images with it, but they tended more toward landscapes and abstracts and stuff, rather than moving people shots...

-Ray
 
The one trick to learn about shooting the G1X faster is to confirm focus and shoot based on the LCD screen image rather than the focus confirmation box and beep. There is a perceptible lag between the lens locking focus and the camera actually reporting it, so if you trip the shutter once you see the lens stop moving through it's focus range it will speed up the process. Other than that, the G1X isn't really designed for AF responsiveness in shot to shot speed.

You mention looking at the Canon SL1 as an alternative. I don't know whether you have a particular affinity for Canon or not but you don't need to revert to a DSLR to find a camera that works better in this situation. It's not that large sensor compact cameras (fixed or interchangeable lens) can't have autofocus performance suitable for this role, it's just that in the G1X you chose the wrong compact camera for it.
 
The one trick to learn about shooting the G1X faster is to confirm focus and shoot based on the LCD screen image rather than the focus confirmation box and beep. There is a perceptible lag between the lens locking focus and the camera actually reporting it, so if you trip the shutter once you see the lens stop moving through it's focus range it will speed up the process. Other than that, the G1X isn't really designed for AF responsiveness in shot to shot speed.

You mention looking at the Canon SL1 as an alternative. I don't know whether you have a particular affinity for Canon or not but you don't need to revert to a DSLR to find a camera that works better in this situation. It's not that large sensor compact cameras (fixed or interchangeable lens) can't have autofocus performance suitable for this role, it's just that in the G1X you chose the wrong compact camera for it.


Thanks! The G1X was my first purchase of what I consider to be a high end camera. I have no complaints about the image quality but the slowness is frustrating. I was only looking at the SL1 because of good reviews, image quality, and price point. 800.00 will buy the camera with a 18-55mm and also a 55-250mm. I keep looking and reading reviews, but it can be a little overwhelming.
 
Thanks! The G1X was my first purchase of what I consider to be a high end camera. I have no complaints about the image quality but the slowness is frustrating. I was only looking at the SL1 because of good reviews, image quality, and price point. 800.00 will buy the camera with a 18-55mm and also a 55-250mm. I keep looking and reading reviews, but it can be a little overwhelming.

I'm pretty sure you can get Olympus E-PL5 with 14-42 and 40-150 for the same price or even cheaper. Its image quality will be slightly better and the camera itself, as well as lenses, will be much smaller.
 
The focusing speed isn't that bad.
One thought for a procession coming towards you would have been to use High Speed Burst Mode where at least one shot per button press would have been sharp.
A judicious use of Servo AF and Continuous AF might have helped too.

The focusing options are somewhat over complicated with this camera but as Nik says the camera is often in focus well before the Green Light and Bleep -- often it's a case of simply squeezing the shutter button smoothly in one movement to catch a "grab shot "

The G1X remains one of my all time favourite cameras.
 
I bought my G1X for landscapes, not people or moving image shots. That said, I do a lot of low light, no flash, live music shoots. The camera is a tad slow, but considering the image quality, I'm not fussed. If I wanted to shoot a wedding, I'd be lugging my 5dmk2 with the sweet EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens... :D
 
Good Morning,

Is it just me or is this camera really slow? We just attended a wedding and most times I was getting photos I didn't want due to the time it took to focus and snap. Not action shots, just folks walking down the isle. I was using it in auto mode, with and without flash. Really frustrating. After the wedding I listed the G1 X for sale, and I'm looking at an SL1. The pictures the G1 X takes are beautiful but not ones I necessarily want Any users have any G1 X tips to share? Or is the camera really that slow? Thanks in advance.

It is not just you, it is the nature of the tradeoffs made to achieve a camera like this, particularly such a range from wide angle to telephoto while still retracting and still covering the large sensor.

I think there are several components to slowness. I am not sure what to do about the one you describe, which is slow focusing. . Perhaps burst shooting, which is a choice under the Scenes setting.

Other components of slowness in operation, not in focusing, I have dealt with successfully:

Trying to see around the obstructed viewfinder: use the Ricoh GV-2 a tiny but superb 28 mm OVF that fits into the flash shoe. Recommended by Amin Sabet in his review of the G1X.

Viewfinder can slip out of hot shoe: use a rubber band around the foot of the finder before you slip it into the hot shoe, as demonstrated on Serious Compacts by Ray Sacks.

Taking off and stowing the lens cap: I replaced it with the JJC folding lens cap.

Moving the articulating LCD into position: I cover it with a clip-on LCD cover and leave it facing outward. That way, the LCD is protected and when I turn on the camera it is ready to shoot.

Choosing the rotating ring next to the LCD as the control for the step zoom. That way, if I know I want to shoot at say 85mm I don't have to zoom to it, the camera is set to 85mm as it opens up.

Can't see the LCD clearly with bright sunlight on it when I want to shoot telephoto: use the built in viewfinder, there is zero obstruction at 85mm or longer and it is very satisfactory for telephoto in my experience..

Camera won't focus close for portraits: hit the macro button, which is a yellow flower. This gets you close enough for a head and shoulders.

For macro of small objects, the best I can do is 28mm at 8 inches, which easily covers the page of an ordinary book. Not good for bumblebees but great for documents and maps and small art objects.

But the camera is just not very fast focusing compared to a DSLR or even some other premium cameras. But the image quality, and the compactness for a camera that zooms to 112 mm while covering a large sensor, and retracting, are wonderful. It would not be my choice for fast moving subjects or situations, such as weddings, small children, or sports.

Hope this helps some posters,

Krugman
 
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