Canon Powershot G5 X Review: Canon PowerShot G5 X as big sister of the PowerShot G7X – With OLED viewfinder

With the PowerShot G5 X, Canon pimped the G7 X for ambitious photographers. Although the same sensor/lens combination (20 megapixel 1″ BSI CMOS and F1.8-2.8 24-100 mm) is available, the G5 X comes with a built-in OLED viewfinder, handle, hot shoe and swivel/rotate screen. The second dial, the touch screen, WLAN and NFC as well as the Full-HD video function complete the equipment.

Although the Canon PowerShot G5 X has the same sensor-lens combination as the G7 X, it doesn’t have much in common with its little sister. [Photo: Canon]

At first glance, the Canon PowerShot G5 X seems to be a camera dream come true: Compact, elegant housing with handle, viewfinder, hot shoe and on-board flash, fast zoom lens with 24 millimetre wide angle, sufficiently large 1-inch sensor, three dials, rotating and swivelling touchscreen, WLAN, NFC etc. pp.

The BSI CMOS sensor in 1″ format, which has a resolution of 20 megapixels, should ensure high image quality. It is supported by the Digic 6 image processor, which enables up to almost six continuous images per second. For Full HD videos the frame rate is even 60 fps. The Smart Auto mode recognizes up to 58 different subject scenes, but semi-automatic and manual exposure are also available. Thanks to the lens ring and the front dial, the recording parameters can be easily adjusted. In addition to the buttons, the 7.5-centimeter touchscreen can also be used to focus on a scene mode detail with a fingertip. Thanks to the panning and rotating mechanism, the display allows photography from all conceivable perspectives. In the same way, the screen can also be folded upside down to the back for protection.

The OLED viewfinder resolves a fine 2.4 million pixels and covers 100 percent of the image field. Thanks to a frame rate of 120 fps, even fast-moving subjects should be able to be followed smoothly. The large exit pupil of 22 millimetres ensures a comfortable view even for spectacle wearers. In addition, the Canon does not display the recording parameters in the viewfinder above the live image, but below it, so that the subject can be viewed undisturbed. In addition to the built-in flash, the PowerShot G5 X also features a TTL system hot shoe that can be used with Canon E-TTL flash units. In addition to the 31-point autofocus, manual focusing can also be used. The Peaking function with its edge enhancement helps to find the right level of sharpness.

With its F1.8 to F2.8 high-speed 24- to 100-millimetre zoom and 20-megapixel 1″ sensor, the Canon PowerShot G5 X aims to deliver high image quality. [Photo: Canon]

As a bridge camera, the Canon PowerShot G5 X offers not only an electronic viewfinder but also a system hot shoe. [Photo: Canon]

The swivel and tilt touchscreen can also be flipped upside down on the Canon PowerShot G5 X to protect the screen surface. On the back, the Canon PowerShot G5 X has an electronic viewfinder and a freely movable touchscreen [Photo: Canon]

For a tripod thread in the optical axis of the Canon PowerShot G5 X it was unfortunately no longer sufficient. [Photo: Canon]

The 4.2x optical zoom covers a focal length range of 24 to 100 millimetres equivalent to a small image and, with F1.8 to F2.8, offers a high initial light intensity both in the wide-angle and telephoto range. In addition, the optical image stabilizer compensates for camera shake for up to three EV steps longer exposure times. The built-in WLAN including NFC not only enables the transmission of the recordings to smartphones, but also allows remote control of the camera including live image transmission with the help of the corresponding app. Since November 2015, the Canon PowerShot G5 X is available at a price of just under 790 dollars.

Ergonomics and Workmanship

Beautifully compact and of high quality, the Canon PowerShot G5 X. At just under 375 grams ready for use, it remains portable. With the exception of the underside and the viewfinder boss, the housing is made of metal, the rest is made of high-quality plastic. The small rubber-covered handle does not protrude beyond the retracted lens, which supports the compactness. The G5 X is not a camera that fills your hand, but it is quite easy to hold on to, not least because of the thumb rest and grip.

Canon’s PowerShot G5 X, weighing in at 375 grams, has a well-crafted body that is largely made of metal. [Photo: Canon]

Three interfaces are concealed under a flap on the right side of the case: A 2.5mm jack connector for the optional cable remote release, a micro HDMI and a micro USB socket. The latter theoretically serves to charge the lithium-ion battery, which is very economical with a runtime of just 210 shots according to the CIPA standard. Practically, however, recharging with standard smartphone chargers worked just as little as on a PC. Here Canon should urgently work on compatibility. However, an external charging cradle is included in the scope of delivery. The battery is inserted with the SD memory card in a common compartment on the bottom of the camera. This is located directly next to the metal tripod thread, which is arranged outside the optical axis. Even small removable tripod plates block access to the battery and memory card. The latter can be read out via USB (Canon does not supply a suitable cable), instead of the battery, a dummy with power cable can be used optionally.

The rear, 7.5-centimeter screen resolves a good one million pixels and has the same aspect ratio as the image sensor: 3:2, so no space is wasted in live image display. The screen is fully movable: it can be swivelled sideways by 180 degrees and rotated by 270 degrees. This makes it possible to take pictures from all conceivable perspectives – including self-portraits or selfies, as they are called currently. The screen is touch-sensitive, which not only allows focusing and optional fingertip triggering, but even the complete operation of the camera including the menus. The latter get by without annoying vertical scrolling, typical for Canon. Nevertheless, the sheer number of menus, up to eight recording menus alone, makes for a certain confusion. How good that most of the relevant recording functions can be operated without a menu. If necessary, the Quick Menu can be used, which allows access to some functions that are not on the keys. Furthermore, a “My Menu” can be filled with preferred menu items. There is also a user memory on the program dial for storing favorite recording settings.

Instead of the screen, the electronic viewfinder can also be used to compose the image. The recording settings, histogram, spirit level, grid lines, and other information can also be displayed in the electronic viewfinder if desired. Thanks to the eye sensor, the very fine-resolution mini display with 2.36 million pixels activates itself automatically when the camera is held to the eye. Dioptre correction is also adjustable. If possible, spectacle wearers should use them, because with glasses the viewfinder corners shade a little. Unfortunately, Canon does not indicate the viewfinder magnification, but according to our subjective opinion, it is about 0,6 times as high as the 35mm, thus approximately the level of a middle class DSLR with APS-C sensor and 0,9 times viewfinder magnification.

Three dials plus exposure-compensation dial plus program dial ensure that the PowerShot can be operated easily and without detours. Various functions can be assigned to the lens ring, the wheel on the handle and the wheel on the four-way controller on the rear panel. The somewhat filigree thumbwheel works better than feared. It is quite handy and you can operate it well without accidentally triggering the button function. The wheel on the handle, on the other hand, is not so ergonomically positioned, especially due to its 90 degree rotated arrangement. This may look unusual, not least because of the small red decorative ring, but sometimes it happens that the wheel is unintentionally activated when the zoom rocker is operated. The exposed exposure-compensation wheel is also a little too easy to operate and runs the risk of being accidentally operated when handling the camera. The program selector wheel is a little more sluggish. In addition to the many dials, there are eleven control buttons, some of which can be assigned functions other than those printed on them. The buttons all look high-quality.

Equipment

From full auto, scene and effect programs to creative programs including manual mode, the PowerShot G5 X has something for everyone. The fully automatic mode sets the camera to match the subject completely, drawing on 58 automatically recognizable subject programs. The scene mode selection only allows access to a small, selected portion of those scene modes. There are also some effect filters. The HDR mode can also be found here. It takes three pictures with different exposure and combines them to a high contrast photo. Unfortunately HDR cannot be activated in the creative programs. A panorama mode is completely missing, however. In the creative programs, ISO sensitivity, aperture and shutter speed can be set manually, depending on the program. The shortest exposure time is 1/2,000 seconds, the longest 30 seconds. The bulb mode allows even faster shutter speeds. The aperture of the F1.8 to F2.8 fast lens can be closed to a maximum of F11. Thanks to the swing-in grey filter, which absorbs light in three aperture settings, it is possible to work in bright environments with the aperture open. When the aperture is closed, the filter can be used to achieve slow shutter speeds even in daylight, for example to create flow effects in water or to blur other movements.

The Canon PowerShot G5 X offers a hot shoe and numerous dials. [Photo: Canon]

Unfortunately, the tripod thread of the Canon PowerShot G5 X is not only outside the optical axis, but also right next to the memory card and battery compartment. [Photo: Canon]

In addition to the continuous shooting function, the G5 X also offers a continuous shooting function. While it works quite fast in JPEG, one cannot speak of a fast continuous shooting function when saving in raw format. Only the first two photos are taken halfway fast one after the other, before less than one frame per second follows in continuous mode. By the way, the autofocus works with less than 0,3 seconds quite fast; but still, the serial image speed slows down if one wants to photograph with tracking autofocus. The G5 X is not a sports camera.

The Canon PowerShot offers a small built-in flash, but it wants to be folded up by hand. Since the space in the hump is almost completely used for the viewfinder, there is not much room left for the flash. It does not open up very high and has only a guide number of just over five. Nevertheless, it is suitable for brightening up scenes, especially since it also synchronizes with the fastest shutter speed of 1/2,000 seconds. Optionally, the flash fires at the end of the exposure instead of at the beginning, and flash compensation can be activated. If you wish, you can even manually control the flash output in the Tv, Av and M programs in one of three output levels; the typical TTL pre-flash is also omitted. Thanks to the TTL system hot shoe, large system flash units can be used on the G5 X. Or you can use a small flash that is better suited to the camera or use a Speedlite transmitter and ignite the large system flashes wirelessly. So despite the small camera, all creative paths are open to the photographer.

The G5 X is also capable of recording movies as MP4 files. On the one hand, this is possible at any time thanks to the movie recording button. The maximum resolution is Full-HD. But those who want some faster frame rates than 25 or 30 frames per second have to switch to the film mode by means of the program dial. The frame rates available here depend on the video system selected in the camera settings. In PAL, 50 and 25 frames per second in Full HD are possible, in NTSC 60, 30 and 24 frames per second. Parameters such as aperture, exposure time and ISO sensitivity can also be adjusted in video mode. However, the sound is only transmitted to the video via the built-in stereo microphone, as the G5 X does not have a microphone connection. A level control is missing as well as a corresponding display, only a wind noise filter can be switched on. The Canon autofocus is smooth and noiseless and the optical zoom can also be used. It works very smoothly and slowly, zoom noise is still audible very quietly, but this is only disturbing in quiet environments. In addition to the 4.2x optical zoom, a digital zoom operates, which uses the resolution reserves of the sensor for a loss-free digital zoom.

The G5 X can be connected to mobile devices via WLAN. Thanks to active NFC, the camera does not even need to be switched on beforehand. If one holds the NFC tag of the Canon to that of the Android smartphone, the camera turns on by itself while on the smartphone the app Canon Camera Connect starts. This can be used to control the PowerShot remotely. In addition to live image transmission with touch focus and shutter release, certain functions or recording parameters can also be set. Changing the recording program, on the other hand, requires disconnecting and reconnecting after the recording program has been selected on the camera. JPEGs can be transmitted wirelessly in contrast to raw recordings. As raws cannot be converted into a JPEG within the camera, you can’t access these images on the road without a laptop or card reader. Videos can be transmitted, but before that, lossy recompression is performed to save transmission capacity.

Apart from the WLAN antenna and the loudspeaker, there’s nothing else to be found on the left side of the Canon PowerShot G5 X. A stereo microphone connection would have been good for her at this point. [Photo: Canon]

On the right side of the Canon PowerShot G5 X is a micro HDMI socket, a micro USB interface and a jack cable remote release connector. [Photo: Canon]

Image quality

The Canon PowerShot G5 X not only has an F1.8-2.8x 4.2x zoom with a focal length of 24 to 100 millimetres, but also a 1″ sensor (13.2 x 8.8 millimetres) that is large enough for compact cameras. Both raise expectations of good image quality, not least because Sony in particular, but also Panasonic in the past have shown that these 1″ sensors can keep up with older DSLRs in terms of image quality and deliver a useful performance even at somewhat higher ISO sensitivities.

Based on a 20 by 30 centimetre paper print, the lens delivers perfectly sharp results from the centre to the edge of the image at all focal lengths and apertures. The lens does not expose itself even when the edges are darkened. With a maximum of half an aperture stop, this always remains at a low level. The same applies to the distortion. This is most pronounced in the wide angle with a one percent barrel shape, which is hardly significant in practice. At medium and long focal length, the images are virtually distortion-free. Even color fringes in the form of chromatic aberrations are on such a small level that they can practically be neglected.

The true qualities of the lens, however, become apparent in the resolution measurement, which takes place at 50 percent contrast (MTF50). Here, the G5 X achieves up to 56 line pairs per millimeter (lp/mm) at F4.0 in wide-angle, and even at open aperture the lens resolves only slightly weaker, while above F4 diffraction slowly sets in. However, it is only at F8 that the resolution falls below the 50 line pairs per millimetre, but even at F11 it is still just over 40 lp/mm. All this, however, only applies in the centre of the picture, at the edge of the picture it looks a little different. Here, at most half of the resolution in the image center or even slightly less is achieved. This is indeed sufficient for sharp image edges of 20 by 30 centimetres, as mentioned above, but contrary to the resolution in the image centre, unfortunately not for much more. At medium and long focal length, the resolution of the image edge is much closer to that of the image center, but the resolution level here is generally lower than the maximum at wide angle. At just under 50 millimeters corresponding to 35 mm, it is a good 39 to 50 lp/mm (the latter at F5.6), at long focal length 31 to 39 lp/mm (the latter at F4) are achieved. But a little more than sharp A4 images are possible.

Thus, the lens cuts a pretty good figure, except for the edge resolution in wide angle. However, it is important with the 1″ sensor that the performance also meets the higher expectations at higher ISO sensitivities. The signal-to-noise ratio ranges from ISO 125 to 800 in the acceptable range of 35 to 40 dB, but never reaches good values above 40 dB. Above ISO 3,200, the value even falls below 30 dB. Brightness noise becomes visible from ISO 3.200 and above and stronger with each ISO level, but color noise is not important. The measurement of the texture sharpness shows a very good richness of detail at ISO 125 and 200, but already at ISO 400, the noise reduction irons out details. The images are a bit soft, but just barely usable sharp. The same applies to ISO 800, even if the level of detail is again somewhat lower compared to ISO 400. But above that, the images visibly lose detail – more than one would expect from such an image sensor. This is not only noticeable in laboratory measurements, but also in practice. At ISO 1,600, the photos appear very poorly detailed; structures of wallpaper or the grain of wood, for example, are no longer visible.

The front dial of the Canon PowerShot G5 X is an eye-catcher due to its unusual arrangement, but it can happen that it is accidentally operated during zooming. [Photo: Canon]

The Canon PowerShot G5 X’s lithium-ion battery is sufficient for just 210 CIPA-standard shots. It is charged externally in the supplied tray. [Photo: Clara Andersson]

The G5 X performs better in terms of input dynamics. Up to ISO 400, it’s very high over eleven aperture stops, at ISO 200, Canon even scratches the mark of twelve aperture stops. Up to ISO 3,200, the input dynamics remain high with over ten aperture stops. Only above this point does it drop steeply, falling below the eight aperture stop mark at the highest sensitivity of ISO 12,800. The tonal value transmission is high-contrast, as desired for a compact camera, whereby a good initial tonal value range is only achieved up to ISO 400. Above that, it drops noticeably with every ISO level, the brightness gradations become coarser and coarser. However, the colour deviation from the original artwork is small on average. Stronger deviations are only found with the blue cyan for a beautiful sky or richer reds and a magenta tending a little bit to red. Also the actual colour depth is good up to ISO 3.200 with over two million colours that can be displayed, up to ISO 800 even over four million colours are differentiated.

Conclusion

Above all, the workmanship, design, feel and operation as well as the features of the Canon PowerShot G5 X cut a fine figure. The high-quality metal housing can be held well despite the small handle, the many wheels and knobs allow direct operation. The freely movable touch screen and the viewfinder also make everyday photography fun. Apart from a few exceptions, such as the missing panorama mode or the restriction of the HDR function to one motif program, as well as the missing microphone connection, the very complete equipment is also convincing. However, there are downsides to image quality. The lens delivers a good performance with high resolution and low optical errors, the only problem is the marginal loss of resolution in wide angle. However, one only benefits from the good performance at low ISO sensitivities. For a 1″ sensor, the image quality breaks down much too early when the sensitivity is raised. The F1.8 to F2.8 fast lens with image stabilizer may offer some consolation, but the wasted potential at high ISO sensitivities clouds the otherwise very positive overall impression of the Canon PowerShot G5 X.

Canon PowerShot G5 X Datasheet