Home»Nature»Barr Street Trailhead Dec '14

Field testing my Canon G7X, Richard Franiec's custom finger grip, and the Tamrac TEK 4390 camera case.

In Use. Operating the camera was very easy. I'm already accustomed to the button and menu layout, as it's very similar to the other compact canon cameras that I have (S100, G10). The touchscreen on this type of camera is a new experience for me, however, as neither the S100 or the G10 have one. Also new because this touchscreen's user interface is unlike the one used by my EOS-M. Unfortunately, it's not quite as refined and full featured, but it still provides plenty of conveniences and shortcuts to make the G7X easier and more fun to use.

I found myself using the "touch AF" feature quite a bit to move the AF box around. This in itself is a huge time saver. On my older touchscreen-less canon cameras, you first had to enter the correct mode by pressing a button, then use the directional arrows to position the AF box where you wanted it. Now with the touchscreen UI, you just tap the screen where you want to focus and boom. Done.

The touchscreen also saw heavy use when reviewing photos. Zooming and panning around to check focus on an image was super quick with finger gestures. Also, deleting a photo is made pretty easy with a gesture too, a simple down and left swipe across the screen and you're presented with a confirmation to delete the photo.

As for mechanical niceties, the control ring around the lens saw lots of action to adjust exposure settings, mostly aperture since I was in Av mode most of the time. The dedicated exposure compensation dial was also a used quite a bit. I even used the flip out screen a few times to get a few 'low to the ground' shots that would have otherwise required me to lay on my belly or crouch uncomfortably low. All great features that make the camera that much more enjoyable to use.

The only complaint I have about controls is when adjusting manual focus. You can either turn the rear dial or press up/down to adjust the focal distance. The issue is that a single click (either rotating or up/down button press) only moves the focal distance a *very* tiny amount. So if you're currently focused at infinity, and want to focus on something a few inches away, you'll spend a lot of time getting there. Alternatively, I found out by experimentation that you can also press and HOLD the up/down buttons to quickly advance the lens' focal distance. This sounds great, however I found this to be a pain as well. In use, the distance is adjusted way too fast such that the focal distance has already advanced PAST the point where I wanted to land before I can react and release the button. I found myself see-sawing back and forth until finally giving up with this method. It's like those digital clocks that allow you to set the hours/minutes by pressing a button. One press equates to one minute advanced. But if you press and hold the button, the minutes spin by relatively quick (fast enough to be useful, but slow enough that you can control and anticipate) - and you release the button when you're getting close to the time you want. This camera's press and hold is like that too, but in operation, it would be like a clock that advanced 100 minutes for every one-tenth of a second you held the button down. There's just no way to use it effectively as you always end up overshooting your mark. I really only found it useful when going from one extreme (eg. infinity) to the other (eg. 2 inches) rather quickly, but reverting to single clicks to fine tune from there - albeit slowly. The timing is just not right and I hope Canon fixes this in a firmware update. Fortunately the G7X's auto-focus is pretty darn good, so I don't think I'll be needing manual focus too often.

Performance. The camera performed great overall. Changing settings was quick and easy, due in part to the touchscreen interface. I was also impressed with how quickly the G7X grabbed focus. In moderate to good light, it was nearly instantaneous... dare I say DSLR fast. Compared to my S100 and G10, the G7X was noticeably faster in good light. The difference was much greater in poor or low light conditions. The G7X absolutely trounced both of those older generation cameras, displaying the green box confirming focus lock much quicker. Focusing fast wouldn't be worth a darn if the camera wasn't accurate as well. Fortunately, I found the G7X's focusing accuracy to be spot on. FWIW, I always use the smaller of the two AF box sizes available.

I read some reviews online that concluded that general operation, menu navigation, and even AF was sluggish and frustrating. I definitely did NOT find that to be the case. In fact my experience was just the opposite, and I'm a pretty picky person when it comes to this sort of stuff.

I was a little worried about only having one battery with me, but after 3.5 hours hiking, and taking about 130 photos (turning the camera off after shooting a scene), the battery indicator still reports a full "3 bars". The camera's battery is rated for ~210 shots, so this shouldn't be a surprise - but I was using the the LCD quite a bit when taking my time to compose shots and review photos, and firing off about 6 shots with the built in flash. Anyway, point being it was enough juice to get me through a decent hike with an average amount of shooting. Nonetheless I still intend to get a spare battery (or two) once the aftermarket manufacturers release their MUCH cheaper alternatives to the OEM battery. They'll definitely be needed for longer full day or multi-day trips - as well as to satisfy my overly cautious nature.

Image Quality. Given this camera's size, weight, and form factor - I'm very happy with the image quality. This camera replaces my S100/G10 cameras - and compared to those, the G7X definitely produces higher quality photos. Resolution, dynamic range, and depth of field control are all improved and provide a much better working image to post process. No doubt the relatively large 1" sensor of the G7X (compared to 1/1.7") and fast lens are showing their superiority.

The Grip. The finger grip proved to be as useful as I knew it would be. Richard's custom grip provided a much better purchase on the camera when taking pictures and when carrying in hand, letting it hang down at my side while still holding the camera with a shooting grip. It also provided a nice orthogonal surface from which to grasp and retrieve the camera from its case. The grip is a nice addition to the camera and provides a much better physical handling experience.

The Case. The Tamrac TEK 4390 also proved to be as handy as I thought it would for this type of outing. When hiking, I often need both hands free to grab hold of things or provide leverage when climbing or descending. This means I'm frequently retrieving and stowing the camera in its case when I spy a photo opportunity. The top flap of the 4390 is secured with both a rugged plastic clip as well as a strip of velcro. Since I either wear the case around my neck or strapped to my belt, the case stays in a vertical position - perfect for easily slipping the camera in or out. The large, "open mouth" design further adds to the convenience. On easy terrain, I don't bother with the clip and simply fold the top flap over and let the velcro grab onto its mate. I've found this to be the quickest and most efficient way to carry and access compact cameras when out hiking. I can do it all by touch. No zippers to fiddle with or be careful of.