Canon PowerShot G9 X

Advanced point-and-shoot cameras

A 20-megapixel camera from Canon with a 1 inch sensor, a 2.9-inch LCD, and an image stabilizer.

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CR Expert Take

How did it perform in our expert lab testing?

Overall Score

The Overall Score for this model is derived from our expert lab test results.

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Current Range of Tested Advanced point-and-shoot cameras

What goes into the Overall Score?

Image quality

/ 5

Ease of use

/ 5

Video quality

/ 5

LCD quality

/ 5

Viewfinder

/ 5

Flash photos

/ 5

Image stabilization

/ 5

Color

/ 5

Sensor types

/ 5

Battery life (shots)

/ 5

4K video

/ 5

WiFi

/ 5

Megapixels

/ 5

Test lens

/ 5

Weight (oz.)

/ 5

Detailed Test Results

PHOTO QUALITY. This 20-megapixel advanced point-and-shoot camera captured images with very good quality. Pictures were very sharp, which means you can see even tiny details and very subtle patterns in the image. In low-light situations without a flash, pictures were sharp. We judged this model excellent for outdoor performance, such as shooting landscapes in the daytime; excellent for indoor performance, such as photographing a well-lit basketball game in a gym; and very good for low-light performance without a flash, such as capturing a birthday party. Photos taken in our low-light performance tests displayed very little image noise; subjects retained correct detail and color.FLASH. The PowerShot G9 X captured flash shots that were very good. In our distance test, we found the camera's flash could illuminate subjects very well, both near and far. The flash also has excellent, very even coverage.LENS. This camera has a standard 3x optical zoom lens. The lens also has wide-angle (28mm) capability that's useful for landscapes and group portraits, although you may notice a bit of distortion when you're shooting faces up close, for instance.IMAGE STABILIZATION. This is an important feature; taking hand-held shots at the telephoto end of the zoom range can generally blur or soften images due to the slight movement of your hands. Shooting telephoto in well-lit scenes, this model did an excellent job of minimizing the effects of camera shake. In low-light settings, it performed very well and rarely produced blurry photos. Overall, the shake reduction results from our tests were very good.SPEED. In terms of performance, the Canon PowerShot G9 X powers up very quickly. It has a very short interval between shots, which can be important when shooting fast-moving or unpredictable subjects.VIDEO. The Canon PowerShot G9 X takes very good video. It captures full HD video at 1920 x 1080 60p. As for sound, it captures good audio in stereo.ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. Unlike most advanced point-and-shoot models, this camera does not include a viewfinder, which means you'll need to rely on the LCD to compose your photo or video. This advanced point-and-shoot is much smaller, thinner and lighter than most in its class.

About

The PowerShot G9 X is a 20-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and a 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 28mm-84mm. It has a 2.9-inch LCD (1,040,000 pixels). Because it does not accept interchangeable lenses, we consider this model an advanced point-and-shoot camera. The camera has a maximum aperture of f/2. The camera's shutter speed range is 30 seconds to 1/2000 of a second. The PowerShot G9 X stores photos and video on SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards but has no on-board storage. It captures images as JPEG or RAW files at a top resolution of 5472 x 3648 and full HD-resolution video as MP4 files at a top resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a frame rate up to 60p. Like most digital cameras, this model comes with a proprietary rechargeable battery. This advanced point-and-shoot has 31 autofocus points, 14 exposure modes, and an exposure compensation control that can be set at +/-3 EV. The image stabilization system for this camera is optical. The PowerShot G9 X measures 3.9 inches wide by 2.4 inches high by 1.2 inches deep, and weighs 7 ounces (with battery, memory card, strap, and tested lens).

Features & Specs

Features

Full frame

Swivelling screen

Exposure modes

Color space

sRGB/Adobe RGB

Hot shoe

Optical zoom

Touch screen

Yes

Live view

Wireless remote

PC flash sync jack

Specs

Image stabilizer

LCD size (in.)

2.9

LCD pixel count

1040k

35mm equivalent multiplier

2.7

Shutter speed range

30 - 1/2000

Max. buffer size JPEG/RAW

unlimited

Max. ISO

12800

Memory card

SD/SDHC/SDXC

Total weight (oz.)

Height (in.)

2.4

Width (in.)

3.9

Depth (in.)

1.2

Memory card slots/type

Still image formats

Price & Shop

Canon PowerShot G9 X

CR Expert Take

Overall Score

What goes into the Overall Score?

Detailed Test Results

About

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