I paid $799.00 a few months ago for this "top of the line" pocket camera. It had very high reviews for picture quality and everyone, including DP Review was singing it's praises. Why not? If followed a long line of Canon's G series cameras that all were darlings of the PowerShot line. I had the G-12 (which I never used). I could never really warm to the complexity of the functions. Good luck if you did not want to use the Auto or Scene settings. 

Now, I have to issue a disclaimer here: First, I have four other cameras. Three of which are DSLR Nikon professional cameras and all Nikkor lenses in my arsenal. The other is a Panasonic Lumix point and shoot. (I love this camera).  This isn't a rant against Canon. They make some of the finest cameras in the world. Second, I am not a reviewer nor am pretending to be one. Go to DP Review for that information. 

Back to the G1X. I wanted a camera that I could take on daily walks that would give me great shots and be light enough to carry in my pocket. The G!X is anything BUT that!. It is a heavy camera for its size. It does not fit in a normal pocket either. It is a small brick. Mercifully, the manual only comes in digital format. All 262 pages. If printed, it would weigh much more than the camera. While I am on the subject of the manual, it was probably written by lab monkeys, on hallucinogens, that were on loan from Microsoft. Every feature explanation has a reference to another page where the real explanation sends you to another page with yet; another page reference. Think Lewis Carroll for a moment.

The first frustration was with the focus distance. With the Lumix, it focused up to very close margins. The iPhone focuses better than the G1X. So, it must be me, right? Nope. I can't get this thing to focus with my eyeglasses over the lens helping out. Yikes!

I could go on and on, but the bottom line; don't even think about buying this white elephant of a camera. If you are looking for a great point and shoot camera, go for any Panasonic Lumix model. You won't be sorry.

If you have an iPhone 4 or later, you have one of the best point and shoot cameras on the market. I use it all the time with surprisingly great results.

Keep shooting!