I've carried a Canon G9 in a belt pouch for years. I know some find the G series too big in relation to its sensor, but I've found it to be a useful go-anywhere tool. I really enjoy its close focusing. I can make tight closeup photos easily, without the need to add extension tubes or other devices to a DSLR.
When the G1X was announced, I read about its features (including its articulated finder and larger sensor) and decided to take a closer look at a local store. I was really disappointed to see that the new camera had nowhere near the same ability to take quick closeups. It's impossible to get sharp focus at the distances I have found useful with the G9.
A clerk at the store searched a Canon catalog and found that the company makes telephoto and wide-angle adapters for the G1X, but she couldn't find anything that would allow me to attach a closeup lens in front of the camera's zoom.
If anyone here has a convenient way to create this missing function in the G1X, I'd like to know about it. Otherwise I'll just have to look at products from other manufacturers. Thanks!
The principal design feature of the G1X is its nearly APS C sized sensor (1.8X crop vs APS C's 1.6X). It has six times the sensor area compared to the G12 or G15. This means that the lens must accommodate this much larger area. While Canon has managed to keep the lens compact in size compared to an equivalent EFs kit lens, the close focus ability is not up to previous G series cameras without external diopter lenses.
Fortunately a closeup filter like the Canon 250D can mount on the G1X with a simple filter adaptor available from Lensmate. These are universally backordered but I found mine on eBay new for about list price. The 250D is a 4 diopter filter which I think yields higher magnification than a G10 can achieve by itself. Hoya makes a 3 diopter closeup filter that should also work well. The Canon 500D is 2 diopters and may not be strong enough, but is another option. The filter adaptor is threaded 58 mm and can also take a polarizer.
The G1X offers better image quality than any other G series but its cost, diminished close focus, and somewhat slower performance are tradeoffs. If you like the G series but IQ is not your ultimate goal you might look at the G15 which is closer in design to previous Gs.
Jeff Nolten wrote:
The principal design feature of the G1X is its nearly APS C sized sensor (1.8X crop vs APS C's 1.6X). It has six times the sensor area compared to the G12 or G15. This means that the lens must accommodate this much larger area. While Canon has managed to keep the lens compact in size compared to an equivalent EFs kit lens, the close focus ability is not up to previous G series cameras without external diopter lenses.
Fortunately a closeup filter like the Canon 250D can mount on the G1X with a simple filter adaptor available from Lensmate. These are universally backordered but I found mine on eBay new for about list price. The 250D is a 4 diopter filter which I think yields higher magnification than a G10 can achieve by itself. Hoya makes a 3 diopter closeup filter that should also work well. The Canon 500D is 2 diopters and may not be strong enough, but is another option. The filter adaptor is threaded 58 mm and can also take a polarizer.
The G1X offers better image quality than any other G series but its cost, diminished close focus, and somewhat slower performance are tradeoffs. If you like the G series but IQ is not your ultimate goal you might look at the G15 which is closer in design to previous Gs....Show more →
+1
Excellent advice Jeff!
I have a G10, and love that, but have been waiting for used G1X prices to come down. I like the close-up ability and quick focus of the G10 and know I would sacrifice with the current G1X, but the IQ seems to be worth it to me.
The moral of the story is that no system is absolutely perfect in all respects. But the G1X looks very appealing as a "carry anywhere" for snapshots, travel, and mid-distance shots.
Good advice on the use of the Canon 500D/250D closeup lens with an adapter.
For those looking for a good price on the the G1X Adorama is running a rebate deal combined with the inexpensive Canon 9000 printer which nets a price of $399 for the pair (discussed here recently). B&H has a similar deal but just a tad more expensive.
Agree, I don't know much about optical design but generally wide angle lenses can focus closer than telephotos - compare the min focal distance of the EFS 10-22mm (24mm) with the min focal distance of the 70-200mm zoom (about 1.2m)
Similarly, the actual focal length of the G1X with its APSC sensor is much longer than the actual focal length of the lens on a smaller-sensor point and shoot (eg my G9 has a 7.4mm - 44.4mm lens which gives a 35mm equivalent range of 35-210mm) - the lens on the G1X is much longer (15mm-60mm)
Point and shoots will often have very good macro ability, whereas SLR lenses are a lot more limited in close focus ability, and you need a dedicated macro lens or extension tubes/closeup lens to get good closeups.
It just seems to be an unfortunate tradeoff: with a larger sensor, macro becomes more difficult.
A note on close focus filters, the Canon 250D, 500D and Hoya +3 are dual element lenses. These correct distortion much better than single element diopter sets but cost more.
Great thoughts, everybody. Many thanks! Jeff, thanks for the link to Lens Mate and its adapter. After a few more searches, I found out that Canon makes a similar ring, FA-DC58C, for more money than the Lens Mate item. Amazon is selling some aftermarket rings starting at $10 (http://www.amazon.com/Adapter-PowerShot-Required-Replaces-FA-DC58C/dp/B007YYZLHW). So somewhere out there, it should be possible to find an adapter to hold a closeup lens. Jameel, thanks for the tip on the Hoya filter set.
I have been unable to find the $399 Adorama G1X/printer deal, though. The lowest prices I've seen so far are well into the $500 range. If that's still out there, I'd appreciate knowing about it. Thanks!
Jim Quinn wrote:
Great thoughts, everybody. Many thanks! Jeff, thanks for the link to Lens Mate and its adapter. After a few more searches, I found out that Canon makes a similar ring, FA-DC58C, for more money than the Lens Mate item. Amazon is selling some aftermarket rings starting at $10 (http://www.amazon.com/Adapter-PowerShot-Required-Replaces-FA-DC58C/dp/B007YYZLHW). So somewhere out there, it should be possible to find an adapter to hold a closeup lens. Jameel, thanks for the tip on the Hoya filter set.
I have been unable to find the $399 Adorama G1X/printer deal, though. The lowest prices I've seen so far are well into the $500 range. If that's still out there, I'd appreciate knowing about it. Thanks!
I've been using Lensmate adaptors since my G3, they are very well made. According to reports over on the DPR P&S forum, the filters tend to get stuck on the Canon adaptors while Lensmate uses a better plastic that lessens this. I have the Canon adaptors but I have two, one for my 250D and one for my polarizer, so I don't have to re-thread filters.
Yep, close focussing ( although not true macro) is easily and relatively cheaply available on the G1X via the magic of ebay, I bought an adaptor and a set of three close up lenses for less than thirty quid and they work very well indeed.
