The competition
Image: Canon PowerShot G1 X
There are many options at the top end of the compact camera market, but there are two cameras that really stand out, mainly because they have altered expectations. The first is Canon’s own PowerShot G1 X. As mentioned in this test, the G1 X has a custom-sized 14-million-pixel CMOS sensor, based on the 18-million-pixel sensor used in Canon’s EOS DSLRs. As such, it provides a great compact camera with excellent image quality and a built-in 28-112mm equivalent lens.However, the G1 X is large for what is described as a compact model.
Image: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Far smaller is Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. This uses a 1in-sized sensor, which has more than twice the surface area of the G15’s sensor but is smaller than that of the G1 X. However, the RX100 sensor has an impressive 20 million pixels and a 28-100mm equivalent zoom lens. The RX100 has certainly been turning heads at this level.
