Canon's New G1X All-in-One

[mojo]

Camera manufacturer Canon introduced several new cameras at the Consumer Electronics Show here, including a new top of the line all-in-one camera aimed at advanced amateurs, the G1X.

Canon's G series — the G12 is the most recent — sell for around $500 and are favored by pros looking for a compact camera to tote around that also has professional features like manual exposure and focus, a fast lens (ability to shoot in low light) and a hotshoe for specialized flash lighting.

Canon says the new G1X is the "first compact digital camera with a large sensor" and zoom. The 1.5-inch sensor is 6.3 times larger than what's on the G12, which Canon says is just a little larger than the compact micro-four-thirds format cameras sold by Olympus and Panasonic, and a little smaller than the APS-C sensor found on digital SLRs like Canon's Rebel series.

It will be available in February at $799.

That's a big step up in price from the current G series, but Ben Thomas, a Canon marketing manager, thinks professional photographers will pay it.

"We're thinking this camera will be a companion to their DSLR," he says. "For the photographer who already has a (Canon) 5D Mark II or 7D and wants to have a high quality walk-around camera, this is for them."

Beyond the G1X, Canon also introduced two new Powershot point-and-shoot cameras and five new Vixia camcorders.

The camcorders have a feature that's been missing from many video and still cameras but is common on smartphones — the ability to tap into a Wi-Fi network and upload material directly to the Web. However, the price isn't cheap.

The VIXIA HF M52, VIXIA HF M50 and VIXIA HF M500 will be available in March for $749.99, $649.99 and $549.99.

[mojo]