Canon G1X Mark II Performance

Generally faster performance than the G1 X, but slow RAW mode burst speeds.

About the same startup time as the G1 X (which took ~1.9s), but slower than most Compact System Cameras (though most CSCs don't have a zoom lens to deploy). Improved Play to Record speed (G1 X took ~2.2 seconds).

The Canon G1 X II's full autofocus shutter lag when shooting the same target multiple times was faster than average for a fixed-lens enthusiast camera (especially at wide angle), and much improved over the G1 X. The G1 X II's full AF shutter lag clocked in at about 0.21 second at wide angle using center (1-point) AF, which is quite fast. Full AF shutter lag was slower at full telephoto, measured at 0.37 second, though that's still not bad. In comparison, the G1 X required about 0.7 second at both ends of the zoom, so that's quite an improvement. Enabling the flash raised shutter lag to a rather lengthy 1.03 seconds to account for the metering preflash (still faster than ~1.2 seconds for the G1 X). Manual focus shutter lag was 0.238 second (versus 0.412s). When prefocused, shutter lag dropped to 0.091 second (vs 0.094s), which is a little slower than average these days, but still pretty quick.

Shot-to-shot cycle times were fair in single shot mode, ranging from about 1 second for Large/Super Fine JPEGs to about 1.2s for RAW+LSF JPEG files. These results are noticeably faster than the G1 X's 2.7 to 3.6s range, but are still slower than most CSCs which average well under 1 second.

The PowerShot G1 X Mark II's fastest continuous shooting mode rate was decent at almost 5.3 Large/Super Fine JPEG frames per second, however focus and exposure are locked at the first frame of a burst in this mode. When shooting RAW files, though, burst speed fell dramatically to 1.45 fps for RAW-only, and 1.27 fps with RAW+JPEG frames.

With autofocus enabled, the frame rate dropped to about 3 fps for Large/Super Fine JPEGs. Burst rate fell further in RAW mode to only 0.81 fps and only 0.75 fps for RAW+JPEG pairs, which is quite slow. These results are however improved over the G1 X, which could only manage 0.7 fps with AF according to Canon even with just JPEGs, and 4.5 fps in a special High-speed Burst HQ JPEG mode with AF locked.

Buffer depths were excellent in all continuous modes, probably just limited by card space, and clearing was quite swift, never requiring more than 4 seconds after a 20-shot burst with a fast 95MB/s UHS-I card.

The built-in flash took an average of 3.2 seconds to recharge after a full-power discharge, which is not bad, and much faster than the G1 X's 5.9 seconds.

Bottom line, the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II's overall timing performance is generally improved over the G1 X's, particularly autofocus speeds, but still somewhat disappointing with sluggish power-on and poky burst performance particularly with RAW files. While the improvements over its predecessor are most welcome, it still can't really compete with most Compact System Cameras when it comes to burst speed, and is slower than many digicams these days as well.

Battery Life
Below average battery life.

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II uses a custom NB-12L rechargeable lithium-ion battery for power, and ships with a dedicated charger. CIPA battery life is well below average for a mid-sized camera at only 240 shots per charge when using the LCD (and even lower with the optional EVF), though there is an Eco mode which improves battery life to 300 shots by dimming and then shutting off the LCD more quickly than normal in shooting mode. Still, we strongly recommend you pick up a spare battery for extended outings.

The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of (on a fully-charged rechargeable battery as appropriate), based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions.

(Interested readers can find an English translation of the CIPA DC-002 standards document here. (180K PDF document))