Canon G3X Flash

Coverage and Range
A weak flash, with very uneven coverage at wide angle. Above average exposure compensation required.

Coverage. Flash coverage was quite uneven and narrow at wide angle (not unusual, though, especially for a 24mm equivalent lens). We no longer test this at full telephoto, as wide angle is invariably the worst case.

Exposure. Here with our standard Indoor Portrait scene at ISO 200, the G3X's flash struggled, producing a slightly dim image even with +1.0 EV flash exposure compensation (most cameras need about +0.7 EV for this shot). This is partly because maximum aperture at this focal length (~85mm eq.) is f/5, which is dimmer than the f/4 aperture that we normally use when available. The camera selected 1/60 second shutter speed, which is good as it helps avoid subject motion blur. Slow-sync flash mode produced a brighter, more evenly lit image using the same +1.0 EV flash exposure compensation, with the camera selecting a relatively fast (for slow-sync mode) 1/30 second shutter speed.

Manufacturer Specified Flash Test. Canon rates the PowerShot G3X's flash range at 6.8 meters / 22 feet at wide angle or 3.1m / 10 ft. at telephoto when using using Auto ISO and maximum aperture. In the test shot above, the PowerShot G3X's flash performed to Canon's specifications, producing a well-exposed flash target image wide-open at full telephoto, with the camera boosting ISO to 1000.

Our standard test method for flash range uses either a fixed setting of ISO 200 when a Guide Number is given, or the manufacturer-specified camera settings, at the range the company claims for the camera (at Auto ISO if so specified), to assess the validity of the specific claims.