We’ve already seen the comparison between the image quality of the Canon G1X versus the Canon EOS 7D. But another noteworthy area of the Canon PowerShot G1X is its movie mode. The camera has a 1080p Full HD movie mode which allows you to continuously autofocus and use optical zoom while recording. We grabbed the Canon G1X along with the Canon EOS 7D yet again, and put them side-by-side in a video mode shootout… check out the results after the break.
The PowerShot G1X has a movie mode that maxes out at 1080p Full HD with stereo sound. Frame rate at the highest setting is a cinematic 24 frames per second, though that might look a bit ‘choppy’ for some folks. 720p Standard HD and VGA options record at a smoother 30 FPS.
That flexible hinge-mounted LCD also comes in handy when it comes to recording video at creative angles. The Canon PowerShot G1X allows you to use optical zoom, continuous autofocus and enable a wind filter function while recording movies. However, you cannot adjust exposure settings while recording. Check out this video taken with the PowerShot G1X:
In comparison, the Canon EOS 7D can record 1080p Full HD video with mono sound. The 7D does give you the option to choose between 24 or 30 frames per second at 1080p. The inherent disadvantages here include the lack of power zoom on the camera; adjusting zoom via the focus ring on digital SLR cameras is a relatively awkward process compared to the push of a lever or press of a button on compact cameras, and current lack of continuous autofocus on the EOS 7D, so you’ll have to resort to pressing the AF button each time you would like to refocus. Check out this sample from the EOS 7D recorded at 1080p 30 FPS:
As you can see, the Canon PowerShot G1X matches the movie output of big sensor cameras quite well. However, there are also its disadvantages: as mentioned, there’s the lack of manual exposure control and autofocusing can be slightly sluggish at times (As shown below) which makes tracking a moving subject difficult at times. Here’s a bonus video from the Canon PowerShot G1X showing our usual ‘cute squirrel’ scene: