Canon SX30 IS vs Canon G1 X Comparison

Camera to replace

Change

Canon SX30 IS

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

CHECK PRICE

Change

Canon G1 X

14 MP | 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) CMOS Sensor

CHECK PRICE

Canon SX30 IS vs Canon G1 X Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Canon cameras cameras with different body types: Canon SX30 IS, which was introduced in September 2010 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 14.0MP 1/2.3" sensor whereas Canon G1 X, which was introduced in March 2012 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 14.0MP 1.5 sensor. There is 18 months difference between SX30 IS and G1 X so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger G1 X, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon SX30 IS Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-09-14

14MP - 1/2.3" CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 1600

24-840 mm F2.7-5.8 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

2.7" Fully Articulated Screen

Electronic viewfinder

1 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

601g. 123 x 92 x 108 mm

Replaced Canon PowerShot SX20 IS Compare

Canon G1 X Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-03-29

14MP - 1.5 CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12800

28-112 mm F2.8-5.8 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3 Fully Articulated Screen

Optical (tunnel) viewfinder

2 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

534g. 117 x 81 x 65 mm

Canon SX30 IS was replaced by Canon PowerShot SX40 HS. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS vs Canon PowerShot SX30 IS
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS vs Canon PowerShot G1 X

Canon G1 X was replaced by Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II vs Canon PowerShot G1 X
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II vs Canon PowerShot SX30 IS

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot SX30 IS over Canon PowerShot G1 X

Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 28mm	4 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	840mm vs 112mm	728 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	35× vs 4x	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	2.70 vs 2.80	faster lens at wide

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G1 X over Canon PowerShot SX30 IS

RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max ISO	12.800 vs 1.600	700% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size	3 vs 2.7"	0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	920k dots vs 230k dots	300% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/3200s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 1.0fps	1 fps faster
Weight	534 g vs 601 g	67 g lighter
Flash Coverage	7.0m vs 6.8m	0.2m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	18.44µm² vs 2.01µm²	817% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Built-in ND Filter	3.0-stops vs No	Use larger aperture under strong light

Common Strengths of Canon PowerShot SX30 IS and Canon PowerShot G1 X

Image Stabilization	Optical vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen	Fully Articulated vs Fully Articulated	Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	Yes vs Yes	better exposure control
Selfie/Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs Yes	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Weaknesses of Canon PowerShot SX30 IS and Canon PowerShot G1 X

Continuous Shooting	1.0fps vs 2.0fps	Slow shooting speeds
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele	5.80 vs 5.80	Slow lenses at tele

Canon SX30 IS vs Canon G1 X: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon SX30 IS has external dimensions of 123 x 92 x 108 mm (4.84 x 3.62 x 4.25″) and weighs 601 g (1.32 lb / 21.20 oz) (including batteries). Canon G1 X has external dimensions of 117 x 81 x 65 mm (4.61 x 3.19 x 2.56″) and weighs 534 g (1.18 lb / 18.84 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X. Canon G1 X is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 6mm narrower, 11mm shorter and 43mm thinner than Canon SX30 IS.

Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon G1 X is 67g lighter than the Canon SX30 IS but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

SX30 IS

G1 X

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

SX30 IS

G1 X

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Canon PowerShot SX30 IS nor Canon PowerShot G1 X provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon G1 X's 3 LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon SX30 IS's 2.7" screen.

Canon SX30 IS vs Canon G1 X: Sensor Comparison

Both Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X have 14.0 MP resolution sensors but Canon SX30 IS's sensor is 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Canon G1 X's sensor is 1.5 (18.7 x 14 mm ).

Since Canon G1 X's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Canon SX30 IS.

Below you can see the SX30 IS and G1 X sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X Cameras

As seen above, Canon G1 X has a 9.3x Larger sensor area than Canon SX30 IS. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Canon SX30 IS vs Canon G1 X Lens Specs Comparison

Canon SX30 IS features a 24-840 mm F2.7-5.8 35× zoom lens whereas Canon G1 X features a 28-112 mm F2.8-5.8 4x zoom lens.

Canon SX30 IS has 4mm wider coverage than the Canon G1 X. At f2.70, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Canon SX30 IS has 728mm longer reach than the Canon G1 X. Both cameras has a max aperture of f5.80 at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

SX30 IS

G1 X

Widest - Samsung WB2200F

Average

Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

SX30 IS

G1 X

Longest - Nikon P1000

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

SX30 IS

G1 X

Fastest - Olympus 1

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

SX30 IS

G1 X

Fastest - Sony RX10 III

Average

What types of Photography are Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon SX30 IS for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G1 X for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon SX30 IS for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon G1 X for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.70
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Canon SX30 IS for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G1 X for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
840 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/3200s
No RAW shooting capability
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
112 mm Tele Lens
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Canon SX30 IS for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G1 X for Daily Photography

GOOD

35.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
601g
Body Thickness 108mm
Read the details

Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
4.0X Optical Zoom
534g
Body Thickness 65mm
Read the details

Canon SX30 IS for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon G1 X for Landscape Photography

POOR

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Canon SX30 IS vs Canon G1 X: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon SX30 IS and Canon G1 X scores compare:

Canon SX30 IS

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #69 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #626 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Canon G1 X

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #35 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #304 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Canon G1 X is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon SX30 IS in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Canon G1 X vs Canon SX30 IS Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon PowerShot SX30 IS	Canon PowerShot G1 X
Brand	Canon	Canon
Announced	2010-09-14	2012-03-29
Body Type	SLR-like (bridge)	Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CMOS
Size	1/2.3"	1.5
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	18.7 x 14 mm
Area	28.07mm²	261.80mm²
Megapixels	14 megapixels	14 megapixels
Max Resolution	4320 x 3240	4352 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	24-840 mm (35×)	28-112 mm (4x)
Max Aperture	F2.7-5.8	F2.8-5.8
Macro Focus Range	0cm	20cm
Screen
Type	Fully Articulated	Fully Articulated
Size	2.7"	3
Resolution	230k dots	920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Optical (tunnel)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/3200s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	6.80 m	7.00 m (via hot shoe EX series Speedlites, Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	2.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	Motion JPEG	H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Eye-Fi Connected	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	601g	534g
Dimensions	123 x 92 x 108mm	117 x 81 x 65mm
Battery Life	n/a	250 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	60
DxO Color Depth	not tested	21.7
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	10.8
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	644
	Report a correction	Report a correction