A handy compact camera

Canon's G9X is for those who don't want to lug around a DSLR

While most people these days are armed with smartphones that deliver sharp images, there are still some who yearn for a better camera. Lugging a DSLR camera everywhere isn't really a viable option and which is why perhaps a better quality compact camera comes into the picture. To capture the imagination of users in this segment, Canon has launched its G9X compact camera.

The G9X is a small yet sturdy camera and has a metal body which makes it a bit heavy. It has all the standard buttons of point-and-shoot cameras and is overall a neat looking, well-designed camera.

It weighs about 200 g and comes with a 3-inch touchscreen. It has a one-inch image sensor that helps shoot 20.2-megapixel images and has 3X zoom coupled with a focal range of 28-84mm. The G9X gives you an option of shooting in .raw and .jpeg image format.

Due to the one-inch image sensor, the G9X should supposedly deliver excellent images. However, the images aren't really spectacular. In good lighting, the images have a good white balance and the colours stand out well. These images won't really "wow" you but are far better than the smartphone images.

The sensor shines through when there is low light. Most point-and-shoot cameras don't offer good quality images in low-lightconditions. However, the G9X doesn't disappoint. Overall, it's a camera, which clicks just about good quality images.

At Rs 32,995, it is slightly expensive but has a lot going for it. The G9X is ideally meant for people who don't want to carry DSLR cameras and aren't satisfied with phone images.