One of the best compact cameras for shooting macro photographs has been the Canon G cameras. It’s ability to zoom while in super macro mode allows the camera to put the subject in sharp focus and provide a nice background blur. In fact, this blog was inspired by the Canon PowerShot G6, a 2004 camera which I still use today as a carry everywhere camera for macro photography.
Spider in super macro mode with the old Canon PowerShot G6
To demonstrate the prowess of the G6 as a macro shooters, I recently took it to our backyard and shoot some spiders, ants and foliage with it. The photo above was taken with the G6 without the help of any macro converters.
Ant by Canon G6 (cropped)
Leaves
The latest G, however, seems to have lost its macro capabilities. According to Trusted Reviews which has tested the camera, the G1X poor close focusing distance will be a concern. It says:
Canon claims the minimum focus distance as 20cm when the camera is being used in Macro mode although we measured it as closer to 23cm. Taking the camera out of Macro, minimum focus distance jumps to around 35cm, and that’s at its 28mm widest! Zoom in a bit and you’re soon looking at around 1.5meters minimum distance, and just under two metres at 112mm. The upshot of all this is that it’s hard to recommend the G1 X as a serious tool for dedicated Macro enthusiasts. [Source: Trusted Reviews]
The only consolation would be the G1X’s large sensor, allowing some room for cropping. But then, it won’t be the same as shooting at close range. I guess, this is a trade-off for the large sensor.
Spider at sunset with the G6 (cropped)
