Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III

At low ISOs, the G1 X III gives the best image quality of any zoom compact 24mm equiv, 1/200sec at f/8, ISO 100

In the early days of digital, Canon's PowerShot G-series compacts were hugely popular for their image quality and extensive manual controls. Canon was also the first to put a large sensor into a small zoom compact, with its original PowerShot G1 X sporting a14MP,1.5in sensor, in early 2012.

However, fewer than six months later, Sony released its pocket-sized RX100 with a 20MP 1in sensor, and the competition has been playing catch-up ever since. Canon's G1 X Mark II never quite caught the imagination, and the G X-series 1in sensor compacts also struggled, with the first generation crippled by sub-par processors (although the latest G7 X Mark II is very likeable).

Now though, Canon has upped the ante, placing a 24MP APS-C sensor into a remarkably compact body. In principle, this means the G1 X Mark III should offer better image quality than any other zoom compact, and be the equal of many DSLRs. The new model also eschews the boxy designs of its predecessors, and is based on the SLR-like PowerShot G5 X, with a built-in electronic viewfinder and fully articulated touchscreen. As a result, it promises a rare marriage between compact size, high image quality and usability.

Naturally, there are some compromises to be made for this feat of miniaturisation, with the most obvious being the lens: its 24-72mm equivalent range and f/2.8-5.6 maximum aperture look limited compared to either its G1 X-series predecessors or the 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 zoom on the G5 X and G7 X II. Its 200-shots-per-charge stamina is also well below par, but at least the NB-13L battery is shared with many recent PowerShot models, making spares easy to find. Last but not least, the £1,149 price tag places the camera firmly in the realm of serious photographers.

This isn't the first camera to combine an APS-C sensor with a built-in zoom