The performance of this camera definitely stirs the emotions of a camera designer. In this case, it opened the door to a multitude of camera design innovations. Here, we visit the "workshop of a camera designer," a place imbued with the unmistakable air of invention.
The PowerShot G1 X incorporates a 1.5-inch CMOS sensor, which gives it a range of expressiveness close to that of a digital SLR. For this reason, this designer was inspired to create a form that goes beyond the more traditional offerings.
The PowerShot G1 X represents a major step forward from the tradition of the PowerShot G Series. For Satoshi Shinata, the designer we follow below, it is the outcome of the challenge he took on: to reflect this camera's exceptional performance in its design.
Superb Performance, Reflected in Design
To herald the dawn of this innovative "pro tool," the PowerShot G1 X features a large CMOS sensor offering about 6.3 times the area ratio of the conventional APS-C size of the EOS Series.
Clearly, this professional tool boasts an abundance of features that directly address every aspect of the photograph. This is the image the design team sought to reflect in the design of the PowerShot G1 X.
The complete pro tool has always exhibited a degree of elegance. By eliminating unnecessary decorative elements, it presents a very simple form exhibiting only the essence of the tool.
Canon's "New F-1" was identified as a design target. This model can be considered the pinnacle of the F Series, which began with the legendary Canon F-1 camera. The "New F-1" is the latest in a long line of superb cameras that have all built on the merits of their predecessors. The PowerShot G1 X also keeps alive this tradition of "a tool distilled to its essence."
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Design Center Satoshi Shinata
My assignment was product design for the IXUS and PowerShot compact digital cameras.
When I go on holiday, I like to play baseball, futsal and golf.
My motto is, "Always return a kindness received."
In my design work, I try to devise shapes that satisfy the desires of the many different kinds of users.
