Canon PowerShot G1 X announced: 1.5-inch sensor, ISO 12,800 for $799.99 in February

Canon's G series has long been the company's flagship point-and-shoot line, and the PowerShot G1 X the company just announced might be the best yet. The 14.3-megapixel shooter has a 1.5-inch (18.7 x 14mm) sensor, bigger than a Micro Four Thirds sensor and nearly as large as the APS-C sensors inside most DSLRs. (It's also 6.3 times larger than the sensor inside the PowerShot G12.) Canon says it's the largest sensor ever in a PowerShot camera, which might also explain why the G1 X is much more expensive than a typical point-and-shoot — it'll set you back $799.99 when it goes on sale in February. There's plenty inside for your money, though: ISO range up to 12,800, aperture range from f/2.8 to f/16, and 4x optical zoom from 28-112mm. It's powered by Canon's new DIGIC 5 processor, which Canon says is its fastest yet. The G1 X has RAW support, a super sharp, 922,000-dot 3-inch LCD, and 1080p video recording at 24 frames per second. Its fixed lens makes it more reminiscent of the Fujifilm X10 than a DSLR, and the G1 X is targeted toward the same audience as Fujifilm's shooter — pros who already own a DSLR, but want something smaller and more portable without losing much quality.