It marks Canon's entry into this product category, alongside competitors such as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000, Sony Cyber-shot RX10 and RX10 II.

[1] It has the longest focal length zoom range of any Powershot G-Series,[2] from 24-600mm (35mm equivalent) with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 at widest, decreasing to f/5.6 at 600mm.

In terms of overall specification it is the most capable of the current-production G-series cameras but this comes at the expense of overall size and weight - it is also the largest and heaviest of the series.

The Canon PowerShot G3 X offers the largest zoom range of all large sensor bridge cameras (tied with the Sony RX10 III and IV), while being the smallest and lightest in the category.

The size and weight savings are achieved with a smaller aperture at the telephoto end of the zoom range and by making its electronic viewfinder an optional accessory.