After almost disappearing as a class, compact cameras are making a comeback. Fujifilm’s X100 VI turned a star on the pictures facet, due to its beauty and stylish movie emulations. And DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3 captivated content material creators with its motorized topic monitoring and a gimbal that smooths harsh digital camera strikes.
Now, Canon has jumped again into compacts with the PowerShot V1, a vlogging-centric mannequin that follows the six-year-old G7X Mark III. It’s designed to outshine rivals with a big 1.4-inch 22-megapixel sensor, and boasts different spectacular options like optical stabilization and 4K supersampled video. On the similar time, this digital camera is surprisingly strong on the subject of pictures.
Canon
Canon’s PowerShot V1 is a flexible hybrid digital camera with glorious video and picture high quality due to the unusually massive sensor.
- Quick taking pictures speeds
- Nice picture high quality even in low mild
- 10-bit log 4K video
- Optical stabilization
- Constructed-in fan to cease overheating
- Rolling shutter
- Show is a bit dim
- Plain seems
- No built-in flash
The V1’s 16-50mm lens is good and huge however it’s sluggish in comparison with its foremost rival, Sony’s ZV-1 II. And the place Fujifilm’s X100 VI is svelte and fairly, the PowerShot V1 is obvious and a bit chonky. Nonetheless, none of that detracts from the truth that this can be a highly effective compact digital camera able to capturing unimaginable video and pictures, particularly in low mild, and will go well with many creators.
Design and dealing with
As an alternative of going retro like Fujifilm, Canon selected a extra purposeful method to the PowerShot V1’s design. It’s comparatively thick at 2.1 inches, a bit larger than the X100 VI if you happen to don’t embrace the lens, however it’s barely lighter at 15.03 oz with a battery. By comparability, Sony’s ZV-1 II is simply 10.3 ounces and 1.84 inches thick.
The PowerShot V1 bears some resemblance to Canon’s G7X III that has grow to be massively in style of late, however is thicker because of the built-in fan and energy zoom lever. Not like the G7X III, the V1 lacks a popup flash sadly, however does have a hotshoe for exterior flashes. Canon additionally moved the report button from the again to a extra sensible place on high.
The grip is small, however the rubberized floor makes it simple to carry, particularly when vlogging. Controls are enough for a compact, however I’d want at the very least one dial on the highest to vary settings. It could even be good if the digital camera was a bit extra pocketable like Sony’s ZV-1 II. The buttons and dials are responsive, however they do really feel a bit low cost subsequent to Canon’s mirrorless fashions. Briefly, the PowerShot V1 affords strong dealing with however isn’t a looker like Fuji’s choices.
One other good change is a brand new absolutely articulating display, changing the earlier mannequin’s pop-up show. That makes vlogging and pictures simpler, as you’ll be able to see the display when holding the digital camera excessive, low or towards you. My solely criticism is that it’s a bit too dim when utilized in shiny daylight. And you’ll’t simply look by the digital viewfinder to get a clearer view, as a result of there isn’t one on the PowerShot V1.
This digital camera has first rate battery life for a compact at 400 pictures or about 75 minutes of 4K 30p taking pictures on a cost. Different notable options embrace mic and headphone inputs together with a microHDMI and USB-C (charging and knowledge switch) ports, plus a single SD UHS-II card slot.
Vlogging and content material creation
The ‘V’ in PowerShot V1 stands for vlogging, so let’s speak about that subsequent. To finest serve in that capability, it makes use of a large 16-50mm equal lens so you’ll be able to all the time suit your face into the body, even in cropped mode. Nonetheless, that zoom vary will also be limiting for capturing closeups or B-roll.
Video specs are top-notch for a compact, with sharp, supersampled 4K 30p video that makes use of the complete sensor width or 4K 60p video with a 1.4x crop. On high of that, you’ll be able to seize 10-bit video when utilizing Canon’s C-Log 3 or HDR codecs.That’s higher than Sony’s ZV-1 II, which solely affords 4K 30p and S-Log video with no 10-bit choice. Nonetheless, DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3 surpasses each fashions with uncropped 4K at as much as 120 fps, whereas additionally providing 10-bit D-LogM or HDR video.
With its massive sensor, the PowerShot V1 affords sharp video and correct, pure colour rendering with Canon’s normal excellence in pores and skin tones. Capturing in C-Log3 10-bit boosts dynamic vary significantly in sunny or contrasty scenes, whereas supplying you with extra latitude to regulate video in put up. And when you want to shoot indoors or at evening, the digital camera outperforms compact rivals, displaying decrease noise at excessive ISO settings.
The drawback of a bigger sensor is that rolling shutter that may warp video is extra pronounced than on Sony’s 1-inch ZV-1 II on the 4K 30p setting. If that’s a priority, the cropped 4K 60p setting reduces the issue because it samples a smaller portion of the sensor.
Overheating isn’t a difficulty with this digital camera both, due to the built-in fan. I by no means noticed any signal of a heat-related shutdown when utilizing the PowerShot V1 with the temperature threshold setting at “excessive.”
Autofocus is an important characteristic for vlogging and the PowerShot V1 competes effectively in opposition to Sony’s ZV-1 II, due to its upgraded processor. It stays locked even on fast-moving topics and the eye- and face-detection, together with topic detection for animals and automobiles, all work effectively.
The place the ZV-1 II solely affords digital video stabilization, the PowerShot V1 marries 5-stop optical stabilization with digital stabilization. Meaning you’ll be able to shoot clean handheld video with none influence on picture high quality, or allow e-stabilization for strolling or different difficult eventualities. Nonetheless, neither digital camera holds a candle in that regard to DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3, which has a built-in 3-axis gimbal.
Audio can also be a plus on the PowerShot V1, because it affords each mic and headphone jacks, whereas the ZV-1 II lacks a headphone port. Canon’s mannequin additionally has a good built-in stereo mic and comes with a hotshoe-attached wind muff.
Images
Regardless of the vlogging emphasis, the PowerShot V1 is extremely succesful for photographs as effectively. In actual fact, it excels in each picture high quality and velocity due to the distinctive 22.4MP, 1.4-inch sensor and Canon’s newest Digic X picture processor to energy autofocus and AI features.
You possibly can hearth off bursts at as much as 30 fps in digital mode, and a really fast 15 fps with the mechanical shutter (and sure, it has a mechanical shutter which is uncommon for a compact). That makes it one of many quickest compacts out there. By comparability, the X100 VI can hit 25 fps speeds whereas the ZV-1 II is proscribed to fifteen fps speeds. The Osmo Pocket 3, in the meantime, can take photographs however is admittedly designed nearly completely for video.
The PowerShot V1’s excessive speeds are backed up by Canon’s Twin Pixel II focus system that delivers sharp photographs the vast majority of the time, powered by the corporate’s newest AI tech for face- and eye-detection. As with different latest fashions, the digital camera additionally affords AI topic detection for animals, automobiles, airplanes and extra.
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” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 1000, 51mm f/4.5, 1/2 hundredth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 320, 51mm, f/5.0, 1/2 hundredth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 12,800, 51mm, f/11, 1/one hundredth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 200, 35mm, f/7.1, 0.4 sec
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 25,600, 16.4mm, f/5, 1/four-hundredth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 25,600, 16.4mm, f/5, 1/four-hundredth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 25,600, 51mm, f/11, 1/four-hundredth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 1600, 51mm, f/5.0, 1/twenty fifth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 12,800, 51mm, f/6.3, 1/thirtieth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 32,000, 51mm, f/4.5, 1/fiftieth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 32,000, 51mm, f/4.5, 1/fiftieth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 32,000, 51mm, f/4.5, 1/fiftieth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 3200, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/thirtieth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 500, 50mm f/14, 1/sixtieth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 100, 50mm, f/5, 1/four-hundredth
” fashion=padding-bottom:67%>Canon’s PowerShot V1, ISO 320, 50mm, f/4.5, 1/2500th
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The PowerShot V1 trumps Sony’s ZV-1 II with its built-in 5-stop optical stabilization to cut back blur. That enabled me to take pictures all the way down to an eighth, and typically even 1 / 4 of a second, to blur backgrounds whereas preserving the foreground sharp.
The difficulty with most compact cameras is that they will take good photographs in well-lit situations however begin to fall down in low mild. That’s not the case with the PowerShot V1. The bigger 1.4-inch sensor could be very shut in measurement to Micro 4 Thirds, so it delivers clear photographs as much as ISO 6400, with manageable noise whilst excessive as ISO 12800.
The fantastic thing about Canon cameras is that you just get great-looking photographs straight out of the digital camera with no fuss, notably with pores and skin tones — an amazing boon for freshmen. JPEG photographs have a superb steadiness of sharpening and noise discount, whereas RAW photographs increase dynamic vary in difficult taking pictures situations and provide you with extra room to mess around when enhancing in Lightroom.
Wrap-up
I can see what Canon was going for with the $900 PowerShot V1. It successfully beats out its foremost compact vlogging rival, Sony’s ZV-1 II, by providing a bigger sensor, optical stabilization and extra video choices for across the similar value. And it appeals to hybrid shooters greater than DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3 as it might higher deal with pictures chores whereas additionally capturing higher-quality video.
The issue is that it’s nonetheless primarily a vlogging digital camera and loads of content material creators have deserted one of these compact mannequin in favor of the Osmo Pocket 3. That’s as a result of the Pocket 3 affords distinctive options like motorized digital camera monitoring and a superior three-axis gimbal. It additionally pairs with DJI’s in style Mic 2 and Mic mini wi-fi microphones, which is one other huge benefit. On the similar time, the PowerShot V1 has a fairly fundamental design, so it could not attraction to consumers searching for one thing prettier just like the X100 VI.
On the finish of the day, the PowerShot V1 is sure to be successful as a result of it delivers on the subject of video and photograph high quality — particularly given the present reputation of the now-ancient G7X III. In actual fact, I’d suggest it over Sony’s ZV-1 II, notably if you happen to’re searching for a hybrid digital camera that pulls double responsibility.
