Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III Canon - Review 🏆

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is a premium compact digital camera aimed at photography enthusiasts and vloggers. It features a 1-inch, 20.1MP CMOS sensor and a 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 lens, making it a versatile all-rounder for everything from landscapes to portraits.

Key features include:

• 20.1MP 1-inch CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 8 image processor
• 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 lens
• 4K video at 30fps
• Tilting touchscreen LCD
• Built-in ND filter
• WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
• Live streaming capabilities

With its large sensor, fast lens, 4K video, and streaming features, the G7 X Mark III packs an impressive amount of power into a pocketable body. It's designed for content creators and vloggers who want pro-level quality without the bulk of a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Design and Handling

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III has a sleek and stylish design that feels great in the hand. The body is made of a sturdy metal alloy that gives it a premium feel, while still remaining lightweight and portable. The rubberized grip provides a secure hold and makes operating the camera comfortable even for extended shooting sessions.

In terms of ergonomics, the G7 X III is very well designed. The buttons and dials are intuitively placed for easy one-handed operation. There is a nice rear thumb rest and a good amount of space between the hand grip and lens barrel to allow your fingers to grasp the camera without accidentally pressing any buttons. The dials and mode selector have distinct ridges and click stops so you can operate them by feel. Overall, the handling experience is fantastic.

The Canon IXUS 285 HS (Silver) also boasts a compact and elegant design, making it an excellent choice for everyday photography. It has a slim profile and a stylish silver finish that appeals to modern aesthetics. The camera is equipped with a high-resolution sensor and a versatile zoom lens, providing superb image quality. Its user-friendly interface and convenient button layout ensure that even beginners can navigate features effortlessly.

Image Quality

The Canon G7 X Mark III features a 1-inch, 20.1MP CMOS sensor, which delivers excellent image quality and high resolution. The sensor performs well in a variety of lighting conditions, from bright daylight to low light.

In good lighting, images show crisp details, accurate colors, and great dynamic range. The level of fine detail is impressive for a compact camera thanks to the high megapixel count. Noise is very well controlled up to medium sensitivity settings. At higher ISOs, noise increases but remains acceptable up to ISO 12800.

The camera also handles low light and indoor conditions very well. With the fast f/1.8-2.8 lens, you can shoot handheld in dim conditions. Noise is kept to a minimum and detail is preserved even in low light shots at high ISOs up to 6400. The built-in optical image stabilization provides up to 4 stops of stabilization, allowing for sharp handheld shots even with slower shutter speeds.

Overall, image quality from the 1-inch sensor is excellent for a compact camera. The combination of high resolution, good high ISO performance, and a bright zoom lens makes the G7X Mark III highly versatile for both daylight and low light photography.

For those looking for an alternative, the Canon SX740 HS PowerShot is another excellent option. This camera features a 20.3MP sensor and a 40x optical zoom, making it ideal for capturing distant subjects with ease. It offers 4K video recording and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easy sharing and connectivity. The SX740 HS performs well in various lighting conditions, delivering vibrant images and maintaining good detail despite its small size.

Features

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III comes packed with features both for stills and video.

Focus Modes

The G7 X III offers a range of focus modes including One-Shot AF for still subjects, Servo AF for moving subjects, and Manual Focus for precise control. It uses Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF system which offers fast and accurate autofocus across most of the frame. Subject tracking works very well thanks to the phase detect pixels on the image sensor.

Video Capabilities

For video, the G7 X III can shoot 4K video at up to 30fps and 1080p full HD video at up to 120fps for slow motion. The 5-axis image stabilization helps deliver smooth handheld footage. There is a 3.5mm microphone jack for better audio quality. The camera also has a clean HDMI output which allows recording video to an external device.

Connectivity

The G7 X III has both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity. This allows sharing images to smartphones or controlling the camera remotely. The camera can be connected via Bluetooth to maintain an always-on low-power connection. It also supports wireless charging for topping up the battery.

Performance

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III delivers excellent performance for a compact camera. Its autofocus system is very fast and accurate, even in low light conditions. The camera utilizes Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, which provides smooth and reliable focusing.

The continuous shooting speed is also impressive at up to 20 fps in High-Speed Burst HQ mode, or 30 fps in regular burst mode. This allows you to capture fast action sequences with ease. While burst shooting, the autofocus and auto exposure also work very well.

Battery life is rated at up to 235 shots per charge using the Eco mode, or up to 370 shots per charge in normal use. This is decent but could be better for a camera of this class. Power users may want to invest in a spare battery for all-day shooting. But overall the G7 X Mark III offers speedy performance that outpaces many other compacts.

User Interface

The Canon G7 X Mark III has an intuitive user interface that makes operating the camera straightforward. The rear 3-inch touchscreen LCD has a resolution of 1.04 million dots, providing a crisp and vibrant image during live view and playback. The screen tilts up 180 degrees and down 45 degrees, allowing you to shoot from high and low angles. It's also a vari-angle design so you can flip the screen around for selfies and vlogging.

In terms of buttons and dials, the G7 X Mark III follows Canon's standard layout. There's a mode dial on top to quickly switch between manual, semi-auto, and auto modes. A control ring around the lens barrel can be customized to change exposure, ISO, or other settings. On the rear, there's a scroll wheel and several shortcut buttons for drive mode, macro, flash, and display options.

The menu system will be familiar to Canon shooters. Settings are grouped under tabs like photo shooting, video shooting, wireless communication, and more. You can quickly get to key options like image quality, autofocus modes, metering, and white balance. While dense, the menus are responsive thanks to the touch interface. Overall, the G7 X Mark III provides an intuitive shooting experience for both beginners and more advanced users.

Video Quality

The Canon G7X Mark III offers excellent video capabilities for a compact camera. It can shoot 4K video up to 30 fps, 1080p Full HD video up to 120 fps, and 720p HD video up to 240 fps.

The 4K video is crisp and detailed, taking full advantage of the 20.1MP sensor. Footage is recorded using the high quality XAVC S codec for maximum detail. Slow motion footage also looks great thanks to the fast frame rates available at lower resolutions.

Autofocus and exposure during filming are very fast and accurate. The lens stabilization also helps produce smoother handheld footage. The built-in microphone records decent audio for casual shooting. For more control over audio, there is a standard mic input to connect an external microphone. Overall the G7X Mark III produces professional-looking video that belies its compact size. It's a great choice for vlogging, travel films, or everyday video capture.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Excellent image quality with sharp details and vibrant colors
• Fast autofocus acquisition and tracking performance
• 4K video up to 30fps with no crop, 1080p up to 120fps
• Large 1-inch 20.1MP sensor captures more light and detail
• Bright f/1.8-2.8 zoom lens offers versatile 24-100mm focal range
• Fast maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 sec freezes action
• Touchscreen flips 180° for flexible selfie shooting options
• Built-in ND filter controls exposure in bright light
• Compact and lightweight body easy to carry anywhere
• WiFi and Bluetooth allow wireless image transfer and remote control
• USB charging supplements battery for extended shooting

Cons

• No built-in viewfinder
• Mediocre battery life of around 200-250 shots per charge
• 4K video limited to 5 minutes due to heat restrictions
• No headphone or external mic jacks for advanced video capture
• Single UHS-I SD card slot limits buffer clearing speed
• No weather sealing for use in inclement conditions

Verdict

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is an excellent choice for vloggers, travel photographers, and anyone looking for a compact camera with great image quality and video features. Its 1-inch sensor delivers impressive results, capturing sharp, vibrant photos and 4K video. Autofocus is incredibly fast and accurate with face detection and tracking. The flip-up touchscreen makes it easy to frame selfie shots and monitor your footage while vlogging. The microphone input allows you to connect an external mic for improved audio.

With its streamlined body and intuitive controls, the G7 X Mark III is highly portable and very easy to use. Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth make wireless image transfers a breeze. Overall battery life could be better but the USB charging feature helps keep you powered up on the go. The lack of a viewfinder may be an issue for some.

For its balance of performance, features and compact size, the Canon G7 X Mark III earns a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. It's an outstanding choice for vlogging, travel, and everyday photography thanks to its great image quality, fast performance, and wireless connectivity. The touchscreen, mic input, and fast autofocus provide key advantages for video creators. If you can live without a viewfinder, the G7X Mark III packs an impressive amount of imaging power into a go-anywhere camera body.