Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III, analysis with characteristics and opinion

Although mobile phones have eaten a large part of the compact camera cake, the truth is that there is still room in the market for advanced compact cameras. And in this market Canon has a lot to say with its PowerShot G range. Its new proposal is the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III, a camera that fits in your pocket but has impressive technical characteristics.. The new model keeps the one-inch sensor, but improves its video capabilities substantially. Now it is capable of recording in 4K resolution and, finally, without cropping. The new Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III inherits many of the characteristics of its reflex and mirrorless siblings. It equips the DIGIC 8 image processor and a 20.1 megapixel sensor. It also has a 4.2x optical zoom, 180-degree tilting screen and a burst shooting of up to 20 fps. In short, an advanced compact camera specially designed for videographers and vloggers seeking greater video capacity . I have had the opportunity to try it for a few weeks and I will tell you what I think.

index of contents

• Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III Datasheet
• Design and handling
• screen
• Sensor, focus and shot
• Picture quality
• Video
• Conclusions and price

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III datasheet

Design and handling

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is virtually identical to its predecessor in design. It is a very compact and light camera , perfect to always carry with us. With measurements of 105.5 x 60.9 x 41.4 millimeters, we can even carry it in some pockets. It is available in two finishes: one totally black and one that combines black with touches of silver.

At the front of the camera we have a small grip that will allow us to better hold the camera when we go to shoot. We also see the lens, which unfolds when the camera is turned on and "hides" when it is turned off . This has a cover to protect the lens. In addition, it also has a control ring. And, as a detail, comment that the G7 X logo has been moved to the lower right.

The vast majority of controls are placed at the top. Here we see the zoom control, the power button and a double dial for the modes and the exposure control. I thought that both dials are overly harsh and are somewhat uncomfortable .

Also at the top, but at the opposite end, we have the flash. It is hidden and to remove it we will have to press a small sliding button that we have on the far left (looking at the camera from behind).

On the sides of the camera we will have the various connectors. On the right (looking at the camera from behind) we have a small cover that hides the USB Type-C connector and the mini HDMI. A little further down we have a small button that will help us connect the camera's WiFi.

If we go to the left side of the camera we will see the commented switch for the flash and another cover. Under this we find the connection for an external microphone , one of the great novelties of this new version. It is a very important feature for content creators. However, we must bear in mind that the camera does not have any type of shoe to mount the microphone . So, either we use a lapel mic or wireless, or we will have to resort to some kind of accessory to place the directional mic on the camera.

To find the rest of the camera controls we will have to go to the back. This is dominated by the screen, leaving the controls to the right of it. Here we find some common controls, such as access to the menu, the "play" for image playback or a button to start recording video more directly. We also have a control wheel with the usual four crosshairs for type of shooting, flash, info and focus method.

screen

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III lacks a viewfinder, so we will have to use the screen to focus. We have a 3-inch LCD touch panel with a resolution of approximately 1,040,000 pixels . Its operation and visibility are very good, responding quickly to touches and seeing perfectly even in bright light. And, if we so desire, it is capable of offering us a lot of information. We can put from the histogram to a digital level.

In addition, the screen is tiltable 180 degrees . We can place it on the camera to record ourselves, something totally essential if we are going to make vlogs. Not only can we lower it completely, it offers various positions to shoot at slightly more complicated angles.

Sensor, focus and shot

The heart of the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is a 1-inch sensor with 20.1 megapixels of resolution . This is paired with a 4.2x optical zoom lens that, although it may seem a bit slim, offers a 24-100mm equivalent focal length range. In addition, the lens is very bright, with an aperture range of f / 1.8-2.8 . On the other hand, the lens features intelligent stabilization with advanced 5-axis dynamic IS .

Of course, the new model has the DIGIC 8 processor , which is included in all the recent launches of the manufacturer. This allows to increase the capabilities of the camera in video, as we will see later, but also in photography. It has an ISO sensitivity up to 12800 (25600 forced) and a burst shooting of 20 fps in single AF mode . With Servo AF it is reduced to 8 fps, although the camera has a RAW burst mode that allows you to shoot a burst of 30 shots to obtain up to 70 frames.

In terms of focus, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III uses a 31-point contrast focus system . In addition, it has face detection and touch AF with face and subject selection and tracking function . Focusing works quite well, although with moving subjects it takes a while to keep the subject in focus.

Picture quality

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III offers great image quality. Thanks to equipping a large sensor and a magnificent aperture, the image quality remains at a high level in almost any circumstance. The images show a lot of detail and a good dynamic range . Exposure is usually very balanced, although it tends to slightly overexpose. The automatic white setting also works well in the vast majority of situations.

The zoom offered by the lens, without being the most striking, offers a lot of versatility. The closest focusing distance is 5cm , with a special macro mode available in focus modes. Regarding the aperture, the maximum aperture (f / 1.8) will be available at 24 mm, decreasing to f / 2 to 28 mm, f / 2.2 to 35 mm, f / 2.5 to 39 mm and f / 2.8 to 55 mm, where remains up to 100 mm.

Low light shooting is pretty good too. It has a noise reduction system that works quite well, without removing too much detail . The maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there is also a Bulb mode, ideal for night photography.

Photo gallery taken with the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III

Video

Some of the most important novelties of the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III with respect to its predecessor are found in the video section. For starters, it allows you to record in 4K resolution at 30fps without any clipping . In addition, it has new recording modes with FHD resolution, such as 120fps . It even allows us to record vertically to be able to publish directly on social networks such as Instagram.

Of course, we have some limitations. For example, clips recorded in 4K resolution are limited to 10 minutes . On the other hand, we don't have the option to record at 24p, which would give our videos a more cinematic look. And finally, recording at 100p and 120p has neither sound nor autofocus.

Otherwise, the video quality that the camera achieves is quite good . It provides sharp and clear images, while the autofocus does a good job in most situations. As I mentioned before, it costs a bit with moving subjects, especially if we are backlit or the lighting conditions are not good. We also have a stabilization system, something that is always appreciated.

[Update] Regarding the video section, Canon has improved the video autofocus with a camera firmware update.

Conclusions and price

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III arrives with a few features that we missed on the previous model. While keeping the sensor and lens, video news is sure to be very well received by content creators .

Now we have 4K video at 30p without clipping, FHD video at 120p, a microphone input, the ability to stream live video through YouTube (through the app) and even the option to record videos in portrait format for social networks.

And it does all this while maintaining the same compact and resistant design, the folding screen, excellent connectivity and a range of about 265 shots . In addition, we can charge it using the USB Type C connector that the camera includes.

In short, a compact camera that has little to envy to SLR cameras. Even in price it is closer to these than to compact cameras. We can get the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III with an official price of 830 euros .