Verdict
Canon PowerShot G7 X Review – Verdict
The G7 X is Canon’s first foray into the 1-inch-sensor compact camera market and given that this section has been dominated almost exclusively by Sony’s RX100 series, the G7 X is a welcome contender. The RX100 Mark III has a neat pop-up OLED viewfinder and for some the lack of any equivalent on the G7 X may be the deal breaker, but in its defence, the Canon offers a more extended zoom range of 24-100mm versus 24-70mm. It also handles slightly better in my opinion, with controls and menus sensibly placed and easy to navigate.
Panasonic’s new LX100 also offers some competition to the G7 X with some great features that the Canon model simply can’t match, such as 4K video recording and 4K stills capabilities.
I found the 90° tilt screen very useful when trying to get low angle shots, but occasionally my efforts were frustrated whenever I wanted to shoot at an alternative angle, as the screen only titled upwards. Of course you can connect the camera to a smart device quite easily and control it remotely to get around this issue, but some photographers may not have this option. It’s not a big issue but the screen’s lack of mobility is somewhat limiting.
My wish list of improvements I’d have liked to see in the G7 X include an advanced hybrid AF system, faster image processing with a higher frame rate during burst shooting, a multi-interface accessory hotshoe and weather sealing, but we can’t have it all (yet). But with all of that being said, at around £570, Canon’s model is the cheapest of the pack and offers a lot of benefits, including superb manual handling in a truly portable frame, weighing significantly less than Panasonic’s LX100 and fitting neatly into trouser pockets.
