Canon Powershot V1 review: A powerful compact camera capable of capturing incredible video

Compact cameras–They’re not dead, they’re back-and cooler than ever. Forget eulogies; the comeback is very real. At the helm goes the most stylish Fuji gas X100 VI that will forever make you give up on digital filters with its film simulations. Osmo Pocket 3 from DJI undercuts this statement of style and flavor for content creators. Think wonderfully smooth video footage regardless of how shaky the times may become, provided that gimbal and subject tracking that feels almost telepathic!

Canon is back in the compact arena through a vlogging powerhouse: PowerShot V1. Forget all that was said about the G7X Mark III – an entirely different animal exists. A huge 1.4″ 22-megapixel sensor leads the V1 charge for supremacy in the visual scene. The intentions are stunning imagery, rock-steady footage via optical stabilization, and sharply rendered 4K supersampled video. But don’t just think vlogging: This camera really packs quite a punch in the photographic arena, too.

Canon

Canon PowerShot V1

Canon’s PowerShot V1 is a versatile hybrid camera with excellent video and image quality thanks to the unusually large sensor.

Pros

• Fast shooting speeds
• Great image quality even in low light
• 10-bit log 4K video
• Optical stabilization
• Built-in fan to stop overheating

Cons

• Rolling shutter
• Display is a bit dim
• Plain looks
• No built-in flash

Explore More Buying Options

$900 at Target

$900 at Target

$900 at Amazon

The V1’s 16-50mm lens offers a nice-wide view but is slower than the ZV-1 II-reminder. While the Fuji X100 VI comes with charm and slimness, the PowerShot V1 leans toward a much straight-forward bulky design. The minor nitpicking aside, V1 is an absolute beast that makes gorgeous videos and photos most especially when light starts to fade. For a creator looking for a really small yet powerful tool, V1 is the answer.

Design and handling

Canon ignored the retro-chic trend and followed instead its own path with the PowerShot V1. Slim and sleek? No, sir. It means substance. Weighing 53 mm thick, the camera fills one’s palm, making it momentarily charming to consider how slim Sony created the ZV-1 II at 47 mm! Think of it as an anti-Fujifilm: Form follows function, a conscious design choice oriented to ease of use rather than a vintage notion. Even though the V1 measures at about 426 grams (with a battery inside), just barely lighter than the X100 VI sans lens, it manifests a Will: “I’m here to work.”

PowerShot V1 winks at Canon’s G7X III, borrowing its swagger, but packs a little more punch. Think of it as the G7X III’s beefier cousin-a small fan for active cooling and a power zoom lever that simply begs to be toyed with. So, about that flash-popping, face-the-camera affair? Gone! But wait! This means Canon has installed a hotshoe instead, opening up the extravagance of external flashes. Oh, and that silence record button-counting moments-acts somehow shy in the back and now ebulliently stands at the top, right at hand!

The PowerShot V1 sits comfortably in the palm, the texturized grip anchoring you during vlogging on the move. While the buttons are well placed, I longed for a top dial–a tactile click-clack for quickly changing settings. The size is almost sufficiently small to put into a pocket but it refuses to disappear into one like Sony’s ZV-1 II. Controls respond adequately, though not with the luxurious feel an experienced Canon mirrorless would give. The end result is functional handling with the V1, but still lacking in the head-turning style possessed by a Fuji.

Steve Dent for Engadget

No more awkward angles and annoying guessing games. The PowerShot V1 burst on the scene with a fully articulating display, granting warranty for either a trite vlogger or street photographer. Now, watch what you shoot whether you’re holding your camera above a crowd or going for that perfect selfie angle. The only downside? The sun comes up strongly enough to wash it off. An electronic viewfinder to cut glare? Sorry, the V1 doesn’t have one.

Does battery anxiety kill the buzz? However, the camera weighs in on a solid 400 shots or about 60 minutes of awesome 4K/30p video on a single charge. Talking about connectivity, it’s got dedicated mic and headphones jacks for pro audio, plus a microHDMI output. The USB-C port fast-charges and allows for quick file transfers. Being a card slot of UHS-II SD means no hanging around waiting to transfer files!

Vlogging and content creation

That “V” in PowerShot V1 doesn’t just exist in name; it stands for a promise of vlogging power. And that power is the 16-50mm zoom lens that keeps you in the frame with ease. But, you may be disappointed with the very wide view for more complicated close-ups and dynamic B-roll.

Say goodbye to blurry memories. This little monster, by means of using its entire sensor, records sharp supersampled 4K 30p on the go. Need more adrenaline? Well then, go ahead and lose a bit in crop by 1.4 to get 4K 60p. Color freak? Then get more glorious 10-bit video via C-Log 3 or HDR and zoom past Sony’s ZV-1 II that goes only up to 4K 30p or 8-bit S-Log. Just sit back, for DJI Osmo Pocket 3 comes into play with its uncropped 4K at the mind-boggling 120fps, alongside in full 10-bit D-LogM and HDR.

Unleash your vision with the PowerShot V1. This large sensor offers highly crisp video capture with scenes painted with Canon’s trademark naturalistic color and skin tones. Tough lighting conditions are no challenge for 10-bit C-Log3, opening up stunning dynamic range to mold your footage in post. As night starts to fall, the V1 overcomes all competition to deliver stunning low-noise imaging never witnessed before in a compact camera.

Steve Dent for Engadget

Taller and bigger sensors are always welcome for the picture, but here comes a somewhat unpleasant guest to greet the 4K 30p party: a distorted video from a highly pronounced rolling shutter. Think jello effect meets high-res video. Worried about wobbly visuals? Use cropped 4K 60p instead. By taking advantage of a smaller area of the sensor, the rolling shutter losses will practically disappear, albeit at the cost of a little bit of field of-view. With that, you will get great shots that are easy on the eye.

Never had overheating problems for the PowerShot V1 is set with an inbuilt fan to beat thermal throttling. Setting the temperature threshold to “high,” at maximum when pushed to the limits, the camera still would stubbornly never shut down because of heat. It is a camera that stays cool under pressure.

If images are blurred, forget it. Autofocus by the PowerShot V1, enhanced by an overclocked processor, puts the Sony ZV-1 II and other vlogging cameras to shame. It sticks like Velcro when subjects are zooming across frames. The face and eyes’ detection are sharp, but not limited to that-a camera locks onto animals and vehicles too-that way, your vlog is always crystal clear, whatever might be happening.

While only electronic wizardry is used to stabilize videos on the ZV-1 II, the PowerShot V1 proudly exhibits the new one-two punch: 5 stops of optical stabilization complementing electronic stabilization. Just imagine getting silky smooth handheld footage with every pixel preserved or turning on the e-stabilization when you walk around shakily through a chaotic scene. However, these features look no less trivial next to that of the Osmo Pocket 3 with its integrated 3-axis gimbal allowing a cinematic level of stability.

This is to say that the PowerShot V1 sees sound and hears it at the same time: The camera has both mic and headphone jacks, which is a feature sorely lacking from the ZV-1 II, since that camera has no headphone port whatsoever, thus giving you complete audio control with the V1. The wind muff attached to the hotshoe, in combination with the relatively good stereo mics, gives you clean audio, even when nature pits her tantrum.

Photography

Steve Dent for Engadget

Beyond vlog excitement, the PowerShot V1 hides many photographic criteria. Ignore compromises; with its 22.4MP, 1.4-inch sensor, and a recently developed Digic X processor, it gives out amazing image quality and lightning speed to launch autofocus and smart AI features.

Hang on! This little compact camera runs a breathtaking speed of 30 frames per second in electronic shutter mode. Serious speed, really! If one needs mechanical-shutter time, the camera can still climb up to an unparalleled 15 fps, a rarity these days. Such fury puts it in a class of its own. The X100 VI is a wee bit slower at 25 fps max, while the ZV-1 II goes only to 15 fps. That Osmo Pocket 3 is fine for pictures, but it’s really a video-first piece of hardware.

Do you want to leverage the best speed on this PowerShot V1, courtesy of Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II? Experience razor-sharp focusing: with cutting-edge AI face and eye detection trained to uncanny precision. However, the brain is equally great in spotting animals, vehicles, and even aircraft from above, at the touch of your fingertips.

Canon PowerShot V1

Canon PowerShot V1, ISO 100, 49mm, f/4.5, 1/250th

Forget about shaky footage! PowerShot V1 has a secret weapon up its sleeve: a 5-stop optical stabilizer that creates all kinds of magic against blur. We’re talking crystal clear shots at the glacial speed of 1/8 of a second, and sometimes daring it farther to an even slower 1/4! That’s the golden time to get that gorgeous flowing background against which your subject really stands out. Talk about being put to shame by the ZV-1 II, Sony!

Most compact cameras glory under the sun but wilt in the shadows. The PowerShot V1 knows no fear in the presence of dim lighting. One secret? An unusually large 1.4-inch sensor-much larger than sensors found in virtually all compact cameras, indeed almost approaching the realm of Micro Four Thirds. It can make crisp and noise-absent images up to ISO 6400, with noise kept surprisingly low even at ISO 12800.

Say no to editing woes. Canon cameras are much like a beauty sieve for gorgeous images. Skin tones? Completely right. If you’re a newbie in photography, salute it as your shortcut to some really good stuff. JPEGs will give you the perfect softness versus crispness balance, while RAW files will reveal a treasure trove of detail-a savior for shadows and highlights. Set your inner artist in flight in Lightroom: Canon’s RAW files are an artist’s dream canvas.

Wrap-up

Steve Dent for Engadget

With a price of $900, the PowerShot V1 is truly not merely competing; it goes out and strategically outmaneuvers others. Forget the Sony ZV-1 II. The V1 has a bigger sensor and image stabilization, and richer video features, all at a comparable price. Ditch also the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. The PowerShot V1 is simply an awesome hybrid for any shooter, well marrying strong photographic capabilities with phenomenal video skills. This is not a vlogging camera; it is a creative tool.

The harsh truth: there goes the vlogging camera genre, shrinking away into oblivion. Many creators have instead picked up a DJI Osmo Pocket 3. And rightly so; this Pocket 3 has features that are just dreams to the V1: motorized tracking smoothing out any level of complexities, and a three-axis gimbal allowing footage to be pushed up to professional standards. Furthermore, integration of wireless microphones from Mic 2 and Mic mini by DJI grants the Pocket 3 yet another advantage, this time in audio quality. On top of it all, with an inherently utilitarian design, the PowerShot V1 can’t even hold its own in appeal against a Fuji X100 VI- and so style-conscious buyers are left wanting for more.

The PowerShot V1 ain`t just another camera; it is ready to dominate the market. Forget the nostalgia of G7X III; V1 has the best video and photo capabilities. Considering holding on to getting ZV-1 II from Sony? There is simply no competition for the V1 as a true hybrid excellent in stills and motion.

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