Yes, DSLRs are good. In fact, to take professional photos or starting a professional photography journey, it is probably the best camera you should learn how to use. However, they get bulky and become too much to handle sometimes.
Amateur or professional, there are times when you just need an alternate camera. A small one at that; one that does the work for you. That’s where a point-and-shoot (P & S) camera comes in. Better yet: that’s where the Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II comes in.
Where to Buy Canon Powershot G7 X MARK II
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The compact camera from Canon succeeds the original Canon Powershot G7X and is one of the best high-end point-and-shoot cameras you could get as a photographer. It is, however, not bound to photographers alone though. Need a camera to capture moments in the best of quality while on vacation, at a party, or at any event at all, the Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II gets the job done.
Canon Powershot G7 X MARK II Key Specs
- Dimensions: 106 x 61 x 42 mm (4.17 x 2.4 x 1.65 inch)
- Weight: 319 g (0.70 lb / 11.25 oz) (including batteries)
- Max resolution: 5472 x 3648
- Effective pixels: 20 megapixels
- Sensor size: 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm)
- Sensor type: BSI-CMOS
- Screen: 3-inch tilting TFT LCD touchscreen
- ISO: Auto, 125-12800 (expandable to 25600)
- Focal length (equiv.): 24–100 mm
- Max aperture: F1.8–2.8
- Max shutter speed: 1/2000 sec
- Digital zoom: Yes (4x)
- Manual focus: Yes
Design
Sporting a metal body, the Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II is sturdily built and compact. The body form and design is basically the same as the original G7 X (compact and pocketable) but there are some new additions that make this camera even better and easier to use.
The G7 X Mark II is a bit chunkier and comes with fewer buttons which are all grouped together at the right-hand side of the camera to aid easy one-handed usage of the device.
Also, due to the slippery finish of the metal body, Canon has added a rubber grip at the front for more comfort and ease of handling when using the camera.
The control ring (read: dial) around the lens at the front has also been improved to allow users choose how the dual responds/clicks when the dial has been moved. There is a switch below the lens that users can toggle to set their preferred dial click to either smooth or clicky.
There is still no viewfinder which is a bit disappointing but there is mode (manual, semi-auto, full-auto, hybrid auto, and mode) dial as well as a dedicated exposure dial.
Another major modification to this camera is the position of the LCD display’s hinge. The hinge is now positioned at the top which now allows the LCD touchscreen tilt downwards up to 45 degrees and up to 180 degrees upward.
The original G7 X could only be tilted upwards because the hinge was at the top of the display. This tilting capability can come very handy in certain shooting scenario.
The touchscreen also makes shooting on the Powershot G7 X Mark II a breeze as you can tap subject(s) on the screen to focus on it. Tap to focus also works for videos as well.
Features and Key Upgrades
Like its predecessor, the Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II uses a 24-100mm f/1.8-2.8 lens to take high-quality images and video. However, with this model, Canon is bringing much more improvement to the G7 X-series in the aspect of performance, ISO noise reduction, buffer depths, image sharpening, and overall shooting performance.
Also, thanks to the processor, cycling times for single shots have been reduced to about 0.6 seconds from about 0.9-1.3 seconds on the original Powershot G7 X.
In addition, the G7 X Mark II has the capability to record 14-bit RAW files at 5.4 frames per second (with full autofocus) and 8 frames per second (with locked focus). This is a very impressive improvement from its predecessor which could only record 12-bit RAW files at 1.2fps.
The Digic 7 is a new processor which debuted on the G7 X II. For video recording, Canon introduces a new 24p option which brings a cinematic shooting experience. The top resolution for capturing video still remains 1080/60p.
The G7 X II is also the first Powershot from Canon to come with a “Fine Detail” Picture Style; a feature which makes images more “real and natural’ by allowing users finetune sharpness-related parameters.
Battery
The battery life of the original Powershot G7 X was poor, at least when compared to other compact cameras from rival brands like Panasonic and Sony.
The G7 X only allows users take as much as 210 pictures. With the Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II, however, you can conveniently take 265 shot before needing to recharge as battery life has been beefed up by 25%.
Conclusion and Price
As a professional photographer, the Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II is perfect for days when you just want to leave our chunky DSLR at home. For ono-photographer individuals and families, it will take the best of family pictures at any event and gathering.
It is also super easy to use, got improved battery life, and you can easily get pictures and videos rolling in minutes. It is also WiFi compatible and using the Canon Camera Connect App, you can remotely take images and videos, adjust zoom and focus settings, transfer photos among other things all from your Android and iOS phone.
It, however, comes at a price as it isn’t exactly cheap. The Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II costs more than half a thousand US dollars; US$ 599 precisely. You can purchase it a local camera store or at any trusted online store like Amazon, Best Buy etc.
