The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III pairs a 20.1MP 1-inch stacked sensor with a bright 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 zoom in a pocket-sized metal body, and it ranks among the better enthusiast and vlogging compacts of its generation. Reviewers consistently praise its image quality, handling and creator features such as uncropped 4K, a mic input and YouTube live-streaming, while noting the lack of a viewfinder, no hot shoe and only digital video stabilization. It is a 2019 design, so its autofocus and video IS trail the newest competition, and street prices have climbed above MSRP due to sustained social-media popularity. Travelers who want noticeably better stills and video than a phone in something that still fits a jacket pocket still have a strong choice here, if no longer a cutting-edge one. Buy at or near the $849 authorized price; well above that, the value argument weakens.
- — Large 1-inch 20.1MP stacked CMOS sensor delivers far better low-light image quality and shallower depth-of-field than phones or smaller-sensor compacts
- — Bright, versatile 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 zoom covers wide travel scenes through short-telephoto portraits in a genuinely pocketable body
- — No electronic viewfinder and no hot shoe, so bright-sun composing and mounting accessories like a mic are awkward
- — No in-body or dedicated 5-axis optical stabilization for video; the digital IS introduces a crop and softens detail at its 'high' setting
▾Why it's ranked here
The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III pairs a 20.1MP 1-inch stacked sensor with a bright 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 zoom in a pocket-sized metal body, and it ranks among the better enthusiast and vlogging compacts of its generation. Reviewers consistently praise its image quality, handling and creator features such as uncropped 4K, a mic input and YouTube live-streaming, while noting the lack of a viewfinder, no hot shoe and only digital video stabilization. It is a 2019 design, so its autofocus and video IS trail the newest competition, and street prices have climbed above MSRP due to sustained social-media popularity. Travelers who want noticeably better stills and video than a phone in something that still fits a jacket pocket still have a strong choice here, if no longer a cutting-edge one. Buy at or near the $849 authorized price; well above that, the value argument weakens.
- — Large 1-inch 20.1MP stacked CMOS sensor delivers far better low-light image quality and shallower depth-of-field than phones or smaller-sensor compacts
- — Bright, versatile 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 zoom covers wide travel scenes through short-telephoto portraits in a genuinely pocketable body
- — No electronic viewfinder and no hot shoe, so bright-sun composing and mounting accessories like a mic are awkward
- — No in-body or dedicated 5-axis optical stabilization for video; the digital IS introduces a crop and softens detail at its 'high' setting
