I was thrilled when Canon announced the PowerShot V1 in February this year. It meant a comeback of Canon's compact cameras, with the Japanese manufacturer bringing back what our reviewer called a "supercharged PowerShot G7X Mark III" – and I was big fan of the older compact.
The supercharging is what should put the PowerShot V1 on your radar if you're thinking about getting into video content creation or you need a new (upgraded) camera. The best part is it's price very well, even at its RRP of AU$1,449. However, it's just dropped to a record-low price, and the October Prime Day sale hasn't even started yet!
It's down to AU$1,049 on Amazon ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, and I think that's superb value for money when you look at its performance and spec sheet.
You can take a look at our in-depth Canon PowerShot V1 review for a full rundown of how this compact performs in the real world, but I think calling it a "well-rounded package for aspiring vloggers" should say it all.
And it begins with the sensor inside. It's a large 1.4-inch light-capturing surface that takes things up a notch over the standard 1-inch sensors most other compact cameras use. The sensor is coupled with Canon's Digic X processor that has powered the company's higher-end cameras, so processing is speedy for smooth performance. Of course, there's also Canon's trusty Dual Pixel AF II technology to support both eye and face detection – this works for humans, dogs and cats. I reckon future firmware updates might expand it to more animals, but I've used Canon cameras for over 12 years – face detection always works, even if the spec sheet is being rather specific.
One thing that some vloggers will appreciate is the wide-angle 16-50mm lens, which translates to a 3.1x zoom. That beats Sony's 18-50mm lens on its compact vlogging cameras.
That's not the only thing it outdoes Sony on. The PowerShot V1's sensor is stabilised which, trust me when I say this, comes handy when you're capturing footage while walking around town. It also has a maximum continuous shooting speed of 30fps, which is a touch faster than Sony's 24fps.
Its video specs are stock standard – 4K/60p capture – but there's 10-bit Canon Log 3 support for easier editing post capture. I appreciate its Review Mode because it helps when you're trying to showcase specific products in your content, as well as the tally lamps.
There's also an integrated cooling fan in that compact form factor to keep overheating at bay for as long as possible.
I think people will also find the included wind muffler when shooting outdoors (I'm thinking travel vlogging here). That's also when the automatic horizon corrector could be a huge help too, but using this feature will mean image stabilisation will be disabled and the focal range changes to 17-52mm at a reduced resolution of 18.7MP.
That really isn't a deal breaker at all and, honestly, that's a lot of prowess for a camera that currently costs a touch over a grand on Amazon. Will this become cheaper when Prime Big Deal Days starts on October 7? That's anyone's guess, but I'd recommend this camera at this price easily enough.
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