Andrew Thrasher

Excellent for home studio video creation, and awesome value for street/architecture photography too

The PowerShot V1 offers a great combo of image quality, value, and performance.To start with vlogging/video, this camera is excellent for making videos at home. The larger sensor (basically micro four thirds) compared to other compact cameras in this price range makes lighting much easier. The ultrawide lens is rare for this type of camera, but offers awesome vlogging utility for both demonstrations and showing environments, while the long end has just enough to give a pretty darn professional-looking 1-shot look. The fast, consistent and stable autofocus makes shooting a breeze, and the I/O is also well situated for use in a streaming setup.Overall image quality is very good. The lens is impressively sharp at all ranges, and low-light performance is very similar to my micro four thirds Lumix G97. The still RAWs definitely have their own character compared to the Lumix that I'm still adjusting to, but I'm starting to get a feel, and the jpegs are beautiful for on-the-go sharing.I find the ergonomics to work well for video, when I tend to cup my hands around the entire outside of the frame. For stills, the grip isn't particularly deep, even for a compact camera, but it's not bad either. A second dial on the top/back would have been appreciated, but the AF is good enough that using the lens ring actually isn't bad at all once you get used to it.I don't have strong impressions of battery life yet. I've been impressed with it in some cases, but have also found the battery suddenly drained in other cases. One positive is that the camera doesn't seem to mind running while connected to USB power at all, so for longer shoots, plugging into a battery bank is totally an option, and in a lot of cases, like recording a long video, is more convenient than swapping batteries.The lack of flash, and pickiness about add-on flashes, could be an issue for some, but for the type of shooting I think this camera excels at, vlogging, street, and architecture, the flash isn't really missed.There are a few negatives. The lack of optical image stabilization is understandable at the price, but is definitely noticeable at times in video. The electronic stabilization is good when panning/tilting from a static position, but I find it very ineffective for dealing with bouncing from walking, even at wider angles. Given that a lot of action cams with great stabilization also do it all electronically, this is a pretty big disappointment, since this could otherwise be a very interesting camera for not-quite-action situations due to its small size and wide angle lens.My only other complaint is the location of the SD card slot, which is under the battery door. This is a perfectly normal spot, but the design of the door doesn't quite allow opening it while even a small quick-release plate is attached, adding an extra step to remove SD cards when using a quick release plat for tripods or other mounts.Those are really the only two negatives I've encountered so far. Ultimately, I've been super impressed with the V1. So impressed in fact, that I'm almost tempted to buy a 2nd one to permanently affix to my home vlogging studio. It's just so good in that role, and I also love it as a value street shooter.Ver más

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Nick

24 de agosto de 2025

A step up and a step down from the G7X series but I still love it

The pocket camera market has become incredibly strange over the last decade or so. All of the good cameras that I have liked are no longer made and being resold at twice the cost thanks to social media. My G7X Mark III gave up after 5 years of service, so it was time to give this Powershot V1 a try, despite this being marketed as a vlogging camera and not so much for still photography. With that, I’ll review it as a stills person first with video second.The sensor size and picture quality has increased versus the G7X III, mainly due to going from the DIGIC 8 to DIGIC X sensor. The sensor is also larger and a paired down version of the same sensor on the R7 (which I have and love). Shots wide open at ISO 6400 show less grain than my G7X III did (but both can equally be cleaned up in Lightroom). Downside is that the lens is the equivalent of 18-50mm, so the zoom I had previously enjoyed on other Powershots is no longer there. I tend to shoot wide frequently so this is an annoyance. If this was an 18-100mm equivalent I would be in love. However we do have IS in the camera, so I feel like I’m able to get quality photos and videos indoors in less than great light. Macro mode is excellent and I can use this to take up close photos and not have to feel like I have to bring out the R8 and Macro lens.Video filming is nice. Like most Canon cameras, it’s fairly intuitive and you’re able to record in CLog3, which allows for more dynamic range and better quality of video. The built in microphone is pretty nice and works well but I can add additional accessories for filming (external mics, etc) so I was happy with the sound quality. It also includes a dead cat/microphone filter. It can also do subject tracking, which is pretty cool. I don’t plan on using this as a vlogging camera but I’m incredibly happy with the few minutes’ worth of video I capture at a time and can easily edit in Davinci Resolve.The camera is large, which most people find annoying but I actually like so I can hold it properly and not feel like I’m holding this with 3 fingers like I do with smaller cameras. It’s mainly made larger to handle the fans for the 4k video demands so filming lengthy videos won’t have issues.A few of the reviews that I read mentioned that the V1 had issues with SD cards. I’ve used several (v60 and v90) cards without issues (as always, good fast cards matter).There are a few irritating things with this camera. First, there’s no battery charger, so you’re charging out of the box via USB-C (20W or higher) to get started. Most likely you’ll need an additional battery anyway (the third party ones I’ve used have been fine) so it’s worth looking for one that does standalone charging. This also takes the LP-E17 batteries (same as my R8) so I can extend my filming time when out for the day. Another one of the things that I found incredibly irritating is that the lugs for camera straps have become incredibly small so I was barely able to get the Peak Design anchors on and having to resort to a small connector. I like a solid wrist strap in a camera to prevent from dropping, and the one included in the box with the camera isn’t so great. Shouldn’t be this difficult.Overall this is a really good camera with some frustrations but unlike the G7X series cameras, it’s newer technology and actually available for purchase without an inflated price. I’m happy with the stills and am able to take good footage from the camera. And with manufacturers seeming to abandon pocketable point and shoot cameras, this may be as good as it gets in 2025.

Jason

2 de julio de 2026

As a full-frame owner, I am very happy with this point and shoot for mainly photography use.

I can't comment on long-term construction quality, but my initial use and reaction to this camera is it is exactly what I wanted in a point and shoot digital camera. The only negative so far is the max 50mm on the zoom, but of course, knew that before purchase so not an issue. I like the zoom in general, and as mainly for photography, it does a great job with the 1.4" sensor. I see no quality issues compared to bigger APS-C and Full frame canon cameras. While it's not the same output you'll get from a full frame, the clarity and sharpness of the images, regardless of zoom, are better than I expected and will use as an everyday camera so no reason to lug around my larger canons unless pro work is involved. don't be afraid of this camera for photography, even though most reviews are for the exceptional video quality. Pretty much a win-win as of initial few months use.Ver más

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Amazon Customer

GREAT QUALITY CAMERA

I’m OBSSESED with this camera. it definitley has a lot of features so it’s good for the money. very easy to use since i’m just starting out but nice to know i can grow with it over time! the quality is INSANE.

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Mr. Yao

14 de febrero de 2026

Awesome camera. Bulkier than expected. No charger.

Awesome camera, got it for $700 on BF. Amazing autofocus on the eye. I use it on video tasty cool picture mode 1080p and the image looks amazing on youtube. I have also used 4k clog3 on davinci and it's even crazier.For photos, I use my old godox flashes/triggers with the Ad-E1 adapter. The lens isn't as sharp as the bigger cameras, but it's good enough.-1 star for no charger, being larger, and slower aperture f2.8. A perfect score would be a new G7x f1.8 with the autofocus of the V1.Ver más

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Georgy

21 de marzo de 2026

Best Pocket Camera for the Price

Great point-and-shoot camera for the price. The photo quality is excellent. It’s easy to carry in your pocket and always within reach. It’s also the most recent model in terms of release year compared to competitors.

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