Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II Review: Compact but Powerful

Last updated on 2022-09-22
By Yvonne

Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II Review: Powerful, Compact and PowerfulThe Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II camera is an upgrade to Canon's G7X. This updated version allows for easier vlogging while staying true to its original platform.

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II

We like this

Touchscreen
f/1.8 fast aperture lens
Wi-Fi capabilities
Tracking your focus
DIGIC7 image processor
Neutral density filter for in-camera

The Things We Hate

There are no 4K video options
There is no microphone input

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II compact digital camera has outstanding video recording abilities and tiltable LCD screens that make self-recording simple.

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II was purchased by us so that our expert reviewer could fully test it and evaluate it. Continue reading to see our complete product review.

A camera is one of the key tools to successful content creators. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, one of the best cameras available on the market for producing amazing video and stunning photos in a small design.

To see how the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II has been so popular among content creators, and social media influencers, we got to play with it.

Design: A small design, with easy-to-use controls

It measures 4.15 inches in width, 2.4 inches high, and 1.6 inches thick. The device is made of steel and weighs in at 11 ounces. It feels heavy when it sits comfortably in your hands. The rubber grip makes it comfortable and ergonomic.

A large control ring surrounds the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II's front. It houses a retractable lenses. You can adjust the camera settings and menus with this control ring. The control ring allows you to adjust the aperture and shutter speeds. This is similar to using a manual lens. This feature is useful for creatives who are familiar with working with professional DSLRs.

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Setting up: Please take your time and get to know the camera.

The setup can be difficult for those that have never used a digital camera before—getting to know the menu items is key to fully unlocking the potential of the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II.

The Menu button will open a menu that presents three choices: Setup, Shoot and My Menu. There are eight pages in the Shoot menu that you can cycle through to personalize your shooting experience. You can fine tune everything from the image quality to auto focus to ISO Speed to movie recording sizes. You can adjust some of these settings through the Quick menu button.

You can set up features in the Setup menu that you normally only need once. These include wireless settings, language and date.

Display: Easily adjustable and ideal for self-recording

The key feature of the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II is its 3-inch LCD LCD LCD, which can flip 45 degrees down and 180 degrees to face the user.

The LCD adjustable display was a great feature that made it easy to record our own videos when we tested the camera. It is bright and has a resolution 1.04million dots. Important information such as ISO settings, flash, white bal, picture style and exposure compensation are all displayed on the LCD.

Self-recording is easy with the adjustable LCD LCD display.

Large and bright, the display of Canon PowerShot G7x Mark II has a large resolution. It was easy to use the touch screen for navigation through the 'quick menu', which allowed us to adjust our shooting experience and style. It is sensitive and accurate.

Focus adjustments have never been easier—just tap the selected area on the LCD screen. Canon PowerShot G7x Mark II does not have an optical viewfinder like traditional cameras. The LCD screen is the primary source of framing photos and videos.

Check out these picks to see more articulated LCD and touchscreen cameras.

Sensor: Excellent image quality

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II offers a superior point-and-shoot camera to the rest, thanks in large part to the 20.1-megapixel CMOS sensor. The Canon HS System is made up of this sensor and the Digic7 image processor.

The ISO rating of this camera is up to 12800. This allows it to take great pictures and videos in low light conditions. This camera can save a lot of data from its RAW files, which are great for editing and post production.

Another major upgrade to the Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II is Digic 7, an image processor. This processor allows the camera to take sharp photos of fast moving subjects like athletes and dancers. Beautiful photos are created with reduced grain and great colors.

Lens: Flexible and fast

This compact camera has an excellent lens, which is fast and powerful considering its small size. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II features a 4.2x optical Zoom that is equivalent to a 24-100mm lens. The widest aperture is at f/1.8, while the remainder of the zoom range are rated at at f/2.8. Macro shots can be taken with the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II up to two inches away.

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II's lens features a nine-blade iris dial that creates beautiful out-of focus backgrounds. It also isolates subjects better than higher-end DSLR lenses. This helped to make the subject stand out against the background when we were shooting portraits. By reducing light in the lens, the neutral density filter makes cinematic photos more dramatic. If you are shooting in bright sunlight and need to slow down shutter speeds or use wider apertures, this is a great option.

High Quality Photo: Great colors

We had to use RAW mode in order to fully take advantage of the Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II's image quality. This 20.1-megapixel sensor captures vivid colors and produces sharp, crisp images. We also had more control over shadow details and highlights in the RAW files.

This compact camera allows for sharp images thanks to its in-camera stabilization and fast nine-blade-iris diaphragm.

This 20.1-megapixel sensor captures vivid color and produces sharp images.

Video Quality - Good, but not the greatest

We felt the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II's 4K recording was one of its weaknesses when testing it. Although the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II cannot record video at 1080p resolution, it still produces sharp, clear video. The camera can record 120 frames per section, meaning it has a slow motion option for extra versatility. However, this feature is not as popular on many cameras.

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II is a joy to use thanks to its in-camera stabilization, focus tracking and focus tracking. We noticed that there was not much hand shaking when we reviewed the files. You can create beautiful timelapses by fine-tuning the exposure, duration, number of shots, etc. to adjust the length of your video.

You can use the HDMI output port located on the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II to connect an external monitor/recorder. The HDMI port can be used with an external monitor or recorder. However, the LCD screen will go black when connected to the HDMI port.

The camera does not support 4K recording.

The audio quality of the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II's recording is good, especially when it records close to the subject. The sound files are usable but not perfect, and the microphone definitely has its limits—when we took the camera out to shoot some video on a windy day, the microphone on this camera could not handle it and the voices in the footage were inaudible.

The camera lacks an audio input jack, which is a major problem. Many creators use higher quality microphones and sound recorders in order to enhance sound quality. Audio input is an important component of content creation.

WiFi: Share and review your photos using your smartphone

Canon PowerShot G7 X mark 2 creates a Wi-Fi network which allows the camera and smartphone to be connected via Canon Camera Connect. We were able wirelessly to control our camera using the Canon Camera Connect app.

The Canon Camera Connect app also allows you to instantly review images and transfer them to your phone. It's simple to instantly send a photo to friends and family by using the Canon Camera Connect app.

You can read our reviews about other Wi-Fi-equipped cameras by visiting the Best Wi-Fi Cameras.

Battery life: Keep an additional battery in your pocket for extended use

Battery life for the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II is 265 shots per battery. We noticed the battery almost empty after using the camera for just a few hours. It's a good idea to carry a couple of spare batteries in case you need them. The battery takes approximately five hours to fully recharge once it is empty.

Prices: Excellent price for the features

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II costs around $600. However, it is a relatively high-end compact point-and shooter. It still offers a lot of features, such as Wi-Fi, 180-degree articulating LCD display, wide aperture lens and in-camera focus tracking.

The camera lacks some major features, such as 4K recording and faster frame rates. We imagine that if these features were available, it would double the cost.

Competiton: There are some less expensive alternatives with catch

The GoPro Hero7 Black action camera is a popular choice for adventure vloggers and retails at $400. This tiny camera can capture 4K video at 60 frames per second and 1080p video at 120fps. (This high frame rate is useful for creating slow-motion videos). You can also live stream it to your favorite social media platforms. Voice commands are available to control the device.

An articulating LCD LCD screen is missing from this device, which is crucial for self-recording. The still photos aren’t as sharp as those of the G7 X Mark II. This makes it less versatile if you need to use both video and photos.

Canon PowerShot X740 HS The Canon PowerShot X740 HS is a $400 alternative to the G7 X Mark II. The SX740 HS is almost as powerful and features-rich as the G7 X Mark II, even though it's a cheaper option.

It has a 1/ 2.3-inch CMOS sensor which results in a significant reduction in video and image quality compared with the G7 X Mark II. The SX740 HS is a great option for 4K video if you are looking to cut costs and still get the same versatility as the G7 X Mark II, but at a lower quality image. If you are looking to start content production but not want to invest as much, the SX740HS is an excellent choice for your first camera.

Final Verdict

This camera is great for video vlogging or taking high-quality pictures.

Although it is a bit more expensive, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II can produce great content while on-the-go with its compact and powerful camera. Although it does not support 4K recording it has excellent video and audio quality that can be used in the right circumstances to create travel videos.