PowerShot G7 X
Canon’s latest compact
ithin the G7 X’s sleek exterior is a new 20.2-million-pixel, 1-inch back-illuminated sensor and a Digic 6 processing engine, which puts it above the G16 and S120 in the PowerShot range, but below the Canon G1 X Mark II (which has a 1.5-inch type or 18.7 x 14.0mm sensor).
As a compact camera, the G7 X has a fixed lens. Canon has plumped for a versatile 24-100mm (equivalent) f/1.8-2.8 optic. It’s possible to shoot in Manual, Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority mode, but there are also automatic options for less experienced photographers. Images may also be saved in raw or JPEG format (or both simultaneously).
Other specification highlights include a 3-inch tilting touchsensitive 1,040k-dot LCD screen, Wi-Fi connectivity, NFC technology, a sensitivity range of ISO 125–12,800 and a maximum continuous shooting rate of 6.5 frames per second when the focus is set at the start of the sequence, or 4.4 fps with continuous autofocusing. Up to 692 images can be shot in a sequence.
WBuild and Handling
The G7 X is just a little bigger than the S120 and it has a slightly higherquality feel. Unlike the S120, the G7 X’s mode dial sits above an exposure compensation dial with settings running in the range +/-3EV, allowing quick exposure adjustments. There’s also a control ring around the lens that can be used to adjust aperture, sensitivity, manual focus, white balance, focal length, dynamic range, shadow correction and aspect ratio, along with a custom option chosen by you. Canon has given the lens ring just the right level of friction so it doesn’t get knocked easily out of place, and it has a nice positive action. It also clicks as it rotates to indicate a change has been made.
Although the LCD provides a detailed view, it suffers from reflections in bright light, as is often the case, and this can make composition tricky. On the plus side, the screen responds promptly to touch. Although fingerprints build up over time, it seems reasonably resistant to them.
Performance
Images from the G7 X generally look nice straight from the camera, in most cases having correct exposure, pleasant colours and a good level of