Sometimes, you just need a camera. And sometimes, even if you have a nice DSLR, you don't want to have to hassle with carrying lenses and a bunch of stuff. That's where a pocketable, powerful point-and-shoot can really come in handy, and I'd rank Canon's PowerShot G7 X Mark II among the best of them.
Even if you're not a camera nerd like me, it's not hard to see why this versatile, portable camera is worth its $700 price tag. While you won't get cutting-edge features like 4K video, Canon's packed this camera with features I think really matter to more people.
There are two major ways that this camera differentiates itself from what you might find in a fancy-schmancy iPhone or Android handset. The first is when it comes to sensor size. The main camera in an iPhone X has a 1/2.8" size sensor, a tad smaller than what you might have found in a premium compact about a decade ago.
Smartphone cameras can be pretty amazing but a real camera like this can devote most of its size to cramming in a bigger sensor. The 20-megapixel, 1-inch sensor inside this PowerShot is goes far beyond what a small smartphone sensor can manage, gathering light and snapping clear photos long after your phone has thrown in the towel.
The second thing you'll get from the Canon G7 X Mark II is plenty of zoom. Canon's packed 4.2x optical zoom into the G7X Mark II, giving you a wide range of shooting options. While you can get more from one of Sony's similar RX100 models—the RX100 Mark VI, for instance has a shocking 8.3x lens—Canon offers good enough reach for the money.
I was generally impressed with this camera's image quality, even if its optics obviously trade some low-light versatility for a little extra zoom. The photos I shot with it turned out well, with good sharpness and pleasing colors, like I've come to expect from a Canon. The 20-megapixel image size should crop easily too, so you'll be able to recompose to your heart's desire after the shot has been taken.
Just because owning a camera seems somewhat old-fashioned doesn't mean Canon stuck with old-fashioned features. This Canon features Wi-Fi, which lets you quickly zap photos from your camera to your phone for posting to social media. Your phone also doubles as a remote control, making group photos easier to capture with everyone in the frame.
The PowerShot G7 X Mark II also has some great design perks that make it nicer to handle than many other cameras. The tilting rear LCD is touch-friendly, and can swing up so that you can see yourself in it while shooting selfies. I found its pronounced grip a nice touch, since some of Canon's older point and shoots put bare metal or a sad rubber strip where your fingers fall.
For advanced shooters, there are some nice bonus controls, too. The ring around the front lens doubles as a convenient dial, and you can pick whether it has coarse detents or turns smoothly. There's also a physical exposure compensation wheel on the top of the camera, stacked underneath the knurled mode dial. So, there's really something for everyone here.
