DSLR or smartphone? This camera is the perfect answer
Cameras come in all shapes and sizes. They are nowadays as compact as the smartphones in your hand, and as large as the behemoths like the Canon 1DX.
However, for most people who have fairly basic needs, like shooting images during a family vacation or clicking some personal photos in a wedding, the best cameras are those that are affordable, pack in good enough performance and are small to carry.
The Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II is one such camera.
Made of metal
This is a small camera, very compact and built well. You can slip it into a pocket if you are wearing pants with comfort fitting or you can put it in a jacket or coat pocket, although it has some weight to it because of its metal body. Other than the rubber grip on the right side of the camera, the whole body is made of metal.
The finishing is top notch and no button or part of the camera, including the moveable screen and the flash, feels flimsy or loose. The camera looks a bit retro with several dials and wheels, giving users the ability to control things like aperture and zoom. But, as it happens with cameras like this, the best way to use the G7X Mark II is by putting it in auto mode and just shooting.
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| The finishing is top notch and no button or part of the camera, including the moveable screen and the flash, feels flimsy or loose. |
It also helps that the camera has a touchscreen that makes it easier for non-tech-savvy users to adjust the focus or fine-tune the settings. As is the case with the design, build quality and handling, the camera hardware is quite impressive.
The camera uses a one-inch image sensor, similar to what Sony’s RX 100 series cameras have. The size of the sensor means that in this age when smartphones like the iPhone 7 Plus and the Google Pixel can click great photos, the G7X Mark II can offer something better.
Then there is the lens. The camera comes with an attached lens that has a focal length of 24-100mm (in 35mm) and has an aperture of F1.8-F2.8, which helps a lot when you are shooting in low light.
Good hardware
The good hardware inside the G7X Mark II translates into good performance. Irrespective of the conditions you will shoot in, the G7X Mark II will surprise you. The one-inch sensor, which clicks 20-megapixel images, shoots photos with a lot of detail. If the light is good, the camera clicks images where texture is crystal clear. In lower light, the amount of detail goes down, but it is safe to say that the G7X Mark II gives manifold better images compared to anything that a super-expensive smartphone can manage.
There are some flaws, although minor in the grand scheme of things. The noise reduction in low light is too aggressive. Then its lens, as impressive as it is, doesn’t click edge-to-edge sharp photos. The corners are on the softer side. Auto focus too is slow. It can’t track a moving subject — think of a pet dog — well enough to give you crystal clear shots.
Ideal companion
The G7X Mark II is an ideal companion when you are on a holiday with your family. The best bit is that at a time when the Sony RX 100 IV still costs above Rs 60,000, the G7X Mark II sells for around Rs 35,000 in the market (its MRP is closer to Rs 40,000). Not bad at all.
(Courtesy of Mail Today.)