It’s not too long ago that I wrote a review of Canon’s PowerShot G16 which has been my companion since then. It has its limitations but all these were overcome in their latest Canon PowerShot G5X.
This camera is dubbed as the Vlogging camera by YouTubers and I have to second that. Filming is like a breeze with this camera that has an articulated screen where you can flip its screen easily to film yourself.
Like all other Canon digital cameras, it is quite idiot-proof and user-friendly. The buttons and dials were all strategically positioned to the ease and convenience of the user.
Sometimes reading gadgets reviews by Techies can be really challenging as I do not quite understand the photography lingo they used. Place your open palms on your computer screen to give me a high 5 if you ever felt that way. And for those who seek a simplified and straight-to-the-point review of this new gadget or who are new to photography and cameras, read on.
Camera Specifications and features
1) High definition EVF and a vari-angle touch screen LCD panel
It would be nice if all cameras have this feature of a screen that can be swivelled around.
2) 1.0 inch-type CMOS sensor and 4.2x Optical Zoom (24-100mm)
3) 20.2-megapixel image sensor
With this image sensor, the pictures taken by the G5X are sharper than my G16.
4) Full HD 60p, compatible with MP4 movie-shooting
You can check out the video quality by viewing one of my videos shot using this camera.
5) Built-in electronic viewfinder
This feature comes in handy when your surrounding is too bright and camera LCD screen appears too glaring, then you can view through the viewfinder to capture. But personally, I didn’t really use the viewfinder because by the time you position your eyes to view through the viewfinder, seconds have gone and you could have missed a special moment.
The Four Dials
There are four dials, namely the mode dial, exposure compensation dial on the top right,front dial near the shutter button, and the control dial on the rear. Each of the dials is strategically located to allow the user to adjust the settings with ease. It gives you more control to set the settings manually and make adjustments, just like how you would operate a Canon EOS camera.
However, I personally don’t just use them as it takes the time to remember the type of setting that corresponds to the dial. You will need some practice with this in order to get use to the controls.
Here’s a close up shot of the camera body.
Advantages
It’s a compact digital camera that can fit nicely into your bag and yet gives you high-quality photos and videos.
It has an excellent image stabilisation especially when you are filming. It just makes your video looks less shaky and I really like this automated stabilisation function which cancels our my fear of producing shaky videos. This is why it makes a good vlogging camera because you are usually on the move when you are filming yourself.
It can shoot at 60frames per second
Its swivel articulated screen that flips from the side makes it easier for selfie moments and vlogging.
Also, you got the screen covered and protected when you swivel the screen and flip the screen to face the inner body of the camera.
Limitations
The battery life is short and I was quite surprise that the energy runs out so fast as it was never the case for my Canon 650D or Canon Powershot G16. If you are shooting videos and taking photographs at the same time, the battery will run out quite fast. I remembered that it only last me for about 5 hours when I continuously taking videos and pictures during my trip to Kluang, Johor.
So you have to bring a powerpack along just in case it runs out of battery which can be quite troublesome.
My verdict: It is really made to suit the lifestyle of those who vlog and those who already might have some basics of photography. It’s more like a high-performance compact camera version for the intermediate and advanced photography enthusiast who sometimes need a handy and compact camera as such.
For more information on this camera, visit this link here.
