If vlogging is your thing, the Canon Marketing Malaysia may have just rolled out the perfect digital compact camera for you. The PowerShot G7 X Mark III integrates two critical features for vloggers—an external mic jack and YouTube live-streaming capabilities. Canon didn’t stop there, it also launched the new generation PowerShot G5 X Mark II, which packages DLSR-like speed and quality into a lightweight, easy-to-handle package.
Both the PowerShot G5 X Mark II and PowerShot G7 X Mark III share the same 20.1MP, 1-inch stacked CMOS sensor coupled with the powerful DIGIC 8 processor. In fact, they’re both almost identically spec-ed aside from the bigger optical zoom on the G5 X Mark II—the focal range of 24-120mm (35mm equivalent) enables 5X optical zoom compared to the G7 X Mark III’s 24-100mm (35mm equivalent) range for 4.2X zoom.
The superfast, wide aperture f/1.8-2.8 lens, large stacked CMOS sensor and DIGIC 8 processor enables faster autofocus, fast burst mode and 4K video capture without crop.
Canon Powershot G7 X Mark III 
Canon Powershot G5 X Mark II
If you’re looking to shoot fast-moving objects, then the two cameras will deliver. Its pre-shoot settings starts at 0.5 seconds before you even press the shutter release button. You can shoot at a high speed of 30 shots per second in RAW burst mode (and 20fps in JPEG). ISO speed range is between 125-12800 (expansion to 25600 equivalent).
Both cameras will let you capture 4K videos at 30fps without crop, and you can easily make 8MP JPEG frame grabs from your 4K footage.
The cameras feature a 3-inch (~1.04 million dots) tilt-type LCD display, and also packed with connectivity features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE. Downloaf the Canon Camera Connect app to access remote shooting features and easily transfer photos and videos from camera to your smartphone or PC.
One great feature is a USB-C port that supports USB Power Delivery (PD) charging. Just plug in a USB-PD charger or powerbank, and you’ll be able to charge the camera, or in the case of the G7 X Mark III, keep it charging while you’re live-streaming on YouTube or shooting video.
While both share similar underpinnings, there are several distinct differences between the two cameras. The G7 X Mark III comes with a 3.5mm external mic jack, so you can easily plug in a directional or boom mic for better audio. I plugged in my Rode Videomic Me and it worked quite well. That aside, Canon has built in YouTube streaming support into the G7 X Mark III, making it easy for content creators to live-stream. Canon refused to comment on support for Facebook or Instagram live.
If you’re more into stills, then the G5 X Mark II will be down your alley. In place of a pop-up flash (on the G7 X Mark III), you’ll get a pop-up electronic viewfinder (EVF) with approximately 2.36 million dots resolution, offering 100 percent coverage.
Regardless of which you choose, they’re both compact and well-built, with nice-feeling tactile controls and focus ring.
If you need more flexibility, you may want to look at the EOS M50 interchangeable lens camera, retailing from MYR2,799 (body only).
The question is: can the PowerShot G7 X Mark III give the Sony RX100 Mark VII a run for its money? Well, seeing that the class-leading RX100 is priced at a premium, I’d say the G7 X Mark III has a chance indeed.
Pricing and availability
The Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II is available in black and retails for MYR3,599 while the PowerShot G7 X Mark III is available in black and silver, and is priced at MYR2,999. Both models can be purchased at all Canon authorised dealers nationwide.
I also had a chance to test out the BR-E1 tripod which comes with a built-in, removable remote control unit. No details on available or pricing yet.
