The PowerShot G7 X, Canon's best point-and-shoot camera, is now even better.
The new G7 X Mark II is still a great camera for taking selfies and vlogging thanks to its 3-inch touchscreen that flips a full 180 degrees upward. The addition of a Digic 7 image processor with significantly improved people and object-tracking, in-camera RAW conversion, timelapse movie mode and NFC are just a handful of new features that take the camera to the next level.
For the second version, Canon's chosen not to mess with the camera's design at all. The screen now tilts downward 45 degrees, but that's about the only real physical change you'll find on the G7 X Mark II. That means it's just as pocketable as its predecessor.
The camera boasts a 20.1-megapixel 1-inch CMOS sensor with an ISO range of 125-12800 (expandable to ISO 25600). The lens on the G7 X Mark II is still quite versatile with a 4.2x optical zoom from 24-100mm and an aperture range from f/1.8 to f/2.8. As with the G7 X, low-light performance should be excellent with the Mark II.
Video recording also got a boost. Now you can record 1080p full HD video in MP4 at up to 60 frames per second (previous model maxed out at 30 fps).
In addition to the new timelapse mode, the camera also has a panning-shot mode, which uses its built-in optical image stabilization to intentionally create blurred backgrounds (i.e. a train speeding across) to give photos a sense of speed.
Canon has also made it easier to connect the camera to smartphones and tablets using Wi-Fi. There's now a dedicated Wi-Fi button on the camera so you don't need to dig into software menus.
Another slick new feature that users will appreciate is the Advanced Auto Lighting Optimizer. With it, you can tweak a photo so that it has a more neutral look while maintaining contrast in the dark areas.
Canon didn't have any G7 X Mark II demo units to let us fiddle with, but it looks like it's a pretty straightforward refresh. The camera will be available in May for the same $699.99 price as the original.
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