Canon PowerShot G · on sale August 2019

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III: the pocket 1-inch camera Canon pointed at video

Sold under the same name in the US, Europe and Japan. Not the 2016 Mark II or the 2014 G7 X.¹

In 2019 Canon kept the Mark II's 24–100 mm f/1.8–2.8 lens and 20.1-megapixel count and rebuilt the machinery behind them: a stacked sensor, 4K video with no crop, a microphone socket and live streaming to YouTube. Reviewers liked the speed and still missed a viewfinder. In January 2025 Canon named it in its own results papers as an example of a model with a buildup of orders.

Launched

August 2019

Launch price

US$749.99 · £699.99 · €849.99; open price in Japan⁵⁴³

Sensor

20.1 MP CMOS (stacked)

Lens

24–100 mm, 4.2×

Card

SD, SDHC, SDXC

Battery

NB-13L

Specs and sources

Meet the camera

It is a pocket compact of about 105.5 by 60.9 by 41.4 millimetres, listed at 304 grams with battery and card.⁷⁸ Imaging Resource put that 14 grams below the Mark II, and Digital Camera World noticed a slightly larger grip.⁵⁷ The sources disagree about the shell: PhotographyBLOG called the body all-metal, while TechRadar thought most controls looked like polycarbonate apart from a metal lens ring and Shotkit described a hardened-plastic shell that still felt solid.⁴⁸⁹ The screen is the Mark II's, and there is no viewfinder and no way to add one.⁴

Canon Japan announced it on 9 July 2019 for sale from early August, with the price listed as open.³¹ PhotographyBLOG's launch text gave £699.99 and €849.99, with pre-orders from 9 July; Imaging Resource gave a US list price of $749.99.⁴⁵ It came in black or black and silver.⁴

Sources disagree in places. Imaging Resource's specification block lists 20.2 megapixels; Canon's museum and PhotographyBLOG's copy of Canon's table give 20.1 effective.⁵¹⁴ Imaging Resource's overview puts battery life at about 235 shots, its performance page at 265 and PhotographyBLOG's table also at 265.⁵⁴ TechRadar lists NFC; PhotographyBLOG said NFC pairing is gone.⁸⁴

Why this one was interesting

A stacked sensor for Canon

Canon's museum says this was the first stacked CMOS sensor Canon had used, and that 4K from the full width of the sensor was a first for a Canon compact.¹ The pixel count did not move; as TechRadar put it, same 20.1 megapixels, new design.⁸ Imaging Resource set the speed against the Mark II: 20 frames a second at full resolution with focus fixed at the first frame, where the Mark II had maxed out at 8.⁵ For the camera it replaced, see our G7 X Mark II review; for the first G7 X, our G7 X review.

Aimed at people who film themselves

Imaging Resource reported that Canon was calling all YouTube creators.⁵ Canon's Japanese release lists a record button on the screen for selfie clips, a tag that makes vertical clips play upright on a phone, and streaming to YouTube over Wi-Fi without a separate encoder.³ Trusted Reviews called the microphone socket a feature vloggers had demanded for years and that had so far proved elusive on 1-inch cameras.⁶

Where it sat in the market

Canon's release gave about 10.5 million compact digital cameras sold worldwide in 2018 (by Canon's own survey) and expected about 8.5 million for 2019.³ PhotographyBLOG named the G5 X Mark II (the same sensor, with a viewfinder), the Sony RX100 V and VI and the Ricoh GR III among its rivals.⁴ TechRadar noted that the one RX100 with a microphone socket, the VII, cost considerably more.⁸ Digital Camera World added that Canon meant to keep the Mark II on sale, and that for stills the older camera gave almost the same capability for a lot less.⁷ See also our Sony RX100 and Lumix ZS100 reviews.

Still in demand: what Canon's own papers say

Our reading, in one sentence: a camera Canon launched in 2019, when it expected the compact market to shrink, was named in Canon's own results papers in January 2025 as an example of a model with a buildup of orders, and Canon was still expanding compact production in 2026, so it is bought as a product in short supply as well as a collectible. It would be wrong if Canon's papers did not name the camera (one does, once) or if ordinary retail stock showed no shortage; two journalists say it did, but we could not read Canon's own store.^312151417

The naming is in the speaker notes to Canon's 2024 results, dated 30 January 2025: Canon said compacts were gaining popularity among young people through social media, that it saw a buildup of orders mainly for higher-priced models such as the G7 X Mark III, and that it aimed to raise production and supply.¹² Notebookcheck reported it under a TikTok headline; Canon's own words say social media and do not name TikTok.¹³¹² In Japan, Impress Watch reported on 1 August 2025 that Canon had resumed taking orders for the camera after halting them, and CAPA Camera Web says new orders were stopped again on 7 August because of delivery delays.¹⁸¹⁹ On 27 July 2026 Canon's second-quarter notes said compact sales had risen significantly after production was expanded in the second half of 2025 and that capacity would grow further to end supply shortages. That text names no model.¹⁵ Canon UK's current specification page still lists the camera, and its footnotes say units made before February 2026 may include the NB-13L battery; our reading is that Canon was still building it in 2026. We found no statement from Canon linking its 2026 production plans to this model.²⁰

By our arithmetic the US price is about 17 percent above launch. Neither Canon paper gives a unit count for this camera, and we found no sales figures for it.

The strongest case against our reading

Canon's papers name the G7 X Mark III once. The 2026 papers speak of compacts in general, so linking them to this model is joining the dots, as Digital Camera World does when it writes that the camera has been hard to find for two years.¹⁶¹⁵ That outlet also says Canon announced in August 2025 that it had raised production of this model; Impress Watch supports the reopening of orders but not the production claim, and we did not read Canon's own notice.¹⁷¹⁸ The $879 comes from two journalists whose sterling prices disagree, so we use only the dollar figure, and both articles carry spec lines that differ from Canon's current page (Digital Camera World gives the lens as 24–240 mm, Tom's Guide the stabilisation as digital only).¹⁷¹⁴²⁰ Their stock reports are a sign of direction, not a measurement.

Verdict: survives, narrowed. Canon's words support “this model had a buildup of orders in early 2025” and “Canon is still expanding compact production in 2026”.¹²¹⁵ They do not show how many cameras are made, how long the shortage lasted, or whether it persists for this model today. For the wider return of compact cameras we tell the story once, in Pictures that never left the card.

What it still went without

The missing viewfinder drew the most comment. Digital Camera World wished for one in very bright light, when reflections and fingerprints trouble the screen, and pointed at the G5 X Mark II for anyone who wanted one; TechRadar, by contrast, found the screen performed well in harsh light.⁷⁸ TechRadar and Trusted Reviews also regretted the lack of a hot shoe, which matters more now that a microphone can be plugged in.⁸⁶ Trusted Reviews listed no headphone socket and found that 4K was offered only in the dedicated movie mode, so choosing an aperture meant dropping to Full HD.⁶ PhotographyBLOG, whose review was otherwise warm, listed no 24p setting, no eye detection and a contrast-only autofocus with no phase detection, and noted that Canon had removed the lever that switched the lens ring between clicking and smooth turns.⁴

In the dark

PhotographyBLOG saw no noise from ISO 125 to 1600, some at 3200, more at 6400 that stayed usable, and called the top native setting of 12800 best avoided.⁴ Reviewers disagreed on how the camera cleans up. TechRadar counted slightly aggressive noise reduction among its cons,⁸ while Trusted Reviews thought low-light shooting pretty good, with a good degree of noise reduction that did not strip much detail.⁶ Shotkit called its low-light results soft and unremarkable but fine for a party or a night out.⁹

Four photographs taken with this camera; the ISO is read from each file's metadata. We cannot tell how much noise reduction was applied to the two ISO 6400 files before they were uploaded, so they show what is usable, not the camera's raw noise.

On eBay right now

Live listings for this camera, supplied by eBay and updated automatically. We earn a commission if you buy through them.

The little wins

How it drew the picture

Reviewers were pleased, with the usual 1-inch caveat at the edges. PhotographyBLOG scored image quality 4.5 out of 5 and found limited fringing and no red-eye from the flash, though with noticeable vignetting at 24 mm.⁴ Digital Camera World saw very good detail and some fall-off in sharpness at the corners at the wide end.⁷ TechRadar found very good detail in the centre of the frame, softness at the extremes of the zoom and a tendency to overexpose that exposure compensation cured.⁸ Trusted Reviews liked the dynamic range and the metering, and Shotkit found JPEGs vibrant and sharp.⁶⁹

Photos taken with this camera, from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture. Of the 5,214 files in the Commons category on 29 October 2026, 5,111 are credited to two photographers, so these nine are drawn from a narrow pool.

Where it let you down

Reviewers split on the battery. Imaging Resource rated 265 shots below average for its class and strongly recommended a spare;⁵ PhotographyBLOG, by contrast, found the same 265 impressive given the extra work the faster sensor and processor do.⁴

Video autofocus drew the most pointed comment. On 6 September 2019 Canon said, in response to customer feedback, that it would issue a free firmware update to improve video autofocus speed, accuracy and subject detection, due at the end of October.¹⁰¹¹ A year later Shotkit called the video autofocus a little lacklustre before that update and still short in low light afterwards, yet Trusted Reviews had said autofocus in video kept up with moving subjects unless they moved very erratically, and neither Digital Camera World nor TechRadar reported a video autofocus problem. Those three wrote before Canon's September notice.⁹⁶⁷⁸¹⁰ Shotkit also said users reported overheating, though its own reviewer did not see it; Canon's table limits 4K clips to 9 minutes 59 seconds.⁹⁴

Start-up figures varied with the method: PhotographyBLOG said under a second, TechRadar about half a second, Imaging Resource about 1.5 seconds from power-on to the first shot.⁴⁸⁵ Setting up Wi-Fi was a faff, said PhotographyBLOG, easier over Bluetooth.⁴

What the reviewers said

The family

Canon's museum lists the Mark II as marketed in April 2016 and this camera in August 2019; Canon Japan's 2019 release dates the Mark II to February 2016.²¹³ The G5 X Mark II was announced alongside it with a pop-up viewfinder and a longer lens range, and Imaging Resource called YouTube streaming the main difference between the two.⁴⁵

The timeline

• 9 July 2019Canon announces the camera; pre-orders open in the UK and Canon Japan says sales start in early August.³⁴
• 24 July 2019PhotographyBLOG publishes its review.⁴
• 30 July 2019Trusted Reviews publishes its review.⁶
• Early August 2019The camera goes on sale at US$749.99.⁵
• 6 September 2019Canon says a free video autofocus update will follow in late October.¹⁰¹¹
• 14 September 2020Shotkit publishes its review.⁹
• 30 January 2025Canon's results papers name the camera among models with a buildup of orders.¹²
• 1 August 2025Impress Watch reports that Canon has resumed orders for the camera in Japan after halting them.¹⁸
• 27 July 2026Canon says it will expand compact production further.¹⁵

Should you buy one now?

Buy one if you want a 24–100 mm f/1.8 pocket camera with a good 4K picture and a microphone socket, and can live without a viewfinder and with a battery you will want a spare for. It launched at US$749.99;⁵ what it sells for now is a question for the sold listings. Before you bid, check these:

• The generation. It looks almost identical to the Mark II.⁷⁴ Ask for the model name, and look for the 3.5 mm microphone socket on the left side and no click lever on the lens ring.⁴
• The battery. It uses an NB-13L rated at 265 shots, and a charger came in the box;⁴⁵ a fresh battery is on Amazon ↗. Canon UK's page now lists the NB-15L as the supplied battery and says units made before February 2026 may include the NB-13L, so ask a seller which one comes with the camera.²⁰
• The card. It takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards, with UHS-I support listed and no UHS-II speed-up.⁴⁵ See our memory card guide.
• Streaming. Canon's note says YouTube live streaming may be changed, interrupted or stopped without notice, and that streaming from a phone needs at least 1,000 subscribers under YouTube's rules.³ Canon UK adds that products shipped from August 2025 do not include the streaming function, for an EU rule, so a newer unit may lack it; we have not tested whether streaming works today.²⁰
• Firmware and video. The 2019 update targeted video autofocus;¹⁰ we did not read its version number, so ask the seller. For long 4K clips, note the 9 minutes 59 seconds limit and Shotkit's report of overheating.⁴⁹

See recent sold prices on eBay ↗Shop on eBay ↗NB-13L battery ↗

Sources

1. Canon Camera Museum: PowerShot G7 X Mark III (marketed August 2019; open price in Japan; sensor and video notes)
2. Canon Camera Museum: PowerShot G7 X Mark II (marketed April 2016)
3. Canon Japan, news release 9 July 2019 (in Japanese): sale from early August 2019, open price, footnotes on 4K and YouTube streaming, Canon's compact-camera market estimate
4. PhotographyBLOG, Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III review by Mark Goldstein (24 Jul 2019; includes Canon's specification table and the UK launch prices)
5. Imaging Resource, Canon G7X Mark III overview by Jaron Schneider (first posted 8 Jul 2019) and performance page (posted 23 Aug 2019; lab timings, battery rating; no verdict page read)
6. Trusted Reviews, Canon G7X Mark III review by Amy Davies (30 Jul 2019)
7. Digital Camera World, Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III review by Angela Nicholson (16 Aug 2019)
8. TechRadar, Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III review by Matt Golowczynski (16 Aug 2019, updated 2022)
9. Shotkit, Canon G7X Mark III review by Greg Cromie (14 Sep 2020, updated 2022)
10. PhotographyBLOG, firmware news by Mark Goldstein, quoting Canon UK's release of 6 Sep 2019
11. Canon Canada, service notice of 6 Sep 2019: plan for a video autofocus firmware update
12. Canon Inc., FY 2024 Results, presentation with speaker notes (30 Jan 2025; slide 23)
13. Notebookcheck, “Canon promises more compact cameras to appease the TikTok hype machine” by Julian van der Merwe (31 Jan 2025)
14. Tom's Guide, Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III: still worth it in 2026, by Nikita Achanta (22 Feb 2026)
15. Canon Inc., Q2 2026 results, presentation with speaker notes (27 Jul 2026; PDF pages 3, 11 and 23)
16. Digital Camera World, “Canon will increase compact camera production (again)” by Hillary K. Grigonis (27 Jul 2026)
17. Digital Camera World, “A year after Canon increased production…” by Hillary K. Grigonis (21 Aug 2026)
18. Impress Watch (Digital Camera Watch), “Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III and SX740 HS orders resume” by Koji Orimoto (1 Aug 2025; in Japanese)
19. CAPA Camera Web (Getnavi), compact-camera sales ranking from Yodobashi Camera, 1-15 Aug 2025 (in Japanese)
20. Canon UK, PowerShot G7 X Mark III specifications page (read 29 Oct 2026; footnotes on streaming and battery)

Camera photos by Strubbl (CC BY-SA 4.0); sample photographs are credited under each one, all via Wikimedia Commons. Links to eBay and Amazon are affiliate links.