I Used Canon’s PowerShot V1 – It’s a Premium Compact Built for Creators

The PowerShot V1 is Canon’s newest premium compact camera, designed as a successor to the ageing G7 X Mark III. While the G7 X line was popular with vloggers and travellers alike, it hadn’t seen a major update since 2019. The V1 brings that concept firmly into the modern content-creator era and is set to compete with the Sony ZV-1 and I was lucky enough for a Canon PowerShot V1 review hands-on pre-launch.

The Canon PowerShot V1 launched at the same time as the Canon EOS R50 V and you can read the full hands-on review of that here.

It retains a smallish, easy-to-carry footprint that made the G7 X and M series cameras so popular, but its internal feature set is far more advanced. Canon has aimed it squarely at hybrid creators—people who want a pocket-sized camera that can handle both photo and video work with equal confidence.

The camera is built around a fixed zoom lens that covers a 16–50mm equivalent range. This offers useful coverage for wide to mid-telephoto compositions, making it ideal for video, lifestyle content, and street photography. While it won’t satisfy those who need long telephoto reach, it’s a logical choice for a general-purpose compact.

Physically, it measures 118.3 x 68 x 52.5mm and weighs in at just 426g. That puts it easily in jacket-pocket territory and makes it a good option for travel or everyday carry. Despite the compact size, it still features a 1.4-inch CMOS sensor—larger than what you’d find in most smartphones or point-and-shoots—which should deliver stronger image quality, particularly in low light.

One particularly useful inclusion is Canon’s multifunction hot shoe, this is the latest 21-pin connector that enables allows for a variety of accessories, from advanced flash units to digital microphones. It won’t support older five-pin accessories.

The PowerShot V1 also includes a UHS-II SD card slot, uses USB-C for charging and file transfer, and supports micro HDMI out. In short, it’s a compact camera, but not a basic one.

From the moment I picked it up, the PowerShot V1 felt like a premium compact camera, which is good, as it is. The construction is solid throughout—from the lens barrel to the articulated screen hinge and even the texture of the grip. This doesn’t feel like a plastic toy—it feels like something that will stand up to regular, real-world use.

The grip, while modest, is well-contoured and makes the camera comfortable to hold for longer periods. It’s not the kind of deep grip you’d find on an SLR or larger mirrorless body, but it doesn’t need to be. The shape and texture are just right for a compact. Button placement is intuitive—the shutter button and surrounding zoom lever sit comfortably under your index finger, and the dedicated video record button is positioned for easy access.

One addition is the physical photo/video toggle switch just below the mode dial. This allows you to switch between shooting modes with a flick of the thumb, which is far quicker than navigating through menus—particularly useful if you’re capturing both formats on the fly.

The fully articulated screen flips out to the side and can be rotated to face forwards—ideal for vlogging or composing self-shot content. The screen is bright, with good colour accuracy, and the hinge mechanism feels strong. It’s the kind of touch that makes shooting at unusual angles a lot easier, whether you’re holding the camera high, low, or behind a tripod.

Another highlight is the inclusion of both mic and headphone jacks, having both in a compact body is still surprisingly rare, and it makes the V1 more appealing to creators who want to monitor their sound in real time.

There’s also micro HDMI output and a USB-C port, both neatly positioned and accessible. The hot shoe allows for accessory expansion—whether that’s adding an external mic, a small video light or a handle grip with integrated controls.

The interface is classic Canon. If you’ve used a Canon DSLR or mirrorless camera before, everything here will feel instantly familiar. It’s responsive, simple to navigate, and customisable. You can assign various functions to the lens control ring, tailoring the experience to suit your preferences.

All in all, the V1’s handling strikes an excellent balance between compact simplicity and enthusiast-level flexibility.

While I’ll be diving deeper into the feature set in a full review, there’s already a lot to say from this early hands-on. The standout, without doubt, is that 1.4-inch stacked CMOS sensor. It’s considerably larger than what you’d find in most smartphones, which should translate into better dynamic range, lower noise, and more natural depth of field.

The 16–50mm zoom lens offers an f/2.8–4.5 aperture range, which is versatile enough for most casual and creative shooting situations. It’s not an ultra-fast lens, but it strikes a smart balance between size, flexibility and performance.

On the video side, the PowerShot V1 records 4K video at up to 60 frames per second. According to Canon, there’s no official recording time limit—only restrictions based on battery life and thermals. That opens up a range of creative possibilities, especially when you factor in the inclusion of C-Log. Being able to shoot a flat colour profile in such a small body is rare, and it means you can grade your footage more professionally during post-production. There’s so much here that partners the V1 with the new R50V as a combo for use by creators who want an ultra light professional two camera setup…

Manual controls are also present. The mode dial includes full manual exposure (M), plus aperture and shutter priority modes (Av, Tv), Program mode (P), and two custom settings. Whether you’re new to camera operation or already confident with exposure settings, the V1 has something to offer.

One of the clever details is that the interface shifts depending on whether you’re in still or video mode, this is essentially what you’d expect from a mirrorless but on a cpompact this is great to see. That means dedicated controls and overlays are available depending on what you’re doing, and you’re not stuck in a one-size-fits-all layout.

You can shoot stills in JPEG or RAW, and Canon’s mobile companion app supports remote control and easy media transfer. Combined with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, this adds even more convenience if you’re creating content that you want to share quickly.

For social-first shooters, vloggers, educators and even working professionals who want a secondary camera, the PowerShot V1 offer a well-rounded, feature set with very few compromises.

Although this was only a short hands-on session, the PowerShot V1 made a strong first impression. The camera powers on quickly, focuses fast, and responds without lag. Everything about it feels polished and dependable.
The grip is comfortable, and though the zoom rocker and shutter button are compact, they’re well-placed. I did find them slightly small for my liking, but in practical terms, they worked well throughout the test.

Autofocus was excellent and testing around the Canon HQ grounds, I took images of ducks, geese and static subjects, and the camera reliably locked onto eyes and faces. Canon’s subject detection worked well, and the focus transition in video was smooth. Face tracking and eye detection remained stable even as I moved around in frame.

The 16–50mm zoom range felt ideal for everyday use. It covers the basics well—landscapes, street scenes, portraits—and its focal length is especially useful for handheld video work. I’d like to test it further in low light, but for typical outdoor and indoor use, it performed well.

Shooting video was equally satisfying. Controls are simple and well placed, and it’s clear Canon has built the V1 with content creation workflows in mind. I shot short clips in both 4K 30p and 60p, and while I didn’t get a chance to grade C-Log footage yet, what I saw looked rich and full of detail. Highlight and shadow retention looked good, and colours were what I’ve come to expect from Canon—natural and balanced.

I’ll reserve full judgement on image quality and battery performance until I can test a production model more thoroughly. But based on this short trial, the camera’s responsiveness, reliability and autofocus system are already promising.

I’ve always had a soft spot for premium compact cameras. Over the years, I’ve used models like the G7 X Mark II, the G1 X Mark III, and Ricoh GRs—cameras that are small enough to travel with, but strong enough to produce excellent results. The PowerShot V1 feels like a true evolution of that idea.

It combines the portability I expect from a compact with features that go far beyond basic. The inclusion of 4K 60p, C-Log, audio monitoring, and a fully articulated screen shows that Canon is taking the needs of creators seriously. These aren’t small upgrades—they’re real tools for real workflows and the fact that this camera arrives at the same time as the R50V shows certain professional potential with the two cameras used in combination.

The build quality feels solid, the user experience is intuitive, and the performance is strong. For anyone looking to upgrade from smartphone shooting or looking for a secondary camera that doesn’t take up much space, this is a great option.

My first impressions are genuinely excellent. The Canon PowerShot V1 doesn’t feel like a backup or a beginner’s stopgap—it feels like a camera you could rely on. For travel shooters, vloggers, hybrid creatives, or even professionals needing a pocketable companion, the V1 is well worth watching.

I’ll be following up with a full review once I get my hands on a final production unit. Until then, if you’re after a compact that’s feature packed for great still and superb video in a compact form then this is a great choice.

I was one of a few UK Journalists at Canon UK headquarters who was able to get an early hands on – I would highly recommend you check out the initial reviews from techradar.com/uk/cameras, digitalcameraworld.com/uk/reviews and amateurphotographer.com/review-category/reviews/