If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you will have probably seen that in January this year, I bought myself a new camera. I had thought very long and hard about it, and I have to admit that it did take me a good couple of months to actually make my purchase. My Canon 400D SLR has served me very well over the eight years that I've owned it, and it continues to work perfectly; so I wasn't looking to replace it. However, as I have been attending blogger events, I've wished on more than one occasion that I had a smaller camera that I could use for such things. As much as I love my SLR, it is quite large and heavy, so I need to carry it in a suitable bag when I am out and about. Not to mention, that I nearly always carry two lenses with me - meaning more weight and bulk. I was looking to purchase a small, pocket-sized camera that would allow me to photograph what I wanted, without losing quality. After much deliberation, I present to you my new baby - the Canon Powershot G7X.



When looking to purchase a new camera, I had a few specific requirements that it needed to have. The first, was the capability to shoot in RAW, as I always do when using my SLR. I very rarely shoot in JPEGs these days, as I love the flexibility that RAW quality gives me in editing - it makes the process so much easier. The second was a low aperture - preferably f1.8. A low aperture means that I can shoot in low light conditions without compromising on quality; for example, having to increase the ISO. This camera can shoot at f1.8 at its widest angle, increasing to f2.8 at full zoom - which is a pretty fantastic range and more than adequate for my needs. Thirdly, I wanted the option of fully manual control - which this allows me to do. Finally, I wanted the screen to be able to move - and by move, I mean flip up or across, whichever was more practical. On this camera, the screen flips up - meaning that I can shoot at unusual angles without craning to see through a viewfinder, and also on the odd occasion snap a cheeky selfie! The Canon G7X also features a pop-up flash, image stabilisation technology and an integrated neutral density filter (Allowing you to shoot longer shutter speeds in daylight).



Now, I wouldn't say that this was a camera for beginners (Although I guess you could use it on auto, but that really would do this camera injustice), but in terms of me using it for blogging, this camera has been invaluable. Not only can I take it with me to events and capture pictures that I'm proud of, but I can spontaneously throw it in my bag for a day out, and use it for my product photography too. 95% of the time, I cannot tell the difference in quality between the images shot with this, and images shot with my Canon 400D. However, I would say overall that the G7X is much easier to use. With this camera, there is no issue with focusing, like I sometimes have with my 400D. This camera utilises "touch to focus" technology, which did feel unnatural to me at first, but over time I have found this to be quite useful. The only downside to this technology is that it can be quite easy to accidentally take a picture when the camera is on! The biggest change for me was getting used to using the LCD screen to shoot, rather than looking through a viewfinder. On my 400D, it is not possible to shoot via the LCD screen; it is only to view images and change settings. On this camera, you can only shoot via the screen, as it has no viewfinder. I think on a camera of this size, it is not strictly necessary - and I have to admit, I have found it easy to get used to shooting via the screen only. I cannot say that I miss having a viewfinder on this camera.



As you can see from the image above, there is the exposure compensation dial, which for me is an absolutely necessary tool to have and is found on every camera these days. On the inside of this dial, there are several modes that can be used when operating this camera. These range from Aperture Priority (My favourite) through to High Dynamic Range, which captures multiple shots in one go to give you the best exposure. It is worth noting that there is an good quality video recording function on the G7X; it's not something I use very often, but it is good to know that it is there should I ever venture into YouTube - and I know that this camera is popular with vloggers too. Another setting that is good to explore is the "Scene" mode, which configures the camera appropriately according to what scene you choose. For example, you could use "Portrait", "Handheld Night", or "Star" - the latter of which I used to take the first image in this blog post. In fact, if you look through that post, you can see which images were taken on which camera - I think you can agree that the images taken on the Canon G7X, are quite difficult to distinguish from the ones taken on the Canon 400D.



You might be able to spot on the top of the camera is written "Wi-Fi"; this allows you to upload images onto social networks such as Facebook straight from the camera, without having to connect it to a computer. I never use this feature, but there is another one that I use very often, On the side of the camera is the "Mobile Device Connect" button, which once pressed can connect to your smartphone, and allow you to do one of two things. You can either use the phone to control the camera wirelessly, or you can download the images from the camera onto the phone, where you can then edit them and upload to wherever you please. There is an associated application that you need to install to get this to work, which is called "Canon Camera Connect" and is available on both the iPhone and Android. Admittedly, the application is very simple and a little clunky, but it does the job. When shooting remotely, you can control the zoom, flash (Providing that the flash is raised) and self timer. This ability to shoot remotely has come in handy when taking group photos, which you can see me using on this image, and I regularly take photos on my G7X and transfer them to Instagram - click here for an example. The latter feature especially has been extremely useful, and one that other people admire regularly!



So, in short, would I recommend the Canon G7X to bloggers? Absolutely, and 100%. Having this camera has given me the freedom to shoot spontaneously, as well as using it for professional work. All the while, it is giving me the quality that I have come to expect from Canon cameras. Like I have mentioned at the beginning, this does not replace my Canon 400D; but it works beautifully alongside it to give me everything that I need. There is nothing that this camera can't do that the bigger cameras can, and that is what I love about it. It's like having a DSLR that fits in my pocket! If you are a blogger, and are looking for a camera that will allow you to create beautiful images, but don't want to step up to a DSLR, this is the camera for you. Yes, it is expensive, but I can say with absolute certainty that it is worth every penny - and it is still cheaper than most DSLRs! This is better than any bridge camera that I have come across, and easily the best compact too. The build quality is excellent (No plastic here - this camera is all metal), the lens is always clear and sharp, and I have even found the battery life to be pretty respectable for a camera so powerful. My only regret? That I didn't buy this camera sooner!