The Compact PowerShot V1 is Canon’s Answer to the Sony ZV-1 Mark II
Canon announced the PowerShot V1, a new compact point-and-shoot style camera with a 22.3-megapixel sensor and integrated lens. It features a rather large Type 1.4 sensor and is packed with video features that look designed to take on Sony’s ZV-1 Mark II creator camera.
The camera can take both photos and videos but is clearly designed with video content creators in mind first and foremost — there is no built-in flash and no electronic viewfinder, only a vari-angle LCD. The Type 1.4 sensor (wholly new from Canon) is rather large for a fixed-lens camera system from Canon and is akin to a Micro Four Thirds sensor — it’s slightly wider but not quite as tall. This sensor is not stacked but does have enough speed to handle 4K at up to 60p, albeit with a meaty 1.4x crop to the center of the sensor.
The camera, which is positioned as “video first,” is equipped with Canon Log 3, a built-in three-stop physical ND filter, Canon’s multi-function hot shoe, and both a headphone and mic jack. There is a single UHS-II SD card slot as well as USB and HDMI ports, too.
Canon will ship the PowerShot V1 with a small dead cat as an included accessory. The PowerShot V1 also has a built-in fan that ejects heat via visible cooling vents. Thanks to this, Canon says the PowerShot V1 can shoot 4Kp60 for more than two hours when auto power off is set to high.
The “video first” approach is mirrored in the choice of the lens, which is an equivalent 16-50mm f/2.8-4.5 wide-angle zoom (8.8-25.6mm), which is different from what Canon has included in similarly designed cameras like the G7X Mark III in the past since the wider field of view is meant to support video content creators. Similarly, there are multiple movie shooting “moods” that are available in-camera, which is a first for a PowerShot.
When shooting at a slower 4Kp30, the camera can make use of the full width of the sensor, and the footage is oversampled from 5.7K. When capturing video, the ISO performance can reach as high as 25,600 but in photos, that goes up to 51,200.
Speaking of photos, the PowerShot V1 captures 22.3-megapixel photos at up to 30 frames per second. The camera is equipped with Canon’s Digic X image processor and has an autofocus system that is inherited from the R6 Mark II. That means tracking, pupil detection, automotive, people, and animal selection are all included and operate with similar efficiency. What is different is subject tracking IS: the camera recognizes a subject, corrects for blurring, and adjusts crop position according to the subject’s position, Canon says.
Canon included a photo and video switch behind the mode dial to change how the camera operates and it will remember different settings for photo and video independently.
The PowerShot V1 can interact with a smartphone either wired with a USB-C cable or via WiFi or Bluetooth via the Canon Connect app. It can also be used as a webcam with a direct connection to a computer via USB with no adapters required.
The camera is announced ahead of the CP+ show in Yokohama next week, which might explain the limited launch. At the time of the announcement, Canon is only confirming that the camera is coming to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan while the global availability, including all of North America, is to be determined. No pricing or availability (even in the limited markets) was provided at the time of announcement.
PetaPixel will attempt to obtain some hands-on time with samples of the PowerShot V1 when it attends the CP+ tradeshow in Yokohama, Japan next week where the camera is expected to be on display.
Image credits: Canon
