Customer Ratings & Reviews

I’ve recently started getting into vlogging and short videos, and honestly, the Canon PowerShot V1 has been such an easy camera to start with. I’m not super tech-savvy, so I wanted something simple that still gives good results—and this one really does. It’s small enough to carry around without feeling heavy, and the controls are pretty straightforward, even for a beginner like me. The flip screen is probably my favorite feature because filming myself feels natural, and I don’t have to guess if I’m in the frame. The video quality looks sharp and smooth, especially in 4K, and the autofocus keeps me in focus without me having to mess with settings. I also love that the built-in lens works for both wide shots and closer ones, so I don’t feel stuck. The image stabilization is a lifesaver when I’m walking and recording since I don’t want to lug around extra gear. I’ve also had fun playing with the special video modes. The Movie Close Up Demo mode makes product shots look clean, and automatically focuses on the product, which is pretty neat in my opinion, and the Smooth Skin Mode is great for personal clips, it softens things just enough without looking fake. These little extras make experimenting easy and fun, even for beginners. What really makes it enjoyable is how quick it is to go from recording to sharing. I can shoot something, and transfer it straight to my phone using the app, which is also easy to use. It feels like this camera was made for people who just want to create without stressing over too many settings. Even the audio sounds good too so I don’t need to figure out extra mics. The only downsides for me are that battery life is noticeably short when shooting in 4k continuously, so having a spare battery is recommended, and there’s no built-in flash, which makes low-light shooting a bit tricky. For me, those aren’t really deal breakers, but someone more advanced might care. Overall, it’s been a great beginner-friendly camera that makes creating content feel way less intimidating and way more fun.

READ BEFORE EVEN BUYING THIS PRODUCT This product is not usable out of the box. I am approaching this review from the perspective of someone who has not used such a digital camera before and would be paying approximately $1000 for a device. Please note I have plenty of experience with 35mm cameras with manual controls for everything. I am not tech obtuse. I also am self taught on editing videos. - It has no charger or usb cable and the battery is not charged from the factory. I had to use another device's usb-c cable to charge this though I paid out of pocket to get a real battery charger for this device as I would never do any photoshoots or video sessions with only one battery; I'll be adding another battery as a result as well. - It has no SD card. You pay $1000 and don't even get a starter SD card? - It has no dark shooting lighting provided. You can buy this extra. I expect a device that costs this much to be rudimentarily able to perform its tasks out of the box. POSITIVE OBSERVATIONS BEFORE USE Seems well made and well assembled. I like the weight of the unit and the rubbery exterior coating though this is not waterproof. REAL WORLD USAGE - Clunky set up with yet another app that has to be installed and then the app would not send the setup code to several different email addresses I tried. I ended up going to a laptop and then signing in and setting up via that route. Why is there an app? - Set up menu is awful. I made a mistake in the date and time due to the clunky design of the menu and navigation and cannot figure a way to change it. - Basic manual is also awful. Tiny print and not much information at all. Of course you can download a pdf book to operate your $1000 camera. This is a clear cost cutting action with a manifold amount of different languages offered so only one manual needs to be printed. Let the customer find the meat and potatoes operations by having to search to download a full detailed operation manual. - Low light capabilities of this model is lackluster - would like to shoot outdoors with Christmas decorations. - It is a shame that my 2024 smartphone can have a broader ability to shoot in all conditions than this whether still or video. SHOULD YOU BUY THIS? - At this point in technology development, I don't see any advantage of using this over a modern smartphone costing around the same amount as this camera. - I was not impressed with this product and consider it as something to learn how to use over months. The time I have already spent on this camera I would have been taking great video and stills with a smartphone with easier to use controls. - For 95% of the people who want to vlog or to take pictures, you are better off upgrading a smartphone that can do more than one thing than to buy a standalone camera like this if you need to use the video/still options out of the box. This camera is heavy on needed time investment and is not as easy to use as my old 35mm camera where everything had to be adjusted manually.

While this looks like it could compete with more functional high-end cameras, it's really a pretty basic setup. The lens is not interchangeable. It does have some zoom, but not a lot. The controls also look a lot like other more sophisticated cameras, but it took me an embarrassingly long time to find the switch between photo and movie mode. Even turning off the setting that requires a password every time you log in took several attempts. Other than that, setup was pretty straightforward. The app is okay for importing photos or videos to your phone, but it does switch your phone over to a local wifi connection with the camera while the transfer is taking place. Even though the camera connects to the phone over Bluetooth, there's not a huge amount of functionality over that connection. Photo and video quality is good but middle of the pack. It's better than your phone, but if you're spending this much to get better quality video, do you want to spend a little more and get much better quality video?