Canon Powershot V10 — a camera I didn’t know I’d have fun with.

All right, if you have read my previous article review on Canon EOS R50 — a complete powerhouse of an entry-level camera for photojournalists and social media users — you would immediately know that I had my heart set for that camera in particular.

So, when I was given the opportunity to try out another camera from Canon — the Canon Powershot V10 — I was definitely eager to try out what it was capable of.

Canon Powershot V10 was released sometime in on May 11, 2023, making it one of the recent models out there on the market. The very strong core features that this camera offers are its lightweight design, dual omnidirectional microphones, built-in stand and flip-screen, and wireless connection for seamless Wi-fi transfer for media files and remote camera controls.

What does concern me is the price of this camera. It costs around RM1,999 (about USD$399). In comparison to the camera and the others i.e. GoPro or Insta360 camera models, the Canon Powershot V10 falls behind in some of the aspects.

So, after tinkering around with the camera, I found a few things that I personally agree with the concerns, and a few things that I genuinely love about Canon Powershot V10. So let’s hop straight into it.

(FYI, The screenshots below are taken from recorded footages on Canon Powershot V10 with 4k 30fps settings. Results may vary from other users.)

Specifications

All right, here are the details of the camera so we can get them out of the way:

Sensor

• Type: High-sensitivity CMOS sensor (back-illuminated)
• Effective Size: 1.0 inch
• Effective Pixels: Approx. 15.2 megapixels (for still photos)

Image

• Recording Pixels / Compression: Various options depending on image size and quality
• Image Size: Various options with different aspect ratios (3:2, 16:9) and resolutions (up to 5472 x 3648)

Movie

• Movie Size: 4K UHD (16:9) 3840 x 2160 (up to 29.97 fps)
• Movie Length: Max continuous recording time up to 1 hour 7 minutes
• Microphone: Built-in stereo microphone

Other Specs

• Dimensions: Approximately 63.4 x 90.0 x 34.3 mm (excluding protrusions)
• Weight: Approximately 298 grams (including battery and memory card)
• Display: Tilting touchscreen LCD
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• ISO: 125 – 12800 (stills), 125 – 6400 (movie)

I find that the camera, in general, produces image quality that is just nice to the eye. Every time I gave the camera to some of associates for them to try it from their perspective, they would immediately praise how good the image looked.

I do find it nice to look at, too, in every recording I have made. I tend to post some of the recordings made because of how generally pleasing they look.

Even indoors, the camera still holds up well. The video quality is definitely just chef’s kiss. But, I do want to bring up that the FHD resolution (1080p) does not look that well on this camera. It’s best to stick with 4K options instead.

Addressing the Concerns

After using the camera for an extended period of time, I get why there are concerns about this model in particular — it’s the price that just can’t justify the purpose.

For a camera that costs roughly similar to any other vlogging cameras that can do just as good, if not better, Canon Powershot V10 doesn’t have much to offer. It’s not bad, but it’s nothing extraordinary to justify for the high price.

Sure, you can say the camera is capable of 4K recording. Any other cameras with similar price range can do the same, but with even higher frame rate (this camera can record at most 4K 30fps). You can also say that this camera is well-suited to everyday vloggers who just use the camera for casual purposes; nothing too action-packed or under extreme conditions. Guess what — most smartphones nowadays are capable of doing just about the same, all whilst offering both portability and accessibility compared to the bulkier camera.

I also noticed slight issues with the autofocus feature. It struggles to keep the focus on the subject when either the subject or the camera moves around too much in low-light conditions. It takes a bit of time for the camera to refocus on the subject once it loses focus, so that can be quite a pain to see sometimes.

Yeah. Unless I lock the focus prior to recording, sometimes I (or my associates whom I lent the camera to for review purposes) would definitely experience this. My guess is that the camera tries to detect subject or faces at the centre of the frame, so when the subject moves around a lot, especially in dimly lit areas, the camera couldn’t identify the subject as good as it could under the bright sunlight.

If actions are more your thing, then GoPro or Insta360 action camera models are definitely better suited. This one is designed for everyday vlog purposes, it seems.

So, my best take is that the camera definitely feels like what most people would feel when using it — Canon Powershot V10 feels like one of the cameras left in the storage room or in the attic in your house that, when you find it lying around, still does the job when used but feels antique, in some ways.

The Things I Genuinely Like about The Camera

Okay, with the concerns out of the way, I can talk about good things about Canon Powershot V10 for as long as I was using it.

It indirectly encouraged people to record things. Of course, that would be the case with every camera, but because of the fact that I had it in my hands (or my bag) and I could just lug it around anywhere without worrying too much about breaking anything because of the compact size, I found myself recording things I usually would have dismissed, especially since I myself am using one of the flagship smartphones that are capable of shooting much better videos.

I brought it to the gym, I brought it to the class, I brought it around the apartment block — the camera had been plenty of places with me. Because of how we associate camera with capturing memories, I was liable to just bring the camera out and record everything. I could do that with my smartphone, but it just didn’t feel the same.

Everyone has a smartphone; some are better than the others. But once I lent them the camera, they all just pressed record and did some silly stuff on it. Camera features aside, this vlogging camera does it job very well in serving its intended purpose — offering vlogging capability in a portable and compact design. Memories are captured in this everyday camera. Nothing too fancy, nothing too extreme, nothing too film-like quality — just memories that are captured in a quality that still holds up well for years and years to come.

In essence, it’s a “dad’s camera”, as mentioned by one of the YouTube comments I found about Canon Powershot V10. I like using it, I really do. There are some slight issues here and there as mentioned earlier, but nothing too deteriorating.

Verdict

Above all else, a slightly lower price tag would make this camera an even more compelling choice. It offers the standard portable vlogging camera needs with very minimal needs for accessories unless you’re making professional content for consumers.

The dual omnidirectional microphones are good enough to capture your voice even when whispering (except in a crowded or loud areas, of course). If that is still a concern, there’s  an aux jack for external microphones, so you can connect it to a wireless microphone, if you happen to have one.

The camera also allows HDMI connectivity, so you can cast your camera on an external monitor as a webcam. So that’s a neat feature to have. It uses USB-C, so connecting to your smartphone is a lot faster to transfer large amounts of media files, especially if they are all shot in 4K.

Regardless, do let me know what you think, if you happen to have one of these. I find it worthwhile to use, and I loved using this camera to capture moments that I otherwise would’ve not cared as much without one.

If you haven’t read my previous article about Canon EOS R50, you can click to read it here. Otherwise, here’s an entire catalogue of articles for you to read. I’ll see you in another time!