There are now various choices for vlogging cameras, from the simple, straightforward, no-fuss models right through to the expensive and ultra-sophisticated. There is also of course the smartphone. With the PowerShot V10, Canon have introduced a very small vlogging camera/streaming device that needs minimal input from the videographer/photographer but does at least still use microSD cards, retaining a greater range of options to transfer files and communicate with PC, smartphone and web. Is this a step up from using a smartphone? Is it a step down from more conventionally designed compact-camera-style vlogging cameras? Let’s get out and about and see where the concept of the vlogging camera and lifestyle meet.

Canon PowerShot V10 Features

The V10 measures up at 63.4mm x 90.0mm x 34.3mm and weighs in at just 211g. This tiny body manages to house a built-in battery, takes microSD cards (microSD/SDHC/SDXC/UHS-I compliant) and sports a 6.6mm f/2.8 lens. When shooting movies, the lens has a “35mm-equivalent” of 19mm (FHD 16:9), When shooting stills, this becomes 18mm. There is no optical zoom, but there are several digital zoom options: Off/1.5x, 2,0x and 3.0x. Like many of the settings, these zoom options are only available for video.

 

IS (Image Stabilisation) has three settings off/on/enhanced, the latter helping to stabilise video being shot by walking at the cost of a small crop.

 

Optical construction is 8 elements in 7 groups, including 3 Aspherical plus ND (3 stops). Focusing is down to 5cm. The contrast detection AF uses 1 shot AF for stills and servo AF for movies. Tracking modes offer face tracking and Specified Frame. Tracking can be started with a simple tap on the touch sensitive monitor. The monitor is a 2” touch sensitive TFT LCD with 460,000 dots. It can be tilted 180 degrees upwards.

 

The heart of the V10 is a 1.0-inch CMOS sensor of 15.2MP for stills and 13.1MP for Full HD 16:9 movies. Movies can be shot as 16:9 4K UHD or Full HD, for up to one hour in both cases. Battery life for stills is rated at 290 shots. Sound is recorded via built in stereo mikes.

 

Connectivity is via the microSD card, the USB-C connector, WiFi or Bluetooth, with GPS via a paired smartphone and the Canon Camera Connect App.The camera can also act as a plug and play webcam.

 

Most of the features are only available for video shooting and cannot be applied to stills. Stills can be made lighter or darker and that’s about it. Video on the other hand has various colour filters, soft skin setting and two levels of IS.

 

The built in stand is a very useful feature, whether for vlogging or for webcam use. No mini tripod necessary, but there is a good quality standard tripod socket on the camera base should it be needed.

 

 

Canon PowerShot V10 Features

• 1.0-Type CMOS sensor

• Stills 15.2MP

• Video 13.1MP

• Built in stereo microphones

• Shutter speeds (stills) 1/2000s – 1s

• Shutter speeds (Movies) 1/4000s – 1/8s

• ISO range 125 – 12800

• 2” TFT LCD touch sensitive monitor with 460,000 dots

• Built in battery

• USB-C connection

• Wireless LAN
• Bluetooth
• Digital Enhanced IS
• Battery life 290 shots
• Battery Life Video 4K 55 minutes
• Battery Life Video FHD 1 hour 20 minutes
• Battery Life 4K Playback 2 hours 40 minutes
• microSD/SDHC/SDXC/UHS-I cards
• Picture Styles – 14 colour filters
   

Canon PowerShot V10 Handling

This small but chunky device actually fits the palm of the hand very well. The controls are not too small and are all extremely well placed to make the most of the space available. The tiny 2” screen is, well…tiny. It is just about OK for general use and, to be fair, gives a bright and crisp view of whatever we are filming. One thing to watch is that the lens can so easily end up covered in finger smears, so it may need constant checking to remove fingerprints. It is no worse than an iPhone in this respect.
 

All the attention to connectivity is helpful and Canon’s Camera Connect App can be downloaded easily enough. It pairs to an iPhone without any hassle and it offers Cloud connection and the means to control and adjust the camera. Given that the camera itself is so small there are only fairly specific reasons for using a second small device to control the first one. It is probably more about instant uploading to the web.

 

Overall, handling is much better that might be expected from such a small device and less prone to accidental operation than most smartphones. The use of a microSD card is a useful feature that makes handling of files for the computer much easier.

 

Out in the field, the camera is just so much fun to use. The sheer freedom of snapping away at stills leads to sponaneity in the images, so even experienced photographers might just enjoy giving up the technicalities to the camera’s choices, just once in a while at least. Smartphone photographers may look upon the V10 more from its primary use, video and vlogging, and here results are pretty good. Even taking the camera into really dark interiors results in movies that, although nowhere near technically perfect, retain enough quality to make them watchable. For vlogging and webcam, the built in stand is brilliant, removing the need for a tripod.
 

Canon PowerShot V10 Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

 

Canon PowerShot V10 Sample Photos

 

Lens Performance – It is not possible to run the usual MTF tests, but it can be said that the end results actually look pretty good. Sharpness is more than good enough for the intended web use. Flare is very well controlled and even severe lighting conditions do not show up any significant artefacts. Bokeh is not really the forte of wide angle lenses, but where it is part of an image it actually looks very smooth.

 

In summary, the lens seems well matched to its purpose and can deliver very good quality.

 

ISO Noise Performance – Auto ISO values run rom ISO125 to 12,000. There is no control over this in stills photography. The images show little evidence of noise, which seems to be processed out quite efficiently.

 

White Balance Performance – White balance is AWB for stills, and that seems to handle most lighting conditions competently. For movies, we have AWB, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent and Colour Temperature. It is tempting to think that it would be good for these options to be available for stills as well, but then again that would stray from the point of the camera.

 

Digital Filters – Picture Styles offers 14 colour filters, for video use only. These are Story Teal & Orange, Story Magenta, Story Blue, Pale Teal & Orange, Retro Green, Sepiatone, Accent Red, Tasty Warm, Tasty Cool, Bright Amber, Bright White, Clear Light Blue, Clear Purple, Clear Amber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video – This is ultra-simple video shooting, with options of 4K/120p 16:9 and FHD 60p 16:9. Video spec is MP4 8-bit (H.264.MPEG-4 AVC IPB Standard including AAC compressed audio). Connectivity is via smartphone and the Canon Camera Connect App. We have WiFi and Bluetooth, plug and play webcam capability, live streaming and just shooting movies for transfer via the SD card or USB-C to a computer. A cable connection is also available via microHDMI Type D.

 

Picture Styles offer 14 colour filters for enhancing the cinematic look to suit the subject matter. Modes include Auto Movie, Smooth Skin Movie, Movie IS and Manual Exposure Movie. There is a 5 minute limit on recording in Smooth Skin Movie mode. None of these can be applied to stills photography.

 

Focusing keeps up well with most circumstances. The more challenging videos made in very dull light also keep up remarkably well, but can waver in and out slightly. This is not surprising and overall the focusing performance is very satisfactory.

Value For Money

 

The [AMUK]Canon V10|canon+v10[/AMUK] vlogging camera is priced at £459. The nearest similarly straightforward vlogging camera would be the [AMUK]Sony ZV-1F|sony+vf-1f[/AMUK]Sony ZV-1F which costs £549.

 

The V10 occupies a fairly unique spot and has likewise a fairly unique function. There are far less expensive cheap and cheerful alternatives, but they do not

offer the same level of quality as the V10.

 

Actual VFM is also down to perception and expectation, especially in a world where we pay £1000 or more for a smartphone. Quizzing our younger photographers, the perception there was that this could cost around £700 and that £459 was actually a really low price. On that basis, it might be a bit of a bargain for its intended audience, even if very much less so for experienced photographers.

 

Canon PowerShot V10 Verdict

The V10 is a small, light and intriguing device clearly aimed at the novice or casual vlogger. In this respect, it offers fair value and does the required job admirably. Off the cuff movies are no problem, stills are not the point but can look good anyway, and the whole thing is fun. As a streaming device, as a webcam, as a vlogging camera, it is all there at the push of a button without any need to make adjustments unless we want to. There are limited possibilities when shooting video for different effects and virtually no choices for stills, but it does what it aims to do, does it very well and on that basis can be Recommended.
 

[REVIEW_FOOTER]R_features=3|R_handling=4|R_performance=4|R_value=4|R_overall=4|A_level=4|A_text=Recommended – For vloggers and those who record life on the go, a device which is simple and fun to use.|E_id=7993[/REVIEW_FOOTER]