Canon has officially announced the Canon PowerShot V1 – a compact camera boasting a 16-50mm zoom and a new 1.4-inch image sensor (similar in dimension to a Micro Four Thirds sensor).
The Canon PowerShot V1 is officially the flagship of the PowerShot V line, offering a step up from the novice-oriented PowerShot V10. It marries a large 22.3MP sensor with the Digic X processor to offer a new version of Dual Pixel CMOS AF II featuring face and eye detection for humans, dogs and cats (but not birds or horses).
As you can see from the imagery, it looks similar to the Sony ZV series of vlogging cameras – and I think it's pretty clear that this is squarely where the V1 is aiming, with the included wind muffler, tally lamps, 4K 60p video, 10-bit Canon Log 3 capture, and a product showcase ('Review Video') mode.
To support the video functions, the V1 has an active cooling fan for extended recording (the limits, if any, have not been stated) along with automatic horizon correction and digital image stabilization. With these latter features (which cannot be used simultaneously) the focal range is reduced to 17-52mm, with a resolution of 18.7MP.
ABOVE: Watch the Canon PowerShot V1 announce video
While the headline features are definitely skewed towards video, the PowerShot V1 is very much aimed at hybrid creators interested in taking photographs.
It boasts blistering 30fps burst shooting via the electronic shutter, along with Canon's Creative Filters for stills shooting – though Canon has only cited diorama and toy camera as examples, so I wouldn't expect any fancy recipes or film simulations.
Curiously, the camera has only been announced in Asian territories at present – though this does not necessarily preclude a release in the west, as other Canon products (such as the Canon PowerShot Pick) debuted in Japan before rolling out to the US and UK.
The Canon PowerShot V1 is due to be released in late April. I assume the camera will be on show at the CP+ event in Japan next week, which I'm lucky enough to be attending, so hopefully I can share more information with you soon.
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