Canon PowerShot V10 Review

For its first vlogging camera, the PowerShot V10 ($429.99), Canon chooses to color outside the lines rather than reuse an existing camera frame like rival Sony did with the ZV-1F ($499.99). The result is a pocket vlogging camera that's comfortable to use handheld, includes a kickstand for tabletop recordings, and captures clear stereo audio. A non-removable battery with limited runtime and a so-so autofocus system somewhat reduce its appeal, but creators who want a dedicated camera for video work should still check it out.

As mentioned, Canon chose to build the V10 from the ground up, a good choice because its design is perhaps its best feature. At around 3.5 by 2.5 by 1.4 inches (HWD) and 7.4 ounces, the camera is small enough to slide into your pants pocket, and its vertical orientation is comfortable for handheld recording. If you've been around long enough, you might see a resemblance to the Flip Video(Opens in a new window) cameras that were popular in the late aughts.

Even though you hold the V10 the same way as a smartphone, its video is 16:9 widescreen by default; you need to turn it on its side to record vertical video for TikTok and other social media platforms.

Canon sells the V10 in two styles. Both use the same gunmetal gray plastic for the main body, but you can choose between a matte black or silver top plate. I received the silver edition for evaluation.

An integrated kickstand makes it easy to use a tabletop or similar flat surface as a camera support, eschewing the need for a tripod. Compared with the Sony ZV-1F, the V10 is more comfortable and versatile to use either handheld or on a tabletop. The Sony has a traditional compact camera shape and you might feel the need to add on the $140 GP-VPT2BT(Opens in a new window) tripod.

Although the ZV-1F and V10 differ in shape, they both use a 1-inch image sensor and a wide prime lens. For the V10, it's a 6.6mm F2.8, which is equivalent to an 18mm full-frame system for 3:2 aspect photos and a 19mm lens for 16:9 video. The ZV-1F sports a slightly narrower 7.6mm F2.0 lens, for comparison.

The V10 doesn't include any sort of durability rating or weather protection. For all-weather vlogging, budgeting more for the GoPro Hero11 Black Creator Edition ($399.99) is a wise move. The Creator Edition bundle ($599.99) includes the Volta battery grip and Media Mod microphone, handy accessories for content creators.

For controls, the V10 relies on a combination of physical buttons and a touch-based interface. The Record button is prominent and easy to find by touch. It sits directly beneath the lens, so you can start and stop clips easily from either behind the camera or when you are recording yourself.

Rear buttons include Power, Play, Transfer, Menu, Q/Set, Delete/Self-Timer, and Info; the latter two are part of a four-way control pad that also handles menu navigation. Menus support touch, too.

Out of the box, the V10 is set up for one-button automatic recording, with Movie Digital IS, Skin Smoothing, and Manual Movie available as alternate modes. Movie Digital IS is somewhat redundant (you can turn on stabilization for auto mode if you want), but helpful if you want an easy way to swap between stabilized and non-stabilized footage on the fly. Digital stabilization is effective, but it crops the view of the lens. Horizon leveling is also available, though it does not work in conjunction with stabilization—it's better for scenes that suit the use of the kickstand.

The auto modes support EV adjustment (via an easy-to-understand brightness slider), along with a range of in-camera color filters that span from tasteful to extreme. I wish Canon had gone a little further in including beginner-friendly features though. Sony offers a clever Background Defocus function in auto modes for its vlog cameras, for comparison, whereas you must jump into the manual mode and tweak the aperture settings to get the same effect with the V10.

It's not difficult to use the camera in manual mode. You can leave both the ISO and in-camera ND filter to auto, so you only have to worry about the shutter speed and aperture. Make sure to brush up on exposure guidelines for video—for 30fps footage, keep your shutter speed close to 1/60-second.

The Skin Smoothing feature works as advertised and washes away wrinkles and blemishes. I found its default medium (+3) setting to be a little cartoonish, however; it smoothed me out so much that I had to question whether the camera had missed focus. It's not so offensive at the lowest +1 setting, and you can push it all the way to high (+5) if you want to look smoother than smooth. You can't use the smoothing feature in conjunction with digital stabilization, however, which is a downer.

Canon doesn't include a specialized focus mode for product reviews like Sony does for its ZV series, but the company is aware of the demand for the feature. Its solution is a focus system that swaps between face detection and a movable focus box. For product presentations, the latter works pretty well.

The V10's 2-inch screen supports touch input and flips over the top plate for self-monitoring. It's on the small side and its 460k-dot resolution is far from cutting edge, but it's adequate overall and bright enough to use outdoors in most cases. However, after putting on polarized sunglasses, I lost view of the display when I flipped the camera sideways for vertical video. It's one situation in which better screen tech would make a practical difference.

The V10 uses a non-removable battery for power. The battery life is underwhelming at around 50 minutes of 4K30 recording time in our standard rundown test, with similar results in the field. I took the fully charged camera out for some test video and photos and put a good dent in the battery bar after about 20 minutes of 4K video and a dozen pictures. The good news is that the battery charges quickly via a USB-C connection; with a PD-rated charger, it went from nearly empty to full in about a half hour.

Heat management is a real concern with this camera and something you might not be used to dealing with if you are moving up from a smartphone. Pay attention to the on-screen heat gauge that warns you when the camera is getting too warm. For tabletop recording, I got about 23 minutes of video before the camera shut down due to heat. But I noticed the heat gauge crept up more quickly when I handheld the camera. That makes sense because you add heat to the system simply by keeping your palm wrapped around the body.

In addition to supplying power, the USB-C port lets you offload media and connect the camera to your computer as a webcam. The V10 supports UAC/UVC plug-and-play functionality, so you can use its wide-angle lens and stereo mic for video conferencing in Google Meet, Zoom, and other apps without additional drivers or software. The camera also has a 3.5mm microphone input and micro HDMI output.

The V10 pairs via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to the Canon CameraConnect app (available for Android and iOS). The app supports wireless transfers, remote control, and live streaming to Facebook, YouTube, or a custom URL. File transfers are on the slow side, at least for 4K—the V10 took about 2.5 minutes to send a 30-second 4K clip to my iPhone 13. For faster transfers, the app offers a compressed transfer mode, in which it downsamples 4K recordings to 1080p. The same 30-second clip took about 30 seconds to transfer to my iPhone at 1080p.

As mentioned, the V10 uses a 20MP Type 1 sensor and a fixed 19mm F2.8 lens. The pair puts up excellent resolution marks for its type, around 2,800 lines at f/4. I couldn't test the lens at other f-stops—the V10 is restricted to fully automatic operation for photos and defaults to f/4 in good light. That's the good part. On the downside, there is only one color profile available for pictures, so you need to edit shots on your phone or a computer if you want a different color tone. And since the photo engine is JPG-only, pictures don't hold up as well to edits as they do from photo-centric cameras with Raw support.

For video, the V10 supports 4K30 and 4K24, as well as 1080p at up to 60fps. All footage uses an H.264 format with your choice of Standard or Light IPB(Opens in a new window) quality in an 8-bit 4:2:0 color space. The video engine lets you tune the standard color profile for a warmer or cooler look, as well as pick from 14 filtered looks: Accent Red, Bright Amber, Bright White, Clear Amber, Clear Light Blue, Clear Purple, Pale Teal & Orange, Retro Green, Sepia Tone, Story Blue, Story Magenta, Story Teal & Orange, Tasty Cool, and Tasty Warm.

The looks range from subtle to extreme. I liked the Tasty Cool profile for recording in the shade on a wooded path; it made the purple in my T-shirt pop out more than in the standard color profile and did a good job with the greens of the surrounding foliage. On the other hand, Retro Green is a more intense look. Although its desaturated bleach bypass with a green filter might be perfect for vlogging about an upcoming Fallout game, I wouldn't consider it for everyday use. But with 14 looks, you've got plenty of flexibility.

Advanced editors might miss the option to record with a low-contrast flat profile for better fine-tuning in post. It's one area where the Sony ZV-1F does better; it supports 8-bit S-Log. The GoPro Hero11 beats them both with 10-bit color and a flat profile (as well as Raw imaging support).

Autofocus performance is middling, especially compared with pricier cameras that have more reliable phase detection systems. The V10 relies on contrast detection to set focus, a method that results in fluttering when the camera loses track of a subject. In practice, the V10 occasionally drifts away from a detected face and brings the background into view for a split second before finding proper focus again. I observed similar behavior with the contrast-based focus in the Sony ZV-1F, so it's not a problem unique to Canon. Anecdotally, the V10 seems to drift away less often than the ZV-1F, but it's still distracting when it happens.

The built-in stereo mic captured crisp, clear audio in testing both indoors and out. Canon doesn't bundle a windscreen, however, which is invaluable on breezy days. The SmallRig Cage Kit for the V10(Opens in a new window) ships with a windscreen, a mounting cage with four quarter-twenty threads for accessories and tripod mounting, and a pair of cold shoe mounts. It's worth picking up if you plan on using an add-on mic like a Rode Wireless Go II lav or a video light.

The affordable Canon PowerShot V10 aims to lure vloggers away from their smartphones, and its clear in-camera mic, wide prime lens, and sharp 4K video at least put it on even footing with the competing Sony ZV-1F. We also like the V10's vertically oriented design for handheld recording, as well as its integrated kickstand for tabletop sessions. But disappointing runtime from the non-removable battery and the sometimes inconsistent focus system are both downsides. Both beginner and advanced users also might find Canon's auto mode too inflexible.

We've yet to find a made-for-vlogging compact worthy of our Editors' Choice award, but the PowerShot V10's body style and price give it an edge in the entry-level market over the Sony ZV-1F. If you don't mind spending more, look at the GoPro Hero11 Creator Edition bundle, or a swappable lens model like the Nikon Z 30 ($849.95) or the Sony ZV-E10 ($699.99).

The Canon PowerShot V10 has a clever design and rolls attractive 4K video, but its battery doesn't last very long and its auto mode isn't that flexible.

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