Canon G7X Flash

Coverage and Range
A weak flash (common in compacts), with uneven coverage at wide angle.

Coverage. Flash coverage was quite uneven and narrow at wide angle (not unusual, though, especially for a wider-than-average lens). We no longer test this at full telephoto, as wide angle is invariably the worst case.

Exposure. Here with our standard Indoor Portrait scene at ISO 200 and f/4, the G7 X's flash struggled, producing a slightly dim image even with +1.0 EV flash exposure compensation (most cameras need +0.7 EV for this shot). The camera selected 1/60 second shutter speed, which is good, and you can always shoot at a wider aperture, but f/4 is our standard for this test. Slow-sync flash mode produced a brighter, more evenly lit image with the same flash exposure compensation, with the camera selecting 1/20 second shutter speed.

Manufacturer Specified Flash Test. Canon rates the PowerShot G7 X's flash range at 7 meters or 23 feet at wide angle and 4 meters or 13 feet at telephoto, when using Auto ISO. In the test shot above, the PowerShot G7 X's flash performed to Canon's specifications, producing a well-exposed flash target image wide-open at full telephoto, with the camera boosting ISO to 640.

We shoot at manufacturer-specified camera settings, at the range the company claims for the camera, to assess the validity of the specific claims.