Canon Powershot V10 review: it's like a DSLR in your pocket

I have a long history with Canon that pre-dates my journalistic career at T3. I have a Canon 6D, which I used to shoot weddings and properties as a side hustle years ago. So when I was offered the Canon Powershot V10 for a review, I simply couldn't turn down the opportunity. I thought I might be able to re-live the glory days by playing around with a Canon once again.

Indeed, using the Canon Powershot V10 is a strangely familiar experience if you've ever had a Canon DSLR. The menu layout, the UI, and the buttons are all reminiscent of larger Canon units, for better or worse, something I'll discuss at length below.

Of course, this Canon Powershot V10 review isn't just a trip down memory lane. During testing, I tried my best to have my professional reviewer hat on, which wasn't that hard, as I'm the person who reviews the best action cameras, including the best GoPros, for T3.

What do action cams have to do with the Canon Powershot V10? Well, many content creators use them for vlogging, which – surprise! – is what the Powershot V10 was designed for, making action cams the direct competitor to Canon's offering. Which should you buy, though? Find out by reading my Canon Powershot V10 review!

Canon Powershot V10 review

Canon Powershot V10 review: price and availbility

The Canon Powershot V10 was released in May 2023 and is available to buy now at Canon UK, Canon US and Canon AU with prices from £429/ $429/ AU$ $699. It's available in two colours, Black and Silver.

In the UK, you can get the Canon PowerShot V10 Advanced Vlogging Kit for £460, which is the bundle I'd recommend. This includes all the accessories you might need, such as a couple of dead kitties, a carry bag and a rubber lens cap.

These days, the camera can be bought for much less than RRP. Maybe Canon realised that it was marketed for too much, or maybe it's just the usual thing of tech getting cheaper as time goes on. Either way, you can now easily own a Powershot V10 for 25-30% off.

For the best prices right now, check out the price widgets at the top and bottom of this Canon Powershot V10 review.

Canon Powershot V10 review: specifications

• Dimensions: 63.4 × 90.0 × 34.3 mm
• Weight: 211g
• Display: TFT liquid-crystal monitor, touchscreen, tilts up to 180°
• Microphone: Built-in stereo microphone (48 Khz, 16-bit x 2 channels)
• Speaker: Built-in monaural speaker
• Storage: no built-in storage, supports SD cards up to XX
• Battery life: up to 55 min (4K movie shooting), 1h 20min (Full HD Movie shooting)
• Water/Dust-Resistance: N/A
• Stand: built-in, 1/4 (ISO 1222) tripod mount at the bottom
• Lens type: 19 wide angle with 97.5° FOV (video)
• Closest focusing distance: 50 mm
• Sensor size: 1-inch
• Max video resolution: 4K @ 30fps, Full HD @ 60fps 
• Max photo resolution (effective): 15.2 megapixels
• Stabilisation: digital only
• ISO range (video): 125–6400 (Full HD), 125–3200 (4K)
• Shooting modes (video): Auto, Smooth skin, Movie IS, Manual exposure
• Supported file types: H.264 MP4 (video), JPEG (photos)
• GPS: connected (via smartphone)
• Companion app: Canon Camera Connect (iOS/Android)

Canon Powershot V10 review: design and build quality

The Canon Powershot V10 is a compact and somewhat sturdy vlogging camera. It's not as rugged as action cameras; in fact, it's not water or dustproof at all! Nevertheless, the camera feels well put together, and despite its all-plastic exterior, it doesn't creak or feel flimsy in hand.

(As a side note, I'd like Canon and other camera manufacturers to place more emphasis on the sustainability of their products. For all I know, the Powershot V10 could be made using recycled plastic, and there could be a programme that incentivises people to return their old devices to Canon for recycling, but there is no evidence of this on the product's page.)

The standout features are the flippable touchscreen display and the integrated kickstand – both of which are convenience features bloggers would appreciate. The screen helps frame those selfie shots easier, while the stand makes the unit stand up independently, which is a big bonus when you're on the go.

You'll find the physical buttons at the back of the unit, which look similar to buttons you'd find on a Canon DLSR. This is both a blessing and a curse, as having DSRL-esque buttons might help convince camera users to give the Powershot V10 a try, but it's not the most modern approach.

There is a reason why action cams only have a couple of large buttons and make more use of their touchscreen display. The operation of the Canon Powershot V10 isn't what you'd want from a compact device in the smartphone age. You need a couple of buttons, at most, with most camera options accessible via the screen.

That's the approach most vlogging (action) cameras use these days, including the GoPro Hero 10 Black and the Insta360 Ace Pro, the latter of which also has a flip touchscreen and shoots vertical videos by flipping the device on its side, just like the Canon Powershot V10.

Removing that physical button layout would also help make the camera more compact (I'd assume). Funnily enough, the front of the camera is exactly how the Canon Powershot V10 should look: one large button and a bright, plus the optical unit. Clean, simple, easy to understand.

You'll find the stereo microphones at the top, while the bottom houses the quarter-inch thread that allows you to mount the Canon Powershot V10 on a tripod. The thread's location also means that you need a ball head if you want to shoot vertically while using a tripod so you can flip the camera on its side while mounted.

Canon Powershot V10 review: Video and audio performance

All physical design flaws (?) can be forgiven if the footage you capture with the Canon Powershot V10 is that good. Indeed, the camera can shoot up to 4K@30fps, or if you're keen on smoother frame rates, 1080p@60fps. As you can see from the video above, even in moderately bright lighting conditions, the footage looks clear enough, especially for a vlogging camera.

You might notice in the footage that it's not too stabilised. Turns out that if you have the 'Auto level' option on, you can't also have 'Digital IS' activated – my bad! However, it goes to show that the UI could be clearer.

I hate having to say the same thing repeatedly, but the issue with the user interface is the same as the physical button layout: it copies DSLRs and is designed to be operated via the buttons, not your fingers.

You look at any touchscreen action/vlogging cam, and you'll see that the buttons on the screen are large and often placed in the middle to make it easier to operate the device with your sausage fingers. Although familiar, the Powershot V10's sub-menu layout is too small and fiddly to control.

But back to the audio and video quality. I appreciate I tried the camera in a challenging environment, but the auto white balance did struggle to make sense of all the different colours. Sound is okay; even if you don't like it, thankfully, you can connect microphones, such as the RODE VideoMic GO II or, better still, the Rode Wireless ME.

The main strength of the Canon Powershot V10 is its Canon optics that handle most of the heavy lifting. The lens is bright and large, which is to be expected from a company that manufactures some of the finest binoculars. Most of the problems I had with the footage could be resolved via software updates, after all!

Canon Powershot V10 review: verdict

I like the Canon Powershot V10 because it's a Canon product. It's not perfect, and in today's extremely competitive market, where new products fill non-existent market gaps on a daily basis, I'd say that a lot of people would be better off getting an action cam than Canon's vlogging unit. Everyone's after the vloggers these days!

That said, it's almost impossible not to like the Canon Powershot V10. Considering its skillset, I recommend it for live streaming and stationary vlogging. Plus, the non-rugged design isn't without benefits: you can scale up your camera with accessories more efficiently, thanks to the ports that let you connect external microphones and monitors more easily.

If you want one, I'd suggest keeping your eyes peeled for a good deal on the camera, which makes it cheaper than (or at least on par with) top-tier action cam prices. If you find one for a low enough price, I'd say go for it!

Canon Powershot V10 review: also consider

Apart from the two action cameras mentioned above, another excellent Canon Powershot V10 alternative is the DJI Osmo Action 4. With excellent image stabilisation, ease of use and a brilliant magnetic mounting system for accessories, the DJI Osmo Action 4 only misses out on GoPro Hero 11 Black's 5.7K video resolution. It's priced the same as the Canon, too. Read Jamie's full DJI Osmo Action 4 review.

The Insta360 GO 3 is both a niche action camera aimed at content creators wanting to create POV videos and also one of the most versatile action cameras allowing you to spread your creative wings and capture videos and images in ways you never thought was possible. It's not the best action cam overall, but certainly one of the most exciting ones in recent years. Read my full Insta360 Go 3 review.