RitzReview | Canon Powershot G9 X Mark II

Hey friends!  I’m excited to start something new each month around here as part of a partnership with Ritz Camera.  Each month, I’ll be sharing some information about digital cameras and accessories, what to shop for, and my personal review of the product of the month.  This honest opinion is strictly my own and it is not a high tech review.  I’ll tell you in plain terms what I liked and didn’t like about it.  This is part of what I do at Happy Hour Projects: I provide beginner-friendly information and instructions.  There’s no need to be overwhelmed!

As a Ritz Camera blogger, I took the Canon Powershot G9 X Mark II for a test drive for 3 weeks, and if you purchase this camera or any other equipment using the links in this post, I do get a small commission.  It’s partnerships like this that allow me to bring you more free projects and tutorials, so if you shop my links, thank you very much!

There are three basic types of digital cameras-Digital Single Lens Reflexes (DSLR), mirrorless cameras, and compact point and shoot cameras. DSLR’s offer the ability to change lenses, they are speedy and do not produce a lot of digital noise. Plus, a lot of brands allow you to change lenses easily for example, Canon EF lenses work on any of their SLR body’s.

Mirrorless cameras offer many of the advantages of a DSLR in a smaller body – Interchangeable lenses, low noise sensors, and a compact form size. These cameras have a full selection of compact lenses, and can use many vintage lenses with a suitable adapter.

Compact point and shoot cameras are great for those looking to get away from relying on their smartphone cameras and have more control over how they shoot. There are two types of point and shoots- ones with electronic viewfinders and ones with optical viewfinders. Optical viewfinders usually do not provide any setting details such as f-stop numbers or shutter speed, however, you will be able to view the autofocus indicator. If you want to shoot in areas where noise will be an issue, beware the shutter speed sound of a point and shoot. Finally, point and shoot cameras are generally slower than SLR’s, so if you’re looking to use the burst sequence or take RAW images, you may be waiting a while.

If you are looking for the capacity to use multiple lenses, shoot sports or fast action photographs, disregard a point and shoot and focus on DSLR’s or Mirrorless cameras. If you want a camera to fit in your pocket or a starter camera for a teenager or child, consider point and shoots.

Budget is always important when looking for new gear. If you’re a pro, and want to upgrade, consider the Nikon D5600 DSLR Camera With 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens or the Canon EOS Rebel T7i DSLR Camera with 18-135mm STM Lens Kit (coming soon!). These camera’s will generally stand up to the wear and tear of professional use. If you’re in the market to upgrade but price is still an issue, look into less expensive models such as the Canon EOS Rebel T6 with 18-55 and 75-300mm Lens + 14 Piece Kit or Nikon D3400 24.2MP DX DSLR With 18-55mm And 70-300mm Lenses.

Finally, speed is everything. If you want to upgrade your gear fast, buy your top picks from Ritz Camera. You can purchase up to 3-year gear warranties and receive free shipping!  I’m proud to tell you that even before I worked with Ritz Camera, it’s where I shopped, and it’s where my husband went to buy accessories on my wish list knowing absolutely nothing about cameras.  There’s a huge advantage to consulting a camera professional over the staff at big box stores.

Ok – with all that information out there, today I’m going to be sharing a Point and Shoot camera review.  This is the Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II.

It’s a little thicker than a smartphone but smaller overall, making it easy to put in a purse or a pocket.  I found that operating the PowerShot on its automatic shooting mode gave me photos that were comparable to operating my larger DSLR camera on its automatic settings.  I own the Nikon D5500 which I like very much for blogging.  For step by step photos, I found that the PowerShot did a great job with automatic focus!  Take a look:

This disc is less than one inch, and the tiny diamond stamp I’m using on it i this photo is 1.5mm.  I take my photos one-handed, so the light body was great for getting a steady shot.  For small detail, I thought this camera was fantastic.

For the “beauty shots”, I also felt it did a great job.  On automatic, the white balance is slightly toward blue, but that’s easily corrected when editing (and if you don’t edit your photos, then you will NOT notice at all.  It’s just a note for those of us who try to achieve true white).  Jewelry can be especially tricky to get all the textures close up, but I had MORE usable images with the PowerShot than I usually have for my DSLR.

Now, there is no traditional viewfinder on the PowerShot.  Personally, I do not like using the screen as my viewfinder.  It takes a few seconds between shots for the preview to pop up and go away on the default settings (though you can adjust this in the camera’s settings).  It does have one feature that made me WANT TO KEEP this camera, and that’s a tilt display for ensuring your camera is level when taking an overhead photo.  This saved me SO much trial and error!  So for storytelling photos, this camera is a great tool.

This is an excellent little starter camera because it can take high-quality images without needing to change lenses or worry about dust caps or carry a large camera bag.  This is what I would choose to take to the zoo or the park or the museum, honestly, because on a day trip, the bulky camera gets to be a hassle when I have all the kids’ things too.

I hope you found this review helpful if you’re camera-shopping, and I’ll be sharing more cameras and accessories with you in the coming months!  Thanks for joining me!

Note: I reviewed the Canon Powershot G9 X Mark II as a brand ambassador for Ritz Camera.  I am not in any way affiliated with Canon and was not paid to give a favorable review.  All opinions are, as always, my own!