My life just changed, in the biggest possible way – and with it, so has the kind of camera I need.
I was overjoyed to welcome my baby daughter into the world last month. She's absolutely brilliant and she does a million cute things every day – all of which need a photo or video to document them. And, in trying to take all those photos and videos, I realized that my current cameras aren't up to the task.
I'm fortunate enough to shoot with three systems. I have my Micro Four Thirds cameras (small and lightweight daily drivers), my Canon full-frame cameras (for full-fat stills and video) and my Hasselblad medium format cameras (for prestige photography).
The problem is, none of them fulfill all the requirements of my newfound papa-razzi.
Changing lenses is cumbersome with a baby in hand. Fiddling with settings means missing a magic moment. Recording video means messing with a microphone. Shooting outdoors means faffing with ND filters. They're all too big when you need to carry a baby bag everywhere. And my wife has no idea how any of them work.
A camera phone is a decent solution, but the quality isn't as good as a proper camera – and the images all have that "smartphone look" to them.
What I need is a proper "dad camera" – small enough to live in my pocket or baby bag, with better image quality than my phone, equally adept at stills and video, with an integrated zoom, that's easy enough for the missus to use… and, amazingly, I've found it!
Meet the ultimate "dad camera"
The Canon PowerShot V1 checks all these boxes and more – and it's become an everyday essential as a dad who wants to capture every step (literally) of my baby's journey.
I've been a fan of the V1 ever since I first used it. But I had no idea that all its strengths for its intended purpose (as a camera for vlogging and content creation) also make it perfect for parents with a newborn.
First of all, as a compact camera, it's very small. Small enough to slip into my pocket, which means it can replace my phone in the "always with me" stakes. But it is so much better than a phone!
It's got a 1.4-inch sensor – about the same size as a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor, making it much bigger than you find in phones and compacts.
For stills it gives you 22.3MP photos at bursts of up to 30fps, along with 10-bit 4:2:2 video at up to 4K 60p (with a 1.5x crop or oversampled 4K 30p with no crop). And it's all powered by Canon's Dual Pixel AF technology, giving you fiercely accurate autofocus.
The built-in lens is an equivalent 16-50mm f/2.8-4.5, giving you amazing everyday versatility for parent purposes.
At the wide end you can shoot great photos and videos that fit the entire scene in the frame – even when baby gets right up close or if you want to film yourself having a cute moment together.
At the long end you get a more flattering field of view for portrait-style pictures or zooming in when you spot your little one doing something cute in the crib or while looking adorable in grandma's arms.
Tech specs are all well and good, but it's the handling and physical properties that truly make the V1 a great dad camera.
For starters, there's a zoom rocker surrounding the shutter button – so you can easily and smoothly zoom the lens in or out for stills or video with one hand.
There's also a rocker switch just above the thumb rest that enables you to quickly flick between photo and video shooting – which means you never miss a moment when you go from "Oh that's a cute photo" to "Oh my god she's taking her first step!"
On a similar note, this little camera turns on fast. Too many cameras these days are so advanced that it's essentially like booting up a computer, so you risk missing those miraculous moment while waiting for the camera to wake up.
The camera has a built-in three-stop ND filter, which can be used for both stills and video, enabling you to keep shooting at sensible shutter speeds even outdoors or in bright light.
And while the internal microphones on most cameras are diabolically bad, the V1 has an extra-large and extra-good integrated mic that delivers very good audio quality.
Better yet, there's an included muffler so you can shoot outdoors without the wind ruining your sound! You can also use an external microphone via the mic jack or Multi Function Shoe if you prefer.
There are connections for headphones, micro HDMI and USB-C as well. On top of that, the camera works great with Canon's Camera Connect app – making remote shooting a breeze and enabling easy file transfer to your phone.
I could go on. Built-in fan for unlimited video recording, Canon Log for flexible video grading, auto horizon-leveling so your shots stay straight, mechanical shutter to avoid banding under artificial lights, flippy screen for versatile framing, tally light so you know when you're filming…
But you can read about all that in my full Canon PowerShot V1 review. What I can tell you is, as a dad camera, this capable little compact is absolutely brilliant.
It gives you the immediacy of a phone with the power of a proper camera – and while it offers advanced features and controls, you can whack it in auto and still get amazing results when you need to pass it off to a family member.
You'll never need to worry about missing a moment because you didn't have a camera with you, nor put up with subpar quality because all you had was a phone. If you're looking for the ideal camera companion as your little one grows up, I can absolutely vouch for the V1.
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