Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II review – 24-100mm f/1.8-2.8 lens

One area in which the G7 X Mark II has a slight edge over a number of its rivals is its lens. While it appears unchanged from the G7 X’s optic, its effective focal range of 24-100mm in 35mm terms stretches further than most of its peers (which typically finish around the 70-75mm mark) while keeping the maximum telephoto aperture at a respectable f/2.8.

The 11-element, nine-group optical construction makes use of Ultra Low Dispersion (UD) and various aspherical lenses to counter aberrations. Multilayer coatings on each element also help with light transmission.

The lens shows excellent correction for distortion throughout its focal range. This was captured at the 100mm-equivalent telephoto setting

The lens is equipped with an image stabiliser, which works with the scene-detection system and other technologies to determine what kind of stabilisation is required for both images and videos (collectively known as Intelligent IS). These include accounting for up-and-down and side-to-side movements when shooting close up (Hybrid IS) and a five-axis Dynamic IS when capturing movies, as well as a new panning mode that combines stabilisation over the appropriate axis with a slow shutter speed.