Thanks to TikTok, the Canon G7X has been trendy for the past few years, constantly out of stock and selling secondhand above market price. Is it worth it? After having the Canon G7X Mark III (I know the Mark II is what’s really trending) for almost two years, I still love it! But I also have some reservations to keep in mind.

I bought the G7X specifically for more everyday use than my bulky DSLR, to store in my purse on the regular and especially take to casual events and theme parks. I’m glad I got it for that purpose, and while I’m glad to have a convenient camera on my phone, I’m joining a growing number of people going old school by carrying around a dedicated camera.

Spoiler: It depends! Overall, it’s perfect for my needs and I love using it. It has the options to shoot in both RAW and JPG, the aperture goes up to f/1.8–2.8, and while you can do manual settings easily, usually auto works really well for my everyday! Also, while I don’t use my G7X for vlogging, I know it’s a popular vlogging camera. The Mark III has an external mic jack, the Mark II does not but has a better built in mic (according to research). And even though I don’t vlog, I love the flip top screen for selfies and group photos.

On the flipside, my main issue has been the built in lens cover! Almost immediately after buying it, it got stuck, unable to open or close all the way without help. Since I don’t feel qualified to try to fix that on my own, I got it replaced by Canon under warranty, and I immediately bought a warranty for my replacement. I would buy a new lens cover for your G7X since the built in cover is fragile and gets stuck so easily. Also, especially when taking photos at night with the flash, sometimes the G7X has delays between focusing and shooting. I’m constantly telling my friends “just hold still for a few seconds, it'll take eventually, I promise!” It’s only an issue I experience with flash, and based on my research online I think that’s just a well known little quirk of the G7X.

Because the G7X is so popular right now, it keeps selling out in minutes of a restock and selling for $1000 second hand. Until the hype dies down, or manufacturing increases with demand, it might be difficult to get your hands on it. Thankfully there are other comparable digital cameras to consider. The Ricoh GR III is another digital camera that receives a lot of commendation, featuring a larger sensor that offers superior image quality, especially in low light situations. The GR has a fixed lens made for wide angle shots with an aperture of f/2.8, while the G7X can zoom. If your focus is vlogging/video work, the G7X is a much better option, both for the actual video capabilities like 4K and the flip out screen. The Ricoh is just a bit more compact, really suiting itself for street photographers who value a sleek, lighter camera. The G7X is definitely more geared towards content creators, vloggers, and the everyday photographer, while the Ricoh GR III is built more specifically for street photographers.

And of course, it’s important to consider cost. When the Canon G7X is in stock, it’s a couple hundred dollars cheaper than that Ricoh GR, but right now it feels impossible to find the G7X for under $1000. You can also find other lower end digital cameras on the market as well if you’re just after the Y2K aesthetic or using a “vintage” digital camera over a phone.

I’m excited by the seeming renaissance of both film and digital photography over phone cameras. Phone technology has improved so much, and there’s a lot of benefit to that, but I think it’s a growing sentiment to appreciate the difference between having an unlimited phone camera roll and the photos taken through a viewfinder (or in this case, a screen). Sometimes having those limits makes the end result that much more important.