Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II

Canon built the PowerShot G5 X Mark II as a compact camera measuring 111 x 61 x 46mm and weighing 340 grams, so it takes up little room in a bag. The fixed lens keeps the whole kit self-contained, with no extra glass to carry or choose between.

Its mix of a one-inch sensor, up to 30fps burst shooting and 4K video suits travel, family days out and street photography, where you want a camera that is always with you. A flipping touchscreen helps at awkward angles, and the electronic viewfinder offers an eye-level alternative to the rear screen.

The one-inch CMOS sensor produces 20 megapixel files. The Digic 8 processor handles those files, and the ISO range runs from 125 to 12800, giving you room to keep shooting as the light fades.

Burst shooting reaches up to 30 frames per second, though that figure is a maximum rate rather than a promise for long sequences. Even so, it gives you a real chance at a fleeting expression or a bird mid take-off, and 49 autofocus points provide the focusing positions for those bursts.

In-body stabilisation reduces camera shake, so you can handhold at slower shutter speeds in dim interiors without losing sharpness to wobble. It does nothing for subject movement, so raise the shutter speed or ISO when your subject is in motion.

A 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinder gives a detailed eye-level view of the scene. The top shutter speed of 1/2000 second is on the modest side, which can limit how wide you can open the lens in strong daylight.

The camera records 4K video, which gives footage enough detail for cropping in the edit and for viewing on large screens. Files are written in MPEG-4 or MOV.

Frame rates reach 120fps, which allows slow-motion footage of movement such as waves or a ball in flight. The 4K resolution and the 120fps figure are listed as separate maximums, so confirm which combinations the camera actually records before planning a shoot around both at once.

A built-in timelapse mode handles interval work without external triggers or software, and sensor stabilisation helps keep handheld clips steadier by reducing camera shake.

The flipping screen earns its place here too, letting you frame a shot from low to the ground or over a crowd while the recording runs.

The three-inch TFT screen carries just over a million dots, crisp enough for checking focus and detail. It flips for shooting low to the ground or overhead, and the touch layer lets you navigate menus and settings directly on the panel.

There is also a 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinder for eye-level shooting. A built-in flash covers casual indoor shots, but there is no support for an external flash unit, so you cannot expand the lighting.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in for wireless connection. GPS is absent, so the camera itself will not tag photos with location data automatically, and with no weather sealing it needs shelter from rain and dust.

Images record to a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card slot, with UHS-I support so fast cards run at their intended speed. One slot calls for a little planning: bring spare cards for a long day out rather than counting on overflow space.

The NB-13L battery carries a 230-shot rating, which is not a promise of real-world endurance. Heavy screen and video use can drain it faster, so a second battery is a sensible addition for travel.

There is no USB charging, so the battery cannot be topped up through a USB cable. Factor that into packing, because a power bank is no use for recharging between locations.