Canon is celebrating a big anniversary this year. Its first digital point-and-shoot—the PowerShot 600—turns thirty. To commemorate the occasion, the company is rolling out a limited edition of the highest-selling entry in the line, the PowerShot G7 X Mark III, which, despite being a 2019 release, is now the de facto flagship model and a wait-list item at camera stores.
A 30-Year Milestone for PowerShot
The PowerShot line is iconic, and I’m glad to see Canon give it some attention for its birthday. I may be a little biased; I started my digital photography journey with a Canon compact, the PowerShot Elph S200 from 2002, which at the time was a stunning piece of tech with its 2.0MP sensor and 2x zoom lens. I took a lot of terrible photos with that camera, and lucked into a good one on occasion. I can point to it as the camera that got me interested in photography. I know I’m not alone there. In the 2000s, a PowerShot was an extremely popular option for family photographers and budding shutterbugs alike, since it’d be a few years before DSLRs dropped to prices that normal people could afford.
Most of the photos I took with my Elph S200 were bad snapshots of me and my college friends doing stupid stuff, but I lucked into a few that I don’t totally hate today, including this long exposure abstract of a house decorated for Christmas taken from the passenger seat of a car. (Credit: Jim Fisher)
I haven’t seen the 30th-anniversary G7 X in person, but the pictures look gorgeous. It has a graphite finish that falls between the black and silver color options for the standard edition, a diamond-knurled pattern around its control ring instead of ridges, and a tasteful “30th” logo on its pop-up flash. It’s bundled with a matching Peak Design Cuff wrist strap and a 32GB memory card, and ships in a commemorative box.
It looks like a nice package, and while Canon declined to disclose just how limited the supply will be, the company expects it to sell out quickly. In an effort to prevent after-market sellers from gobbling it up, Canon plans to use a lottery system for direct sales, and says that some retail partners are considering lotteries or in-store sales only.
(Credit: Zain bin Awais/PCMag Composite; Canon)
The anniversary G7 X Mark III goes on sale in April for $1,299, which is a premium over the $879.99 MSRP of the regular edition. That’s not out of line for a special edition camera release, especially since the standard edition is on backorder and often sells for more than its retail price on eBay. There’s only one explanation for that: Demand for the G7 X Mark III is outpacing the supply.
Compact Cameras Are Hot Right Now
The current demand for point-and-shoot cameras is in part driven by a youth movement. The seven-year-old G7 X Mark III is trending on TikTok, with some videos of it racking up millions of views. Kids who have grown up with smartphones are looking for analog hobbies, and compact cameras offer a way to capture images without being inundated with news alerts and text messages. The G7 X also includes a xenon gas flash, a desirable feature for photographers who want to capture images that freeze motion. That’s a trick that the LED flashes on smartphones and (and some digicams like the Fujifilm X Half) can’t match.
It’s easy to say, “If the camera is so popular, why doesn’t Canon just make more?” Unfortunately, that doesn’t reflect reality. Production lines can only operate at a certain capacity, and retooling a factory or building one takes time and money. For its part, Canon is working on catching up. A representative tells me that the G7 X Mark III is “selling out before we stock up,” and Canon is trying its best to meet all backorders from retailers. As for a timeline, Canon expects the G7 X Mark III to be more readily available by the end of the year.
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(Credit: Zain bin Awais/PCMag Composite; Canon)
Canon isn’t alone in facing demand. In early 2024, Fujifilm released the latest version of its premium compact, the X100VI. It knew the camera would be a hot ticket item, as the outgoing X100V faced supply shortages after going viral on TikTok. Fuji doubled production capacity ahead of the X100VI’s debut, but even today, you’ll have to wait a few weeks to get one at its $1,799.95 retail price. If you don’t mind spending more, it’s readily available with accessory bundles. The story is the same for the Ricoh GR IV: It’s been out for about six months now, and photo retailer Adorama estimates a 2-month delivery time for orders placed today.
The increased demand for small cameras represents an about-face for the industry. The digital camera market shrank considerably in 2020. Factories in Asia were shut down during the height of COVID-19, and folks who were stuck at home during lockdown didn’t have a lot of reason to buy a new camera. At the same time, smartphone cameras got way better—2019 saw the release of the iPhone 11 and Samsung Galaxy S10, which were good enough to replace a digital camera for most people.
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(Credit: Zain bin Awais/PCMag Composite; Canon)
In response, camera makers shifted their attention to interchangeable-lens models and scaled back on pocket cameras. Nikon dropped pocket cameras entirely, and Sony shifted focus away from its RX100 photo line to its ZV vlogging series. Fujifilm went all-in on its premium X line and no longer makes FinePix pocket cameras.
How to Get a G7 X Mark III: Order Early and Often
We’ll have to wait and see if any of the major players jump back in and release a new pocket camera. We’ve seen some movement in that direction: Panasonic revived its Lumix superzoom series last year with the ZS99, while upstart brands like Camp Snap are working to fill a demand for affordable cameras. And for the first time in years, sales of fixed lens cameras are on the upswing. A report from industry organization CIPA shows a 30% growth in compact camera sales in 2025. More units are coming out of factories now than in prior years, but content creators are gobbling them up.
Time will tell whether manufacturers can catch up amidst the surge in demand for small, pocket-friendly cameras. If you’re trying to get one, my advice is to place orders with a few retailers and be patient—reputable sellers won’t charge your card until a camera is ready to ship. And don’t forget about local shops. If you live close enough to an independent camera retailer, check with them and see if you can get on a waitlist for your favorite model. If you’re impatient, you can often get the camera you want by spending more than retail, but it’s really up to you if instant gratification is worth it.
If you’re interested in adding a pocket camera to your toolkit, make sure to check out our list of the best point-and-shoots I’ve tested.
About Our Expert
Jim Fisher
Principal Writer, Cameras
Experience
Images, and the devices that capture them, are my focus. I’ve covered cameras at PCMag for the past 14 years, which has given me a front row seat for the changeover from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, the smartphone camera revolution, and the emergence of drones for aerial imaging. I have extensive experience with every major mirrorless and SLR system, and am also comfortable using point-and-shoot and action cameras. As a Part 107 Certified drone pilot, I’m licensed to fly unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for commercial and editorial purposes, and am knowledgeable about federal rules and regulations regarding drones.
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