YouTube star and vlogger Mike Gray presses the Record button on the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III's touchscreen.

VLOGGING

Creative vlogging with the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III: tips and techniques from MikeVisuals

“One of the wonderful things about walking at this time of night is that the day comes alive with you,” he says.

YouTube star and vlogger Mike Gray stands in a mountainous landscape filming himself with a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III.

Alan has been using the PowerShot SX740 HS for capturing memories on the mountains. As well as being portable and easy to use, the camera packs in a number of powerful features from 4K video through to its remarkable 40x optical zoom – meaning he can photograph details close by as well as wildlife and subjects in the distance.

“Photography is so important for me,” he says. “Every picture tells a story – it’s a log of where you’ve been and who you are. It’s also a way to show other people what they miss. There are so many times when you get to the top of a mountain and you think, ‘I wish so-and-so could see this.’ It’s a great legacy – the pictures will be passed on and hopefully my grandchildren will enjoy seeing what I did.”

"Do it because you enjoy it, not because of the numbers or the potential gains."

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS fits 40x optical zoom into a compact body, allowing detailed capture of distant objects, while ZoomPlus technology digitally doubles the optical zoom to achieve 80x with little loss of quality compared to other digital zooms. In the images above, the 80x zoom was used to capture rust detail on the hull of the distant boat.

It even allows Alan to take close-up shots of the sky at night. “I'm working on a book all about being on the mountains in the full moon,” he says. “Having a camera with a powerful zoom enables me to get closer shots.”

YouTube star and vlogger Mike Gray films himself with a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III.

Mike's vlogging tips

1. Use slow motion to build interest

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Slowing footage down is one of the most effective techniques Mike uses to create drama in his videos. The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is capable of recording Full HD movies at up to 120fps. "Slowing the visuals really helps to draw focus and build atmosphere, so it's great for vlogging. On the Isle of Skye, we found this beautiful, towering waterfall descending from the edge of a cliff onto a shingle beach. The camera managed to capture all the detail in super-cool slow motion, which is really rare for such a small camera. I like to shoot in slow motion and speed it up, but you could start with it coming down really fast and then slow it down."

2. Film big, edit small

The more options the better, according to Mike, who has been shooting videos since he was 12 years old. "This was my first time shooting 4K for a vlog. Aside from the amazing quality, it opens up lots of options in post-production. I was able to crop into shots and change up the focal length, which helps to keep the viewer engaged."

3. Make your voice heard

Strong visuals help to set a vlog apart, but clean audio is just as important. The PowerShot G7 X Mark III has connections allowing high-quality audio to be recorded and monitored in real time. "It is a really cool, high-end feature, especially for users who want to add a professional microphone. The waterfall on the Isle of Skye was really noisy, but by adding a professional microphone with a fluffy windbreaker I was able to cut out all of that background noise and get crystal-clear audio. There are some super portable lightweight external mics out there; just connect the mic to the camera, make sure it's pointing in the direction of the vocals, and away you go."

4. Get creative with unusual angles

Vlogger Mike Gray sets up a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III on a tripod low to the grou

With an abundance of content being uploaded to video streaming sites every day, being creative and presenting viewers with more unique and unusual scenes will help to build momentum. "The 180-degree tilt-up touchscreen is perfect for that," Mike says. "When you want to shoot low to the ground or from an unusual angle, you can tilt the screen to check you're happy with the composition without having to lie on the ground or put yourself in a dangerous position. It means you can be really diverse with how you shoot, and it's that creativity that keeps people coming back for more."

5. Shoot and share on the go

In addition to shooting video, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III can capture 20.1MP photos and shoot at up to 30fps, even when shooting RAW, offering the ultimate post-production flexibility. "My focus was video, but I did take some super-sharp images, which I was able to share on Instagram," says Mike.

Using the camera's in-built smartphone connection, Mike was able to instantly share his photos using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. "I would load photos straight onto my phone, edit them in Lightroom, and upload to Instagram. You can do that anywhere in the world – the camera has Wi-Fi built in, so you just sync it to your phone."

Keeping a fanbase regularly updated and engaged is crucial for a vlogger's longevity. "People really want to know how I create my videos, and I love being able to show them," Mike says. "On the Isle of Skye, I was able to offer a lot of behind-the-scenes content on Instagram Stories – it's a great way to showcase the technical side of things." In addition to sharing photos on Instagram, vloggers can stream live video from the PowerShot G7 X Mark III and engage with their YouTube audience wherever they are in the world.*

Written by Natalie Denton

*The live streaming service of this product supports live streaming on YouTube only. To use the live streaming service, registration on image.canon is needed in advance. In accordance with YouTube's "Restrictions on live streaming", users must have a minimum of 1,000 channel subscribers in order to live stream from a mobile device. This restriction also applies to the YouTube live-streaming service available via the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III.

For up-to-date information on restrictions, please visit http://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2853834

Live streaming on YouTube may change, stop, or terminate without notice. Please note in advance that Canon does not assume any responsibility for services provided by third parties, including live streaming on YouTube.

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