In 2026, Canon is celebrating 30 years of its PowerShot brand of fixed-lens compact cameras. It’s fair to say that a lot has changed since the original original PowerShot 600 appeared way back in 1996, sporting a sensor with all of 0.5MP resolution and a fixed 50mm equivalent lens. To mark the occasion, the firm has produced a special Anniversary Edition of its photography-focused advanced compact camera, the PowerShot G7 X Mark III.
This new version comes in a graphite finish, rather than the currently available silver or black. It has a discrete ’30th’ logo on the top, a “twill pattern” on the control ring around the lens rather than the usual ridged grip, and it comes in a special display box with a leaflet that highlights the 30th anniversary of PowerShot. In the UK, it will retail for £859.99, which represents a £40 premium over the standard model.
The situation appears to be very different in the USA, with the Anniversary Edition slated to cost $1299, compared to the $869 list price for a standard G7 X III. One difference, though, is that US buyers will be getting a Peak Design wrist strap as part of the deal. Which presumably must be hand-crafted from dragon hide and unicorn horn to justify the price.
But is anything else new? Sadly no, not really, as the Anniversary Edition is no different spec-wise to the stock G7 X Mark III. It’s built around a 20MP 1-in type sensor coupled with a 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 zoom, while viewing is via a tilting 3in rear touchscreen. It can record 4K video at 30fps, with a 3.5mm mic socket for higher-quality audio.
You get contrast-detection autofocus, complete with face detection. But there are none of the subject recognition modes that have become standard on new cameras, as this is still very much a 2019 model.
The Canon Anniversary Edition PowerShot G7 X Mark III is due to go on sale on 23rd April 2026.
Actually, there’s a new battery…
At the same time as the Anniversary Edition, Canon has also announced a new battery, the NB-15L. This will directly replace the NB-13L that’s currently used by the G7 X Mark III, starting from February 2026.
It has the same basic specs (3.6V, 1250mAh, and 4.5Wh), uses the same charger, and will be fully back-compatible with other older cameras that use the NB-13L. The only difference, according to Canon, is that “to improve safety, charging is disabled if the battery has been over-discharged”. On its own, the Canon NB-15L will cost £72.99.
Seriously, is that it?
PowerShot fans got all excited this time last year when Canon launched the video-focused V1, but it’s difficult to imagine the same enthusiasm for a grey G7 X III. Maybe there’s a glimmer of hope, though; maybe that new battery signals a renewed commitment to the PowerShot line. And maybe it means Canon has a new photography-focused model in the works, too. This could all be hopelessly wishful thinking, but fingers crossed, anyway. After all, surely Canon wouldn’t draw attention to the 30th anniversary of PowerShot and just come up with this… would they?
Related reading:
Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III Review – TikTok’s favourite camera
From Canon:
Canon celebrates 30 years of PowerShot with PowerShot G7 X Mark III 30th Anniversary Edition
London, UK, 05 February 2026 – 2026 marks the 30-year anniversary of Canon’s PowerShot compact digital camera line. To celebrate this, an Anniversary Edition PowerShot G7 X Mark III with a new colour body and logo will be released in April 2026.
Since the launch of the original PowerShot 600 in July 1996, the PowerShot range evolved its lineup to meet the diverse needs of its users, most recently with the PowerShot V10 and PowerShot V1. The PowerShot brand, launched with the aim of making it easier to create high-quality images and videos, is popular among a wide range of users, from camera beginners to professionals.
Over the past 30 years, Canon’s PowerShot range has continually progressed, responding to changing consumer needs with industry-leading advancements and refined design. Highlights include the introduction of lens image stabilization in the 2001 PowerShot Pro90 IS, RAW shooting in the G Series, and the innovative PowerShot V1 – the first compact model with an integrated cooling fan for longer 4K recording sessions.
Today, Canon delivers a range of cameras loved by creators. The PowerShot G Series offers high image quality and multifunctionality in a compact form, the PowerShot V Series enables effortless, fully-fledged video, and the PowerShot SX Series empowers users with impressive high magnification zoom capabilities.
PowerShot G7 X Mark III 30th Anniversary Edition
This Anniversary Edition model introduces a new limited graphite colour for the camera body, and the front ring has a twill pattern while maintaining the same features and performance that made the model popular. A 30‑year anniversary logo is printed on the body, and the camera is presented in a specially designed anniversary box. The G7 X Mark III Anniversary Edition retains the 1.0-inch stacked CMOS sensor with approximately 20.1 million effective pixels1 and a large aperture and bright 4.2x optical zoom lens for versatile video expression. In addition to still image shooting, the “Video Blog” shooting mode, designed especially for Vlogging, supports comfortable and intuitive video creation.
1 The total number of pixels is approximately 20.9 million.
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