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Canon N

 
Canon PowerShot N front
 
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.8" Tilting Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-224mm (F3.0-5.9) lens
  • 195g - 79 x 60 x 29mm
  • Launched January 2013
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
93
Imaging
36
Features
33
Overall
34

Canon N overview

Canon N is Canon's Small Sensor Compact camera first introduced on January of 2013. It has got a 12 MegaPixel, CMOS 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4000 x 2248.

The N is rated #103 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & all round #944 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can check our Advanced camera search to find camera results based on your customized requirements.

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Below is a graph of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

Canon N family

The Canon N is part of a family of products. You can view the detailed range underneath.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Canon-PowerShot-N-Facebook-ready front thumbnailCanon N Facebook ready
N vs N Facebook ready
28-224mm
F3.0-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-N front thumbnailCanon N28-224mm
F3.0-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2013
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Canon N Pros and Cons

Below is a selection of pluses and minuses of the Canon N based on factors which are often seen as crucial in a camera.

built-in flash
built in lens has zoom (28-224mm 8.0 x zoom)
fairly wide (28mm)
good sized screen (2.8 inches)
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
great min ISO (80)
image stabilization (Optical)
screen is touchscreen
selfie friendly screen
tilting screen
continuous shooting slow (2.0 frames per second)
external flash not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of aperture priority mode
lack of shutter priority mode
manual exposure not available
manual focus not available
no external microphone support
no HDMI out
no headphone support
no phase detect AF
no RAW support
no Timelapse recording
not so great battery power (200 shots)
resolution not great (12MP)
screen has low resolution (461 thousand dots)
slow at full zoom (f5.9)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
small sensor (1/2.3")
Photography Glossary

Canon N Sensor info

The Canon N is run by the Digic 5 processor chip. The specification of the sensor in the Canon N is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to resolve 4000 x 2248 pixels at aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera has Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is better than digital stabilization as the latter might cause cropping.

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The CMOS sensor has 12MP and provides a native ISO range of 80 - 6400. Sadly, RAW format is not supported which means that the user has less margin for error.

The image underneath displays the N's sensor dimensions when compared to other common sizes. The N sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is pointed out in green.

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To get an idea of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Canon N dimensions

Canon N weighs around 0.43 pounds (195 gr / 6.88 oz) & the sizing of the camera is 79mm x 60mm x 29mm (3.1" x 2.4" x 1.1"). The weight of general Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 gr so the Canon N is heavier when compared with other competitors.

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Underneath is a image of the Canon N next to a soft drink so you can get a sense of its scale.

Canon PowerShot N dimensions scale

The top view under will show the button design on the N.

Canon PowerShot N topview buttons dials

Canon N Lens info

The N has a built-in lens providing a focal range of 28-224mm making it a 8.0 x zoom which is not at all great but it will surely be very helpful in certain scenarios.

At the widest 28mm, the lens has an aperture of f3.0 and that's fairly slow and not the best for low light occasions and you will struggle to get good bokeh. You would also have to boost the ISO setting which results in noisy files. For the tele end, 224mm comes to f5.9 which is quite slow and you would need to utilize slow shutter speeds.

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Canon N Connectivity

The N has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • GPS Yes

Cameras that include NFC and / or Bluetooth support can be used wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to send photos and oftentimes alter settings with no need to connect straight to the camera.

Some applications even give a Liveview and press the shutter whenever you aren't near the camera. If the camera features a HDMI port, it can be hooked up to an external screen. Almost all cameras enable you to recharge the battery using the USB socket.

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Canon N Video info

The highest video resolution in the Canon N is 1920 x 1080 and you can capture in H.264 format. 1080p resolution is an excellent balance in quality versus file sizes but FULL HD isn't going to give you any room to downsample. The camera doesn't include a microphone and / or headphone port which means you get no control over the audio. It is perhaps a better idea to take a look at another model should you need good audio for your video clips.

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Canon N Weather Sealing

Canon N doesn't include weather sealing so rainy conditions may affect the camera.

Canon N Display and Viewfinder

The Canon N has got a 2.8 inch tilting screen boasting a resolution of 461 thousand dots.

It has got a selfie friendly display for self portraits and even group photos when required. Additionally the screen is touch friendly which means that you are able to set focus points as well as adjust settings by using your fingers.

Canon PowerShot N screen and viewfinder Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The View Finder specs for Canon N are below:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are really useful in sunny outdoor situations which may make the camera display washed out and hard to see.

Canon N Shutter info

Canon N is able to shoot continuously at 2.0 frames per second. The max shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.

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Canon N Flash and Hot shoe info

Canon N has only built in flash without external flash ability.

Canon N Autofocusing info

Canon N has just Contrast Detect AF & does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more snappier & accurate when compared with Contrast Detect focusing.

Canon N does not have manual focus. Manual focus ability is useful in low light or you want to have more accurate focus control.

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Canon N Battery life

The battery power (NB-9L) for the Canon N is made to last for 200 photographs with respect to the CIPA standards making it lesser compared to it's competition. The typical Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 has got the highest (470) battery life in this type of cameras.

Underneath is a number of Small Sensor Compact cameras with the best battery life:

Canon N for varying kinds of photography

The following diagram displays a analysis of the Canon N for varying kinds of photography. To check out more, scroll to the specific paragraph underneath.

Canon N Portrait photography features

The Canon N has a rating of 21 which is horrible, meaning that it is simply not appropriate to use for portraits. Shooting portrait photos leans heavily to sensor dimensions, support for RAW photos together with the potential to use off-camera lighting.

Photography Glossary
no manual focus
manual exposure not available
external flash not possible
low megapixels (12MP)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support

Canon N Street photography information

Having a above average score of 65, the Canon N is a respectable option for street photography. A decent street photography camera has a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

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screen tilts
image stabilization (Optical)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW support

Canon N Sports photography info

A horrible sports photography score of 25 indicates the Canon N is simply not appropriate for taking photos of sports. A camera needs to have very good tracking and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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has image stabilization (Optical)
max frames per second very slow (2.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
megapixel count low (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
bad battery pack (200 per charge)
lack of phase detect AF

Canon N as a Travel photography camera

Portability is extremely crucial in picking a travel camera. On the whole, the Canon N gets a above average 61 for a travel camera which makes it a fine pick to take on your trips.

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flash built-in
display is selfie friendly
pretty wide (28mm)
lack of Time Lapse mode
terrible battery power (200 shots)
low resolution sensor (12MP)
sluggish max aperture (f3.0)

Canon N as a Landscape photography camera

When you're looking to choose a digital camera for landscape pictures, the biggest factor will no doubt be image quality. The Canon N at it's horrible score of 36 as a landscape camera is simply not appropriate compared to it's competition.

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pretty wide (28mm)
decent sized screen (2.8 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
focusing manually not possible
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
manual mode not available
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
bad battery life (200 per charge)
lack of Timelapse mode

Canon N as a Vlogging camera

A camera for vlogging ought to have a articulating display screen, mic port and preferably image stabilization. Taking everything into account, the Canon N is a respectable fit for vlogging as it receives a nice score of 72.

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decently wide (28mm)
screen is selfie friendly
touchscreen functionality
image stabilization (Optical)
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
doesn't have mic port

Canon N Alternatives

If you are shopping for alternatives to the N, here is a number of the highest scored cameras which fall into the class of Small Sensor Compact.

The chart underneath offers you a summary of the N versus it's highest ranking competitors mentioned previously.

There are a bunch of cameras you might view as alternatives. To browse through a detailed comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Canon
Model
Canon PowerShot N
Category
Small Sensor Compact
Launched
2013-01-07
Physical type
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Powered by
Digic 5
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
12 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution
4000 x 2248
RAW images
Maximum native ISO
6400
Min native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Cross focus points
0
Lens
Lens mount
fixed lens
Lens focal range
28-224mm (8.0x)
Largest aperture
f/3.0-5.9
Macro focus distance
1cm
Focal length multiplier
5.8
Screen
Type of display
Tilting
Display diagonal
2.8 inches
Resolution of display
461 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Display tech
PureColor II G touch
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Lowest shutter speed
15 seconds
Highest shutter speed
1/2000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate
2.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (24 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 120 fps), 320 x 240 ( 240 fps)
Maximum video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
Optional
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
195 grams (0.43 pounds)
Dimensions
79 x 60 x 29mm (3.1" x 2.4" x 1.1")
Other
Battery life
200 images
Battery style
Battery Pack
Battery model
NB-9L
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type
microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC
Card slots
Single
Retail pricing
$299