Canon PowerShot PICK review: Not much use

On paper, the Canon PowerShot PICK sounds great. It's an AI-powered camera that automatically takes candid pictures and videos. You turn it on, leave it in a spot, and check in after your dinner or party. While it works, the pictures taken aren't anything to shout about.

Quick specs

Still or movies with face and tracking autofocus
Automatic ISO
11.7MP
19-57mm focal length

The PowerShot PICK is pretty easy to use. Pair it with the Canon app, then turn it on, find a nice spot for it, and let it do its thing. It will prompt you via the app if you should move to a different spot, or if it's too dark. The camera can cover 360 degrees around it, and up and down. Once activated, it will snap as many as 300 shots an hour, or as few as 75 shots an hour.

Battery life depends on the shooting frequency — if it's doing 300 shots an hour, it will last two hours. The lowest mode (75 shots/hr) will see it last around five hours instead. My tests show these figures to be fairly accurate. The PICK will also randomly shoot videos, and will pan and follow guests. However, the videos shot usually aren't usable. They are random, short, and don't really feel meaningful. Alternatively, you can use voice to command it to record you manually, and it will track you around the spot.

As for the pictures taken, the camera works with what's available. If you're sitting at a table, it will just snap the same shots over and over again (since you are not moving around much). Put it in a place where there's lots of people and it will try to snap the action. Honestly, the images shot aren't that well taken — even the ones that the app recommends. You're better off taking them yourself. Furthermore, the indoor image quality isn't good — you'll probably get better shots with any modern smartphone. You can also use the PICK for videos when walking with its stabilising feature.

I really want to like the Canon PowerShot PICK. Unfortunately, I really can't think of a good use for it. Maybe if you're doing content creation and need a tracking camera. Party candid shots weren't great. I do like that you can use voice commands, though. Still I think you're better off spending the S$649 on something else. The PICK is available from Shopee, Lazada, or Canon's online store.

Note: Review unit provided by Canon.

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