Unsung Cameras of Yesteryear: The Canon Powershot Pro1

Back in 2004, digital photography was all about the megapixel race and finding novel new ways to innovate point & shoots. Canon released the Powershot Pro1 with much fanfare as it was the only Canon compact to sport an L-Series lens. Thankfully, Mike Drew loaned us his Pro1 to test 13 years later, and Chris Niccolls went out to see what features are still compelling, and which are hopelessly out of date.

Special thanks to Mike Drew

Shot and edited by Jordan Drake
Shot on the Panasonic GH5

[SkylerKing]

I LOVE this series. One of my favorite on all of YouTube, for sure.

[anaddictwithalens]

I was a Home Depot Lot Attendant for 2 and a half years. To see one of my carts, lost alone, in the desolate freezing cold breaks my heart.

[AbrahamArthemius]

Honestly, i think the picture quality is still good enough for today's standards..

Though mostly only for social media use..

[TomChamberlain]

I love these “Unsung Cameras of Yesteryear:” videos. Don't stop!!

[MichalT]

Please more story of "Unsung Cameras of Yesteryear". More, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more... I love it! 😀

[AsphaltPlanet]

I really dig the Unsung Camera's of Yesterday videos. Chris' passion for photographer is pretty evident when he is on screen.

[iSirTaki]

I like this guy and his enthusiasm. He is so authentic. Even i am not much a camera guy, i subscribed this channel!

[MarcoZhang]

2004 was 14 years ago?! Waw time flies..

[EricRoseBahamas]

I enjoyed the Pro1. I remember shooting a wedding in The Bahamas with that as my main digital camera :) Thanks for the memories.

[ChrisProuse]

“...and it gets noisy at 100” 😂 Savage review guys. This series always put things into perspective, and makes me laugh! If you ever want a working 2002 2MP Digital IXUS (the original S200 Elph) for review, just let me know.

[ianrosie]

Looks like the good people of Calgary live inside a Vermeer colour palette for the winter.

Thanks for doing the Unsung Camera series. I really enjoy them, and it helps fill in the blank space created when my interest in photography had waned, the film gear had been put in a box, and I had a succession of consumer point and shoot digitals.

[karafuru]

The realization that a camera from 2004 still produces great images.

[jonrutherford]

Enjoying very mcuh this series of appreciations of "older" technology, failed or smash-success designs, limitations and strengths... There's something noble about this kind of assessment, and I can only say, "Well done!" and ... thanks.

[steamhackman]

Delighted to see this series continue, definitely my favorite from the channel and one of the best overall!

[alexbalansay]

'Hipster's Paradise' was a beautiful shot :)

[xoio]

I remember my Pro1, loved it! .. & when it got it right.. is got it right.. tack sharp & vibrant.

[elderinmoi]

awesome video series. so much fun. thanks for putting so much effort into it. much appreciated.

[MarkWick]

I used my PowerShot Pro 1 just a couple of days ago. This review is spot on. I do love the feel of the camera. When I bought it, other professional photographers told me it is impossible to shoot sports with it. Two days after I got it I took it to Indianapolis Motor Speedway where I have covered the Indianapolis 500 for 26 years. It was late April and several 500 entrants were participating in an earl test. I was still learning how to use the camera. Abut 90 minutes after I got there, Alex Barron crashed into the outside wall exiting Turn 1. There was no spin, he just ran too wide and pounded the wall. I recorded a perfectly frames, perfectly focused shot of the flash of flame as his magnesium wheels exploded against the concrete wall. Just a few days ago I came across still images and videos I recorded with the camera at another April test sever or eight years ago. It is much more difficult to use for sports than the SLRs I was used to, but I was able to use it successfully at the track and at professional basketball games.

[AlexandraStarr]

Love this series, though my unsung hero of yesteryear would be the HP Photosmart 435, i bought it in 2002, it was my first digital camera after using Canon 35mm film cameras, a measly 3.1MP compact point and shoot, about the size of a bar of Snickers. It was basic, very basic, full auto. I downloaded adobe photoshop onto my huge desktop pc, and played with it for hours and hours, i had a feeling 35mm film would come to an end, so after a while i bought the canon 350D when it came onto market, a whopping 8mp, which back then was more than good enough, but looking back even the 350d was a dinosaur really, terrible noise, not that fast AF, but the HP will always have a special place in my heart, it was my introduction to digital and i never once looked back!

Thanks for such a great video, i really do like this series a lot!

[zippo]

A camera that survived Mike Drew?! Unbelievable.

Go for more unsung cameras of yesterday!