Canon PowerShot S70 7.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Zoom

Rating:
Summary: Canon PowerShot S70
Review: Canon has enhanced the PowerShot line with the introduction of the S70. The only drawback that I've seen with this model so far is that Canon has moved the rear display screen over to the left more than in the S50 so you don't have a place to rest your left thumb while taking pictures. The S50 was easier to hold in that respect. In addition, the S70 uses the same underwater housing as the S60 (WP-DC40), but not the same as the S50 (WP-DC300). The quality of the pictures is great and the software that comes with the camera is quite nice. For additional information, check out the S70 on the Canon web site.


Rating:
Summary: Great Camera
Review: I did a fair amount of research and found Canon to be a highly regarded cameras. I have to agree, now being an owner. I previously had a Sony that had slow response times between shots and less then impressive colors and clarity.

My family just finshed a week long cruise and used the Canon quite extensively. Very few times did I have to delete a picture because I was unhappy (unlike the sony). I am still getting use to the various 'presets' for diffent environmental setting (portrait, highspeed, etc.).

I also bought a 1 gig Ultra Memory Card ($129 @ Best Buy). Must have! Inserted the card, set the camera at the highest resolution, and the camera read 325+ pictures available!!

Rating:
Summary: if your have money, buy this camera...you will love it
Review: it worths more that it costs.great spesifications cheap price.easy to use, magnificient picture quality..do not hesitate..you will love it...

Rating:
Summary: red-eye?
Review: This camera seems great so far, except for the fact that I get many pictures with red-eye. I have read through the manual twice to correct this and it still happens. The manual says to tell the person to look into the camera to avoid this, well it still happens. For the money you spend on this camera, you think this would not happen. My Sony digital camera rarely has this problem.

Rating:
Summary: Fatal Flaws....
Review: This camera takes great pictures when everything is going your way. Colors are rich and vibrant. Camera also haully functional manual controls for the enthusiast.

However, this camera has flaws which absolutely ruin an otherwise great product.

Negatives:
1.) Subtantial barrelling at widest zoom. The effect was some of the most pronounced I've ever seen (really evident with indoor close-up flash/nonflash shots). Of course, as you extend the zoom a little bit, the effect goes away, but for an expensive camera to have this issue where you have to constantly extend the zoom to eliminate this detrimental effect is unforgiveable. Far cheaper cameras don't have this issue...

2.) As with many Canon digital cameras, I noticed the dreaded purple chromatic aberration. For instance, when you focus on a shaded tree against the blue sky in late afternoon, you can see what I mean by purple halo effect surrounding the branches. While purple fringing is an issue with digital cameras, the S70 exhibited this problem to a much larger degree than my Olympus C-3000 or Sony DSCW1, which are MUCH, MUCH better in this regard.

3.) Nightime shots are competent, but less vibrant and detailed than others in its price range.

4.) Sliding door needs to go. Such moving parts will ultimately fail. It acts sturdy but ultimately it's geared to loosen up to the point where the door mechanism will slide a little and turn the camera off. Canon: if you're listening, get rid of these doors (don't copy the popular Olympus cameras which have this same silly flaw).

5.) Proprietary Li-Ion batteries need to go. They charge fast and hold a decent charge, but are expensive to replace or to get a spare. If you run out of juice on a vacation while hiking, for instance, you can't put a AA in there as you could with its cheaper Powershot brothers.


I really wanted to like this camera as it has all the features that I was looking for: a prosumer camera with sturdy body and LCD screen (plastic cover over LCD is great).

However, the flaws of barrelling or purple fringing make this a true deal killer. Other flaws I listed could be forgiven if the images were without such noticeable defects.....I'll wait and hold off for upcoming improved products.

Rating:
Summary: Canon just does it right!
Review: This camera utilizes the new Sony 7.1 MP chip and marries that superb chip to Canon's digital processing technology and accurate exposure capability to produce outstanding photographs.

The S70 Canon has an excellent 28-100 equivalent lens, superb exposure, and accurate focusing. For a point and shoot the S70 produces excellent low noise photographs at not only ISO 50, but 100 as well with very acceptable noise levels at 200 and 400 as well. This will come as a welcome relief to those who are accustomed to unacceptable noise levels in point and shoot camera above ISO 50.

The dynamic range, color rendition, and solid build quality are very impressive. I love the metallic finish. If you are so inclined the camera possesses RAW capability which comes in handy if you are going to explore the possibilities of the digital darkroom.

The white balance, as in virtually all point and shoot cameras and most digital SLR's, is less than ideal. I wish Canon would attach a flash shoe to this camera. But, you can't have it all, at least not in the S70!

The size of this camera, given its capabilities, is perfect - not too small and not too large. I liked the S60, but this is a very significant improvement.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced digital photographer this camera will serve you well. For the beginner plenty of automation and programmed functions in order that you can begin immediately and get excellent results. And for the more experienced photographer the camera offers a plethora of controls including RAW format to extend your capabilities.

Rating:
Summary: A work in progress
Review: Unfortunately the Powershot S70 I received was defective out-of-the-box (washed-out streaking on the LCD display when focusing). Worse still, the left 4-way button quit working after only two weeks of use. As for the latter, the button that failed felt different than the others when it did work. If any button is different in tactile feedback, return the unit immediately because it may fail down the line.

What I liked about the Powershot S70:
(1) Amazing detail - the photos were great under ideal circumstances (but only under ideal circumstances!), (2) oodles of manual controls in a compact format, (2) 28 mm equivalent wide angle, and (4) the protective slider over the lens (great for camping, skiing, and hiking).

What I disliked about the Powershot S70:
(1) LCD is unusable in bright daylight and is too small (also needs anti-glare coating), (2) lens distortion makes stitching panoramas difficult, (3) chromatic aberration is still too high, (4) lens is too slow at full zoom, (5) "P" mode automatic setting for aperture favors wide-open F-2.8 too much of the time, and (6) movie mode lacks decent frame rates at 640x480 resolution.

Because the Powershot S70 is still too thick to put in one's shirt pocket or the pants pockets of slacks or jeans, I think having made it thinner than the old S50 accomplished very little (the old S50 fits nicely in coat pockets and the pleated expansion pockets of hiking pants). Instead, the designers should have kept the same thickness as the Powershot S50 and devoted that thickness to a better/faster lens or a mount in front of the lens to add a protective filter. As for the increased capacity of the new NBL-2H battery, I would rather it had been used to power a larger and brighter LCD because I still need to carry around a second battery anyway (even the new batteries don't last a full day of heavy shooting). In other words, some of the "improvements" over the older S50 haven't proved to be very useful and the lack of quality control has proved to be utterly useless.