Rating: 
Summary: A Bargain! Buy it while it's still available!
Review: This is my first digital camera and I absolutely love it. I am a computer guy myself, so the basic come a little easier to me than others but even my wife (not so much the computer person) is able to use it without reserve and she prefers it better than our still camera.The shooting modes are easily accessible on the top dial. You can switch from AUTO, to camcorder, to action shots within seconds. I can get 137 pix out of one 128mb card. The battery life is great. I DEFINITELY recommend rechargables! There are a couple little *quirks* about it like the fact that there are two menus which can be a pain if you know you saw a feature somewhere but don't remember exactly which menu had it. Plus I can't figure out a way to get a date on the print. It may be there but then I'd have to read the manual :-) Otherwise, you simply can't beat this camera for the price. Get it now before Canon phases it out. There are two newer models out there now so the clock is ticking!
Rating: 
Summary: Good picture quality, crooked optical viewfinder
Review: A fairly good all-round digital camera, with nearly every conceivable feature. Initially I was attracted because the camera ran on AA cells; rechargeable AA's are cheap and plentiful, alkalines are available everywhere, so if your charge fails you are not stuck. The camera still fits in a shirt pocket (in a sturdy shirt). But LiIon batts are getting better and better. Can shoot about 100 to 150 no-flash pictures on a set of 1800 mah NiMh's. Unless you use AA's, you will need to buy NiMh's and a charger, and schlep them around for travel. Not a problem if use if home-based. Consider carefully for int'l travel - cost of AA's vs a multi-voltage charger. For use at full 3MP you will also need add'l CF cards - 16MB card supplied holds only 17 full-res pix. A 256 MB card holds 271. The autofocus has failed on about 1% of my pictures - in broad daylight, oddly. Four or five pictures have had bright speckles (in low light) or streaking (in daylight). The second-biggest disappointment has been poor power management - batteries die suddenly and without warning. Several time the camera has lost its mind and refused to operate on even fresh batteries. After a few minutes os resting with no batteries it work again. The biggest disappintment has been the very inacurate and crooked optical viewfinder - images are rotated about 10 degrees. If you are looking for a camera with a good optical viewfidner do not buy this one.
Rating:
Summary: I love this camera
Review: My experience with this camera:
I have owned this camera for two years and have taken thousands of photos with it.
This camera has never broken on me. No software has ever screwed up. My belief is that cameras are NOT toys and should be treated with care - then they will not malfunction.
The available shooting options on this camera are far beyond what any other similarly priced digital camera offers. The large variety of auto/manual shooting modes and other background manual settings are really what sold this camera to me. I wanted a digital camera I could toy with and learn the ins and outs of photography with...before spending money on developing costs associated with traditional cameras. This camera is perfect for me. However, if you want a camera only to take pictures of 'haha he's rolling around drunk on the floor, quick take a picture' or 'cute little fluffykins' - this may not be the best camera for you.
As with all things electronic, it is well worth your time reading the manual. This is how you learn to save batteries/etc. I remember finding out the way to turn off the LCD display so that I could batteries, simply by reading the manual. Many complaints about power use or complicated features can be sorted out by reading the manual. I cannot stress this enough (I would be saying this about any other electronic prodcut as well, so don't take this as a point against this camera).
Rating:
Summary: Repair is too expensive
Review: I've owned this camera for two years now. It has its issues. It wastes a lot of battery power by constantly pushing out and pulling in the lens every time the camera is turned on and off. It has a automatic power saver feature that autoshuts down the camera to make sure this happens regularly. It also continuously projects movie like images on the LCD screen of what the camera sees -- nice power wasting feature. I only need it to do that when I am actually taking a picture, not all the time. As you might imagine, you'll get tired of changing the batteries. Low light pictures were never very good.
The camera comes with a bewildering array of options but I found that 95% of them I never used. There is a dial on top with a dozen special settings for various pictures. In my two years I've only used one. The same goes for the various image sizes, compression levels, etc. The one time I actually needed a feature, it failed:
My mistake apparently was to attempt to delete pictures on the compact flash card using my computer's file browser. After I reinserted the CF card back in the camera, the camera refused to take pictures. I had the camera reformat the flash card and still wouldn't take pictures. I tried another CF card and it wont take pictures on that either. New batteries didn't help. Canon says that the repair will cost $200. Gee, thanks guys. The camera cost that much.
The fact of the matter is that I feel that these cameras are too feature laden and kinda buggy. I really would prefer a digital camera that took digital pictures. Period. The computer can do everything I need. I don't need the pile of features to complicate the use of the thing. Ultimately, I feel that all this stuff has left Canon with a camera that is simply not robust. Buy if you want, but understand that once it breaks, you are buying a new one, and all those features just make the thing break sooner.
Rating: 
Summary: CANON customer service stinks!!!
Review: WARNING! CANON CUSTOMER SERVICE STINKS! Our experience indicates that if you buy a Canon, you should be prepared to pay for the camera a second time in repairs. This is regardless of extended warrantees. BEWARE!
This is the second Canon Powershot camera we have owned. We have had problems with both and in both cases Canon has refused to repair the camera without paying a very high flat fee. The first time the problem occurred after the warrantee period, so we paid it - about $150. Supposedly the camera was then covered for a 3 month further period. Within one month the camera completely failed to work again. We called Canon service long distance from China, where we had taken the camera, but they refused to repair it saying that the warrantee was not in effect because the problem was a different one than the one they had previously repaired. We swore we would never buy another Canon. But, STUPID US!, we read reviews that said Canon was best in our desired type and price range, so we purchased a Canon A70. It is still within the first year warrantee period, but now again Canon refuses to fix it unless we pay the flat fee - this time $100 plus shipping and handling! They say that the reason is that the camera was dropped. We know that there is a small dent on the side of the camera, but we do not want or need that fixed. The problem is that the camera does not take pictures, its obvious and essential function. This problem developed months after the small dent in the corner of the camera. We have tried calls and so far Canon has refused to fix the camera. WE WARN YOU NOT TO BUY CANON! DO NOT BE AS STUPID AS WE HAVE BEEN!
Rating:
Summary: Another E18 tragedy
Review: I would be very impressed with this camera. If it were not now, after 13 months of ownership, simply taking up space in a box in my closet (I keep hoping some recall will take place, but doesn't look that way). Really too bad, I thought this camera had everything.
I am not a big camera user. I would say I used this camera once or twice a month to take a few pictures of something. The camera was always stored in a nice padded holder...never dropped, never mishandled. And yet, six months in, the lens stuck and I received my first E18 error. After some jiggling, I managed to get it to retract and that was that. A month later, same problem...same resolution. This would happen about half the time after that, and a call to Canon told me it was probably dust (every time?) and to use canned air. I did so, and it would resolve itself. I skipped using the camera the eleventh and twelth month of ownership (i.e. within warranty), and on the thirteenth (OUT of warranty) the camera REALLY began acting up. It was always hit and miss as to whether the camera would work at all...eventually the lens would retract and I might get to use it. In my naivete, I tried new batteries *roll eyes, I was desperate, ok?* I had two good usages with no problems, then took the camera to Disney World. First time out of the bag the camera froze, and has remained so since. Fixing it will cost me almost the price of the camera to start with.
Given A70's demand when it came out, I felt lucky to be able to get my hands on one..beware what you wish for, right? A search for "Canon" and "e18" online absolutely ASTOUNDED me with the huge number of complaints on this issue of the lens sticking. I wish I'd known this beforehand. Clearly there is a problem, and while a flawed product is forgivable, Canon's lack of interest and response in taking care of it will keep me from buying a Canon product again.
Before buying, I truly urge you to consider and do your research before you buy a Canon product, this is not just occuring on the A70's. If you are absolutely determined, I highly urge you buy an extended warrenty as these errors are occuring on average within the first 18 months of ownership.
Rating:
Summary: E18 Error Message
Review: The camera has worked effectively for 1 year and 7 months.
However it has now stopping working, and the message given
on the screen reads E18. Apparently this is common problem
that has to do with lens misalignment or something. Canon's
can fix it for 100 - 200, or replace it with a refurbished
model for 150. In any case this seems very frustrating for
camera to only function for about a year and a half.
Another issue is that if you purchase the wide angle adapter
lens it will not work with the flash. I believe this is a design
flaw. The lens is so wide it blocks the flash, and creats a
curved dark area on the images.
One last issue is that the view screen cover is plastic or
something and is very easily scratched. I also somehow got
dust or dirt underneath this screen which was under warranty
and was repaired.
Otherwise its a pretty decent camera. Not a true pocket size
camera. When its working it takes great pictures.
Rating:
Summary: Value for money & Warranty problems
Review: About eight months after I bought the camera from Amazon USA I have noticed a white spot on all pictures I took with my A70. First I thought it is a piece of dirt on lens so I ignore it. Soon I realized it is a "dead" pixel. I contacted Canon USA and they told me to contact a service facility in my country. I called the Canon service in my country and, to my great surprise, they told me I must pay 25$, the cost of repair, which actually implies not changing the sensor but downloading new interpolation data so as to hide the white spot. Since I have already paid the warranty, as embedded cost, I do not understand why I should pay extra money.
5 stars for Canon engineers.
0 stars for Canon warranty.
Rating:
Summary: Falling Apart After Moderate Use
Review: While the features and ease of use may be good on the A70, the overall quality and durabilty is VERY POOR. My camera developed a fuzzy spot (presumed inside the sealed lens) that appears at the top corner of every photo. A panel on the body also has begun to loosen, even though the camera has always been cased, and never mishandled.
In reading other complaints and problems in this forum, it seems that Canon sees users of its consumer cameras as idiots, who will gleefully send these cameras back to the factory and pay a further $150 (plus shipping) for a refurbished replacement.
I suggest you purchase a higher-quality brand (Nikon, Leica), and leave Canon to sort out its obvious Quality Control problems on other, less-informed consumers.
Rating:
Summary: After a year it died!
Review: One year and one month after I purchased this camera and the LCD screen is full of black and purple lines and everyone in the photos looks jaundice. Bring it to the shop. Am told it will cost $140 and all I get is a 90 day warranty! I could buy a new camera for that amount. Get the camera back and they don't even replace the scratched LCD screen. Nor do I get an explanation of what was wrong with the camera in the first place. I am so mad. Canon is such a rip-off! So I call to complain (AGAIN) and get the total run-around from Canon. I only wish I had the time to go on every camera website and write a review of this company and their crappy products. Buy a Nikon.
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