Canon PowerShot A70 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon PowerShot A70 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: a terrific camera
Summary: 5 Stars
i've had a powershot a70 for two years, and in that time have taken thousands of pictures and hours worth of video clips. this thing hasn't left my side since i bought it- it's become almost an extra appendage.
unfortunately, i've lost two of these cameras to the dreaded "purple haze" now. my first camera broke six months after i bought it, but i don't think this was any fault of canon's. i was so hard on that thing. i carried it around in a bag without a case everywhere i went, dropped it multiple times, and pretty much did everything with it that you shouldn't do with a camera. and contrary to what others have been saying about canon customer service, i thought they were great. i sent in my camera, and despite the fact that it was dented and scratched and clearly mistreated, they sent me a refurbished one, no questions asked.
i've been a lot more careful with my second camera, but it's still been through a lot of wear and tear over the past year and a half. up until it broke, it did everything i asked of it, and then some. i realized about a month ago that it was about to go, and decided that it was fine with me, because i've more than got my money's worth in the time that i've had it. my only regret is not buying the extended warrenty when i bought my camera originally, because i would love to get another identical refurbished camera from canon.
this is a great camera for casual photographers. it doesn't take professional quality images, so don't expect to be blown away, but the pictures still look great. the video mode is pretty decent, and it's one of the features that i've come to love most about my camera. and as for battery life, i have yet to find a camera with batteries that last as long. the four double a's make the camera kind of heavy, but they last for weeks at a time. my only complaint is that the camera has troubles in low light, but that's to be expected with any digital camera in this price range. the flash tends to be too bright and washes pictures out, but without the flash, the image will blur unless you keep the camera perfectly still. this problem can be solved by buying a tripod, however.
overall, this is a great camera. my dad, sister, and boyfriend all bought similar powershots because they liked mine so much. despite the fact that my camera is broken, i would say it had a good run, and would suggest it to any casual photographer in the market for a new digital camera
Customer Review: Its everything I heard it was.
Summary: 5 Stars
Im enjoying my third day of play with this camera and looking forward to more. Im a weird combination of photo nut and tech geek so I decided to finally take the plunge and replace my dead point and shoot with a digital camera. Being anal I decided to do some serious research before choosing one. I decided to stick to 3 mp because Im dreaming of getting a digital SLR down the road and didnt want to sink too much money into this. It seemed that everywhere I checked every serious reviewer raved about this camera. What finally sold me on it was the fact that it had a lot of advance features that would allow me to tweak my photos (aperture priority, etc..), movies with sound, autofocus assist for low light situations, and would still be simple enough for my wife to snap shots of the kids quickly. All I can say is WOW! I didn't even have to crack open the manual for the first 2 days. I printed out some 4x6's at a Kodak kiosk just to check the image quality and Ive got to say that Im very impressed. There is no way (at that size) to tell the difference between this camera and a regular film point and shoot. If you want beautiful 4x6's, the ability to tweak your settings, and ease of use in a digital camera I would run out and grab this.
UPDATE: It's now been a good month and a half and I still dont have a real complaint. Buyers should be aware that the battery life on this camera is EXCELLENT! If you're put off by the idea of having to buy AA batteries get yourself 8 rechargeables. You'll always have a spare set charged up. And if you're ever traveling and run out its easy enough to get regular AA's anywhere. Try that with a proprietary battery. For those of you worried about the 3 megapixel just keep one thing in mind...It will only be a problem if you try to blow it up larger than 8x10. How many of you have ever felt the need to do that?
I mentioned the ability to tweak earlier. I'm happy. You get most of the options that you normally have to buy an SLR in a compact camera size. All you semi-serious photo people should seriously consider this just for that reason. Many of the other digital point and shoots are just too dumb and would have frustrated me. OK...one problem is red eye. But I knew that going in just b/c of how physically close the flash is to the lens. But that's what photo software is for. Other than that the camera is everything I though it would be....a very useful quality digital camera for a very reasonable price.
Customer Review: An advanced camera for a point-and-shoot price
Summary: 5 Stars
I consider myself a knowledgeable amateur and I wanted a digital camera that would let me manipulate shutter speed, aperture, etc. The A70 has these features and will accept other lenses (wide angle, telephoto, macro) if you decide to expand later on. It's also suitable for novices who think they might want to experiment later.The menu structure is easy to navigate through. I love the speed at which the camera powers up and takes shots. As with any digital, there is a lag, but it's minimal. The thick instruction manual is a little daunting at first, but the Quick Start guide gets you going quickly. Do read the manual, though, because it would be a shame not to learn all the tricks this pup can do, such as stitching together panoramic shots. The autofocus works well, and even though it sometimes reports trouble getting a fix in low light, it almost always delivers a satisfactory focus. Manual focusing is easy to do, if you decide to resort to it. The macro mode picks up stunning detail on the highest resolution setting. The LCD screen is tiny, but it has high resolution and crams a wealth of status and mode information into the space it has.
I got about 4 hours of shooting time out of the supplied alkaline batteries the camera came with. You'll definitely want to get a set of NiMH rechargeables, but it's nice to know that alkalines will keep you shooting in a pinch. The camera's structure seems pretty robust, although the plastic lens over the LCD screen is probably not scratch-proof. Buy a case. The bundled software is excellent, too. I've deleted all the other photo software on my computer and now I just use Canon's.
My biggest complaint is the power-saving feature, which shuts the camera down a little too soon for my taste. It would be nice if you could set the power-off time to whatever length you want. Also, it's a little hard to remember what the two LEDs next to the viewfinder are telling you. There's no brightness control on the LCD screen, so it can be a little hard to see in bright sunlight, but you can always fall back on the optical viewfinder.
If you just want a point-and-shoot camera, the A70's full list of capabilities may not excite you, but you'll still appreciate the high 3 megapixel resolution. If you're an advanced amateur who occasionally likes to pretend you're a pro, to my knowledge, the A70's advanced features can't be beat at this price.
Customer Review: IMHO the best back-up for a traveling pro
Summary: 5 Stars
In case a fellow pro is reading these reviews, I would heartily recommend the A70 as a back-up. It resembles the Olympus XA that so many of us loved in the past.I am writing this because the strong points of this camera are not easy to spot from the material aimed at the amateur market.
1. I can use the same cards as with my G3, which is my official travel camera (I am also a writer, so no SLR's for me, thank you). I can just switch the card from camera to camera and download material any which way. This might work with the SLR's, too, but I haven't tried.
2. The picture quality at ISO 50 is actually quite usable, at least in a tabloid. At first look it is difficult to tell it apart from G3. Don't crop, though. The other ISO's have massive noise, but I use them anyway in special situations.
3. The wideangle add-on lens is no Summicron, but it is passable and very small. I have both the A70 and the wide tucked in the corners of my minuscule bag, so in case of a catastrophe, I still have a 24-105 mm camera to work with.
4. The waterproof case is a marvel. ... Okay, it is not a Nikonos, but it is a small, lightweight thing that gives me the option of taking splashy pictures on the go.
5. Then there are the obvious advantages: AA/Nimh batteries, tv/av/manual modes, single-point and manual focusing and other normal Canon stuff.
The disadvantages are naturally enormous from the professional point of view, but we are talking back-up here.
The competition is surprisingly scarce. First I gravitated towards the S50, but it has several shortcomings. No wideangle, no AA batteries and non-pocketable size. It doesn't support a proper flash any more than the A70. What's the use of having better resolution, if the camera is not in your pocket/the battery is dead in Ouagadougou/the shot calls for a wide perspective? Don't know about you, but I use 35 mm for shooting official state buildings, and not much else.
The Elph/Ixus-series is a lot worse. Sure, they feel better and are a couple of millimeters smaller, but they are hopelessly tyroesque.
If there are more options, I haven't found them. Please, correct me if you have better knowledge.
So the A70+wideangle+waterproof case gives me a rather complete emergency gear in a truly portable package. And, yes, I have indeed fallen in love, so I'm carrying the thing everywhere in my vestpocket.
Customer Review: I get some pretty amazing photos, and love those closeups!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this camera for several months now. I bought it in particular to take photos of the jewelry I design and sell on the internet. As I'm not a photography pro, I needed something easy to use and that could take good quality closeups. I also wanted something I could afford on a tight budget. If I could compare this camera to a car, I would compare it to my Toyota Corolla... both are comfortable to use, reliable, sturdy, and fantastic quality for a reasonable price.I read the booklet to learn how to use the manual controls of the camera, and it helped tremendously to be able to adjust the amount of light I let in as I photograph my jewelry within a few inches, inside my house near a window. I turn off the flash so as not to have a glare or washed out colors, and it's amazing with just a little adjustment on the camera, how I can get a natural looking light on my subject, as well as fine detail. When taking closeups, you just press the closeup button so that it can focus on objects within a few inches. A little square appears on the screen to show you exactly what it's focusing on. (...)
As for "regular" photography of people and places outdoors, for example, I have gotten amazingly beautiful shots of scenery that look like they should be in a magazine, and others that of course are ho-hum. The great thing though, as with digital cameras, is that I can take several shots and choose the best ones to keep.
Now, I have to admit that I also use Photoshop Elements with many of my photos, and the combination of the camera and the editing program makes for some pretty professional looking photos! With Elements, I can crop, add contrast, adjust color, brightness, and sharpness, so that even not-so-great photos can come out pretty amazing.
The weight and feel of the CanonA70 is just right. It's not heavy, and rests comfortably in the hand. I don't feel like I'm going to accidentally crush it as I would with an ultra-slim camera. I love the self-closing lens and the fact that I don't have a detachable lens cap that could get lost. The lens automatically closes up like a sliding door when you turn off the camera.
The A70 may not be a camera for professional photographers, but I recommend it so much for casual photographers, and even people who do web photography like I do.