Canon PowerShot A70 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
by Canon
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List Price: Our Price: $19.99 You Save: $380.00 (95%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon PowerShot A70 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: better than expected! but off to the factory already!
Summary: 5 Stars
i got this camera after being disappointed with the quality of my 3MP fuji finepix s5000. i did my homework and researched 3MP digital cameras for a few weeks. i noticed the A70 had the same advanced controls as the finepix s5000. it got good reviews from both professionals and casual users. so, i bought it and i have been VERY happy with this camera ever since.my advice? READ THE MANUAL if you ever plan on doing more than pointing and shooting. even if you don't, read it anyway! this camera has a great feature set and you'd be wasting your hard earned money if you don't check it out. also, as always, spring for a bigger compact flash card (at least 128MB), rechargable batteries and a case. protect your investment!
PROS:
* takes excellent 3MP photos (color is cool and images are sharp). isn't this what digital photography is all about?
* advanced features are great! it's a great point and shoot camera, but also has tons of advanced features for those wanting more control; white balance, shutter speed, aperature, ISO, and many, many more!
* movie feature is kinda cool. with sound, too!
* fairly small and feels comfortable in your hand. controls are where they should be.
* menu is easy to understand.
* battery life seems to be pretty good (i use rechargables).
CONS:
* LCD on back of camera scratches very easily. don't remove the protective cover, or buy one on ebay. people actually sell these things. :)
* LCD gets a pink hue to it when i am in daylight, taking photos. the LCD is hard to see in daylight. try using the viewfinder. though the optical viewfinder isn't exactly what you'll see when you transfer to your 'puter, but it's close enough.
* time between photos could be better.
overall, a SUPER camera! i just hope i don't get the dreaded "E18" error!
7.12.04
well, it's off to the factory already for repairs. it's been a little over a month since i bought the A70 and it's already got problems. pink streaking on the LCD and although it doesn't show up in the pictures, it does show up on the video. i am so scared of sending this thing to the canon factory to be worked on 'cause i have heard so many stories about their horrible customer service. oh well, here goes...
Customer Review: amazing value with room for creativity - plus 3MP resolution
Summary: 5 Stars
this camera is perfect for people who are starting off their digital camera career. it will work as a point and shoot but this is a camera you can hone your creativity on. when you're ready to experiment, the A70 provides a high degree of manual control for a camera at this price point.pros:
- very nice resolution
- 3x optical zoom lens
- amazing manual control for the price: manual focus, selectable ISO sensitivity, and exposure (aperture priority, shutter priority, or manual)
- good metering and good tonal balance - maintains shadow detail
- good natural light white balance, strong and balanced colours
- AF assist lamp helps auto-focus for low light situations
- nice layout of controls and easy to understand
- very nice build quality - feels more expensive than what its price would suggest
- bright, detailed LCD monitor
- good shot-to-shot times, quick start-up time too
- movie clip mode up to 3 minutes
- low noise at ISO 50 (keep in mind that ISO 50 for this camera is actually ISO 100 for everyone else; likewise, ISO 100 is in reality closer to ISO 200, etc)
- impressive battery life plus it uses non-proprietary AAs (but i'd recommend buying rechargeables)
- excellent value - no one else offers this feature set at this price level
cons:
- slight chromatic aberrations visible
- AF Assist lamp doesn't have enough power at telephoto zoom
- moderately underexposed flash shots
- RAW format not supported
- no histogram available - useful to see if photos have correct exposure
- distracting mirror finish frame surrounds the LCD monitor
- competition is lighter and smaller, but also does not give the same amount of manual control
- the supplied 16MB CF card is not adequate - be ready to shell out more $$ for more memory
i was surprised by this camera. at its price point, it has the most features among cameras available today. this camera will work well with beginners (but who'll want to spread their "creative" wings later) but will not disappoint more advanced photographers on a budget. definitely a camera to add to your short list.
Customer Review: Feels good in the hands
Summary: 5 Stars
Besides the Canon name, the first thing that draws me to this camera is the way it fits in the hand with its right-hand grip, and its just-right size...not wafer thin, but not bulky, either. I've had the camera since August, and I'm going to start with its few problems, and then list all the things I like about it:Problem 1: Maybe it's just this particular camera, but sometimes the macro lens just does not want to focus on the closeup object. I have had to turn the camera off and on a few times to get the macro to work. You know it's working when a little frame appears to show you what it's focusing on. It has a very hard time finding the object if it is similar to the background color. I discovered that sometimes the focus frame doesn't appear just because I'm trying to take the picture from too close, so I have to back it up a bit. Because I use the macro lens a lot for photographing items that I sell, it is not the absolute best for macro photography, but I have been able to get some spectacular photos with it, especially if I do some detailing in Photoshop Elements.
Problem 2: Bright red and blue come out too intense, and I often have to tone them down in Photoshop.
Problem 3: Screen hard to see in sunlight.
That's all for the problems!
Positives: Can take about 300 photos on rechargeable batteries. It has a lens cover that opens and closes automatically when you turn the camera on or off (NO CAP!) The buttons are placed in easy-to-find places and work easily. They are not itsy-bitsy so I don't accidentally hit the wrong one. No toggle buttons! It's easy to figure out how to do some photography besides just point and shoot. With a little time reading the manual, I learned how to turn off the automatic button, and take pictures on the manual switch, adjusting the amount of light allowed in the lens...easy. Crisp, clear photos. Takes short movies with sound. Sturdy, reliable, and once again... feels just right in the hands. I am not a professional photographer, but have found it a great, inexpensive digital camera to use in my business, and the photos sell my products! Great price for what you get!
Customer Review: Excellent camera at an excellent price
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered 5 of these digicams last year for my workplace. We use these to create training aids and to document problems and/or unusual situations. Since then, I've recommended this camera to 4 of my friends, and they are all quite satisfied with the A70s performance.There are better digicams out there, but for the price, the A70 cannot be beat. The A70s are fairly user-friendly. There are many technologically impaired people at my workplace, and I've managed to train them on the most basic features of this camera with little effort. And for those who require more advanced features (f/stop, shutter speed, exposure compensation,...), the A70 will provide satisfaction (although some of these features are buried deep in menus).
The A70s size is compact, though not quite as small as many of the super-compact digicams (Canon ELPH, Pentax Optio, Casio Exilim, Olympus Stylus,...). But for those with larger hands, the A70 is very easy to handle. When I am using a super-compact digicam, I often feel as if it will slip out of my fingers. The larger grip of the A70, however, provides a wonderful sense of security.
The biggest gripe I have with this camera is the lack of a RAW or TIFF mode. Granted, most users won't use these formats, but some of the more advanced users may appreciate them.
We've printed pictures up to 8x10 inches with pretty decent results. Most point and shooters will find the A70 to more than adequately suit their needs (when was the last time you had an 8x10 made?).
If you do get the A70, definitely invest in a larger CompactFlash card (consider 128MB). And don't forget to purchase a couple sets of rechargeable NiMH AA batteries and a recharger.
If you think you need higher resolution, the recently released 4MP Canon A80 may suit your needs. The A80 also comes with a swiveling LCD, which is quite helpful in taking self-portraits or shooting from an unusual angle (it also makes an excellent real-time "reverse-mirror").
Customer Review: Truly superb digital camera
Summary: 5 Stars
This camera is worth every penny you will pay for it. I could not expect anything more out of a low-mid price range digital camera. Canon has thought of everything when it comes to making their products user-friendly. I have messed around with a lot of digital cameras recently and most of the non-Canons have not yet mastered camera ergonomics. Many manufacturers are trying to make their camera super small, which I admit, can be nice sometimes. But in doing so, they've thrown ergonomics out the window, so using the more advanced features is very frustrating. You have to have sharp fingernails to press some of the buttons on other cameras. But with the Canon A70, fingertips work fine. The camera is shaped so that your right hand fits perfectly around the body without obstructing the lens or mashing unwanted buttons. I don't need to list all the features here, as they are listed in several other reviews. But one neat feature(some people think it's a negative) is that it takes four AA batteries instead of a battery pack. The real trick is to buy two four-packs of either the Rayovac or Energizer rechargeable NiMh batteries and a charger. Instead of spending 80 bucks on an extra battery pack, you spend 15 bucks on a charger and 12 bucks per 4-pack of AAs. Plus, when your friends are scrambling for a wall-outlet to charge their camera battery packs, you just drop in the other set of AAs and shoot away. It has been an invaluable asset when I'm shooting in the field away from AC power. The software that is bundled with the camera is almost limitless. The "Photo-stitch assist" mode of the camera is really cool. It helps you line up subsequent pictures for a panoramic, so when you bring the pics into the computer software, it does an amazing job at making a panoramic image! I'd recommend a 256 MB CF memory card for this camera for more than enough storage. (...)Way to go Canon!