Canon S70

Canon PowerShot S70

S70 Review, by Narasu Rebbapragada June 9, 2005

Show More Show Less

0 Comments | 0 Topics | Print Only This Review

• Reviewed by: ctesti

  Strengths: Reliable, sturdy body, color fidelity, optics, metering

  Weaknesses: Flash a bit underpowered

  Overall: I've owned a lot of cameras and the S70 is by far my favorite compact one, along with the Canon 20D. I could go on and on about the amazing range of features packed into the S70's compact, sturdy little body (I droped it on a rock from my tripod during an hiking trip in Yosemite and the camera just has a small scratch). The quality of the procduced images is simply fantastic: the optics are superb; they are quick to focus and produce razor-sharp photos. The metering, too, is excellent, even in high-contrast situations. And the color fidelity is among the best i've ever seen in a digital camera, at any price. This camera also boasts a true wide-angle lens, which is great if you photograph landscapes or architecture. And at a whim, the S70 can be a fully automated "point and shoot" or the next-best-thing to a fully manual SLR. I also love the thick plastic cover over the LED screen on the back! The flash is perhaps a bit underpowered, which can contribute to the "red eye" some other reviewers complained about. I've noticed this to be a problem only in very low light, though, and it's my only complaint (and a minor one, at that!). If you're looking for a rugged, reliable compact digital camera that consistently captures great images, look no further than the S70.

• Reviewed by: dhishi

  Strengths: 7.1 MP camera. Compact metallic body. Decent picture quality

  Weaknesses: Blurred images. Poor white balance. 3.6X zoom

  Overall: Looking at buying between the S70 and G6, I bought the S70 to test it for picture quality. I liked it because of the compact size and was hoping a picture quality in comparison to the G6 since it was only $100 cheaper. Much to my dismay, I was unpleased with the picture quality that I would rather spend another $100 more for a better camera. I have the older Sony V1 and it performs much better at a cheaper price than the S70.

• Reviewed by: nagapraveen

  Strengths: Very good Quality of pictures - 7.1 Mega Pixels..and easy to use the camera...

  Weaknesses: may be little heavy into the pocket... compare to the small ones that are coming these days..

  Overall: Very good Quality of pictures - 7.1 Mega Pixels..and easy to use the camera...may be little heavy into the pocket... compare to the small ones that are coming these days..

• Reviewed by: narrowscope

  Strengths: Wide Angle, 7MP in a small form factor, good battery life, image quality is excellent

  Weaknesses: LCD usage is a joke in daylight, chromatic aberrations at wide angle in sunlight, barrel distortion at wide angle, flash vignetting at wide angle, manual focus difficult w/ LCD size

  Overall: The flexibility in taking shots with features like AF-point/center auto-exposure, manual focus, slow flash synchro, gives it access to similar subsets of features as the G series, all in the small form factor of the S series. The size is definitely a plus. Although not as miniscule as the ultra-compacts, it still can be toted easily on the belt using the camera case accessory.The USB 2.0 compatibility is a plus. However, I usually take the CF card so as to save battery life on the camera (the AC adapter accessory is rather expensive for file transfers). Also, the rubber panel over the AV & USB ports is rather flimsy, wouldn't want that to fall off so quickly.The battery charges very quickly after a full drain, about 1-1.5 hours. Battery life itself is fairly good. I can get a few hundred shots in a sitting, depending on how I use the camera. Of course, a spare battery is recommended for crucial events.My two top concerns are the moderate barrel distortion, flash vignetting, and chromatic aberration at wide angle. Given the small lens, this is an inevitability, but it's definitely something to consider before purchasing.

• Reviewed by: dj100

  Strengths: Wide angle. RAW format. Black color, Small size, Best quality of picture, Good macro range. Best picture at night.

  Weaknesses: LCD does not work in bright daylight and is too small: movie Mode only has 3 minutes.

  Overall: I think this camera is good for business and family. Small size, black color and amazing details make it very cool and a little professional. I got this camera yesterday. However, I spent 12 hours on it. The quality of picture amazes me. Though the color is not as vivid as Sony F818, the picture does not miss any detail because of 7-megapixel. The 28mm length gives us more range. The battery is better than the battery of S50. However, the LCD does not work in bright daylight and is too small: movie Mode only has 3 minutes. To conclude, it is a good camera for business and family.