Canon EOS 70D Hands-on Preview

July 2013 | By Andy Westlake

Preview based on a pre-production Canon EOS 70D

During the early days of digital SLRs, Canon was pretty much the undisputed leader in CMOS image sensor technology. Almost every new EOS model came with an increase in resolution and high ISO range, and when the EOS 7D appeared in late 2009, the company had progressed from 3MP to 18MP, and ISO 1600 to ISO 12800, in just over nine years. But since then Canon's APS-C cameras have all sported variants on the same basic sensor design, to the extent that you could be forgiven for wondering what on earth their engineers were doing all day. Now we know.

The EOS 70D is a mid-range SLR for enthusiast photographers that from the outside looks like a sensible, indeed desirable upgrade to the EOS 60D. It borrows many of the best bits from Canon's existing SLRs, including the autofocus sensor from the EOS 7D, the fully articulated touchscreen from the EOS 700D (Rebel T5i), and built-in Wi-Fi from the EOS 6D. But on the inside it sports an entirely new sensor that is, potentially, revolutionary. It offers 20.2MP resolution, but uses a 'Dual Pixel CMOS AF' design in which every single pixel is split into two separately-readable photodiodes, facing left and right. This means that in principle they are all capable of phase detection autofocus in live view and movie mode.

On-chip phase detection is nothing new - we first saw it in the Fujifilm F300EXR back in 2010. Since then it's been adopted in one form or another by most manufacturers, with arguably its most successful implementation coming in Nikon's 1 System mirrorless models. But because until now it's used relatively few active pixels scattered sparsely across the sensor, it's had practical limitations, often only covering a restricted area of the frame and struggling once the light drops below outdoor daylight levels. Canon says that its Dual Pixel AF system, in contrast, works across an area 80% of the frame width and height, in light levels as low as 0 EV, and at apertures down to F11. This means it could well be the most capable live view autofocus system we've yet seen on any type of camera.

We'll look at the technology behind the EOS 70D's live view AF in more detail later, but let's not forget that it has to work as a conventional SLR too. To this end it uses the same 19-point AF sensor as the EOS 7D for viewfinder shooting, but with slightly simplified control options in firmware. It can rattle shots off at 7fps for up to 65 frames in JPEG or 16 in RAW, and its standard ISO range covers 100-12800, with ISO 25600 as an expanded option. Image processing is via the DIGIC 5+ processor first seen in the EOS 5D Mark III.

In terms of control layout the EOS 70D is a logical evolution of the EOS 60D, adopting many of Canon's intervening updates and improvements. So it offers a full set of external controls to operate most key functions, and Canon's well-designed Quick Control screen to cover pretty much everything else. It also adopts the superb touchscreen interface that debuted on the EOS 650D (Rebel T4i), which we've found to be more useful than you might at first think. The 70D also regains an array of features that disappeared between the EOS 50D and 60D, such as AF microadjustment.

Canon EOS 70D key features

20.2MP APS-C 'Dual Pixel CMOS AF' sensor
DIGIC 5+ image processor
ISO 100-12800 standard, 25600 expanded
7fps continuous shooting, burst depth 65 JPEG / 16 RAW
'Silent' shutter mode
1080p30 video recording, stereo sound via external mic
19-point AF system, all points cross-type, sensitive to -0.5 EV
63-zone iFCL metering system
98% viewfinder coverage, 0.95x magnification, switchable gridlines and electronic level display
Fully-articulated touchscreen, 1040k dot 3" ClearView II LCD, 3:2 aspect ratio
Single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot
Built-in Wi-Fi
Single-axis electronic level
Built-in flash works as off-camera remote flash controller
AF microadjustment (can be set individually for up to 40 lenses, remembered by lens serial number)
In-camera High Dynamic Range and Multiple Exposure modes (JPEG-only)
'Creative Filter' image processing styles, previewed in live view

Key specs compared

In the table below we see how some of the EOS 70D's key specs measure up against its more expensive big brother, the EOS 7D, and its main rival, the Nikon D7100. What's interesting here is just how close the 70D is to the 7D in terms of spec - in much the same way as Nikon's D7000 made the D300S look almost redundant, it's quite difficult to see why most Canon users would now choose the top-end APS-C model.

	Canon EOS 70D	Canon EOS 7D	Nikon D7100
Effective Pixels	• 20.2 MP	• 18.0 MP	• 24.1 MP
ISO Range	• 100-12800 standard • 25600 expanded	• 100-6400 standard • 12800 expanded	• 100-6400 standard • 50-25600 expanded
No of AF points	• 19	• 19	• 51
AF in live view	• Phase detection	• Contrast detection	• Contrast detection
Screen	• 3.0" 3:2 • 1,040,000 dots • Fully-articulated • Touch sensitive	• 3.0" 4:3 • 920,000 dots • Fixed	• 3.2" 4:3 • 1,228,800 dots • Fixed
Viewfinder	• 98% coverage • 0.95x magnification	• 100% coverage • 1.0x magnification	• 100% coverage • 0.94x magnification
Continuous drive	• 7 fps	• 8 fps	• 6 fps
Storage	• SD/SDHC/SDXC	• Compact flash	• SD/SDHC/SDXC • 2 slots
Weight (inc batteries)	• 755g (1.7 lb)	• 860g (1.9 lb)	• 765g (1.7 lb)
Dimensions	• 139 x 104 x 79 mm (5.5 x 4.1 x 3.1")	• 148 x 111 x 74 mm (5.8 x 4.4 x 2.9")	• 136 x 107 x 76 mm (5.4 x 4.2 x 3.0")
Wi-Fi	• Built-in	• Optional	• Optional

Size and design compared to the EOS 60D

The EOS 70D directly replaces the EOS 60D in Canon's range, and is very similar in terms of size and design. It's a bit smaller though, and has a sensibly-updated control layout. Here we take a more-detailed look at the two cameras side-by-side.

From the front the EOS 70D looks almost identical to the 60D. But it's slimmed down a bit, being fractionally narrower. Look a little closer and you can also see that the 60D's front-facing mono microphone has gone (replaced by stereo mics on the top plate).


The two cameras are pretty similar from the back too, with the 70D retaining the same basic layout. It gains Canon's improved live view/movie mode controller, and has a physical switch to lock the rear dial against accidental operation rather than a button. Other than that it uses all the same buttons, just not necessarily in the same order.

From the top, again the 70D is very much a sensible evolution. The mode dial is simplified and now rotates continuously rather than having hard end stops, and there's a new AF area expansion button next to the shutter release. But the rest of the controls are all essentially the same.

Kit options and pricing

The EOS 70D will be sold body-only for £1079 / $1199 / €1099, as a kit with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM for £1199.99 / $1340 / €1249, or with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens for £1399.99 $1549 / €1499. The BG-E14 battery grip will cost £229.99 / $270 / €215.

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions.

Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window.

To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top.

DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C.

GearShop

Canon 70D DSLR Camera, Body Only●	$1,199.00	Buy on GearShop
Canon 70D DSLR Camera Kit with EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens●	$1,549.00	Buy on GearShop
Canon 70D DSLR Camera Kit with EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens●	$1,349.00	Buy on GearShop

Canon EOS 70D 20.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Body Only)	$1,199.00
Canon EOS 70D 20.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Dual Pixel CMOS AF and EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM Kit	Too low to display
Canon EOS 70D 20.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Body Only)	$1,199.00
Canon EOS 70D 20.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Dual Pixel CMOS AF and EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM Kit	$1,349.00
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens (Import) for Canon EOS 7D, 60D, 70D, Rebel SL1, T1i, T2i, T3, T3i, T4i, T5i, XS, XSi, XT, & XTi Digital SLR Cameras + 6pc Bundle Accessory Kit	$177.77
Canon EOS 70D 20.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Body Only) 32GB Pro Kit - Includes camera, 32GB Secure Digital SD Memory Card, Compact Deluxe Gadget Bag - DC74m 3pc. Lens Cleaning Kit	$1,199.00
Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)	$699.00
Canon EOS 70D Digital SLR Camera & EF-S 18-135mm IS STM Lens with 32GB Card + Battery + Case + Tripod + Filter + Flash + Tele/Wide Lenses + Kit	$1,549.95
Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS UD Standard Zoom Lens	Too low to display
Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Body Only)	$1,339.00
Canon EOS 70D 20.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and EF-S 18-55mm 64GB Bundle - Includes camera, 64GB Memory Card, Telephoto Lens, 2 58 mm Filter Kits, 2 Batteries, Battery Charger, Gadget Bag, Card Reader, Mini Tripod, Screen Protectors, & Lens Cleaning Kit	$1,497.00

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Comments

Total comments: 1013

Ah OK so shooting live view for photography the Canon EOS 70D's focus performance is just as good as the Panasonic L10 (which has full tilt and swivel LCD) from 2008 hmmm....

Comment edited 38 seconds after posting

3 upvotes

lol
pany's dcam L10's
vari-angle swivel screen is just a license from Canon's own PowerShot G1 of 2000 hhmmm...

and both PowerShot G's AND ALL EOS LV dSLRs from 20Da onwards, HAD exposure simulation live preview since day 1...

while Pany's L10's LV lacked exposure simulation altogether until they got it part-time in their little LX5, 3 years later, then even later, partially in some, not all, of their m43 models

3 upvotes

Yes, but the 70D comes with a highly responsive touch screen that can used for AF and most importantly, an OVF.

When Panasonic has the same features in an interchangeable camera, let me know.

5 upvotes

The Panasonic has a smaller chip and fewer pixels making up the video, both of which will "hide" some focus issues. But I haven't read here that the L10 has "just as good" performance, have you? Gonna bet it doesn't, in the real world.

0 upvotes

DPR I would like to point out to you that the Canon 70D received and 8-page preview (not counting studio comparison and sample image gallery and just now topped 700 comments, while the Panasonic GX7 (mirrorless) only got a minimal one-page preview, yet got over 700 comments even though it was just a single page and did not include the image gallery (posted separately) or the studio comparison (posted later but not directly comparable because it is the new studio compare).

So my point is that people are talking more about the mirrorless GX7 than the DSLR 70D and presumably creating at least as much if not more viewer traffic, yet you give more content to the 70D. I understand you may not have foreseen the amount of traffic the GX7 would get, but I would like to suggest that in the future you provide full-length previews to mirrorless cameras just as you would DSLRs because the evidence is there that if you post the previews and reviews then people will come and view them.

14 upvotes

I know that you have limited resources but currently you are cutting back on possibly your best source of traffic so I urge you to adjust your priorities after taking this into account.

4 upvotes

the number of people buying GX7 will be less than 4% of 70D judging from their initial production rate.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 1 minute after posting

16 upvotes

DPR doesn't care what people do who aren't members or viewers of their site. Clearly the people DPR actually does care about, because they give DPR traffic for their advertising, are more interested in talking about the GX7.

2 upvotes

at the moment, only the 70D's IQ surpasses the humble PowerShot G1X (which matches or exceeds the 60D, EOS-M, 650D)

but Pany's new GX7 cannot even come close to matching the IQ of the PowerShot G1X

if, and when Pany has something worth comparing to larger sensor systems, then the interest and priority will be provided, otherwise the interest is low for any new m43 system that falls short of a PowerShot G1X that is clearly ahead even though it is so heavily handicapped by a slow zoom lense, and slower AF

Comment edited 36 seconds after posting

4 upvotes

More comments means more debate not necessarily more interest (and unique clicks). With m43 there is always lots of debate. In fact m43 users probably have the most comments on every article published by DPreview. More people are clicking the article on the canon 70D though. Just look at the top camera chart. More people will buy it too, its just the facts.

2 upvotes

Also the Panasonic article was the bedut of the new test scene so lots of additional comments on that.

1 upvote

The "top cameras" chart showing number of views is totally slanted because all of those cameras got MULTIPLE PAGE (P)REVIEWS, meaning each unique viewer generates multiple page views or every page they view. The Canon 70D had 13 pages all in the same review while the GX7 only had two pages (and only had one for a long time). DPR even split up the sample image gallery from the rest of the preview for some reason so those views aren't even being counted.

0 upvotes

go away pany troll! (but thanks for the entertainment)

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

You should BLAME YOURSELF. You're the one who is posting "Mirrorless is DYING! We've GOT to SAVE IT!" thread.

So why should DPR give review-priority on a dying system?
why not put review-priority on the most Significant sensor improvement today, that is 70d.

Comment edited 49 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

So why should you cherry pick a single one of my many threads and take it out of context in order to make a fallacious argument? Why not put priority on the overall thrust of my view on the photography industry?

0 upvotes

I'm also interested in the GX7, but at least half the comments on the GX7 preview are about the new studio test scene. You can't compare it with the interest in the new technology of the 70D. If you get past your subjectivity, you'd realize the GX7 is a standard product line upgrade. A GX7 review will eventually come, but there's no reason to jealously cry about another camera getting more attention.

0 upvotes

How come all y'alls test shots are at different EV? I could maybe see doing APSC at different aperture than full frame, but you aren't even at the same exposure.

What gives?

1 upvote

simple
for any given ISO
any dcam with different optics will impose EV limitations, and both apertures/speeds chosen for a given model, reflects optimal settings to give as close as possible, a default EV=0 capture.

choosing identical aperture diameters means also using f/stops peculiar to the available lens, which could also make shutter speeds slightly different, never the same. not all glass is equally transparent.

0 upvotes

... and some systems simply do not have wide enough aperture diameters to even match more flexible systems. the most common optimal f/stop where a lens hits its peak sharpness is F/5.6 (FF equivalent), like FF 50/5.6=8.9mm or APS-C 80/8=10mm apertures

do m43 systems have apertures with 9 to 10 mm for, say a 25mm prime... f2.8 or f2.5? if not, then pick the next closest aperture available means no choice but using non-equivalent apertures and non-equivalent dof, and less similar dof in-focus range for a given test target

0 upvotes

m43 systems has a Pocket cam IQ with DSLR price

0 upvotes

it's very difficult to get accurate exposure on the sensor.

m4/3" performs between SLR and premium compacts
the price performance is the worst among all cameras.
but it has the potential to out-perform APS-C SLRs
(both of them deserve to die).

Comment edited 11 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

(1)
will be interested in a comparison against lastest Pana high-speed imager AF for both still and video (examined frame by frame).

(2)
> we shot these primarily to see whether making a 20MP sensor with 40M photosites would cause noticeable degradation in image quality,

in common sense, 40M should be one of the contributors to the improved image quality. a possible source of degradation may be the micro-lens though.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 11 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Being tired of lugging around a handycam and a Nikon SLR, I have been awaiting a step change on SLR video focussing. This looks like it.

Looks like I won't be a Nikon user much longer. Nikon had better have something up their sleeve pretty soon. Their video focussing is simply rubbish. Terrible.

0 upvotes

Could have been another nail in the mirrored DSLR coffin. Should have been. Canon went to the end of the high-dive board, took a look, and walked back.

5 upvotes

Did you read the analysis in Nikon's financial report? You should. It's reported in DPReview.

Comment edited 36 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

Canon will definitely go all-mirrorless but not now when there is strong demand on their SLR products.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

It's been a while since Canon has made a decent 'photo' camera, but for video they have been doing great and this camera looks to have some of the best video AF on the market.

Still it doesn't look better than an Olympus or Panasonic with plain contrast AF.

0 upvotes

Thanks for the fast work her guys and gals. I too am dying to see comparative DPAF with PDAF and the fast Sigma lenses. So add me to the chorus.
Blunty has shown the Sigma 18-35 1.8 works great with the 70D beta the Canon man let him fondle. But your estimate analysis will be much appreciated. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDmnSUKSVas at the 7minutes 45 second mark.

0 upvotes

I have just been looking at some RAW files from the 70D and noticed that the embedded JPG is the full 20mp size! So who needs to shoot RAW+JPG when RAW gives you everything - a full-size JPG for quick viewing, emailing etc. and RAW for serious work? A number of programs I use will extract the JPG straight from the RAW file :-)

0 upvotes

Canon and Nikon have done that for quite a while. I'm not sure why Sony, Panasonic, and Fuji don't. Raw speed is faster for me on the C and N, so that doesn't seem to be the reason.

Oly appears to do an odd medium size.

0 upvotes

It is not quite the same. I shoot Pentax, not Canon. But Pentax have the same thing aswell. In Jpeg mode you have 4 quality settings. lets say that the highest makes an 8 MB file, then next is a 4MB, then 2MB and 1MB. the enbeded Jpeg suffers from too much compression in a 14MP 0.5MB file. I am not sure if Canon do the same.

0 upvotes

Yeah samsung models do this too. On their NX100 they had a high quality 7mb JPG which was about 25% of the raw file. They chopped that to 1.5mb with the next model.

0 upvotes

The jpeg in the raw file is used for image playback on the camera. They are usually heavily compressed. Full resolution lets you zoom into 100% detail. If they didn't do this, they would have to build a full fledged raw interpreter for in camera playback.

1 upvote

"In the default Face-detection + tracking mode, pointing the camera at 'faceless' scenes can take about a second to focus on just about anything you point it at. " ... "What's sure is that live view and video phase-detect autofocus has a new champion in Canon's new Dual Pixel AF."

Really? I mean, it's not like anybody else has been making cameras with fast(er) PDAF live view... well, Sony's had it since 2008 (in the A350 and every DSLR and SLT since then) and Nikon has had a fast on-sensor PDAF since 2011 (in the Nikon 1 line), but hey, they're not Canon. Amazon sell a lot of Canons, do they? ;-)

8 upvotes

That would require either more objectivity or a simple awareness of products available in the market.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Yeah, it's not like Panasonic was ever known for having the fastest LV AF either.

However, the SLT Sony models are bit different, since the PD sensors are not on the imaging sensor. If Sony didn't cheap out on processor oomf, it would be the fastest game in town.

1 upvote

Sony SLT camera has PDAF sensors OFF the imaging sensor, no different than standard DSLR. The only difference is the translucent mirror does not need to flip.

Did you even read DPReview review about the pitfalls of the Nikon 1 PDAF sensor?

1 upvote

for Sony SLT, only 80% of incoming light goes to the image sensor, so you lose 1/3 stops (of value) mounting any lens on an SLT camera.

Nikon 1's AF speed comes from small aperture lenses thus at cost of image quality, too. same to 4/3" though I like the high-speed imager AF a lot.

Comment edited 5 times, last edit 4 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

I measured it to be 0.6 of a stop. so its even worse.

1 upvote

Sharing a microlens between two sensels means there's a gap in the middle of the microlens -- actually, you want a pretty big gap for PDAF to work better. I'd bet the result is at least comparable light loss to the SLT mechanism... but no matter, if you look at dxomark, Sony's sensors have been more than 1/3 stop better than Canon's for some time now.

Also, SLT is not Sony's latest tech. Sony has already said that they are moving to a fourth live PDAF tech with cameras shipping probably no later than 70Ds will hit store shelves. 1. 2nd camera in finder, 2. SLT, 3. PDAF cells on sensor, 4. a new on-sensor PDAF -- which may even look a lot like what's in the 70D).

0 upvotes

there may not be a gap but the shape of the microlens may not be as efficient as if there was no AF feature.

as Canon said, they can allow some leak/crosstalk between the two photodiodes. so the efficiency of the microlens won't be compromised much if any.

70D-style PDAF is a real technology break-through.
SLT means "transient technology" that will die soon.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 5 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

None of the arguments presented address the point. DPR's claim has validity only if it can beat AF performance of SLTs, and I will bet it doesn't.

BTW, am I the only one who notices sharpness of images being rescued with high degree of sharpening of RAW?

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

Live view AF is still useless for still picture until Canon add a EVF.
The screen is too small and my arm is not long enough.

4 upvotes

evf is even smaller then the screen?

what has it to do with your arm?

2 upvotes

lol when you get to 50+ old you will know what I meant.

12 upvotes

Yup, Canon has AF with the VF, except it's optical not electronic.

1 upvote

@DVT80111, I'm 50 and need 1.50 reading glasses now. I find the live view with articulated screen on my 600D very helpful for still photography once I activate the 3x or 10x zoom function. This is wonderful for obtaining sharp focus. I use it both for distant landscapes and also for studio macro work. Not sure if the 70D has this zoom function though.

1 upvote

Get a Hoodman then you will have a very large EVF :)

0 upvotes

...yes, a very large, awkward EVF. Unless you're used to 'blads.

0 upvotes

I have been useing EVF close to a year now.

I HATE EVF. Plan to sell my EVF camera and to return to good old OVF.

Comment edited 7 minutes after posting

1 upvote

By waitformee:
"evf is even smaller then the screen?"

Not sure what you mean by that but an EVF on a Sony A77 gives a view as large as an OVF on a full frame d-slr and larger than the view you get from any aps-c OVF.

Looking down an OVF on and aps-c dslr after a well using a well implemented EVF such as on the A77 is like looking down a puny dark tunnel.

Some people don't like EVF's period and that is fair enough but one criticism that can't be levelled at EVF's like the A77's is small size.

I use EVF over LCD every time except when I want to use the LCD as a waist level finder or need to shoot at awkward angles.

I can't think why anyone with an EVF based camera like the A77 would use the LCD as their primary viewfinder even when doing video. On a 70D when shooting video you have no option but to use the LCD. How awkward is that!

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 3 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Can you shoot something actually moving in low light? Fast AF on still objects doesn't tell me much.

1 upvote

EVF is the future. OVF, you can start dying now.

4 upvotes

OVF is the present. EVF, you can continue to get better now.

13 upvotes

The only thing EVF needs is faster refresh on consumer products, but its been used to shoot action for years....on video and TV cameras.

2 upvotes

EVF, yuck.

5 upvotes

I HATE EVF. Have been using it for close to a year, so I know what I am talking about. I am selling my EVF camera to return to good old OVF stuff.

1 upvote

it's not EVF, we can just talk about display.
(EVF maybe defined as a display with hood?)

yes as 57even said, we have been watching
best actions for so many years on ESPN,
so why the argue?

0 upvotes

evf is fine for smaller sensors prevalent in video/tv cameras where dof is much deeper and thus closer to 'focus free' and far less demanding on any AF system, even CD-AF, particularly in good (tv broadcast, studio, arena, stadium, or day-) light

one could spend most of one's time panning and tracking, and less time with any AF faltering when contrast is quite high that is common to well lit scenarios already listed above

but once one ventures into low light, with much wider apertures, the dim lower contrast bogs down every video/tv system such that AF is monitored much more carefully to avoid the classic loss of focus or auto-hunting syndrome

Comment edited 54 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Sony's EVF are already more useful - to me - than any VF (even the 100% FF finders).
I am never going back to having no WB preview, no lens correction preview, no exposure preview, no 100% coverage... So many shots I messed up because I left the +2 Exp comp on, or left the WB on Tungsten, or any other funny thing. If you think an OVF shows you what your picture is going to be like better than an EVF - which is the point of composing, right? - think again.

And EVFs are only going to get much better.

0 upvotes

> EVFs are only going to get much better

and much larger

0 upvotes

Marvol. I looked through nex6's evf. And it's no where near even a bad ovf.

0 upvotes

@By photo nuts
"I HATE EVF. Have been using it for close to a year, so I know what I am talking about."

You mean you know what YOU prefer. Or because you have decided you think they are rubbish based in a sample of one you think that is the definitive opinion on EVF's?

What EVF based camera have you been using? There are poor EVF's and there are good EVF's just as there are poor and good OVF's.

0 upvotes

@Sdaniella
"evf is fine for smaller sensors prevalent in video/tv cameras where dof is much deeper and thus closer to 'focus free' and far less demanding on any AF system, even CD-AF, particularly in good (tv broadcast, studio, arena, stadium, or day-) light

one could spend most of one's time panning and tracking, and less time with any AF faltering when contrast is quite high that is common to well lit scenarios already listed above

EVF's have nothing to do with how a camera focuses. The Sony's A series use PDAF for example. A camera's ability to focus is affected by its AF system not the fact is uses an EVF.

In low light EVF's are easier to focus manually as they gain-up and have focus peaking (also makes them easier to manual focus in good light also).

0 upvotes

The high iso night shots look promising. Glad to hear the dual pixel AF works in low light. It's still looking like the dream camera for (night) street photography.

0 upvotes

I'm impressed that it's 99.99% of the noise performance of my D7100. Of course, in the end, there's still more detail with a few extra pixels, but it's real damn close. That's quite a feat! Even with this dual pixel stuff.

0 upvotes

Just read the 70D AF is only sensitive down to -0.5 EV. The 7100 is rated down to -2. So unfortunately the 70D probably isn't going to be the night shot camera I was hoping for.

0 upvotes

Sorry. The creator of this video didn't give you the permission to....

I can't watch vimeo videos.

0 upvotes

Odd, works on all our devices and computers here (Mac, Win, iOS, Android). What hardware and browser are you using?

0 upvotes

I'm using win7 and opera browser. Youtube and vimeo on other sites works.

0 upvotes

Opera Mac works. Windows 7/Opera works. It could be that Vimeo's servers in your region haven't updated the status of the videos. It might also be that you're browsing via proxy server, which could cause problems. Sorry for the trouble.

0 upvotes

What has on sensor AF got to do with fixing the EVFs still- major shortcomings?

1 upvote

@Midwest, the 70D has an optical viewfinder, not an EVF. This thread is about trouble viewing the movies.

0 upvotes

Shawn, I meant to reply to the guy who said that "the OVF can start dying now". Improving on-sensor AF still does nothing regarding the whole issue of why so many of us prefer an OVF. I don't care how good Canon's new system is, it doesn't make the OVF unnecessary. I hope it's revolutionary and moves their live view AF from slowest to fastest, but I will gladly keep using my 7D.

0 upvotes

Shawn. I just tried other browsers and they work. Funny that opera doesn't. And I don't browse through proxy, neither turbo proxy. And flash works.

0 upvotes

OK I just managed to get it work. I enabled referrer option in opera:config

0 upvotes

you can not use the google translator.
Try without googles translator

0 upvotes

I'm very interested in the Dual Pixel AF (DPAF) performance with third party lenses and large aperture lenses for shooting stills. I would love to see a test of a fast Sigma lens (30 1.4, 50 1.4, 85 1.4, or 18-35 1.8) for focus speed and accuracy shooting stills wide open and off center comparing DPAF and PDAF. I understand that there are many possible configurations and possibilities in an exhaustive test, but just some idea of whether DPAF is going to be a benefit for any of these lenses would be of interest. Thanks.

In Canon's DPAF white paper they state that it took six months to determine all the DPAF parameters for supported EF lenses and that unsupported EF lenses will use contrast detect after the Dual Pixel AF determines the direction for shooting stills. This raises the concern that third party lenses may not see the DPAF benefit for shooting stills.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 8 minutes after posting

7 upvotes

@DPR - any plan to test the live view focus system with tamron, sigma lenses? I am sure lot of people will be having third party lenses

3 upvotes

It is on the to-do list; thanks for the suggestion.

7 upvotes

Of the sample videos, the only one that is much use is the one with the guy standing in front of the tower. In the racing boat shots, most of the action is left to right at infinity or close to it, and the depth of field is great enough for everything to be pretty much in focus anyway. I took a video of a band recently where I was side-on to the stage, with the musicians ranging from three to ten metres away. I tried to focus on each person when they did a solo, and found it quite difficult with the 5D Mark III. I'd be interested to see how the new focus system handled a situation like that.

6 upvotes

A better test would be of people moving about within a 15 foot radius of the camera... closer to what most people would like to use these cameras for. Pretty much every video so far has established that the 70D is faster than the 60D or D7100, but that's a pretty low bar. I'm not sure if it's faster than the EP-5 for stills, though, but the 70D seems 'fast enough'. Also, what we really need to see is the 70D vs the GH3.

5 upvotes

No comparison with Sony dslrs? Why would that be? Is the af netter worse or on par with the current SLT's

7 upvotes

It's a review in progress, and this is a writeup of our first experiences with the camera. We'll consider doing that, but can't make any promises.

2 upvotes

The Sony SLT A77 is the natural competitor, since it already has the LV with PDAF ( and an EVF as a bonus... ). There really should be some comparison evaluation.

11 upvotes

except SLT PDAF doesn't work at varying apertures outside of a set few.

0 upvotes

rrccad, that would be how all DSLR PDAF system works. And I doubt DPAF can keep up with its own PDAF much less that of an SLT like A77 which is one of the fastest AF DSLR/DSLT out there. But, I look forward to DPR actually performing an objective comparison.

2 upvotes

it's not how the 70D on sensor PDAF works. which is the point. the way the sony SLT's do it is inherently limited especially in video.

Comment edited 34 seconds after posting

1 upvote

You're being vague. Have you used either?

0 upvotes

SLTs can AF at any aperture except in video I guess... where on some lenses it will set the aperture at less than wide opened for some reason. for all other AF functions it;s the same or bette than even mirrored SLR's

The comparison table above with the other canon and Nikon is nonsense. Andy you could have put a Coffee maker in there and it wouldn't make any less sense than leaving Sony out

0 upvotes

So, can I use the live view to get faster more accurate AF in a very dim room ? (vs OVF )
Today's report on dpr seems to suggest that to me...since it'll go to f11 . I'm talking about stills.

DPR...is that right ?? thx.

Comment edited 28 seconds after posting

1 upvote

I just took it into the lab and was able to focus with LV face detect on the old Studio Test Scene in light that measured below 0.0EV. At 1.1EV, it also focused on a less-detailed subject. I was able to find a light setting low enough where the 70D's conventional phase-detect could focus where the Dual Pixel AF could not. The target in that case was a black box with white lettering on a gray background in light lower than our meter could measure. So yes, it works well in low light, but not as well as the camera's conventional phase-detect AF. Incidentally, this was with the 18-135mm at wide angle, hence an aperture of F3.5; zooming raised the light level required for successful AF. Obviously this isn't scientific, just for reference.

6 upvotes

Also, note that I had to seek out light low enough to challenge the system; I haven't run into any situations where I could see well enough that I'd even want to take a picture where the AF system didn't work.

5 upvotes

thanks, pretty much answers my question.

0 upvotes

It's too bad the video samples really are not appropriate for showing how well the autofocus with the subjects moving closer and farther away from the camera within 10-30 ft range, but instead are moving parallel and at a great distance.

4 upvotes

Yes, we'll be expanding the video samples to better test this feature in the full review.

3 upvotes

I use always optical viewfinder, I feel me like mamuth after this summary

0 upvotes

Has the low light AF sensitivity been stated for SLR and LV modes? Most important, does LV AF sensitivity go down to, say, -1 EV or even better?

0 upvotes

I give them credit. People complained the focus was too slow so they made it faster. Even better, it looks easy to set, unlike my 5D3 which requires an engineering degree to choose one of the many focusing options.

2 upvotes

To all camera brands who make advanced and fast AF systems : try to shoot sharp pictures with you're latest cameramodels of a pair of butterflies flying in the air (pairing time) Wonder which one can do that. Good luck.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Just to prove we're paying attention -

In the Low light image quality section the 2 pictures of the girl in the black dress have all the same values except ISO6400 vs ISO25,600? Huh?

2 upvotes

The 25,600 was shot at 1/100th of a second according to the Exif... looks like it's just a typo in the caption.

0 upvotes

Yes, thanks for the catch. It was a typo. The correct value was in the text above the tables. Thanks for paying attention. ;)

Comment edited 5 minutes after posting

1 upvote

I have the 60D, and am waiting for the 7D2. I shoot birds and the pixel density of the APS-C cameras is a real plus for me, as is the ability to get a good optical view of the BIF, given the restriction of a 400mm f/5.6 lens. I am hoping that the 70D is not the end of the line for Canon APS-C.

2 upvotes

Canon's business model is to sell crippled Rebel cameras that look good on paper but once you use them you want to upgrade.

All of their recent line-up (Rebel, 70D, 6D) are intentionally crippled so that their buyers will find their way to the magical flagship 5D3. This is generally why I avoid Canon.

1 upvote

I want a 5D3, but I still love my 60D.

My opinion is that they crippled the 5D3 and 6D by leaving off the swivel screen.

1 upvote

Another Frankencamera from the big two. If this sensor is so good, why not just drop the mirror and put in an EVF for those poor videographers?

The camera that made the SLR obsolete is...an SLR. Priceless.

Still, looks like a much better effort on the sensor front. Be interesting to compare with the D7100.

However what are the odds that this time next year all sensors will have on-sensor phase detection.

4 upvotes

Take a (serious) look at a Sony SLT A77.

0 upvotes

Because a giant chunk of their consumer base really values the OVF. This is an attempt to give the best of both.

3 upvotes

@tkbslc please be serious. This is a camel not a racehorse. I don't give a monkeys about OVF having used both. Just need a faster refresh rate.

Most of their consumers just want a Canon badge on their camera.

Comment edited 49 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

@Lucas

Why would I want to do that? Its just an oversized NEX.

0 upvotes

"Most of their consumers just want a Canon badge on their camera"
What a dumb thing to say.

1 upvote

@57even
"Most of their consumers just want a Canon badge on their camera."

You have no idea of what you are talking about.

Pathetic clueless troll...

1 upvote

I find it interesting that mirrorless solutions are chastised for not being able to focus on a subject running directly at the camera all the way up to the minimum focus distance. While the 70D is hailed as the next great camera for shooting at the hyperfocal distance.

Let’s see how this camera does tracking a specific object that is moving amongst other objects all while the camera is trying to just keep it in the field of view and not necessarily in the center. This is the standard that m4/3s is measured against. It should be the same for the 70D.

9 upvotes

The review is not yet complete.

0 upvotes

I'm also interested in how the autofocus of this camera compares to the best of the mirrorless cameras. I hope this is a discussed in the final review.

2 upvotes

We'll add it to the wish list. It's on mine too.

1 upvote

I seriously doubt that 70D's DPAF system is aimed at anything but faster AF for video only, as opposed to action photography that is possible on Live View with Sony's SLT.

0 upvotes

I'd like to see tests using wider apertures. There's a lot of depth-of-field in these samples and it's hard to tell where or what the AF is tracking. Having the AF not get distracted and jump to the background is nice, but could that be more a function of the AF logic than the focusing sensor technology? Or perhaps some of both? I wonder when we'll see this sensor in an EVF-finder Canon body.

1 upvote

You'll see the EVF plus a similar sensor technology ( on-sensor PDAF ) and no mirror on the new Sony cameras to be announced perhaps within the next three months.

0 upvotes

Does it focus well with older lenses?

2 upvotes

Now if it just had an electronic viewfinder to take advantage of the great on-sensor focusing...

1 upvote

I like this camera a lot. But if the final review isn't completed, how is this camera a GearShop recommended?

0 upvotes

It's not yet reviewed, but it has a badge denoting that it's been Tried & Tested on GearShop. That badge is associated with any product that DPR has had hands-on experience with.

2 upvotes

Sold!

4 upvotes

I am not biased toward either Canon or Nikon. I am a digital editor (I edit videos and still photos for photographers) and am looking to purchase a DSLR. I am looking into the Canon 70d and Nikond7100. As far as I can tell from the noise(high ISO) comparison test review on this site, the Canon looks way cleaner to my eyes.

3 upvotes

A hypothetical argument... I wonder how much DXO will score this new Canon sensor...

I'm guessing about...

Color Depth - 23.6 bits
Dynamic Range - somewhere between 12.5 - 13 evs
Low-Light ISO - 1150

All scores lower than the D7100... since traditionally according to them, they never mark Canon higher than their Nikon counterparts... Wonder if I'll be proven wrong...

2 upvotes

Keep dreaming !!! DR 12,5 -13 ? If this would hapend, I'll buy 2 bodies in the first week after the DXO review !!!!!

1 upvote

Best Canon DSLR ever for DR value is 6D ( 12,2 EV ) at 100 iso.

0 upvotes

DR will be closer to 11.5 but as long as the pic is in focus it does not matter. I wonder how well the camera will be with a manual focus lens?

0 upvotes

I shoot mostly using Live view. I like to interact with the subjects I am shooting.

Seems like Sony finally got some competition. With the wide focus area, and face tracking, the 70D probably is the best tool for my needs. It will allow me to concentrate on other things than if the focus sensor is positioned on the subjects eye. It will allow me to frame shots differently, more artistically, more freely.

Canon also got some great cheap glass like the 50mm f1.8, 85mm f1.8 and 100mm f2. My needs are pretty well covered. Only sensor stabilization is missing.

Canon suddenly became a tool that fits my needs. Love it. I really want this to work out for Canon. Beautiful auto focus design solution, great work! Wonderful trade off that hardly affects image quality at all. Amazing.

3 upvotes

$1200 sale price ? a little expensive

3 upvotes

I used to use Canon now I got the D7100 Nikon.
I forgot where is the shutter in the Canon.... hahah joking :P

0 upvotes

Page 4 - Body and Design - Viewfinder suggested addendum:

There is another electronic level trick in the 70D worth noting -- there is an option to make a camera icon visible in the viewfinder that shows tilt (L-R). It works in both horiz and vert shooting modes.

Manual: p23 (see icon in viewfinder); p. 66.

See it in action here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYXas7jPGwo
(Don't get dizzy!)

Comment edited 44 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Like to throw in an unofficial competition for supporters of this site. No prizes to be awarded but here it is for your thoughts.

What do you think the final rating from dp review will be for the Canon 70D ?

For the record, my guess is 87%.

I do not know any of the staff or reviewers of this website so do not expect to be as close as some of you out there. Closing date for entries soon. Good luck.

0 upvotes

77% gold

2 upvotes

Probably 85% ... after all everyone, wants to keep it competitive with its arch enemy the D7100 ... :)

3 upvotes

94% Platinum

3 upvotes

Thanks to all taking part so far. Any more wanting to have a guess?

0 upvotes

Does anybody has an explanation for the blurred edges of the chart ?

Pls. compare the upper left or right checkered boxes. Even the 50d looks better. Maybe some colour fringing due to the new sensor ? Lens should be the same.

0 upvotes

Really watching this one. I still have my 30D, closing on 20,000 pics. I hope the shutter on the 70D is the same silent type as on the 60D. A friend of mine has one and its so nice not click-clunk click-clunk all the time.
PS - pricing in New Zealand is expected $1700 and up body only, kits from $2200 or so. We drool seeing $1100 and €1100 prices online. Grey imports will be less and a way to go as importing on your own is expen$$$ive with Customs.

0 upvotes

I would hope we could do slightly better on prices here in NZ. Being registered for GST might help but then i will have to go into business as a member of the "papparazi" Not as young as i used to be. :-)

0 upvotes

the new sensor brings some hopes that there may come:
a 51.6MP EOS 3D with 0.2 stops better performance than D800,
a 20.2MP EOS M with about the same SNR performance as NEX,
with fast PD-AF and quality lenses at much reasonable prices,
for example, EF-M 22/2 is sharper than E 24/1.8 at 1/4 of price.

though the new sensor still has less dynamic range at base ISO,
it's obviously less worse, improve a lot from previous Canon sensors.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 49 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

"0.2 stops better performance than D800"

What photography-related problem will this solve for you?

0 upvotes

Can't believe Canon came up with the 70D! I expected a 7D Mk. II, with fullframe sensor. I read on the web there maybe will be a 7D Mk. II, but with an APS-C sensor. I think Canon goes for the APS-C sensor because if Canon put a FF sensor in a 7D Mk. II the camera would be too similar to the 5D Mk. II. I guess?

0 upvotes

A 7DmkII with full frame sensor is not going to happen.
The 7D is a high frame rate "action" camera, at prosumer price.
A fullframe action camera at prosumer price would kill both the 5D and 1DX.

0 upvotes

You indicate that GPS is optional. Does that mean that it will be available on the 70D on an optional base as for the 70D?

Thanks !

0 upvotes

From imaging-resource: "That, coupled with a switch to a new DIGIC 5+ image processor, leads the company to predict noise levels that are roughly on par with the lower-res 60D for raw shooting."

1 upvote

I downloaded the full raw files and compared them side by side at 4X full size. The 70D doesn't measure up to full frame image quality, but it was significantly better than the 60D, which surprised me. 70D had higher pixel density with noticeably lower noise in the raw files. That's a big step forward.

4 upvotes

it has to be significantly better than the previous 18MP sensors which are significantly worse than rivals.

though the dynamic range may still lag behind, which I expected, I find low resolution the most noticealbe issue. 7D got 46% more pixels than Nikon APS-C cameras at the time, and 70D got 16% less.

Comment edited 21 seconds after posting

1 upvote

And,,,,,, at the end camera is just a tool!

1 upvote

to the whiners, get a Sony sensor, better glass or full frame. you do have choice.

4 upvotes

Imaging-resource has still and video samples. In my opinion are the still samples significant better than the 60d and in respect better than the Nikon D7100 and not that bad in comparision with the Nikon D600.
Imaging-resource is very enthousiast about the the new dual puxel AF and calls de 70D a gamechanger.
For me? I don't care of it's the best ISO and DR performer in it's class.
A camera is much more than that.

1 upvote

Total comments: 1013

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