On the left side of the camera, behind a rubber cover, are connectors for A/V out and digital (mini-USB) and DC-IN (for optional AC adapter).

As I commented earlier it's a pity Canon couldn't design some kind of flush fitting compartment door for these connectors rather than the out of place rubber cover.

The A70 utilizes the same 3x optical zoom lens Canon has used on this line of cameras since the original A20. This lens has an equivalent focal length zoom of 35 to 105 mm and a maximum aperture of F2.8 at wide angle and F4.8 at telephoto.

Lens extension takes approximately 1.5 seconds (which is relatively quick), total startup takes just under three seconds.

On the base of the camera is a plastic tripod mount which appears to be stuck into the base of the camera, it sits proud of the base and can cause the camera to tilt slightly on a tripod mounting plate. The other problem was that it protruded slightly more than the moulded plastic feet on the base of the camera leaving it with a wobble when placed on a hard surface.

In the top right corner of the camera you'll find the flash unit, below it is the AF assist lamp. At Auto ISO the flash has a quoted range of 4.2 m (1.5 - 13.8 ft) at wide angle and 2.5 m (1.5 - 8.2 ft) at telephoto. The AF assist lamp (which can be disabled) is used to illuminate the subject with an orange light in low light situations, this improves the chances of TTL AF system being able to make a good AF lock.

Supplied in the box are:

 • Canon PowerShot A70
 • 16 MB Compact Flash card (Canon branded)
 • 4 x AA Alkaline batteries
 • Wrist strap
 • USB Cable
 • Video Cable (A/V)
 • CD-ROM (Driver, Appl. Software)
 • Manual