Canon PowerShot S70 Review
Simon Joinson, October 2004


Review based on a production Canon PowerShot S70

On August the 19th of this year Canon announced a new flagship addition to its successful 'S' range, the 7 megapixel PowerShot S70. Aside from the black paint job and new sensor the S70 is identical to the PowerShot S60 (reviewed August 2004), sharing that model's new slim body design, wideangle lens and improved movie mode. Here's just a few of the S70's key selling points to whet your appetite:

  • Wide-angle 28-100mm (35mm equivalent) 3.6x Optical Zoom Lens
  • 7.1 Megapixel CCD and New UA Lens Technology for Superior Image Quality
  • 13 Shooting Modes Including Enhanced VGA Movie Mode
  • Exclusive Canon DiG!C Image Processor and iSAPS Technology
    for Superior Image Quality and Faster Processing Speed
  • Print/Share button plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print; Direct Print and PictBridge support

Canon PowerShot S70 Key specifications

Street price • US: $549
• UK: £380
Body Material Metal
Sensor • 1/1.8 " Type CCD
• 7.1 million effective pixels
Image sizes

• 3072 x 2304
• 2592 x 1944
• 2048 x 1536
• 1600 x 1200
• 640 x 480

Movie clips • 640 x 480 at 10fps up to 30 secs
• 320 x 240 at 15fps up to three minutes
• 160 x 120 at 15fps up to three minutes
• AVI (Motion JPEG)
Lens

• 28 - 100mm (35mm equiv)
• F2.8 - F5.3
• 3.6x zoom

Focus

• TTL
• 9-point AiAF
• 1-point AF (any position or fixed center)
• Manual
• Macro: 4cm

Shooting mode

• Auto
• Program AE
• Shutter priority AE
• Aperture priority AE
• Manual
• Custom
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Night Scene
• Fast Shutter
• Slow Shutter
• Stitch Assist
• Movie with sound
• AE compensation -2.0EV to +2.0 EV in 1/3EV steps
Sensitivity • Auto
• ISO 50
• ISO 100
• ISO 200
• ISO 400
White Balance • Auto
• 7 presets
• Custom (manual white balance)
Image parameters

• Vivid
• Neutral
• Low Sharpening
• Sepia
• Black & White
• Custom (3 levels each of sharpness, contrast, saturation)
Continuous • High Speed at approx.2.0 fps (for up to 15 images)
• Normal at approx. 1.2 fps (for up to 23 images)
• t Large/Fine mode with LCD monitor off
Flash

• Built-in flash
• Auto, manual, on/of, red-eye reduction
• Flash range (W): 55cm - 4.2m (1.8ft - 14ft) at ISO 100 equiv.
• Flash range (W): 55cm - 2.0m (1.8ft - 6.6ft) at ISO 100 equiv.
• Flash level control

Storage • CompactFlash type I/II and Microdrive
• 32 MB card supplied
Viewfinder • Real Image Optical
LCD monitor • 1.8" TFT, 118,000 pixels
Connectivity • USB
• AV out
Power • Rechargeable lithium ion battery (NB-2LH/NB-2L)
• Charger included

In the box*

• PowerShot S70 Body
• Battery Charger CB-2LT
• Wrist Strap WS-300
• CompactFlash Card FC-32M
• Battery Pack NB-2LH
• Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
• ArcSoft Camera Suite CD-ROM
• Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
• AV Cable AVC-DC300
Other features

• Spot, Center-weighted & Evaluative metering
• PictBridge and DPOF compatible
• Playback histogram
• Autofocus Illuminator
• Voice Annotation: WAV (monaural) up to 60 seconds per image
• Optional Tele-converter 2.0x TC-DC10
• PC-controlled shooting via USB
• Optional underwater housing
• AE Bracketing
• Optional Wireless Controller WL-DC100

Weight (excl batt)

230 g (8.1 oz)

Dimensions 114 x 57 x 39mm (4.4 x 2.2 x 1.5in)

* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area


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.

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This article is Copyright 2004 and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.

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