Canon S70 reviews (28)
Fatal Flaws....
This camera takes great pictures when everything is going your way. Colors are rich and vibrant. Camera also haully functional manual controls for the enthusiast.
However, this camera has flaws which absolutely ruin an otherwise great product.
Negatives:
1.) Subtantial barrelling at widest zoom. The effect was some of the most pronounced I've ever seen (really evident with indoor close-up flash/nonflash shots). Of course, as you extend the zoom a little bit, the effect goes away, but for an expensive camera to have this issue where you have to constantly extend the zoom to eliminate this detrimental effect is unforgiveable. Far cheaper cameras don't have this issue...
2.) As with many Canon digital cameras, I noticed the dreaded purple chromatic aberration. For instance, when you focus on a shaded tree against the blue sky in late afternoon, you can see what I mean by purple halo effect surrounding the branches. While purple fringing is an issue with digital cameras, the S70 exhibited this problem to a much larger degree than my Olympus C-3000 or Sony DSCW1, which are MUCH, MUCH better in this regard.
3.) Nightime shots are competent, but less vibrant and detailed than others in its price range.
4.) Sliding door needs to go. Such moving parts will ultimately fail. It acts sturdy but ultimately it's geared to loosen up to the point where the door mechanism will slide a little and turn the camera off. Canon: if you're listening, get rid of these doors (don't copy the popular Olympus cameras which have this same silly flaw).
5.) Proprietary Li-Ion batteries need to go. They charge fast and hold a decent charge, but are expensive to replace or to get a spare. If you run out of juice on a vacation while hiking, for instance, you can't put a AA in there as you could with its cheaper Powershot brothers.
I really wanted to like this camera as it has all the features that I was looking for: a prosumer camera with sturdy body and LCD screen (plastic cover over LCD is great).
However, the flaws of barrelling or purple fringing make this a true deal killer. Other flaws I listed could be forgiven if the images were without such noticeable defects.....I'll wait and hold off for upcoming improved products.
Great Camera
I did a fair amount of research and found Canon to be a highly regarded cameras. I have to agree, now being an owner. I previously had a Sony that had slow response times between shots and less then impressive colors and clarity.
My family just finshed a week long cruise and used the Canon quite extensively. Very few times did I have to delete a picture because I was unhappy (unlike the sony). I am still getting use to the various 'presets' for diffent environmental setting (portrait, highspeed, etc.).
I also bought a 1 gig Ultra Memory Card ($129 @ Best Buy). Must have! Inserted the card, set the camera at the highest resolution, and the camera read 325+ pictures available!!
Canon just does it right!
This camera utilizes the new Sony 7.1 MP chip and marries that superb chip to Canon's digital processing technology and accurate exposure capability to produce outstanding photographs.
The S70 Canon has an excellent 28-100 equivalent lens, superb exposure, and accurate focusing. For a point and shoot the S70 produces excellent low noise photographs at not only ISO 50, but 100 as well with very acceptable noise levels at 200 and 400 as well. This will come as a welcome relief to those who are accustomed to unacceptable noise levels in point and shoot camera above ISO 50.
The dynamic range, color rendition, and solid build quality are very impressive. I love the metallic finish. If you are so inclined the camera possesses RAW capability which comes in handy if you are going to explore the possibilities of the digital darkroom.
The white balance, as in virtually all point and shoot cameras and most digital SLR's, is less than ideal. I wish Canon would attach a flash shoe to this camera. But, you can't have it all, at least not in the S70!
The size of this camera, given its capabilities, is perfect - not too small and not too large. I liked the S60, but this is a very significant improvement.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced digital photographer this camera will serve you well. For the beginner plenty of automation and programmed functions in order that you can begin immediately and get excellent results. And for the more experienced photographer the camera offers a plethora of controls including RAW format to extend your capabilities.
A work in progress
Unfortunately the Powershot S70 I received was defective out-of-the-box (washed-out streaking on the LCD display when focusing). Worse still, the left 4-way button quit working after only two weeks of use. As for the latter, the button that failed felt different than the others when it did work. If any button is different in tactile feedback, return the unit immediately because it may fail down the line.
What I liked about the Powershot S70:
(1) Amazing detail - the photos were great under ideal circumstances (but only under ideal circumstances!), (2) oodles of manual controls in a compact format, (2) 28 mm equivalent wide angle, and (4) the protective slider over the lens (great for camping, skiing, and hiking).
What I disliked about the Powershot S70:
(1) LCD is unusable in bright daylight and is too small (also needs anti-glare coating), (2) lens distortion makes stitching panoramas difficult, (3) chromatic aberration is still too high, (4) lens is too slow at full zoom, (5) "P" mode automatic setting for aperture favors wide-open F-2.8 too much of the time, and (6) movie mode lacks decent frame rates at 640x480 resolution.
Because the Powershot S70 is still too thick to put in one's shirt pocket or the pants pockets of slacks or jeans, I think having made it thinner than the old S50 accomplished very little (the old S50 fits nicely in coat pockets and the pleated expansion pockets of hiking pants). Instead, the designers should have kept the same thickness as the Powershot S50 and devoted that thickness to a better/faster lens or a mount in front of the lens to add a protective filter. As for the increased capacity of the new NBL-2H battery, I would rather it had been used to power a larger and brighter LCD because I still need to carry around a second battery anyway (even the new batteries don't last a full day of heavy shooting). In other words, some of the "improvements" over the older S50 haven't proved to be very useful and the lack of quality control has proved to be utterly useless.
Canon PowerShot S70
Canon has enhanced the PowerShot line with the introduction of the S70. The only drawback that I've seen with this model so far is that Canon has moved the rear display screen over to the left more than in the S50 so you don't have a place to rest your left thumb while taking pictures. The S50 was easier to hold in that respect. In addition, the S70 uses the same underwater housing as the S60 (WP-DC40), but not the same as the S50 (WP-DC300). The quality of the pictures is great and the software that comes with the camera is quite nice. For additional information, check out the S70 on the Canon web site.
if your have money, buy this camera...you will love it
it worths more that it costs.great spesifications cheap price.easy to use, magnificient picture quality..do not hesitate..you will love it...
red-eye?
This camera seems great so far, except for the fact that I get many pictures with red-eye. I have read through the manual twice to correct this and it still happens. The manual says to tell the person to look into the camera to avoid this, well it still happens. For the money you spend on this camera, you think this would not happen. My Sony digital camera rarely has this problem.
One of the best all-rounders on the market.
The S70 is a super camera for the thinking user: a practical zoom range with true wide-angle capabilities makes it great for scenics, travel, groups. Other compact digital cameras rarely have such a wide-angle scope, weighted instead to super telephotos that are all but impossible to hold steady under any but ideal lighting conditions. The S70, on the other hand, makes easy work of tight interiors, or impressive vistas. Solid build, intuitive controls, high pixel count and superb Canon optics make it a super value. With my S9000 printer I easily make stunning 12x18" prints from my S70 image files.
There are a few trade-offs when compared to other Canon models. I do miss the swinging, swiveling display screen that's found on my G5. The G series models also allow use of an external flash, even sophisticated ttl controlled multi-flash setups. And truth to tell, the S70's widest focal length settings do show a measure of barrel distortion in architectural shots: more than you'd find with the EOS series digital camera lenses, though not as much as found with the G-series accessory wide converters. When bowing lines become objectionable, I start editing my images with a Photoshop plug-in made for correcting optical distortion. But Digital Rebels or Powershot G5 or G6's don't slip easily into a coat pocket the way the S70 does. I confess I own more than one digital, but its the S70 that regularly goes with me.
Simply Amazing
I received this camera as a Christmas gift... I had previously been using a super slim, super small 2 mp camera... as soon as I unwrapped it I thought:
"Wow, that's a big camera."
But then I realized the Megapixels. The quality of this camera is simply stunning. Every picture you take is a masterpiece. With the Canon S70, you get every shot you could possibly want to take. And it's very self explanatory.
There's a small dial on the top which lets you switch modes... which is typical. But the real amazing thing about this camera is the ease of use. There's a simple and easily understood Directional Pad on the back, which lets you scroll through pictures... and a great feature is that you can move through all your pictures by zooming out all the way, thus showing thumbnails, so as to not destroy your finger while pressing the same button a thousand times.
The lens is a little noisy... but it's got a nice, quick shutter. it also has a very nicely designed cover for the shutter which is used to turn the camera on/off in certain perspectives.
Overall... this camera will cost you a pretty penny. However, you get what you pay for: a supercompact, superquality camera that won't fail you.
Fabulous!
This camera is wonderful. Shots are crisp and clear, even in the dark on auto!!!! Auto-focus is much quicker than my old S40, fast enough to catch my speedy toddler!! I highly recommend this camera to everyone!!
Great for a portable 7 MP camera
I have done quite a research on the portable 7MP cameras (especially the ones that supports add on lens) and this S70 stands out. The Canon G6 is equally good but its bulky and weighs more. Even though movie support is not great in S70, we rarely take full-fledged movie in a portable camera. And the battery life of around 260 shots is enough for people like me for a day of outdoor shooting(you may sometime have to carry extra battery). The image quality is comparable to any good ones in this range. [...]
A very good compromise between compactness and functionality
In the 7-megapixel class alone, Canon makes at least 3 current consumer models: the G6 (w/ 4X zoom), the S70 (w/ 3.6X zoom), and SD500 (the new "Elph", w/ 3X zoom). These are priced similarly, within $100 of difference. (Incidentally, here's a tidbit about the zooming capabilities - the closest telephoto zoom of the "3.6X" on the S70 is like a 3X zoom on most other cameras. The extra ".6" is on the wide angle end, which is rather unique and is nice for taking in vast sceneries.)
My previous digital camera (a Sony Cyber-Shot with 3 megapixels and 3X zoom) was one of the ultra compacts and although I loved the portability and was content with the lower pixel count, I was dissatisfied with the graininess and contrast of the pictures (despite much effort to adjust to lighting situations within the limited interface) and ultimately I put the blame on the quality of the optics.
For selecting my new camera, the G6 receives rave reviews almost everywhere I looked, but I wasn't willing to jump to such a large camera (when I am out and taking pictures it's for fun, not for professional use - carrying a big hunk of a camera inteferes with enjoying the trip). The SD500 is one of Canon's Elph series cameras with an amazingly diminutive size, but previous experience makes me doubtful of the ability of another ultra compact. And even though reviews do say the SD500 takes good quality pictures, one thing's for sure - it has fewer controls than I'd like. The S70 happily sits half way between those two, is reasonably compact, and has just enough user controllability that I thought I needed. Most importantly of all, the S70 seems to have just enough size to house the quality optics necessary for taking great pictures. My old camera used to take perfectly respectable outdoors photos, but in any indoors lighting condition it took either grainy pictures with bad contrast, or extremely over exposed pictures if I enable the flash. Not so with this one. Every snap shot so far has been crisp and vivid, with good contrast and beautiful flesh tones. The resolution at 7MP is more than necessary for any practical inkjet-printing-at-home purpose, but on the other hand it allows for quite a bit of freedom for cropping if you need to re-frame a shot to get the best composition.
Also worth mentioning, a slightly gimmicky but very nifty function is that this camera facilitates taking multiple pictures that can be seamlessly "stitched" together (by showing a portion of the previous picture when you take the next shot). This allows great possibilities of making VR files where the viewer can navigate the surroundings 360 degrees. I am toying with the idea of producing a few "virtual" house walk-throughs for a friend's webpage, who's a real estate agent.
Now, what I don't like about the S70 is that the mechanical motors for the moving parts operate way too loudly. You can go to CNET to see a video clip of the zoom lens coming out and hear what I mean. Otherwise, just a few minor quibbles on the interface which is arranged not quite as conveniently as I'd like. No complaints whatsoever for the picture quality. The S70 is, definitely, one of the finest cameras of its class.
S70 accessories: Which ones to get, which ones to avoid
After getting my S70, I splurged on a few accessories. Here is a review on how well they work with the S70.
- CF card, at least 1GB in size: This is a no-brainer must have. Get a high speed one (but note that Lexar's "Write Acceleration" is not supported on Canon cameras).
- Canon wide angle lens, and the required lens adaptor: Not worth it. The lens doesn't sit very stably on the camera (I expected a more solid feel when using genuine Canon accessories on a Canon camera), and the pictures taken are somewhat distorted.
- Wireless controller: If you have a decent tripod (any brand will do, the S70 accepts a regular tripod screw) and want to be in the pictures you take without resorting to Photoshop, the remote control is a nice thing to have. But don't expect too much, the zooming control on the remote is pretty much a joke.
- Portable dye sublimation printer: These are marvelous and produce absolutely real-looking (and waterproof too) 4x6 prints that are a world apart from anything inkjet printers can do. The obvious downsides are 1. paper and color cartridge kits are expensive and 2. 4x6 is the maximum print size. Other than that, these printers are great fun. And they are so small these days, you can take one on a trip and print your own postcards to send home. Canon models are: CP-220, CP-400, CP-330, CP-600 (the later two models include a rechargeable battery, so you don't even need a power source for printing). Another choice is the Sony DPP-FP30, which is almost as small and has slightly better colors.
Great resolution, with tons of features
There's no doubt about it, the S70 is a great camera. Its small enough to carry with you (though a little too big for pockets), has a nice LCD and boasts amazing 7.1MP resolution. You can print out an 11x14 poster of your photo without having to stretch the image, that's how great 7.1MP really is. Also, its got tons of features for a non-SLR model that are easy to use for camera beginners.
Best camera we've ever owned
I've been watching the canon S series since the S20, so when our film camera (a Canon) died after 10 years, I just bought the S70. This is the single best camera we've ever owned.
Where do I begin? 7 megapixels means even a partial frame prints without pixelation. I don't know what purple fringing is, we don't see any pruple fringes in our photos.
We bought a 512 MB card, which has a capacity of 160 photos at the highest resolution, minimum-compression JPEG setting. The quality is truly outstanding.
Sure, I wish the shutter lag was shorter, but it's as good as any digital camera I've tried. Full recharge of the battery takes less than two hours, and the battery lasts for over 100 shots (I haven't needed any more than that.)
Did I say we love this camera?
We do photo cards every Christmas. This year, I bought the camera in November, and the first weekend we owned it, I took an amazing photo of our daugher. Even though the best part of the photo just occupied 25% of the frame, it looked great after cropping. Within 30 minutes, I'd uploaded the photo to Ophoto, and two days later we received the highest quality photo cards we've ever seen.
Did I mention that I love this camera?
Hint: Get to know all the photo modes on the mail dial. They give you an amazing range of control over your images.
Takes great pictures
First of all, I am not a serious camera buff. The S70 is my first digital camera because I wanted to wait until the technology was proven before I jumped in. That said, the S70 has proven to be a great camera that takes great pictures.
The only problem I have noticed is that the autofocus has a hard time resolving anything without sharp edges. When I was at the Smithsonian a couple of weeks ago taking pictures of some impresssionist paintings they gave the autofocus headaches.
My bud is a camera freak. He just bought a $5000 12 MP Nikon to add to his collection of high dollar Nikons. I would ask him what such and such function does and, after explaining it to me, he would be surprised that a pocket camera would offer that feature. For example, for an important picture that might not be able to be shot twice, it has settings that will tap out three photos-one regularly exposed, one underexposed, and one overexposed.
He was one to snub his nose at small point and shoot cameras but, being a cameraphile, he cant resist playing around with mine when thats all there is. Over the past few weeks of playing around with it the S70 has earned his respect. He was impressed enough with enough that he recommended it to another acquaintance that asked him for his opinon.
UPDATE. I have had the S70 for several months now and have nothing to say about it but good things. I carry it around almost everywhere I go. Like any unashamed amateur, most of the pics I take are junk. Like any digital camera, a view screen and the delete button take care of most of that. Occasionally though, the S70 has surprised me. On more than one occasion people in varying degrees of separation have come across some of the S70 pics and pulled out money for enlarged copies of them. I'm under no illusions of grandeur, most of the subjects are lonely windmills or other icons of rural Texas, and the amounts involved won't pay any bills, but the fact that it happens at all is new to me. I uploaded to the customer pics section one of several S70 photos, taken on a whim, now enlarged to 16x20 and hanging in a local Fraternal Order of Police office (paid for with their $$).
Now the S70 is obviously not a pro camera. I haven't seen nor heard of any Time or National Geographic correspondents dashing through rainforests or dodging bullets in Iraq with one. But is has, unexpectedly, made me look more competent than I have any right to claim to be. The fact that something like that happens at all is testament to the capabilities of the S70.
Consistently great pictures! Lots of features, too!
I've owned more than a dozen cameras since i first caught the photography bug thirty years ago, but the S70 is by far my favorite (so far!).
I could go on and on about the amazing range of features packed into the S70's compact, sturdy little body (and i must admit that both the features and the design are impressive!). But what impresses me most about this camera is the consistently excellent images it produces.
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.
Good All Around Camera
The s70 is a good all around camera for the secrete paparazzi in you. At its highest resolution you get amazing detail in the pictures. The digital zoom does make the picture a little grainy, which is a bummer. This is one camera where you need to read the manual if you want to take advantage of all of its features. I was a little disappointed in the TV viewing of my pictures. Perhaps it is my TV but the images are black and white.
With this camera you really must upgrade your flash RAM to 2GB. You can pick it up from www.newegg.com for about $100. The high rez pics are very large. I also bought the lens adapter and the tele-lens. Haven't received them yet so I can't let you know how they work.
Over all rating of this camera is good. With the other accessories; tripod (large and pocket size), 2GB memory, lens adapter, lens, remote control, and spare battery this setup is great for the dad looking for a camera to capture the family moments in life.
Excellent camera
I'm very satisfied with the quality of the photos, its compactness, and its functionality. I used a 2MP s60 for quite some time, so this is a nice upgrade. Battery life has been good. My only complaints are that the display is hard to view in bright sunlight, and the lens cover slides off easily when placed in a pocket.
Very pleased.
I received the merchandise in excellent condition, new, on time. Everything as promised. Thank you.
There Is NO Comparison-But I DID Do All My Reseach! This Camera Does Everything And Much, Much More!
This is a review that I could not wait to write. You simply can't go wrong if you're considering buying this incredibly intelligent and powerful camera-the Canon PowerShot S70 7.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Zoom. With so many brands on the market and so many choices, where does one begin to find the right camera for their personal and professional needs? Where does a photographer or the average enthusiast start to isolate the camera that they want to buy for themselves or as a gift?
I really do hope that this personal and honest review will help you narrow your search and help you develop more faith in what you're buying. I'm assuming that you probably have a good deal of experience with photography or you're a person that appreciates great photography. So if you're looking for an outstanding digital camera at a Professional Level, you've found it with this monumental digital camera from Canon. This is a VERY dependable camera, probably in the top of the all the reviews I looked at while doing my homework. If you're a photographer, you know how great it feels to put a great machine in your hands. The Canon Powershot S70 is as sturdy and comfortable as they make them!
This camera will always take color-rich and vivid photos for you-even if you make a slight mistake or move your hands just a tiny bit when photographing. It actually has a great deal of technology that is built-in and designed to compensate for anyone who might be in a poor lighting situation or someone who forgets to focus well before shooting the picture. I typically use the function that allows the camera to call all the shots. At first I wasn't comfortable in doing that. After I took my first 2 rolls to the camera store for developing, I soon discovered that I had nothing to worry about and I was dealing with a superb camera.
Canon Powershot Digital Cameras are pretty hard to compare with others in the this arena. I've had Powershots for a long time and I've taken over five thousand photos with them-they stand up against my accidental drops or drops of rain when I've exposed the camera to water.
Aside for requiring powerful batteries that use a good amount of power, there is no downside to this incredible digital camera from a great digital camera maker. I've been able to have these photographs enlarged to poster size and found them to be as vivid (even close up) as I could ever have imagined. With 7.1 Megapixels, sizes like 8x10's are not even a concern when enlarging.
Canon was in the camera business decades before digital cameras were even on the market and they've really pushed the digital envelope with this camera. If you're looking for a gift for someone who is an avid photographer and like digital photography, you've found it in the Powershot S70. You can stop looking and place your order now. Your recipient will be extrememly satisfied with the ease of use and the high quality of this great camera.
If you are an avid photographer, like myself, and wish to have a camera for digital shots-this is the baby you'll want to buy! If you're looking to take photographs that you will likely enlarge to 5x7's, 8x10's or larger, this camera has enough power and technology to do the job without looking like a digital photograph. Often my framed digital prints look better than my photographs taken with film-something I never thought would happen!
There is a great deal of information that you can read about this camera on the Canon website and other review sites online. You can compare the camera with others in the same category. You might find some slightly better deals with other brands that might offer even larger amounts of Megapixels. That really is NOT what you should be looking for. Often the number of Megapixels is only possible with the use of special software to inerpolate the photographs. You don't want to have to worry about all of that. You are set with the Canon that truly delivers 7.1 VIVID Megapixels!
Canon puts together an entire Kit or Package when you buy the Digital Powershot. I wanted to also let you know that the software that's included with the camera package is fantastic and is literally worth the price of the camera in itself. However, you're getting a super package with this deal and a camera that can depend on for as long as you want to own the camera. I've exposed it mine to rain about 10 different times, and I've not EVER had any even a small incidental problem. reminds me of the Energizer Bunny-It just keeps on Going and Going and Going and never stops! You will NOT be disappointed with your purchase and with the warranty from Canon.
I hope that this honest review was of some help to you as it was a pleasure to write it for you.
Best point and shoot for the money
The canon powershot s70 is in my opinion the best point and shoot camera you can buy for the money. It has all the shooting modes that an SLR camera would have but in a slim compact design. Set the dial to the preset settings for different situations or tweak the more professional dial choices to get that perfect shot. Though if you are not on the up and up with digital cameras these settings may seem a bit overwhelming. With 7.1MP your pictures will come out extremely clear. Most point and shoot cameras only have 3x optical zoom, but this baby has 3.6x optical zoom. Though sometimes this doesn't get as close as one would want. Add-on's are easy to find at any store that carries the camera. I haven't had any need for an extra battery but I would recommend getting a 512MB compact flash II for even betting images. If you are thinking you need a camera that has a substantial zoom then I would not suggest buying the telephoto lens that can be bought as an accessory. If you want close up images you have to take the lens off then put it back on for the zoom feature. Over all, this camera is great for the everyday use for those who want all of the features of the professional SLR digital cameras. I would highly recommend it to anyone in the market for a new digital camera.
Canon Is The Best, As Always!
I bought this Camera in October of 2004- when the product was first released. I have had zero problems with it, and have nothing but the best things to say about it's photo capabilities.
I think that this is the best balance of quality for the price. Besides, you don't need more than 7.1 mp for any photography. If I shot photos in the full 7.1 mp I could make life size posters!
The true test for this camera (to me) was when I went on vacation up the California coast. I shot the most amazing pictures in Big Sur. The detail was exquisite, and the color was amazing. Since I have purchased this camera, my PhotoShop days have been over. I never have to adjust the color of any shot I take, and that is why I love this camera so much.
If you are looking for a camera that has the capabilities of an SLR without the size of an SLR, this is definitely the one to get.
Very Disappointed in this one!
I purchased, through work, the PowerShot S70 in July of 2005. I've always owned Nikon products personally, but the features for the price of the S70 swayed me away from my usual Nikon brand loyalty. In the 12 months I've had the S70, it's been sent to the factory twice for repairs--the second time was just 6 days before the warranty expired. The first time it was sent in was because the lens door failed to turn on the camera and it was almost to come off of its track. Eight months later, the flash quit working in all modes AND the door was failing AGAIN!
The flash and door problem occurred while I was in Yosemite NP, so you can imagine the disappointment in being in a place like that with a camera that is only half functioning.
Now, the warranty is expired and I hold my breath every time I slide the lens door open. I have no faith in the Canon S70 and have lost a lot faith in Canon products as a whole.
The only bright side of this experience is that the factory repairs were completed within 2-3 weeks, which I thought was fast for warranty work.
Consistently excellent!
I purchased the S70 10 months ago and travelled with it throughout southeast Asia through harsh climate conditions and rough roads. The camera was flawless! The camera "build" is fabulous and the camera can be quite simple to operate even though it has many features found in digital SLRs. Two features that I like most are: 1) the panaorama feature in combination with the Zoom Browser software that can produce breathtaking super wide angle panoramic images and 2) the capability of shooting/storing images in RAW format for those special occassions when you know you are going to want to print the image in highest quality (its successor the S80 does nothave the RAW image feature). This is a very high quality camera and if you don't want the bulk of the digital SLRs on the market but want very high quality images----this is the camera!! This camera turned me into a Canon fan!
I recommend at least a 1 gig memory card and one extra battery. At the highest resolution I was getting at least 350 images on a 1 gig card. I also recommend the LowePro case that is compatible with the S70 like the Rezo series pouches Very protective and holds extra batteries and memory cards.
SLOW
At first I thought this camera was great, but owning it for 2 years now - I HATE IT. It's SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. The autofocus is SO SLOW. Reviewing pictures is SO SLOW. I can't stand it. Another thing I hate is the movie mode - it's only 10 FPS. I know the camera is for still photos, but my brothers camera at least captures movement at 30 fps. As for the actual photos it captures, they are fine - but then again I can't take any instant photos for those times when my niece and nephew are being cute for that split second. Buy this camera if you want a delay after delay. It's SO SLOW.
Good for us
Love this digital camera compared to our previous ones. We're mostly a point-and-click family, and this is an easy-to-use camera that does a good point-and-click and gives an opportunity to do more if you should so choose some day.
Great Camera
A friend at work was just asking for advice on a camera as she had an early digital compact that was very un-user friendly. The conversation inspired me to post a review as this camera is so easy to use and takes fantastic photos.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Picture quality is great
- Video is pretty good (not amazing but better than most out there)
- Size is good - not tiny but not big for the quality you get
- Stylish; looks nice
- You can buy a waterproof casing for it
Cons:
- The only thing that is probably the case with all compacts is its not super fast taking a photo. If you have used an SLR this will be a little annoying but overall its not a great problem and something you get used to with automatic focus.
I've been very very happy with this camera using it for travel and family shots. Thumbs up.
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New Macro Mode that lets you shoot less than 2 inches from your subject