Canon PowerShot A70 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

this camera is perfect for people who are starting off their digital camera career. it will work as a point and shoot but this is a camera you can hone your creativity on. when you're ready to experiment, the A70 provides a high degree of manual control for a camera at this price point.

pros:

very nice resolution

3x optical zoom lens

amazing manual control for the price: manual focus, selectable ISO sensitivity, and exposure (aperture priority, shutter priority, or manual)

good metering and good tonal balance maintains shadow detail

good natural light white balance, strong and balanced colours

AF assist lamp helps auto-focus for low light situations

nice layout of controls and easy to understand

very nice build quality feels more expensive than what its price would suggest

bright, detailed LCD monitor

good shot-to-shot times, quick start-up time too

movie clip mode up to 3 minutes

low noise at ISO 50 (keep in mind that ISO 50 for this camera is actually ISO 100 for everyone else; likewise, ISO 100 is in reality closer to ISO 200, etc)

impressive battery life plus it uses non-proprietary AAs (but i'd recommend buying rechargeables)

excellent value no one else offers this feature set at this price level

cons:

slight chromatic aberrations visible

AF Assist lamp doesn't have enough power at telephoto zoom

moderately underexposed flash shots

RAW format not supported

no histogram available useful to see if photos have correct exposure

distracting mirror finish frame surrounds the LCD monitor

competition is lighter and smaller, but also does not give the same amount of manual control

the supplied 16MB CF card is not adequate be ready to shell out more $$ for more memory

i was surprised by this camera. at its price point, it has the most features among cameras available today. this camera will work well with beginners (but who'll want to spread their "creative" wings later) but will not disappoint more advanced photographers on a budget. definitely a camera to add to your short list.

This is my first digital camera purchase, so I did a lot of research to find the best camera for [the price]. I can say with certainty that this camera fits the bill! It is 3.2 Megapixels, which some may not feel is enough, but unless you are going to print out photos larger than 8x10 I don't see any reason you would need a higher resolution. In fact, most of the pictures we take aren't even at the highest resolution possible.

The 16MB CompactFlash card that comes with this camera is way too small. Look at getting at the very least a 128 MB card, or even a 256MB or 512MB card.

I don't have any complaints about this camera. In dark situations, the LCD becomes very grainy, but the pictures you take look great. Red eye reduction works wonders as I have yet to see any red eyes from pictures I've taken. In the sun, the LCD similarly gets sun circles, but those are not apparent in the final image when you take a picture. The shiny chrome finish around the LCD is a little hard to deal with in the sun, but it's easy enough to get used to.

I highly recommend this camera. It's geared toward the point-and-shoot consumer, but it has settings and the ability to add attachments for the more avid photographer.

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This camera has features that are absolutely unheard of in its price range. It has full auto controls, full manual controls (i.e. Shutter-speed priority, Aperture priority, and manual focus), as well as a dozen or so photo effects. They use the same DIGIC processor and AiAF system (5-point) as higher end models, so pictures come out very crisp and clear. Night shots are great as well, thanks to the AF-assist lamp, which is not a standard in other brands. One minor problem with night pictures is the red-eye effect, even with the red-eye reduction mode. This is somewhat expected, seeing how close together the lens and the flash is. However, this can be easily corrected with the included software package.

Another deciding factor for me is their use of standard AA batteries instead of a proprietary battery pack, which can be fairly expensive. In a cram, I can just run to the store and grab batteries off a shelf, or have another set of NiMH rechargeables handy. I also love the body size. I was considering buying a Canon S230, which is one of the smallest digicams out there. However, the ELPH series do not have any manual controls, the flash is weak, has a lower power zoom (2x as oppose to 3x), and they use a proprietary battery pack. The A70 is only slightly large than the ELPH. I actually like the size and the right hand grip on the A70, which gives you better control and balance of the camera.

The A70 is a very quick camera. It takes about 2.5 seconds for the camera to power up and be ready to go. Focus takes about a second, and you only have to wait about 1.5 seconds in between pictures. In playback mode, it takes a little bit over a second to go between pictures in high res mode. There is a lot of information displayed for each picture, with the exception of a histogram. However, once the pictures are downloaded to the computer, you will have access to the histogram.

Other bonuses that I like about the A70 is the Stitch Assistant mode, which helps you make great panoramic shots. It also has a video capture mode (up to 3 min) as well as audio memos that you can add to each picture taken. This camera also supports some direct printing to some printers.

All in all, this is a great camera for a great price! The pictures turn out great, even for a novice. And for the adventurous, there are plenty of manual controls to play with. There is no other camera in this price range that has all these features, combined with the great optics known for in Canon cameras.

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I received my Canon A70 about a week ago in the mail. This is my second digital cameramy first being an old Olympus D360-L point and shooter. Thus far, I love my new camera! I can go on and on about it, but I'll try to summarize what I like and don't quite like about it.

Likes

1. Lots of manual controls shutter speed, real manual focus, white balance

2. Great pre-sets these let me take great pictures for certain pre-set environments (fast action, portrait, panoramic, slow shutter, etc...) Easily accessible on dial at the top of camera

3. Nice size not too small and light, so my twitchy hands don't mess it up too much, but not bulky like some of the other cameras with manual controls

4. Battery life I still have not run out of a charge, during a day or two's use. (Note: I use 1600 mA LiMH batteries and charge them after every day or two)

5. Sharp screen hi-resolution screen, though not terribly bright in direct sunlight

6. Great looking pictures!

7. Video mode, with sound up to 640x480 for 30 secs, and lower resolutions for much longer.

8. Looks great!

9. Able to fit additional lenses as well as waterproof housing (Not that I'm planning on getting these yet, but its nice to know I have the choice to!)

Not Likes:

1. Takes a bit of time for the zoom lens to extend when turning the camera on.

2. Plastic tripod mount

I've printed my cropped 8x10" photos out on my Canon S600 printer on glossy paper and they look awesome!

Anyways, I really like this thing a lot, so I heartily recommend this to people who are looking for a point-and-shoot, as well as those who are trying to learn to dabble a little bit more with their camera's manual controls (like myself!)

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Besides the Canon name, the first thing that draws me to this camera is the way it fits in the hand with its right-hand grip, and its just-right size...not wafer thin, but not bulky, either. I've had the camera since August, and I'm going to start with its few problems, and then list all the things I like about it:

Problem 1: Maybe it's just this particular camera, but sometimes the macro lens just does not want to focus on the closeup object. I have had to turn the camera off and on a few times to get the macro to work. You know it's working when a little frame appears to show you what it's focusing on. It has a very hard time finding the object if it is similar to the background color. I discovered that sometimes the focus frame doesn't appear just because I'm trying to take the picture from too close, so I have to back it up a bit. Because I use the macro lens a lot for photographing items that I sell, it is not the absolute best for macro photography, but I have been able to get some spectacular photos with it, especially if I do some detailing in Photoshop Elements.

Problem 2: Bright red and blue come out too intense, and I often have to tone them down in Photoshop.

Problem 3: Screen hard to see in sunlight.

That's all for the problems!

Positives: Can take about 300 photos on rechargeable batteries. It has a lens cover that opens and closes automatically when you turn the camera on or off (NO CAP!) The buttons are placed in easy-to-find places and work easily. They are not itsy-bitsy so I don't accidentally hit the wrong one. No toggle buttons! It's easy to figure out how to do some photography besides just point and shoot. With a little time reading the manual, I learned how to turn off the automatic button, and take pictures on the manual switch, adjusting the amount of light allowed in the lens...easy. Crisp, clear photos. Takes short movies with sound. Sturdy, reliable, and once again... feels just right in the hands. I am not a professional photographer, but have found it a great, inexpensive digital camera to use in my business, and the photos sell my products! Great price for what you get!