Products
come and go on the market constantly. Most are a minor advance over a
previous incarnation, some are only restyled, and others are just taking
up room. But, once in a while, a product appears which represents a jump
forward.
The Canon PowerShot Pro70 is one of these: a defining moment
in the advance of consumer level digital cameras.
Half way between a SLR and
a compact camera, the soon to be released Canon PowerShot Pro70, bears
a lot of resemblance to an SLR in terms of general appearance, size and
weight, and the layout of the controls. The differences are found in the
separate optical viewfinder and the built-in lens.
The basic design: a large grip on the right side; most functions confirmed
by a 3cm (1.25") x 1.4cm (.5") LCD display placed on the top
right; a cluster of eight buttons around it; a shutter release placed
on the top front portion of the grip; are all very similar to the controls
commonly found on an SLR.
The decision not to include a built-in flash but offer a flash shoe
for Canon Speedlights 220EX and 380EX instead, adds to the
professional aspect of the Pro70.
The ergonomics of the Canon PowerShot Pro70 are almost flawless.
This design, inspired by the Canon EOS 35mm cameras, fits the
hand like a glove, letting the user have the freedom to concentrate
on the picture, not the workings of the camera.
Three of the control buttons are dual function. The blue labels above
them are functions used when the camera is in playback mode, the white
labels are for the picture taking mode.
The macro button (flower
icon), serves also as the self-timer, and the right-hand side button —
in conjunction with the SET button — is used to activate the
camera's built-in microphone which can be used for annotation of the recorded
images.
The
similarities to an SLR end on the back of the camera. "Plus"
and "minus" buttons used for menu navigation and exposure
compensation are situated under the right thumb. Immediately below
them, the SET button is used to make selections. With these three
buttons, all menued functions from formatting memory
cards and reviewing images, to photographic settings can be done.
It's simple and very quick.
The
LCD monitor is one
of the best designs so far. This is one screen you will not be wiping
nose prints off of, nor will you constantly worry about scratching or
damaging it in some way. Offering a 25 frames per second refresh rate,
its brightness is adjustable, and the colour is as accurate as an LCD
screen can be.
The screen is folded neatly under the viewfinder, its hard
metal cover facing out. But, when needed, it can either be
flipped open so as to extend to the left of the camera, or,
when rotated 180°, it can be folded back, with the screen
visible, under the viewfinder. Protected by a combination
of a hard plastic shell and a metal casing, it is mounted
on a very sturdy hinge, that allows pivoting the screen to
a comfortable viewing angle.
normal)
focal length. Pressing
down on the lens mounted switch, zooms the lens smoothly to 70mm, while
pushing it up takes the lens to the 28mm setting, one of the widest
angles available in consumer digital cameras.
P (programmed) which offers 5 quality
levels, and Auto, identified by a green rectangle, and referred
to as the "Green Mode" which only offers 2 fine modes, both
compressed. In the Auto mode the camera does everything, selecting the
aperture and shutter
speed. In the P mode, if desired, the user can select from
a range of apertures
via the LCD screen and the menu. Aperture selections are: f 2.0, f 2.8,
f 4.0, f 5.6, f 8.0.
The Play mode allows the LCD monitor to be used to playback stored
images which can be displayed as thumbnails, full screen or as
a slide show. Finally, the PC mode lets the camera connect to
a host computer via its serial
port.
Last,
but not least in terms of ergonomics, Canon provided an excellent viewfinder
with a diopter
correction. While not a TTL
viewfinder, it affords a clear and bright view and has bracket markings
indicating the autofocus
area.
To the right of the viewfinder are two vertically positioned LEDs.
The top one indicates autofocus and camera activity and the second
is for the flash.
