Canon PowerShot S70 is exactly the
same as that of the silver S60 we
reviewed recently. However, there is one critical difference:
the S70 is equipped with a 7 megapixel CCD, which delivers a
large 3072 x 2304 pixel image.
The
S70's black body is composed of different shades of very dark
gray, and differently finished metal surfaces that cover the
entire camera.
The front — with the exception
of a brushed metal insert on the sliding lens cover — and
back of the PowerShot S70 are anthracite colour, while the metallic
band that highlights the top and sides of the camera is finished
in a light absorbing black that allows the reflective brushed
metal nameplate to stand out.
The shutter release is a standard 2-stage release, providing auto exposure
and autofocus lock when pressed halfway.
The zoom control is positioned to the right of the Mode dial. The zoom
control's wide angle side, ,
doubles as a means to see up to 9 thumbnails per
screen in playback; while the telephoto side, ,
can be used to magnify an image on screen up
to 10X.
The Mode dial has 13 distinct positions,
each representing a capture mode. As is common with Canon cameras,
the dial is described as divided into 2 zones: the Creative zone,
which provides controls over the way the camera records the image,
and the Image zone, which lets the camera control most
photographic parameters while the user selects a shooting mode
that best suits the subject about to be photographed.
The two zones are separated by
the Auto mode, and the modes of the S70 are strictly identical
to those of the S60:
Auto: is the most automatic capture mode, and intended
for general photography without any user intervention. The
internal programs of the S70 control all settings, but the
user can choose the flash mode, or use the self-timer.
The Image zone starts below the Auto mode:
Portrait: uses as wide an aperture as possible
to limit the depth of field and blur the background behind
the subject. As always, the blur is increased if the zoom
is used. The sensitivity is set Auto ISO, but the white
balance remains selectable, and the focus can be selected
from wide area AF or centre AF.
Landscape: forces a small aperture to maximize
depth of field and uses Auto ISO. The shutter speed can
be quite slow so the use of a tripod is recommended.
Night Scene: is intended to photograph people
in front of some night time scenery. The camera sets the
flash to Slow Synch (1st curtain) but it can be turned
off if desired. Sensitivity is set to Auto and the slowest
shutter speed available to the camera is 1 second. The
use of a tripod is recommended to avoid camera shake.
Fast Shutter: gives preference to fast shutter
speeds to capture movement. Sensitivity is set to Auto
ISO, allowing the mode to boost it so as to maintain a
shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action.
Slow Shutter: is to capture an impression of movement,
such as moving water, by allowing the movement to appear
slightly blurred. The mode gives preference to a low shutter
speed up to a maximum exposure time of 1 second, and the
use of a tripod is recommended.
Stitch Assist: is designed to capture a series
of images that will be assembled later into a panoramic
image. The camera settings from the first image are applied
to all subsequent images in the series, and the camera
shows a small portion of the previous image on the monitor
so the next one can be overlapped precisely. The mode allows
images to be captured from right to left, left to right,
top to bottom, or bottom to top.
Movie: records video clips with sound (mono) at
any one of three image sizes:
640 x 480 at 10 frames per second for up
to 30 seconds,
320 x 240 at 15 frames per second for up
to 3 minutes,
160 x 120 at 15 frames per second for up
to 3 minutes.
The Creative zone encompasses the modes that are above the Auto mode,
and every one of these allows complete access to all the available settings:
Program lets the S70 select the aperture and shutter
speed, but leaves the user in control of all other parameters
such as white balance, exposure compensation, all flash modes,
ISO speed, bracketing, etc.
is to set the Shutter Speed while the camera matches
it to an aperture. Shutter speeds can be selected from a
range of 1/2000 second to 15 seconds while the S70 picks
the aperture. In addition, Safety Shift can be enabled
in the main menu to allow the camera to override user input
should the shutter speed selected fall outside the range
of those that will result in a correct exposure.
is to set the Aperture while the camera matches
it to a shutter speed. The S70 has a range of 11 apertures:
f2.8, 3.2, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.3, 5.6, 6.3, 7.1 or 8.0.
Moreover, as with the Tv mode, Safety Shift can
be enabled in the main menu to allow the camera to override
user input should the aperture selected fall outside the
range of those that will result in a correct exposure.
Manual: gives the user complete control over the
aperture and shutter speed in addition to all other parameters
with the exception, of course, of exposure compensation.
Custom mode is to recall a specific group of settings
which have been selected and saved using a special menu option
while the camera is in P, Tv, Av or M modes.
1.8 inch 118,000 pixel
LCD monitor.
The first button serves to select the flash modes:
Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction, Fill-in flash,
Fill-in flash with red-eye reduction, and forced off. Slow synchro,
using either first or second curtain, is enabled in the main menu.
In playback, the same button also serves to display
an index screen with 9 thumbnails per screen, a function that can
also be accessed with the zoom control (see above).
The other button, closest to the viewfinder, allows macro focus when the
camera is in one of the recording modes:
Set to macro focus, the S70 can focus on
a subject that is 4 to 44 cm (1.6 inch to 1.4 ft) from
the front of the lens when the zoom is at the wide angle
end. With the lens set to the telephoto end the subject
must fall into a much narrower range from the lens, 30
to 44 cm (1 to 1.4 ft), for the camera to be able to focus.
In playback, the button makes it possible
to jump from one screen of 9 thumbnails to another screen
of 9 thumbnails either forwards or backwards.
Three more buttons are aligned along
the left edge of the camera, starting with the top button:
The Function button serves to call
up the Function menu, a group of settings or functions that
are the most commonly accessed. (See the Characteristics section
of the review for a full description of the Function menu).
The other two buttons have both
a recording and a playback function, the playback function being
here again labeled in blue on the edge of the monitor. The middle
button is for:
Manual Focus which allows switching
from autofocus to a manual focus system where the focus distance
is set using a scale displayed on the left side of the LCD
monitor. In addition, the button can be used as an AF-Lock,
allowing the shot to be recomposed without loosing the focus
point.
In playback the MF button
can be used to erase unwanted images.
And the third button serves to:
This button serves to select the metering pattern:
The Evaluative pattern,
is the default,
Centre-weighted is
also available, or
Spot,
which can be forced to the centre of the frame, or
it can be associated to the focus point and follow
it throughout the frame.
In addition, this button also serves as an AE Lock when
it is pressed while the shutter release is held at mid-course.
In the Playback mode, the button serves to
add a voice annotation (up to 60 seconds) while an image
is displayed on the monitor.
On the other side, the S70 provides a 4-direction control called the Omni
Selector with a centre button labeled SET which serves to confirm
some selections in the menu, but also provides control over the auto focus
mode:
When the camera is set Auto, Portrait, Landscape,
Night Scene, Fast or Slow Shutter modes, the SET button
can be used to switch from AiAF (Artificial intelligence
Auto Focus) — the default which lets the camera select
the focus point and indicates it on the monitor from 9 points
in the frame — to a standard Centre-AF point.
And, when using the P, Tv, Av and M modes, pressing the button serves
to switch from the wide area AiAF to a centre AF point that can then
be moved to any point in the frame using the directional arrows of
the Omni selector.
Four additional buttons frame the Omni Selector. Starting on the upper
left:
starts the Playback mode. The playback mode
can be activated without the opening the lens barrier if
it is held pressed for approximately 1 second.
The Print/Share button controls printing
when the S70 is connected directly to a printer — the
S70 is compatible with Canon Direct Print, Bubble Jet Direct,
and PictBridge — or it can be used to start the automatic
transfer of images when the camera is connected via USB
to a computer that has Canon's software installed. When
the camera is connected to a printer the centre of the
button lights up in blue.
The Display button controls the information
shown on the monitor:
In the capture modes it cycles from the default
display, which indicates the settings for metering,
flash, shooting mode, shutter speed, aperture, focus,
and image size and format, to a display that only
shows the focus area, and then to turning off the
monitor altogether in order to conserve power when
the optical viewfinder is in use.
In the playback mode, the Display button switches
from the default view, which indicates the image
number, time, date and resolution, to a display that
adds shooting mode, shutter speed, aperture, exposure
compensation, metering, white balance, and which
also provides a histogram for the image.
Displays the menu that corresponds to
the camera's current mode. (See the Characteristics section
of the review for detailed information about the options
of the menus.)
Compare Prices for Canon PowerShot S70 Duracell Battery
Introduction
The
S70's black body is composed of different shades of very dark
gray, and differently finished metal surfaces that cover the
entire camera.
,
doubles as a means to see up to 9 thumbnails 
per
screen in playback; while the telephoto side, 
,
can be used to magnify an image on screen 
up
to 10X.
Centre-weighted is
also available, or
Spot,
which can be forced to the centre of the frame, or
it can be associated to the focus point and follow
it throughout the frame.
