Product Reviews (55)
This is probably the best digital...
Strengths: Great photos and videos with sound. CF slot is cheapest kind of memory, and AA-batteries means you aren't locked into a pricey proprietary battery.
Weakness: Perhaps I'm clutzy, but I've dropped it several times, and caused damage. A shoulder/neck strap would be better than the wrist strap which I don't use. This is a problem with all small cameras though.
This is probably the best digital camera for the money and will be for a while. It also avoids the hidden costs of expensive types of memory and proprietary batteries. That's huge. You can pick up a 256MB Compact Flash card relatively cheaply and be hard-pressed to fill it up with pictures between transfers.
I sent mine in once for warranty service after dropping it on hard concrete. (My fault!) Canon fixed it up quickly and shipped it on back.
You'll love this camera!
By briancar - Dec 24, 2003
Had two of these purchased at the...
Strengths: With experience, you can get great photos with the camera.
Weakness: Plastic doors, rubber usb plugin cover, LCD scratches very easy, just in and out of a Canon Case will do it. Can't use CF11 memory cards(not a big deal), but most of all is defective nature, see below
Had two of these purchased at the same time, 5-5-03 and both had problems prior to three months. Dealer stated they needed to be sent to Canon Factory service. Called Factory service in Illinois. Called them and followed instructions to the letter. They stated the turn around time was 10-14 days. Three weeks after sending them in, I get a service dept letter wanting $110.78 to fix just one with a defective mode switch. They didn't send me anything on the other camera yet. This camera was in perfect condition except for the mode switch didn't work. The other A70's shutter botton failed to operate, and I was unable to take photos. Canon refused to fix the A70 until they received the $110.78 on a camera purchased 3 months prior to failure and being sent to factory service. Called them on this and after a long list of menu options on the phone they hung up on me before talking to the service department. I called again and went through the same long menu on the phone and made contact this time with tech service. Informed them of the letter they sent on a warranty A70 repair, and got the run around, maybe it was abused or damaged that caused the switch to fail. I told them to look at the camera, it's in perfect condition, the switch is internal, and only the lever is on the outside, with no damage to it. They looked at it and stated the tech that did it was out. After some delays with their computer malfuctions I was told the repair would be changed to warranty. Sorry Help.
By Sparkey11 - Aug 22, 2003
I bought this camera based on the...
Strengths: Compact
Weakness: Poor workmanship, poor reliability, poor service, poor picture quality
I bought this camera based on the rave reviews it was receiving and the strength of the Canon name. Three weeks after the purchase we experienced problems with the zoom. We sent it off for warrantied repairs but did not have use of the camera for most of the summer. When we received it back, the focus still is not sharp...certainly nothing like what it should be. All in all, a very disappointing purchase.
By budmiser - Dec 16, 2003
After two weeks of on-line...
Strengths: Versatility, resolution, sound video, ease of use.
Weakness: The included photo studio software is confusing and complicated.
After two weeks of on-line research and soul searching, I chose the A-70 over the Nikon Coolpix 4300 because of the sound video capability (I am a singer). Pluses: The settings are sensible enough so that I used it right out of the box for my birthday party with fine results, even when the waiter took the photos. Photos of the lunar eclipse were superb, as were shots I took while driving upstate after I edited out the windshield. And the jack-o-lanterns in the dark were incredible! Sunsets, too, had true-to-life color. Simple photos of fall colors and flowers (fine without a macro attachment) showed wonderful color reproduction and resolution; and people (indoors and out) in groups and candid shots had no red-eye. I have taken several short videos with sound; the first one was of a friend's singing lesson, and the sound was good with no overload for her operatic soprano voice. The camera manual is well written and laid-out. Minuses: The ArcSoft editing software is complicated and confusing. My comments are based on my NOT doing an ArcSoft tutorial or reading the manual for an hour and figuring it out. That said, there seem to be too many steps and too many choices. I have been using Image Expert (from Dell) for a couple of years; it's logical and easy-to-use. Image Expert can do a "quick fix" with a click of the mouse to correct color balance and brightness; I couldn't figure out how to do it with ArcSoft.
By accentpro - Dec 11, 2003
I got the E18 error message. I...
Strengths: Soild, performer with multiple shooting options and the size of the camera is nice.
Weakness: none that would really become bothersome
I got the E18 error message. I have yet to contact canon to find out what it will cost to fix. As of right now I am stuck with a camera that has a lens that wont retract back into the camera. This may be the end of this canon camera!
By LEGEND92 - Apr 10, 2005
As a mechanical engineer: The...
Strengths: SMALL. LIGHT. Intuitive.
Weakness: Compact flash cover. Battery insertion confusing
As a mechanical engineer: The battery cover may be plastic, but its rugged enough. The compact flash cover is scary, as it is difficult to get open and it is plastic.
As a user...i found the battery insertion orientation to be...uhh...weird. I hope I never mess it up.
MAJOR PLUS. Got the waterproof case...it is *NICE*...very well designed, fits the camera like a glove (just wish it had a lens cap)....going near water, i recommend it.
By mizraith - Aug 27, 2003
It has broken twice. Its too...
Strengths: good pictures... When it works
Weakness: inherent flaw with camera that causes it to break without warning. E18 error kills camera. expensive to fix.
It has broken twice. Its too expensive to fix now.
Don't take my word on it. Do a Google search on "canon E18 error". You will be blown away by the number of people who have had this problem. Its unfortunate that Canon does not own up to this. I will not own another canon camera.
By harbormaster - Feb 6, 2005
Great Piece
Strengths: Great Photo Quality, Cheap CF Memory used as compared to other types, pretty decent videos, USB connectivity, Good battry life.
Weakness: None as yet.
This was one of the best in its times. Although A95 and others now match this one for price and you get higher MPs. But even then this A70 rocks.
By ashishvora - Jul 20, 2005
Camara just started falling apart....
Strengths: Takes good pictures. Can use normal "AA" rechargable batteries.
Weakness: It is falling apart! The zoom has fallen off, the camara doesn't always turn on, sometime turns off within 3 seconds of turning it on, and stopped focusing.
Camara just started falling apart. Canan wants more for a couple replacable parts then it would cast to buy a new camara. Tech service was not friendly or help full. I would not buy this camara again!
By theseus20 - Apr 23, 2005
the only reason i was so...
Strengths: the camera takes very clear pictures at first.has alot of features.liked the zoom and video modes.
Weakness: none really.
the only reason i was so dissatissfied with this camera is because it froze up three monthes after we had it. sure they fixed it for free after we shipped it to them. and now nine monthes later it froze up again and there is no warrenty left and i have to choose another camera.
By becky1975 - Feb 25, 2005
This is my first digital camera &...
Strengths: easy to use-great quality pictures-great price w/rebate from gateway
Weakness: none
This is my first digital camera & I love it! It's easy to use-get more memory right away-and a batterry charger with rechargable batteries-it's well worth it!
I've only had to recharge the batteries once. The pics are high quality-I haven't messed with the movie mode-
but it's great not to have to buy film & pay for processing. Good software with this camera also, which makes loading photos from the camera to the PC easy!
I'd reccomend it to anyone!
By brohlman - Nov 3, 2004
This camera has impressed me from...
Strengths: Great all around camera so far.
Weakness: None specific to this camera.
This camera has impressed me from the moment i picked it up. While not as compact as the elph cameras, the a70 is smaller than most cameras in its class with advanced controls. The battery life is much better than i had hoped for in a digital camera, and the features are intuitive and flexible. Put the camera on auto and let it do all the work, or choose from quick settings such as fast shutter or small aperture. If you are feeling creative you can use shutter or aperture priority, and let the camera decide the other setting, or put the camera on manual and choose everything yourself - when you depress the shutter button halfway it will tell you if the shot will be over or underexposed. The lcd is bright and easy to use, and the camera is easy to hold on to for one-handed shots. There are plenty of autofocus, white balance, exposure and other settings to master as well. Obviously you will want a larger compactflash card, but once again this is true of any camera you will buy. The movie mode is impressive, and so is the response time. Startup is quick, as is autofocus, and once the camera is focused shutter lag is not noticeable. The bottom line is I am very impressed with this camera. The automatic controls have worked very well, and in those rare instances where they come up short, there are plenty of settings to choose from to take exactly the shot you want.
By pm2002 - Apr 7, 2003
after 1 month powershot a70 is...
Strengths: after 1 month: movie mode with sound, great zoom, lots of functions yet easy to use, small, excellent picture quality after 1 year: I still love the camera, same strengths++
Weakness: after 1 month: compact flash cover is a bit flimsy after 1 year: might get blurry images without flash, but i compared it to other cameras and i figured it's doing a better job than others..
after 1 month
powershot a70 is MUCH better than nikon coolpix 3100.
the software that comes with the canon is superb. especially when creating panoramas. the software is also better than that of nikon's.
it has a long battery life, but i recommend rechargeables.
although the standard 16mb card is good for about 50 pics (good quality @ 1024*768), a 64 mb card would be a good idea.
after 1 year
canon has the a85 and a80 series now and they are getting pretty cheap, although a 70 will do the job, you might want to try the 80s they have an extra mode and a larger lcd screen.
By ademkader - Jan 16, 2004
I bought this camera after months...
Strengths: Great Manual functions. Battery life is excellent, especially with NiMH. Movie mode is decent. AF alluminator is a nice feature!
Weakness: Soft focus. Very dissapointing when trying to take a pic. when you want everything in focus. Takes too long to focus. Poor covers for memory and A/V out
I bought this camera after months of research. We had a 2 meg. camera Fuji A205 and loved it. Almost every picture came out effortlessly. So I expected the same from Canon and reading all the reviews from the A70 I felt like I would be an idiot not to purchase it. I bought it and returned it because nearly all the pictures were blurry (found out it was a default and we exchanged it for the another Canon A70.) When is comes down to it, the A70 takes awesome outdoor pictures, but indoor is a nightmare trying to get it to focus and then lighting. All my shots are either under or over exposed, but most severly underexposed. With my Fuji I never had that problem. Also the Canon A70 shots are always "soft." and while the average person would think they are decent shots, I expect more from Canon and am very dissapointed. The customer service you get from Canon is a joke! You can never get assistance. If you drop this camera good luck, you might as well go and buy another digital camera. The body is very flimsy and that bothers me.
Every now and then I take a picture that I love, but it's not my favorite camera to date. I will be looking for a new digital camera soon.
By jjcams - Feb 10, 2004
This camera takes excellent indoor...
Strengths: Outdoor/indoor shots, action shots, movie mode, battery life
Weakness: Night shots, software (OS X)
This camera takes excellent indoor and outdoor shots even in low lightining (within the flash range). It does have problems with night shots, unless your using a tripod (as with most cameras). It also does excellent with action shots. The movie mode is great. If you have a good size CF card (128MB+), you will definitly enjoy the 640x480 movie mode w/ sound. The battery life is amazing for a digital camera. Using my camera daily on vacation, one set of batteries lasted almost 5 full days! I recommend purchasing a set of NiMH rechargable batteries (1800+ mA).
By caesar113 - Dec 28, 2003
had a problem with the camera....
Weakness: image distortion
had a problem with the camera. canon repair does stand behind their camera. tried 3 times to get it fixed. they did not offer to replace camera. would not buy another canon product.
By ribbs65 - Jan 15, 2004
The Cannon A70 is a very nice...
Strengths: Small & compact, good imagery, excellent battery life with nMh. Lots of manual features.
Weakness: Slow to focus, difficult to frame shots at night.
The Cannon A70 is a very nice camera for the money ($225, 2 thumbs up for Beach Camera). Ergonomic, well laid out, easy to use & more manual features than I've had time to learn about. 300+ shots on one set of 2,000ma nMh batteries. Uses AA size, so you can always find batteries in a pinch. Shot almost 1500 pix so far, not a hitch with the camera. Shoots clear, rich photos that I can't complain about.
On the downside, it's slow to focus and shoot (most non-SLR digitals are, compared to film cameras)making it tough for candid or action shots. The LCD goes almost black when shooting at night/low light levels, making it very difficult to frame shots.
By mrav8er - Mar 30, 2004
I bought this camera after reading...
Strengths: good photo, and colour capture
Weakness: too many moving parts in the lens, slow focus
I bought this camera after reading high review from pcworld website. I have purchase additional 128 FC for the camera, the camera is very good in general i.e. long battery usage, good colour capture and ease of use. But I am very disappointed when I bring it with me to Singapore for my christmas vacancy. It breaks down on me in Xmas Day. The camera just stop working and give me an E18 sign in the LCD and the lens will not retract. I have bring it to canon Singapore and wanted to get it fix so that I can take more photo of my family in Singapore, but the canon service centre will not cover me for a camera which I have bought in Malaysia and will want to charge me S$250/= they told me dust got into the lens moving parts and cause the camera to stop functioning. so I bring it backs to Malaysia and bring it back to my dealer and my dealer told me it will takes 2 mths to fix. I am very disappointed at their service and I will never buy a canon again. At the moment, I think I will go and get another new digital camera - I think Fuji fine pix 5000 seem very good.
By kenang - Jan 5, 2004
Great camera, but not without its frustrations
Strengths: Full manual controls. 15 second exposures. Waterproof case option and add on lenses. Virtually no shutter lag in daytime outdoor shots. ISO auto, 50, 100, 200, 500. Very strong flash.
Weakness: LCD faults. Mirrow around LCD annoying. 2 LED's (when lit) next to optical viewfinder makes it VERY hard to see through in night shots. ISO 400 speed almost useless.
Bought this camera after countless hours of testing and reading. Only camera i could find with some good manual controls, decent MP, and nice looks for under 300. When i first purchased the camera i thought it was broken. When using iso 400 or even 200 indoors.. there is so much noise its almost useless. I was used to using a G3 and never saw this before. Later i found out its normal.. so i stick to iso 50 or 100 and the shots are great.. they're a little soft but photoshop can fix that with a simple unsharp mask.
One other little annoyance is the 2 led's that show when the camera is focus locked and when its writing to the card... When taking night shots and holdint the shutter release button down partially to focus.. these 2 lights light up. Now as most of us know the LCD wont display thins such as stars at night.. so the optical viewfinder is the weapon of choice if you will. These 2 little lights tho... especially when up in the high mountains where its pitch dark.. are so bright and close to the viewfinder it makes it IMPOSSIBLE to see the stars or any other object through it. I had to get a tripod.. look through the viewfinder to aim.. set the camera to shoot after 2 seconds of me pressing the button.. and do it that way.
Other than that though its a great little camera. Shutter lag is almost nil in daytime shots. For indoors at night.. the flash is very potent. Usually its so bright i have to go into manual mode to turn it down!! All in all great camera!!
**UPDATE*** 8/23/2005
It has been over two years now, and the camera is still going strong. There is one problem that I have found however, and this seems to be an issue with the entire PowerShot series of cameras. When taking low-light shots, and holding down the shutter release button, the camera can take as much as 20 seconds in some cases to focus and shoot the picture. I cannot express how frustrating this is. Other cameras do not seem to share this problem. I have updated the firmware to version 2.0 (also enables PictBridge!!) and it helped, but not much.
By yoster - Sep 7, 2003
Camera shoots quality photos. Very...
Strengths: sharp pictures, great battery life, easy to use, compact, decent mpeg movies
Weakness: slow to focus, plastic compact flash cover feels like it will break any minute, LCD glass scratches easily
Camera shoots quality photos. Very compact and easy to use. I was taking pictures instantly right out of the box with no fuss. I was amazed the features the camera had for it's size. I am also too amazed at the battery life this camera has. I basically take the camera wherever I go now.
The camera is slow to focus. The fast shutter speed mode should shoot faster. The plastic covering for the compactflash card feels like it's about to break anytime now. LCD glass scratches too easily and the reflectivness of the glass makes it annoying on a sunny day.
All in all, I recommend this camera for the size, price and features.
By muscleman - May 21, 2004
Purchased mine through Electric...
Strengths: Good flash, excellent positioning of buttons, bright LCD, quick to power up, fits larger hands nicely, takes CF, excellent selector knob
Weakness: Plastic - case scuffs easily, rubber door for A/V-USB plugs, door over CF slot is difficult to open - feels like you will break it to get it open as it's plastic, lens cover kinda flimsy, only 16MB CF
Purchased mine through Electric Sam for $249.99 (with $24.99 shipping) brand new with 1 year warranty 2 weeks ago.
The day I got it, I immediately started shooting pics. lol I am a beginner in every sense of the word, so putting the camera on Auto I took pictures left and right. After exhausting the card's space, I downloaded the pictures onto my computer and used the Zoom Browser EX software that came with the camera to view them in full size.
The software that comes with the camera is good - but it is no Photoshop substitute in any sense. It's great for beginners like me looking to see how things work and eventually move up.
Pictures look EXCELLENT! Some are a little out of focus on Auto - the "soft focus" problem others have experienced. Colors are very lifelike and vibrant.
16MB is somewhat small, so I also bought a 256MB CF as it was on sale. The movies this camera takes look excellent also and come with sound.
Personally, I can't rave enough about the layout of this camrea. All the buttons are in just the right place. Selector knob right above the mode selector knob, shutter button on the top near the focus and where you naturally hold the camrea, menus are easy to navigate through once you know them.
Only problems are some parts feel flimsy - CF slot cover and the rubber A/V-USB cover.
The only reason I gave it a 4 instead of 5 is the fact it scuffs easily and some parts feel flimsy. Picture and movie quality are superb and I plan to explore the manual aspect soon.
I HIGHLY reccommend this camera!
By CybrSlydr - May 2, 2004
listen to the other reviews,...
Strengths: takes a great picture, lots of manual setting features, movie mode is awesome
Weakness: warrenty isn't worth the paper this email is written on, cheap plastic body easily breaks,
listen to the other reviews, Canon's customer service is horrible. i used this camera all the time, and loved it. dropped it once on an old wood deck(not a harder concrete surface) and the lens body broke into pieces and what was remaining on the camera does not retract into the body. Called about warrenty and was told an email of mailing address was sent to me-never happened! was also told that warrenty would not cover camera from impact damage and repairs could run as much as cost of camera, why bother getting a warrenty? if it were a metal body, damage would have been less likely to be so severe. bought at staples with xtnded warrenty(this doesn't kick in until factory worrenty ends).***lesson learned, warrenties are for suckers!
By reddscott - Feb 25, 2004
This camera is soooooo easy to use...
Strengths: Incredibly easy to use, crisp sharp pictures
Weakness: battery usage, Mode selector wheel too easy to turn, red-eye
This camera is soooooo easy to use and takes incredible pictures. I opened the box, popped in the batteries, checked that it was on Auto and bam, started taking pictures. I decided to read the owners manual and found it had features I didn't even know about.
I went in to buy the A80 but Circuit City had this deeply discounted so I picked it up. I purchased a Kingston 128MB memory card, got the error message that everyone is talking about but after formatting the card, I haven't gotten it since.
This is a GREAT camera.
By whosstinky - Apr 20, 2004
If you are considering buying a...
Strengths: A lot of features, small and portable
Weakness: Terrible workmanship. Had problems out of the box. The lens cover constantly sticks. LCD not too bring and menu's are confusing.
If you are considering buying a 3.2 megapixel camera, I would suggest saving your money and buying the G2, G3 or a comparable Nikon. There are a lot of great features that come with this camera but they aren't worth the heart-ache of trying to warranty it due to the bad features. I have returned my camera three times and it still isn't right.
Buyers beware.
By bohnman - Jan 19, 2004
although camera has it's weakness...
Strengths: small compact sleek stylish appearance. easy point and shoot choice cannon brand name price
Weakness: choice dial on top of the camera takes some getting use to. night photos are almost impossible to take.
although camera has it's weakness as a first time user I love it. It is fun and charming. The user guide should have supplied a quick guide you can take with you. This camera is exactly what I was looking for and will continue to enjoy for years to come.
By london093 - Sep 28, 2003
The finalists in my camera search...
Strengths: Best feature set in its price range
Weakness: can be overwhleming when you first take it out of the box
The finalists in my camera search were the A70, the Sony P72 and the Kodak 6340. The Kodak is easy to use and produces the best image quality, but the movie mode is terrible and the camera is a little bulky. The Sony has good image quality and a much better movie mode than the Kodak, but uses a proprietary battery.
The A70 is perfect for me. Image quality is almost as good as the Kodak. It takes regular AA batteries, but it surpsingly compact. And the Movie Mode simply BLEW ME AWAY. It goes up to 640x480 like the Sony, but the movie quality is FAR better, rivaling DV camcorders. It also uses compact flash, which is still about 30-40% cheaper than most other media. 256MB Compact Flash is running about $50 in the club stores...the smae memory stick, SD or xD are $80-90 in the same stores.
If you're looking for a digicam with good overall features, excellent image quality, in a well-designed package with an *outstanding* Movie Mode, this is the one!
By bdeeley - Feb 4, 2004
OK, the LCD can scratch, and...
Strengths: Picture quality is stunning. Ideal for novice, Auto setting mostly results in a perfect picture. But has lots of advanced settings for the serious hobbyist. Overall, I am most pleased.
Weakness: Nothing major. Need to buy Ni-MH batteries and recharger ( $15.00 ), as that will give you great battery life. 256MB CF purchased at Costco for only $49.00, and I can shoot all the pics I want.
OK, the LCD can scratch, and battery and CF covers are flimsy. But they seem to be holding up just fine. And Macro mode is indeed only average. To me, though, the only reason to not buy this camera is that the newer 4 MP Powershot A80 is now out, and it has a flip out viewfinder too. So if you can afford the price of the A80, buy it instead.
If you want a camera with a really high power zoom, consider a Minolta or Olympus. Otherwise, Canons definitely take the best pictures. Their DiG!C technology REALLY WORKS!! I am having so much fun with this camera.
By ltj2003 - Nov 11, 2003
If you only need this camera in...
Strengths: 3.3 MegaPixels; 4 AA batts; 3x optical zoom; comfortable size/shape/weight; flexible and EASY to use; LONG batt life; cheap/easy to find CompactFlash card
Weakness: soft focus "issue" found in reviews and forums is DEFINITELY a problem; Canon cust svc POOR; Canon manufactured accessories expensive, hard to obtain, yet poorly functioning, fitting and designed;
If you only need this camera in its basic form and have a non-critical eye, then this camera is for you. With a 512MB CF card - over 300 shots at max resolution - and three sets of 2000ma NIMH rechargeable AA batts. with a SLOW charger, it's a perfect camera for my wife. She leaves it in the auto mode, points and clicks, and is satisfied with her shots. The low consumption of battery power makes a quick charger a non-issue thus prolonging battery life. Though I'm a "power user" with lots of zooming, always using the viewscreen and a lot of flash photos, I've NEVER had a problem with running out of juice.
I've used SLR 35mm cameras for years and had assumed that the combination of those experiences plus all the reviews I had read online, made this the camera for me. Was I WRONG!!! I immediately took great if soft photos. Night shots with the built-in flash really expose this camera's focusing difficulties. I bought the Canon 2.4x Telephoto lens with the Canon adaptor ring. The fit of the adaptor ring is loose and sloppy. The Telephoto is large and cone-shaped and gets in the way of the flash. All fairly close, zoomed-in shots with it have a distinct shadow across half the shot thus ruining the shot - VERY poorly designed.
I would NEVER buy this camera again, but it does suit my wife's needs as a "point and click"-er, so we'll keep it. Me? I'm looking again. And it DEFINITELY won't be a Canon.
By TerryE - Dec 23, 2003
Canon A70
Strengths: Lots of manual controls, decent optical zoom for a relatively low price. Uses standard AA batteries and not custom battery pack.
Weakness: Shooting under bright environments can produce dull photos. Construction is a bit flimsy.
Overall a great camera. It's very easy to use in general and photo resolution is excellent. A standard AA battery scheme is also great because if your battery ever fails you won't have to go directly to the manufacturer and pay for an expensive replacement pack. The dial and buttons quickly allows you to adjust shutter speed, flash. OSD menu also includes several languages not usually found on cameras like Japanese and Chinese, in addition to the standard French, Spanish etc.
I wasn't particularly impressed by it's night time mode. I had to do manual adjustments and also have a steady hand to actually get a quality night time shot that is not blurry. If you're a point-and-shoot type of user, sometimes the camera will digitally reduce the color saturation of your photos. This means the vibrant colors you expect from a shot will become dull. I had to later edit some photos manually to make them look good on prints. Also my camera is ugly now because the small pieces of plastic that covers the lens when its not in use has fallen off after I carried it around during a trip. Not the most durable product.
Overall the pros outweigh the cons.
By blackhawksc - Aug 28, 2005
Purchased this camera on...
Strengths: Easy to use, takes good pictures for the average everyday camera user. Reasonably priced for the multiple functions that come as standard
Weakness: Not very impact resistant; when dropped is easily damaged and company doesn't honor warranty (lots of loopholes to their benefit).
Purchased this camera on recommendation of a person that has owned one and had good luck with his--liked all-inclusive accessories. Camera lens was damaged when my husband fell in the snow while taking a picture of the house. Camera was working ok but later noticed that the shutter was not closing completely. Called Canon Technical help and was asked to send camera to their service dept. along with receipt since it was under warranty. Well, folks! The warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on. Two weeks later we received a letter from Canon with a bill attached for $105.00. The diagnosis was "impact damage". When I called the company to ask why I received a bill when it was under warranty, I was told that the warranty didn't cover "water damage" and they felt the damage to my camera was caused by water damage to the lens. If my husband had fallen on the pavement rather than on the ice/snow ----would they have honored the warranty? I don't think so. I think they would have found another excuse. My impression of this company is that they will look for any little thing to get out of honoring a warranty. I can guarantee you that it would not cost them anywhere close to $105.00 to cleanse the lens of whatever was causing it to stick. Would we buy this camera again??? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I've dropped my other camera and my cell phone many times and never had either of them break so easily and when they did (I accidently went swimming with my pager) the company replaced it at NO CHARGE and it was 2yrs. old. Canon still has my camera and the jury is out as to whether the repair solves the problem. Canon needs to review their customer service/warranty policies. It leaves a lot to be desired. I've been in the service industry for over twenty years and never came across such a complete disregard for customer satisfaction. The camera gets 4 stars, the company - 1/2 star.
By bpup38 - Feb 4, 2004
This camera was super easy to use...
Strengths: Easy to use. Perfect size and comfortable to hold. Battery life is excellent particularly when not using display constantly. Videos are fun!
Weakness: Difficult to see screen outdoors in high light conditions. Challenging to get used to settings in outdoors, high light, blue skies, with glaciated peaks in background. Lots of washed out shots.
This camera was super easy to use right out of the box without a lengthy instruction manual read. I appreciate its design with the battery compartment used for the grip. It's comfortable and easy to hold while zooming in/out simply with the push of a finger. I like the options for adding features like the lens, waterproof case, etc. I am glad that the display duration can be adjusted and turned off to save batteries. The video use wasn't an important selling point for me, yet I have used it several times. The only bummer with that is that you cannot turn the camera sideways, well you can, but you can't rotate the image around to view on the computer. The sound feature is super fun too. Overall, I have been exceptionally happy with this camera and the hundreds of photos I have taken. It is so nice to quickly and easily load my photos on the computer and burn on CDs for friends.
By mtnkid4evr - Aug 24, 2003
Although I really liked the...
Strengths: Value for the money very high, many, many features
Weakness: Unfortunately, my particular model began corrupting the compact flash memory cards, losing image data and making the cards unuseable until they could be reformatted in a working camera.
Although I really liked the feature set for this camera and enjoyed using it the warranty for this camera was such that after 15 days there was no replacement policy, only repair with a turn-around time of 4 to 6 weeks. I have basically lost a summer of picture taking. I am now also concerned about wether this product will last in the long run. IF YOU BUY A DIGITAL CAMERA CHECK THE RETURN POLICY FROM THE VENDOR, AS IT APPEARS THAT THE DIGITAL CAMERA INDUSTRY IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOWER PRICES IS SHORT CHANGING CUSTOMERS ON WARRANTY.
By Mutt - Jun 29, 2003
I took 26 pictures before the A70...
Strengths: Easy to use, great pictures
Weakness: A great camera cursed by poor quality workmanship and extremely poor repair and customer service
I took 26 pictures before the A70 broke down, had to send to service center in the midwest. I followed return insructions to the "T", including my e-mail address so I could access the progress of repairs, but they never used it to contact me, and I could never access my repair progress. It took me 6 weeks! to get my camera back. Along the way, after numerous long-distance calls (repairs ?'s do not have a 800 number); long waits followed by "leave a message"; then no return message; when finally able to talk to someone- all lies! About $20 in long distance and shipping charges out of my pocket. Finally able to contact via snail mail (no e-mail to customer service!) who followed through. My brother in law had same problem, camera returned after 4 weeks with problem not fixed! Fortunately, my dealer is allowing me to return the A70 for a refund; looking at other brands now. Although my printer, copier and SLR are Canon, after my experience, I won't be buying Canon products in the future.
By feldenmike - Sep 10, 2003
WHY WOULD YOU BUY THIS WITH THE...
Strengths: Easy, NICE GRIP
Weakness: Screen
WHY WOULD YOU BUY THIS WITH THE NEW CANON A80 ARRIVING WITHIN THE MONTH! SWIVEL SCREEN AND 4 MEG. IF YOUR READY FOR A SMALL CAMERA GET A A80 OR A NIKON 4300 FOR $399.
By sjrkellogg - Aug 29, 2003
This unit is the bottom of the...
Strengths: the case is shinny so if you lose it in the park you can find it with a bright flash light
Weakness: more foriegn made Jap junk, lense is limited, range is not true and the hues are way off.
This unit is the bottom of the line and it shows it in every picture. Sever limitations in memory and the pixels tend to distort if shots are taken under artifical lights at the ball park. this unit is ok for kids just starting out but that's really about it, anyone else will feel frustrated that the response is slow on the shutter, it eats batteries like a PIG and you can't help but wonder when this unit will show up at the dollar store.
By zagzig - Aug 7, 2003
flash card and service
Strengths: Ihave always bought canons camers but after this one and the man on the other end of the phone no more
It wiped every one of my photo off of my disk with out notice.It was our family New York trik we had saved for 2years and it is gone this camera has this problem and no one told me. so i have no pictures. It was a once in a life time tripe.Please don't make my mistake.
By anonymous; - Nov 4, 2005
After using a Canon G2 for almost...
Strengths: Lighweight, full-featured. A70 is a GREAT VALUE
Weakness: Needs rechargeable batteries
After using a Canon G2 for almost a year, I have discovered that the A70 has most of the same features of its big brother. A 3mp resolution should be adequate for all but very large prints and professional uses. This camera has 12 shooting modes with a wide variety of manual control in most, a powerful flash, and especially excellent white balance control. The best specs for the money. Can't miss! I recommend using rechargeable NiMH batteries.
By jody3232 - Aug 11, 2003
I don't think you could do any...
Strengths: Easy to use with automatic feature, excellent buy for the price, many different features for advanced users, right size (not too big not too small)
Weakness: 16MB for compact flash camera not enough (other cameras give you at least 32MB)
I don't think you could do any better than this for under $300. This camera is very popular since it has gotten great reviews from professionals. I looked for it all over town, and no one had it, so I had to order it from the internet. So far, I haven't had any problems with it, and I am very happy with what I got for my money. I am an ocassional user in family functions, and vacation trips, and the camera has done great. I have taken pictures in almost complete dark, and the flash works great at close range.
The software to get your pictures into the computer is easy to use, and I love being able to play the pictures and video straight from the camera into the TV set--very easy way to share the pictures with the family.
I've read complaints about battery life, but I've been using the batteries that came with the camera for one and a half months, and they are still running. (Take note that I don't use the camera for work or every single day, but only for ocassional use.)
By ibustama - Aug 11, 2003
This is THE best camera in it's...
Strengths: Picture quality is very good. Many options not available in most cameras in this range. Price/Quality ratio cannot be beat.
Weakness: Easily scratched LCD, which is quite minor considering this cameras strengths.
This is THE best camera in it's range. Canon always makes one of the finest cameras around, but they've really done their homework and given the public what we wanted, which is an affordable, high quality, full-featured digital camera for the masses. I am very glad I made the decision to choose this camera over the Coolpix 3100 and various other 3mp cameras I looked at. Buy this camera and you won't be disappointed.
By John_Paul - Jul 30, 2003
This camera is very easy to use....
This camera is very easy to use. The instruction manual is very fast reading. The quality and color of the viewing screen is awesome. I am having a blast taking video clips and photos of my 1 and 3 year olds. The fact that this camera has sound with the video is great. Most cameras do not. It is very easy to use a flash card reader to download your photos and video clips. You will also want to get another flashcard when you purchase this camera. Something like a 256mb, that way you have plenty of room for pictures and video. Buy this camera it is awesome.
By mrsh - Jul 25, 2003
I got this camera after months of...
Strengths: Full suite of settings, good battery life, good picture quality
Weakness: LCD is exposed, plastic body, AUTO doesn't do a *great* job at night (only good)
I got this camera after months of research (ahem, procrastinating). I would've *liked* something with a greater zoom but settled on the A70 b/c it has a 3x optical zoom (105 mm), and I can add a 2.4x adapter when I have a bit more $ (7.2x optical) which extends it to over 200 mm.
Re: Operating the camera - i'ts got a *lot* of features for a sub-$300 USD camera (as of 2003/7/19), but make sure you READ THE MANUAL when you get it.
Re: NIGHT shots - one reviewer commented that the pictures at night come out burry. That's probably b/c the person was using AUTO, had selected a wrong auto mode (7 of 'em, incl. video) or mis-using a manual mode.
I set my shutter speed to 125 (Tv mode) and got *sharp* in focus night pictures with the flash, even when contorting my hand in odd directions (unstable). Our cat is black and white (high contrast) and digital cameras do not take good flash pictures of him. The A70 did! The dark areas were dark and the white ones weren't washed out.
If you only want a "point-and-shoot" look at another camera. Save yourself some money and get a simpler 3 megapixel camera, or, get a "dumbed down" 4 mega-pixel for the same price. If you want to be able to play with your camera, and use it for night/INDOOR shots (as most of us do), GET THE A70 and learn a little bit about one or two of the manual modes (like fixed shutter speed, aperature) - they are easier than you think!
PS It apparently does panorama stiching (haven't tried).
By hideme666 - Jul 20, 2003
With Windows XP, you cannot...
Strengths: Overall good feature set.
Weakness: Two irritants.
With Windows XP, you cannot connect this camera to your USB port if you have a scanner attached to your computer. You have to disconnect the scanner or power it off before you can connect the camera to the USB port. Canon registers this camera as a scanner to Windows instead of just as a Flash Drive. Many other cameras register as a flash drive so you do not have this problem.
The default setting with the camera is what they call Fine mode, where the picture appears to be soft. The JPEG compression ratio is set a bit too high. Changing the setting to SuperFine increases the file size but dramatically improves the picture quality. All demo and test pictures seem to be in the SuperFine mode. Wonder why Canon did not make the SuperFine mode the default.
By arunjohary - Jul 20, 2003
Its very quick in action, like...
Strengths: Its easy to get quality pictures just using this camera as a point n shoot but with a bit of time spent learning the manual features the quality is amazine.
Weakness: The plastic Screen is very easy to scratch indeed. Cant see battery level untill its too late.
Its very quick in action, like sellecting the mode you want.
The screen is so clear that I can delete pics on first impression and get on with taking more.
The movie mode has a VGA 640 x 480 res with sound, the mic is very powerfull. You can also add voice memos to your pics too. The Macro shot are clear detailed as are the shot taken with Vivid effect. As any camera it still rerquires a bit of thought and skill to take impresive pics to a proffesional quality which I beleave this camera can produce.
By Tecy - Jul 11, 2003
This isn't the top selling digicam...
Strengths: Total auto to total manual control, 640 X 480 movies/sound, AA batteries, expandability, great price, fantastic feature set overall.
Weakness: LCD scratches easily, picture quality in auto mode, average macro capability, flimsy doors for batteries & for flash media.
This isn't the top selling digicam in the world right now by mistake. Canon has done it again. A camera that almost any photographer will love! It has everything, every other 3MP camera has & a lot more than most. I bought mine early & had it delived to my door COD for 285 total. On the down side, a camera this great, at this price, has to have a few corners shaved, or it would cost much more. The all plastic body is solid, but will the access doors last? No RAW or TIF format is limiting. No diopter adjustment for the viewfinder. The combination of the CCD & the lens produces less than perfect photos at times. Shooting in auto mode is dicey. Pincushioning & other unnatural effects are at times obvious. I use aperture priority mode almost exclusively & get decent results. The previous reviewer brings up a common lament among digicam buyers. He had trouble with his A70. His warranty situation was less than satisfactory. But he must have purchased a "grey market" product or overseas model that Canon USA does not warranty. Mine came complete with the same full 1 year Canon warranty every US model is covered by. My rating of the Canon A70: Cost-10, Feature Set-10, Picture Quality-6, Macro-7, Design-8. Overall, an extremely versatile point & shoot, with a feature set unequalled in its class. How could you not love a camera like this?
By Lem Metro - Jul 7, 2003
also eventually break off. Second,...
Strengths: Great set of features for price. Easy to learn how to use and takes great quality pics. Very stylish looking in a compact package.
Weakness: Two major gripes. First is design of battery and CF card insert covers. Cheap plastic and will eventually break. Rubber plug that covers power adapt. and A/V out is cheap looking on silver body and...
also eventually break off. Second, you can't zoom during movie mode feature. Other than design flaws and zoom really awesome, fun camera! We did a lot of research and this camera is a great value. We are definitely satisfied. Suprised not to see it in any major comparisons like PC World, etc. The software was sad and downloading software and device didn't work, had to go buy CF card reader, which works out anyway because I choose to use Photoshop Elements instead of provided software.
PRICEGRABBER.COM ROCKS, LOVE THE INTERFACE AND PRICES, KEEP'EM LOW!!!!!!
By Chrisrs78 - Jun 19, 2003
great camera u should definitely...
Strengths: Ubelievable picture!! I can't believe how clear everything comes out!! Easy to operate also.
Weakness: to take a picture in the night the camera must be on a solid object because just shaking a tiny bit will make the picture blurry.
great camera u should definitely get it i never knew how amazing a digital camera could be but now i use it ereryday and snap a quick picture of anything intersting i see. great camera. uncomparable to any other camera ive seen or used.
By jjf89 - Jun 5, 2003
I absolutely love this camera. I...
Strengths: I am a novice. I do not have the time nor the patience to learn a lot of complicated processes. This camera was quick and easy to learn. I get about 150 shots on a charge of the batteries.
Weakness: The auto focus seems to pick up background more in close ups.
I absolutely love this camera. I bought it to replace my Canon Sure Shot I purchased 20 years ago. This light weight camera will sure do the trick. It is small enough to slip in my pocket, but the photos it captures are phenominal. THe crisp lines and ease of use make it fun. I know of two people that spent at least twice the amount of money and got half as good results. I was able to get a shot of a bee in mid flight next to a flower. The differentiation on the colors is unparalleled.
By ORFranC86 - May 27, 2003
I find this camera very easy to...
Strengths: Great pictures. a million manual settings AND a complete auto setting for easy point and shoot. Flash is great.
Weakness: Viewfinder is kinda hard to use. My right hand doesn't fit really well around the camera body, it works, but not perfect. Doesn't keep me from using it however.
I find this camera very easy to use. Everytime I use the camera I like it more! The product is well done and includes great software. Small and compact. The flash seems really good - it illuminated my entire single car garage at night! I like the fact that this camera has many manual features that will allow me grow into the camera. Not being a camera expert, I have not noticed any purple fringing or softness - but maybe I don't know what to look for. I think it is a great camera for the price.
By andrew359 - May 20, 2003
My 4 yr old grand daughter takes...
Strengths: Easy to use. Good battery life with Ni-MH. Nice and compact with good weight.
Weakness: No problems so far but controls could be easier.
My 4 yr old grand daughter takes great pictures with the A70. Really like the quality of the 3 min vidieos at 640 X 480 res. Would highly recommend product. In fact am going to buy another one for my sons birthday.
By haeberleam - May 15, 2003
Controls are self explanatory,...
Strengths: High End features on affordable budget.
Weakness: 4 AA batteries makes it heavier
Controls are self explanatory, Simple to use, buttons with in easy reach with your camera hand, it is very light weight and centered so you can take pictures with one hand. The Canon A70 has a good grip so I don't have to worry about my camera accidentally slipping out. Picture image quality is very sharp, clear, colors are true, no distortion. This camera is worth the extra investment. Battery life is very good but all digital cameras with LCD eats up batteries. You can save power with the LCD off.
I strongly suggest you buy 2 sets of NiMH AA batteries and a 1 hour rapid charger. Memory: it comes with 16mb but that’s like 25-30 shots. Suggest a CF 128mb or 256 mb.
Price: excellent – I paid $266.00 at www.buydig.com
detailed review of canon A70: color, resolution, exposure, sharpness, close-up night shots, view finder, lenses battery life. www.imaging-resource.c...
I did a lot of research and found that between the canon A70 is more superior to the similarly featured Olympus Camedia D-550 Zoom . Canon is famous for their high quality glass lenses. While the Olympus reuses parts from their older models to keep price down. The most important thing is high quality lenses; This camera’s unique in that you can add extra lens attachments.
By nivinne - May 9, 2003
Photo Quality I am happy with the...
Strengths: Good with low light situations; pictures look clear and crisp; movie and stitch assist modes are very nice; good software included
Weakness: Occasional red eye; Zoom lever feels loose; Rubber flap is lame looking
Photo Quality
I am happy with the A70s performance in low light situations. I took a night shot and was stunned to find out how good it looked. Very little noise and many details are crisp. Only a slight blue/purple fringing around some lights, but that can be quickly fixed in Photoshop.
It is not just the night shots - all the pictures look outstanding! I?m not seeing the soft focus problem that some have reported. All the pictures look clear and sharp. Also, the color looks good - even in indoor lighting. The camera seems to a good job at picking out the right white balance.
Construction
The LCD is bright and crisp - I have many friends comment on how nice it is. The shiny clear plastic over the LCD protects it nicely, but seems prone to pickup small superficial scratches.
The zoom lever does feel a little loose, but not like it will fall off. The rubber flap over the connectors seems rather cheap to me and is probably the only thing that detracts from the camera?s look.
The case appears to be a mostly plastic that has been given a metallic finish. This compares favorably with my old 35mm Pentax, which was entirely plastic (and looked like plastic).
Recommendation
I am very happy with this camera. I have recommended it to many people I know and three of them have purchased it as well. If you buy it, be sure to also have on hand some rechargeable AA batteries and a bigger CompactFlash card (perhaps 256MB).
By BrianWells - Apr 30, 2003
I wanted to be able to return it...
Strengths: very good colors even at low light, almost no need of post-processing, fast focus, good ergonomics–one hand zooming and shooting, compact body–fits in a pocket, nice outlook, AA batteries,add-on lens
Weakness: plastic body, a bit too light
I wanted to be able to return it without shipping charges so I bought it from Ritz Camera for $350. I could wait the price to drop, but I would miss the moments that are already great pictures. I have not had a single problem with it.
I find that the pictures are not as sharp as those taken with Fuji cameras. Everybody can compare similar cameras from Canon and Fuji thanks to the great tool this site offers – COMPAROMETER. I think that there is a bit more sharpness in Fuji observed throughout a whole range of cameras. But what to do when the only camera with AF assist light Fuji makes is FinePix S602 and it is overpriced. If they had added this to their FinePix 3800 Zoom I would not wait long before buying one. So it’s a matter of choice – do you want pictures taken at low light? Canon A70 does this perfectly and I don’t regret buying it because the softness could be seen only on the computer screen – the 8.5 x 11 prints are marvelous.
By toni_stamenov - Apr 7, 2003
I had two cameras in two days, had...
Strengths: Nice set of features, AA batteries, good movie mode, small (but not too small) size.
Weakness: Only Compact Flash I (no CF II), no status display, HORRIBLE QUALITY (BOTH MECHANICS AND ELECTRONCS)
I had two cameras in two days, had to return both!
Both were showing different problems:
- first one had problems with exposure - daylight shots in sunlight looked like taken with 100% fog (white milk instead of picture) - flash shots were 'decorated' with multi-color horizontal stripes
- the second one had problems with shutter release button (too loose, required to strong pressing to react), battery door did not want to open, periodical lock-ups with E18 message on display
WHAT HAPPENED TO FAMOUS CANON QUALITY? It looks like serious problems with either assembly line or incorrect packaging/shipping. Be careful - check if you can return to the retailer without extra fee if you decide to buy the camera...
By Jaroslaw_K - Apr 4, 2003
Canon Powershot A70
Canon Powershot A70 receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 1.86 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #361 standard digital camera of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a...
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By TopTenREVIEWS.com - Jul 16, 2008
Canon PowerShot A70
Last year, Canon's PowerShot A40 topped the charts on the IR website for popularity, outstripping all other camera models. This year, the PowerShot A70 appears poised to follow in the A40's footsteps. Relative to last year's model, the A70 offers a good bit more resolution (3.2 vs 2.0 megapixels), a slightly expanded shutter-speed range, a slightly more accurate optical viewfinder, and a...
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By Imaging Resource - Apr 10, 2003