Short-form review posted for Canon PowerShot A70!
By
Dave Etchells
(Saturday, April 12, 2003 - 02:40 EDT)
Last year, Canon's PowerShot A40 topped the charts on the IR website for popularity, outstripping all other camera models.
This was a surprise, since my readers tend to gravitate more toward higher-end models with lots of bells and whistles. On the other hand though, the A40's popularity should have been no surprise: It offered a rich set of features and excellent image quality at an attractive price.
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 significantly improved user interface. I did see more lens flare on the A70 than on the A40 though, puzzling since the two lenses appear to be identical. (Perhaps a change in the optical coatings?) Also, while somewhat improved, the A70's optical viewfinder accuracy is still lower than I'd like to see. (LCD accuracy is excellent.)
These two complaints aside though, I have nothing but praise for the A70. To my eye, Canon has managed an almost perfect combination of features, image quality and price for the mid-level consumer market. If you're looking for a great "all around" digicam, the A70 certainly deserves your serious consideration. Check it out!
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