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Reviewed by UK Guest, 17th Feb 2004. |
| Review Summary: A70 - near perfect compact digicam |
Overall Score: 4/5
 
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Review: The Canon A70 is a great little camera admired by photographers of all levels. This camera has all the auto features a novice would need, together with impressive manual control for the more advanced photographer. What I really like about the A70 is the ability to control white balance, including a very useful custom setting, which is important for colour accuracy. I love the manual controls including manual focus, ISO, shutter priority, aperture priority and exposure compensation - features which are often excluded from cameras that cost over twice as much. It's great to have a camera with such a wealth of features so as to allow progression creatively and technically. I found the A70 very easy to use after reading the comprehensive manual and just a little experience navigating the menus. The layout and button size feel right but there are two issues concerning design and build quality. The mirror surrounding the LCD makes it uncomfortable to use when bright light is reflected from it; and the LCD also has a transparent plastic covering which is easily scratched and not easily replaced as far as I can judge. Overall the design is pleasing and the feel of the camera is small but solid in the hand. I particularly like the protruding battery housing which allows for a secure grip. The type of battery used by a camera is an important consideration. Battery life is outstanding when using Ni-MH rechargeables, allowing hours of shooting on a single charge. The type of compatible recording media is also important when choosing a camera because some types may soon be obsolete. I bought a 256MB CompactFlash card and found that I could save 150 images at the highest quality setting (CompactFlash is the industry standard). I prefer to download the images using a card reader as it saves draining the camera batteries. Image quality is as good as it gets in a camera of this class and should be limited only by the creativity and perseverance of the photographer. I have made prints of up to 5 x 7 inches and have been thrilled with the quality of colour, tonality and detail. I love the fact that the lens has excellent corner-to-corner sharpness with no sign of vignetting and the processor sharpening is very tastefully done - the A70 is the star performer here. Apart from the issues alluded to, the A70 is the perfect compact digicam because it exceeds expectations and offers far more than the price would suggest. |
Ratings
| Value For Money: |
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4 |
| Review Score: |
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4 |
| Recommended? | |
Yes |
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Digital Cameras