Canon Powershot SX70 HS review (1 Viewer)

[getset]

I take good care of my camera, always have the strap 'round my neck so it doesn't drop, clean it regularly and so on. But, when you're out taking pictures, in the heat of the moment it's easy to forget your surroundings and bump your camera into something. I would undoubtedly have damaged the glass on my camera without the lens hood being attached. Another thing you may want to think about is cleaning the glass. When I first bought a camera I listened to Chris Bray on YouTube, Aussie fella who works for the National Geographic, he said don't bother cleaning the glass as you're likely to cause more problems than you solve. If it's good enough for him then it's good enough for me so I never clean the glass. I see people taking pictures without a lens hood: that wouldn't work for me, and I suppose it depends on how you use your camera.



I bought the Three Legged Thing monopod and I was impressed with how easy it is to use and how still it keeps the camera. I never use it though because I'm the type who likes to walk rather than stand in one place, and so a bit of a waste of money. Depends on how you take pictures really and the places you go in terms of how useful its going to be.

Great thoughts and suggestions, too. ... appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Leaning towards not getting a filter, but lens hood instead.... but we'll see.

 

[crazyfingers]

You'll definitely need extra batteries. The little one the SX70 uses lasts nowhere near as long as the battery used in the SX50. And as usual, when the battery meter starts to shows that it's not full, that really means it's almost dead. If I plan to be out a whole day I'll bring two extras with me. Even out for an our I bring at last one extra because a battery that shows full may actually be almost dead.

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

Great thoughts and suggestions, too. ... appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Leaning towards not getting a filter, but lens hood instead.... but we'll see.

No bother, mate.

Good luck with it!

 

[getset]

You'll definitely need extra batteries. The little one the SX70 uses lasts nowhere near as long as the battery used in the SX50. And as usual, when the battery meter starts to shows that it's not full, that really means it's almost dead. If I plan to be out a whole day I'll bring two extras with me. Even out for an our I bring at last one extra because a battery that shows full may actually be almost dead.

Crazyfingers,
It's great to have suggestions too, from someone who owns an SX70. Thanks.

 

[crazyfingers]

Crazyfingers,
It's great to have suggestions too, from someone who owns an SX70. Thanks.

Besides the extra batteries I haven't purchased any accessories. I just hang it on my neck and walk or bicycle around.

 

[birdieboy123]

To Anyone:

I just purchased a Canon Powershot SX70 HS, but didn't purchase any accessories... any suggestions?

It makes sense to purchase an extra lithium-ion battery pack... the Canon LP-E12 ... so, that is already on the list.

I already had a SanDisk 64 GB Extreme SD Card. It doesn't seem like I would need another card, but not sure.

A lens filter is certainly a high priority. The SX70 does not have any threads on the inside lip or outside lip of the lens. There is only a series of ribs on the inside lip and some ridges on the outside lip.

The lens only measures about 50 mm in diameter, but there is a 67 mm filter adapter for it ... the Canon FA-DC67A . So, I will need to purchase a 67mm filter, correct? Why such a large filter? ..... so consequently, I will need to purchase a 67mm lens cap (right?).

And there is a lens hood available also ... the Canon LH-DC90. But apparently the lens hood cannot be used at the same time as the lens filter ... which seems to make the LH-DC90 rather useless for me, since my first priority is to get a lens filter (mostly, to protect the lens) and I don't plan on taking the lens filter off and then on, over and over.

Maybe others here would buy the lens hood instead of the filter? It seems like it would be a good idea to get a lens hood for the camera, but since it will not fit when the lens filter is on, it doesn't seem to make sense to me. Maybe there is another lens hood option to use for the SX70 with the filter adapter and filter in place?

I may be opening up a can of worms by asking, but any suggestions on the type or brand of lens filter (Hoya, Tiffen, or ____ )? There are so many types and brands and they vary from $10.93 to over $100. My thought is a UV filter that protects the camera lens, but doesn't (hopefully) create any additional image quality issues. ... The Heliopan 67mm SH-PMC Protection Filter looks like a very good filter ... but rather pricey at $95. It is made of Schott glass, brass filter ring, dual-threading, and is multi-coated back and front (seems like nice specs, but not sure if they make a big difference (like the Schott glass) ... or if they are necessary for me).

I am considering purchasing a monopod, so any suggestions on a make or model? I prefer the type with the clamp legs instead of the turn knobs... just a personal preference. I was thinking that Sirui made a tripod where you could remove one leg for a monopod, but not sure how practical that would be (if they still make one).

And a head to go onto the monopod? ball head? pan/tilt?... it seems like a ball head would loosen up over time.... but not sure, maybe they all loosen up over time.

A camera case seems like a low priority for me, not sure I need one, but maybe I am missing something.There is a neoprene camera case for the Canon SX70 made by MegaGear that looks interesting. We already have a camera bag.

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.

Dennis

Don't know if this is of any use but I have a lens hood that comes in 2 parts and you can screw a 67mm filter to it, I bought it off ebay ages ago
As you can see in the photos, I prefer a wrist strap as I'm usually wearing binoculars around my neck
And a little tip is to get some sticky velcro dots and stick one part on the lens cap and one on the top of the camera and so the cap doesn't swing around when not in use

 

[getset]

Birdieboy,
We (my wife and I) purchased the Canon lens hood and did not purchase a filter. The Canon lens hood doesn't allow a filter. It hasn't been a problem yet, not having a filter... and let's hope it doesn't. But, that sounds like a great combination of lens hood and filter you have! Does that two-piece hood have a name brand?
We do not have a camera case and do not anticipate purchasing one at this time... just using the neck strap that came with the camera.
I like the velcro idea for the lens cap, also....good idea.
Thanks for sharing.
Dennis

 

[njlarsen]

Only thing to add is this: test the quality of the photos with and without a filter. Most filters make the photos softer than they would have been without.
Niels

 

[PetrusViv]

Well now I'm becoming discouraged. This morning under ideal lighting conditions is the sx-70 out performed the SX 50 for image quality for static objects in the Sunshine. But I've gone out every now and then with both cameras over the day and as the day is gone on the differences become closer and most recently taking photos of birds and chipmunks in the grass or in the shade the SX 50 is significantly superior. I'm becoming very discouraged unless I can find some setting that needs to be changed. But I have compared settings for both and they appear to be as close as the somewhat different menus allow. The sx-70 is producing much fuzzier photos than the 50.

I have the same problem with my SX70HS

 

[crazyfingers]

I have the same problem with my SX70HS

In later posts I was able to get the SX70 to perform better than the SX50. Check the whole thread through.

 

[robinlanark]

Birdieboy,
We (my wife and I) purchased the Canon lens hood and did not purchase a filter. The Canon lens hood doesn't allow a filter. It hasn't been a problem yet, not having a filter... and let's hope it doesn't. But, that sounds like a great combination of lens hood and filter you have! Does that two-piece hood have a name brand?
We do not have a camera case and do not anticipate purchasing one at this time... just using the neck strap that came with the camera.
I like the velcro idea for the lens cap, also....good idea.
Thanks for sharing.
Dennis

Hello, a couple of people mentioned the lens cap velcro, but I noticed when I bought the SX70 that the lens cap has a little clip to clip it to the neck strap.

 

[getset]

Hello, a couple of people mentioned the lens cap velcro, but I noticed when I bought the SX70 that the lens cap has a little clip to clip it to the neck strap.

Hi robinlanark,
I don't see a way for the lens cap we have to be directly clipped onto the neck strap. There is a string that attaches to the lens cap and the other end of the string is attached to the neck strap. It seems to work fine that way. It does swing and sway when using the camera, but hasn't been too much of an issue.
Dennis

 

[robinlanark]

Hi robinlanark,
I don't see a way for the lens cap we have to be directly clipped onto the neck strap. There is a string that attaches to the lens cap and the other end of the string is attached to the neck strap. It seems to work fine that way. It does swing and sway when using the camera, but hasn't been too much of an issue.
Dennis

Oh oh, you mean the string attached to the neck strap and i didn't specify. Inside the lens cap there is a small plastic tab that i call a clip that can be used to secure the dangling cap to the neck strap so it doesn't dangle. I hope that's more clear now.

 

[robinlanark]

After a few weeks now experimenting, I started noticing a few things. What got me started was that when taking a photo with the SX70, the image would appear very focused in the EVF but when shown an almost instantaneous image of the photo after the shot, they almost always appeared less focused. I start to get irritated why that was happening.

I know this is 2+ years old and I've read the entire conversation and I've tried some of the settings to improve sharpness and detail, but I still find it very annoying that the EVF looks SO GREAT when I'm taking shots, only to find the photo itself is not like that at all.
I chalk it up to the EVF being small and bright and our brains filling in much of the detail, vs the actual image being what the lens can actual resolve. But it adds a level of disappointment with almost every shot.
Hopefully my use of the settings and techniques for the SX70 will improve. For example, I've just discovered the additional INFO settings for sharpening, as opposed to the simpler Style choices.
Any other hints, or links to newer discussions would be appreciated. Maybe the SX70 is losing steam these days/

 

[crazyfingers]

I know this is 2+ years old and I've read the entire conversation and I've tried some of the settings to improve sharpness and detail, but I still find it very annoying that the EVF looks SO GREAT when I'm taking shots, only to find the photo itself is not like that at all.
I chalk it up to the EVF being small and bright and our brains filling in much of the detail, vs the actual image being what the lens can actual resolve. But it adds a level of disappointment with almost every shot.
Hopefully my use of the settings and techniques for the SX70 will improve. For example, I've just discovered the additional INFO settings for sharpening, as opposed to the simpler Style choices.
Any other hints, or links to newer discussions would be appreciated. Maybe the SX70 is losing steam these days/

Did you find the hidden "sharpness" setting that I mentioned in this thread somewhere?

 

[robinlanark]

I thought I'd post a chance shot from yesterday. SX70 at maximum optical zoom and the 2x teleconverter. It was on top of a dead tree by a lake. I just happened to be driving by and got out of the car and took this from the sidewalk across the street.
View attachment 1412396

2.5 years later, may I ask if you love this picture as much as I do.

Did you find the hidden "sharpness" setting that I mentioned in this thread somewhere?

Yes, I meant the INFO button sliders in the Style Choices menu. I got that from your post. Thx

 

[crazyfingers]

2.5 years later, may I ask if you love this picture as much as I do.

It's one of many favorites. I show it when people think that a point-n-shoot isn't worth considering for wildlife photography. Every product has tradeoffs and I realize that super-zooms have tradeoffs. But if your style is to go hiking or bicycling or just going somewhere, it's easy to bring along and carry for hours.

 

[MiguelATF]

Just adding to this thread because now I am the owner of a new (to me) SX70 (actually it's a lightly used one, bought from the original owner), and I'm still getting the hang of it, though many of the controls replicate those on the SX50 I used to have. This photo was taken indoors (relatively dim lighting) at a pet store, of a bearded dragon lizard (not a fast moving subject!) through the glass of its cage, at a relatively high ISO (800). Shot on RAW, lightly processed in an ancient version of Lightroom (LR6) and slightly de-noised in Topaz Photo.



I've got to admit I'm surprised that this came out so cleanly at such a relatively high ISO.