Canon 70D DSLR Review
Pros: Fast autofocus and tracking in video and live view; Easy one-handed operation for essential settings; Wi-Fi equipped for photo transfers, remote control; Very sharp images and accurate color
Cons: Tedious wireless and white balance controls; Somewhat bulky
Verdict : Canon's EOS 70D is a versatile rig ideal for action photography and sharp video thanks to new autofocus technology.
Canon's EOS line is one of the most versatile in the industry, ranging from novice to pro models. The 20.2-megapixel 70D (MSRP: $1,199, body only, $1,349 with 18-55mm lens) targets video buffs with its new autofocus technology that lets you keep moving subjects in focus when recording clips. It also produces smoother, more natural-looking video than most DSLRs. With a 19-point autofocus system in SLR (standard shooting) mode, Canon's new dual-pixel AF system for video, and a shooting speed of up to 7 frames per second, the 70D is great for capturing life's fleeting moments at high quality.
Design
Canon fans will find the EOS 70D familiar. With a rubberized grip on the right side and a host of dials and buttons atop the grip and to the right of the screen, the 70D's body was built for one-handed performance (if you are right-handed).
The 3-inch LCD flips out to the left and swivels so you can get a clear preview of your subject at odd angles. You can also swipe through pictures or menus and tap to adjust settings, thanks to the responsive touch screen. The intelligent viewfinder, as Canon calls it, displays key settings such as shutter speed at the bottom of your field of view.
The 70D has the standard, basic assortment of inputs and outputs: USB, HDMI and audio-in/ mic ports and an SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot.
Weighing 1.48 pounds (body only), the 70D when coupled with the relatively light kit lens was manageable. With one of Canon's better prime (non-zooming) lenses, such as the 1.27-pound 35mm (f1.4) we used for testing, lugging the camera was a burden. That said, it's about the same weight as an equivalent setup from Nikon.
Controls
You'll be able to tweak top priority settings such as aperture, ISO and shutter speed easily with one hand, thanks to the 17 buttons, three dials and two switches on the 70D. A monochrome LCD readout on top of the handgrip gives you a quick overview of key settings, as on many Nikon builds, such as the D7100.
The 70D has three dials -- a Mode Dial (Program, Aperture Priority, Manual, etc.) on the top left side with a lock button in the middle, a Main Dial on the right behind the shutter button, and a Quick Control wheel to the right of LCD screen. You'll primarily use the Main Dial on top to adjust settings such as shutter speed, ISO and aperture.
For other camera options such as image capture format, date and time, and device modes such as Wi-Fi on/off, you have to use the touch screen.
Selecting a preset white balance such as Auto, Daylight or Shade is easy, but setting a custom white balance (which fine-tunes color for difficult lighting situations) is a tedious process. You'll first have to set your white balance to Custom on the touch screen, then press the Menu button near the top-left corner of the screen, and scroll to the third panel, then scroll down four items to "Custom White Balance," and finally snap a picture of your white reference object.
Image Quality
The EOS 70D boasts great picture clarity and color. We took it out for tests with a trio of lenses -- the 18-55mm kit lens, a 35mm L series f/1.4 prime and a 50mm f/1.2 L series prime. A 35mm lens is our standard for testing cameras with the APS-C size sensor found in mainstream DSLRs, including the 70D, so we used it for the bulk of our shooting. We used Pattern Metering (aka Matrix Metering), which determines exposure based on the overall scene.
Bright light results
We selected an aperture of f/9 in Aperture Priority (AV) mode, and the camera adjusted shutter speed accordingly. We noticed that the camera tended to slightly underexpose images. Apples we photographed at a farmers' market came out deep red, when in reality they were a paler shade, and some detail got lost in the shadow.
Adjusting the camera's exposure compensation control to 2/3 of an f-stop brighter resulted in more accurate images and is a good rule of thumb when shooting with this camera. If you know you will be processing images from RAW data files, however, the underexposure could be helpful, as it's easier to brighten dark areas than to recover detail if the lighter portions of images are too exposed
Low light results
Autofocus, speed and battery
In traditional SLR mode (with the mirror down) the 70D's 19-point phase-detection AF system quickly latched onto subjects in most situations. It shifted focus from a co-worker in the park to a building in the background within a fraction of a second.
The 70D wowed us with its speed and clarity in action shots. In pictures from a Central Park baseball field, a ball spinning in midair appeared sharp at 1/1250 second shutter speed, with the stitching clearly visible when we zoomed in 100 percent.
People jumping on a field were captured clearly in midair even on a cloudy day. The camera focused quickly so we were able to keep grabbing shots, and the 70D's 7-frame-per second shooting speed (fairly fast for a DSLR) kept up with the action.
Wireless
The 70D's built-in Wi-Fi and Canon's EOS Remote app (for Android and iOS devices) allow you to transfer photos to a smartphone or control the camera remotely, using the phone's screen as a live viewfinder.
Turning on Wi-Fi was unusually complex. We had to scroll to the fourth device settings tab on the LCD menu and go down to the fifth row just to enable Wi-Fi (some cameras provide a single physical button for this purpose). From there, we had to go into Wi-Fi Function (sixth row in the same settings tab) to set up the camera's wireless utility. We also found the app setup tedious and confusing, having to refer to an online guide to determine what option to use.
Once set up, the app let us view pictures stored on the 70D and remotely operate the viewfinder. We could tweak ISO, aperture and exposure levels and see the battery level and number of shots left. The Camera Image Viewing tool provides thumbnails of the pictures on your camera, complete with metadata such as aperture, ISO or metering mode used. From the smartphone app, you can select photos to copy to your phone, email, star as significant or delete.
The 70D's Wi-Fi function also lets you control the camera from your PC, wirelessly upload pictures or even transfer files between cameras. When Wi-Fi is engaged, the 70D can't shoot video or use its USB connections.
Kit lens
Canon and other retailers commonly offer the EOS 70D as the body only or in kits with either an 18-135mm or 18-55mm zoom lens. We received the latter kit with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Zoom Macro, which performed ably. While you don't get as shallow a depth of field on the kit lens as on primes, the photos we took with the kit lens still offered great clarity.
Canon's STM (or Stepper Motor) series of lenses feature focus motors and an iris mechanism designed to reduce noise during video recording.
Lenses and accessories
Compatible with about 100 EF and EF-S Canon lenses, the EOS 70D offers plenty of expansion options at a range of prices. On the extreme budget end is the EF 50mm f/1.8 II telephoto lens, which sells for as little as $125 and produces surprisingly sharp images for that price.
At the high end are lenses in Canon's L series, such as the $1,479 35mm f/1.4L USM prime (nonzooming) lens we used for testing. Close-up shots of rutabagas and apples at the farmer's market showed a high level of detail, down to scratches and individual fibers. Canon's $1,600 EF 50mm f/1.2 also produced tack-sharp images. We use such high-performance lenses to assess the ultimate capabilities of the camera, and the 70D keeps up with Canon's best glass.
The 70D is also compatible with plenty of third-party lenses such as prime, zoom and wide-angle models by Sigma, Zeiss and Tamron.
You'll also find a slew of accessories, including Canon's Speedlight flash line, a $229 battery grip to offer improved power and ergonomics, an Angle Finder that attaches to the viewfinder for framing low angle shots, and an assortment of cases, straps and chargers at a variety of prices.
Cons: Tedious wireless and white balance controls; Somewhat bulky
Verdict : Canon's EOS 70D is a versatile rig ideal for action photography and sharp video thanks to new autofocus technology.
Canon's EOS line is one of the most versatile in the industry, ranging from novice to pro models. The 20.2-megapixel 70D (MSRP: $1,199, body only, $1,349 with 18-55mm lens) targets video buffs with its new autofocus technology that lets you keep moving subjects in focus when recording clips. It also produces smoother, more natural-looking video than most DSLRs. With a 19-point autofocus system in SLR (standard shooting) mode, Canon's new dual-pixel AF system for video, and a shooting speed of up to 7 frames per second, the 70D is great for capturing life's fleeting moments at high quality.
Design
Canon fans will find the EOS 70D familiar. With a rubberized grip on the right side and a host of dials and buttons atop the grip and to the right of the screen, the 70D's body was built for one-handed performance (if you are right-handed).
The 3-inch LCD flips out to the left and swivels so you can get a clear preview of your subject at odd angles. You can also swipe through pictures or menus and tap to adjust settings, thanks to the responsive touch screen. The intelligent viewfinder, as Canon calls it, displays key settings such as shutter speed at the bottom of your field of view.
The 70D has the standard, basic assortment of inputs and outputs: USB, HDMI and audio-in/ mic ports and an SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot.
Weighing 1.48 pounds (body only), the 70D when coupled with the relatively light kit lens was manageable. With one of Canon's better prime (non-zooming) lenses, such as the 1.27-pound 35mm (f1.4) we used for testing, lugging the camera was a burden. That said, it's about the same weight as an equivalent setup from Nikon.
Controls
You'll be able to tweak top priority settings such as aperture, ISO and shutter speed easily with one hand, thanks to the 17 buttons, three dials and two switches on the 70D. A monochrome LCD readout on top of the handgrip gives you a quick overview of key settings, as on many Nikon builds, such as the D7100.
The 70D has three dials -- a Mode Dial (Program, Aperture Priority, Manual, etc.) on the top left side with a lock button in the middle, a Main Dial on the right behind the shutter button, and a Quick Control wheel to the right of LCD screen. You'll primarily use the Main Dial on top to adjust settings such as shutter speed, ISO and aperture.
For other camera options such as image capture format, date and time, and device modes such as Wi-Fi on/off, you have to use the touch screen.
Selecting a preset white balance such as Auto, Daylight or Shade is easy, but setting a custom white balance (which fine-tunes color for difficult lighting situations) is a tedious process. You'll first have to set your white balance to Custom on the touch screen, then press the Menu button near the top-left corner of the screen, and scroll to the third panel, then scroll down four items to "Custom White Balance," and finally snap a picture of your white reference object.
Image Quality
The EOS 70D boasts great picture clarity and color. We took it out for tests with a trio of lenses -- the 18-55mm kit lens, a 35mm L series f/1.4 prime and a 50mm f/1.2 L series prime. A 35mm lens is our standard for testing cameras with the APS-C size sensor found in mainstream DSLRs, including the 70D, so we used it for the bulk of our shooting. We used Pattern Metering (aka Matrix Metering), which determines exposure based on the overall scene.
Bright light results
We selected an aperture of f/9 in Aperture Priority (AV) mode, and the camera adjusted shutter speed accordingly. We noticed that the camera tended to slightly underexpose images. Apples we photographed at a farmers' market came out deep red, when in reality they were a paler shade, and some detail got lost in the shadow.
Adjusting the camera's exposure compensation control to 2/3 of an f-stop brighter resulted in more accurate images and is a good rule of thumb when shooting with this camera. If you know you will be processing images from RAW data files, however, the underexposure could be helpful, as it's easier to brighten dark areas than to recover detail if the lighter portions of images are too exposed
Low light results
Autofocus, speed and battery
In traditional SLR mode (with the mirror down) the 70D's 19-point phase-detection AF system quickly latched onto subjects in most situations. It shifted focus from a co-worker in the park to a building in the background within a fraction of a second.
The 70D wowed us with its speed and clarity in action shots. In pictures from a Central Park baseball field, a ball spinning in midair appeared sharp at 1/1250 second shutter speed, with the stitching clearly visible when we zoomed in 100 percent.
People jumping on a field were captured clearly in midair even on a cloudy day. The camera focused quickly so we were able to keep grabbing shots, and the 70D's 7-frame-per second shooting speed (fairly fast for a DSLR) kept up with the action.
Wireless
The 70D's built-in Wi-Fi and Canon's EOS Remote app (for Android and iOS devices) allow you to transfer photos to a smartphone or control the camera remotely, using the phone's screen as a live viewfinder.
Turning on Wi-Fi was unusually complex. We had to scroll to the fourth device settings tab on the LCD menu and go down to the fifth row just to enable Wi-Fi (some cameras provide a single physical button for this purpose). From there, we had to go into Wi-Fi Function (sixth row in the same settings tab) to set up the camera's wireless utility. We also found the app setup tedious and confusing, having to refer to an online guide to determine what option to use.
Once set up, the app let us view pictures stored on the 70D and remotely operate the viewfinder. We could tweak ISO, aperture and exposure levels and see the battery level and number of shots left. The Camera Image Viewing tool provides thumbnails of the pictures on your camera, complete with metadata such as aperture, ISO or metering mode used. From the smartphone app, you can select photos to copy to your phone, email, star as significant or delete.
The 70D's Wi-Fi function also lets you control the camera from your PC, wirelessly upload pictures or even transfer files between cameras. When Wi-Fi is engaged, the 70D can't shoot video or use its USB connections.
Kit lens
Canon and other retailers commonly offer the EOS 70D as the body only or in kits with either an 18-135mm or 18-55mm zoom lens. We received the latter kit with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Zoom Macro, which performed ably. While you don't get as shallow a depth of field on the kit lens as on primes, the photos we took with the kit lens still offered great clarity.
Canon's STM (or Stepper Motor) series of lenses feature focus motors and an iris mechanism designed to reduce noise during video recording.
Lenses and accessories
Compatible with about 100 EF and EF-S Canon lenses, the EOS 70D offers plenty of expansion options at a range of prices. On the extreme budget end is the EF 50mm f/1.8 II telephoto lens, which sells for as little as $125 and produces surprisingly sharp images for that price.
At the high end are lenses in Canon's L series, such as the $1,479 35mm f/1.4L USM prime (nonzooming) lens we used for testing. Close-up shots of rutabagas and apples at the farmer's market showed a high level of detail, down to scratches and individual fibers. Canon's $1,600 EF 50mm f/1.2 also produced tack-sharp images. We use such high-performance lenses to assess the ultimate capabilities of the camera, and the 70D keeps up with Canon's best glass.
The 70D is also compatible with plenty of third-party lenses such as prime, zoom and wide-angle models by Sigma, Zeiss and Tamron.
You'll also find a slew of accessories, including Canon's Speedlight flash line, a $229 battery grip to offer improved power and ergonomics, an Angle Finder that attaches to the viewfinder for framing low angle shots, and an assortment of cases, straps and chargers at a variety of prices.






















