A Well-Rounded DSLR For Stills And Video Canon 70D

The Canon EOS 70D succeeds the 60D, Canon’s prosumer-level DSLR cameras which go against Nikon’s D7000-series. With its ability to shoot up to seven 20MP frames per second, the 70D is currently Canon’s highest-resolution APS-C DSLR, and the second-fastest behind the four-year old 7D’s eight frames-per-second maximum shooting speed.

Canon 70D camera

Whereas the Nikon D7100 went all-in for image quality with a 24MP sensor and the removal of the optical low-pass filter, Canon goes in with features. The 20MP 70D comes with built-in Wi-Fi (the D7100 doesn’t), and a brand new Dual Pixel CMOS AF system which promises better auto-focus performance in Live View mode. It is disappointing though that while the D7100 has a magnesium alloy body which is both weather- and dust-sealed, the 70D has neither.

The 70D doesn’t bring back the joystick from the 50D, plus it makes switching AF points harder to do than the 60D. To switch AF area modes you use the selection button in-between the shutter release and top dial. However, if you’re out of Single-point or Zone AF, the AF point selection button on the back now doesn’t let you quickly go into AF point selection, unlike on previous Canons. There are 19 AF points, all cross-type, but they’re bunched in the middle so there’s not a lot of coverage. If you’ve used the 7D before, it’s exactly the same AF system.

Screen of Canon 70D camera

Other than that, everything falls into place quite nicely on the 70D, with controls within easy reach and the top LED panel providing essential info. The big UI improvements come with Live View and the capacitive touch-screen; you can tap on anything in the menu. In addition, the ability to use both the touch-screen and physical controls make it easier to adjust camera settings. Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF system makes its debut on the 70D. Whereas Hybrid CMOS AF uses a combination of phase- and contrast-detection AF, AF is calculated exclusively using phase-detection AF via Canon’s Dual Pixel technology. On the 70D, Dual Pixel AF is a complementary technology; when you shoot with the optical viewfinder the 70D will default to using conventional phase detection AF, it’s when you switch to using Live View that Dual Pixel AF kicks in.

Dual Pixel AF works to a degree. Auto-focus when shooting movies is faster, and focus racks smoothly. It helps create buttery focus transitions with a simple tap to focus on the Live View screen, and is vastly better than previous DSLRs’ attempts at shooting movies with phase detection AF. When it comes to shooting stills however, there’s still a split-second lag in focus acquisition that you don’t see in the best mirrorless cameras today.

Canon separates AF area modes and point selection with a new selection button just below the shutter release

Image quality is vivid, with clear ISO performance up to about ISO 1600. It’s ISO 3200 when detail loss starts, but you can probably reach up to ISO 6400 if necessary. There’s more chroma noise than expected, and while ISO 12,800 looks mushy in our lab tests, you can get away if it in the real world if it’s just for sharing at low resolutions. The 18-135mm kit lens is a weak point; serviceable but none too sharp.

While the Canon 70D might not break new ground in terms of imaging quality, it delivers a well-rounded package for shooting both stills and video. Shooting stills in Live View is not as fast to focus as with the best mirrorless cameras, but it makes smooth auto-focusing in video as easy as it can be for non-professionals.