Canon Powershot SX70 HS user experience revised and updated 15 March 2019

SX70  Not too bad if I keep the display size down

The good, the bad and the ugly

I have to confess  a weakness for superzoom bridge cameras which use the 4.55x6.17mm (diagonal about 7.7mm) sensor size. The camera makers refer to this as the “½.3 inch” size presumably to ensure no potential buyer could readily figure out just how tiny the sensor really is.

These cameras present a very enticing specification.

In one compact, light, inexpensive package you get an amazing zoom range, a full suite of shooting modes, nice handling, good handle and thumb support, EVF and articulated monitor, 4K video, a long list of features and capabilities and much more.

The main downside is image quality which varies from decently good (RAW, processed thoughtfully)  to unpleasant (High ISO JPGs).

I suspect the reason I keep buying these things is the challenge of trying to coax good picture quality out of the mess of luminance noise produced by the small sensors.

The imaging capability of the (presumably Sony made) sensor in the SX70 is no better or worse than any 7.7mm sensor I have used over the last few years in 12, 16, 18 or 20 Mpx versions in Sony, Panasonic, Nikon and Canon bodies.

Update 27 March 2019:  I have now tested the SX70 against a Lumix FZ80, a low end budget consumer zoom from Panasonic.

At matched output size the SX70 RAW files have as much luminance noise at ISO 400 as the FZ80 files have at ISO 800.  This is a poor result for the SX70.

It seems development in this sensor size has stalled.

Over the years I have owned and used:

Panasonic Lumix FZ70, 80, 200, 300. TZ60, 70, 80, 90.

Nikon Coolpix B700, P900.

Canon Powershot SX20, 60, 70.

I would have tried the Sony Cybershot HX400v if it enabled RAW capture.

To date the only one of these cameras which I could recommend to a prospective buyer for general photography is the Lumix FZ300, provided the short (relative to the other models) 600mm equivalent focal length lens is not a problem.

But if photographing small birds is on the agenda then even 600mm (equivalent) is a bit short, hence the appeal of the models with a longer zoom.

Anyway  I recently bought a Canon Powershot SX70 HS and have been putting the camera through it’s  paces.

How does it fare ?

Well, my copy of the SX70 is better than my SX60 was, that’s for sure. Maybe I had a bad copy of the SX60 from which I could not extract a decent photo at the long end of the zoom at all.

By comparison my SX70 which on the specs has the same lens as the SX60 delivers quite good quality at the long end.

I also find that the autofocus and stabiliser on my SX70 are noticeably better than they were on the SX60.

So although the specs suggest the SX60 and SX70 are basically the same camera it would appear that Canon has improved some very important "under the hood" capabilities, making for a much better camera overall.

The Good

The SX70 has many good features.

Best of all is the concept of the thing. It is  compact, light, inexpensive, nice to hold and use (with a few notable exceptions) and has a huge zoom range.

If specifications were the only guide to desirability the SX70 and similar bridge models would rate close to ideal with almost all the features most photographers could desire wrapped up in an easily carried, easy to use package.

Getting to the details we find:

* A nicely shaped inverted L type handle makes the camera comfortable and secure in the hand. The thumb support is optimally angled and shaped adding to the comfort and security of the hold.

* A well placed front dial and a rocking saucer type D Pad, both easy to locate by feel and operate.

* A decent  looking EVF with no blackout after each shot and a fully articulated monitor, also providing a clear, pleasing image preview and review.

* There is a microphone port, which would be appealing to vloggers.  But...ooops,   no hotshoe  so where does the microphone go ?

* The camera is relatively easy to set up. This is partly due to the limited feature set and partly to the generally well designed menus with a user configurable My Menu.

* It has an effective auto pano feature which is not restricted to the widest focal length.

* The lens is of decent optical quality throughout most of the zoom range, being softer at the wide end  at the frame edges but not dramatically so.

* Autofocus is reliable and accurate if not particularly fast, and works well in single shot mode on still subjects and servo mode on moving subjects.

* The image stabiliser works very well at all focal lengths. You can see in the viewfinder how it grabs the image and holds it still. As a result of this the pictures are very consistent in sharpness shot-to-shot. I can take 10 shots of the same subject at full zoom and each frame will look the same. This means the AF and IS are working consistently.

Some other cameras are not so good in this regard. With both copies of the Lumix FZ80 which I have used the image was not consistently sharp. One would be quite good, the next blurred with double imaging. I suspect the reason for this unacceptable behaviour might be a stabiliser which is not up to the job.

* Macro capability is very good.

So the camera has plenty going for it. Unfortunately…….

SX70  nice outside, could be improved inside

The Bad

The issue which bugs me most is the clumsy method for changing the position and size of the active AF area.

First, why bother ? These small sensor camera have considerable depth of focus, so much so that at the wide end of the zoom  exact focus point is not often critical.

But at full zoom the actual focal length is 247mm. Any lens of this focal length has certain characteristics regardless of the sensor behind it. In practice this means that if I focus on a bird's eye, the body will be a bit unsharp and vice versa.  This means I do want to move the AF area to the bird's eye or at least the head.

And I want to do it pretty darn quick. 

But to change AF Area position the user must first find and press the AF Point Selector button on the thumb support, then move the right thumb down 35mm to the D-Pad, avoiding the Disp button on the way, to move the AF area with the up/down/left/right keys. That might not sound too difficult but in practice I often find myself searching for the AF Point Selector button then searching for the D-Pad with my thumb. Sometimes it seems easier to drop the camera down from my eye so I can see the buttons and move the AF Area to approximately where I think it will be required.

Of course by that time my little subject has flown away.

On most cameras I have used, well the Panasonic and Sony ones anyway, once the AF Area is active it is easy to change AF area size by turning a dial somewhere.

But on the SX70 there are only two sizes available and selection requires a visit to the Q Menu. And if [AF Method] was not the last item visited (menu resume operates) then more button pressing is required to scroll up to that submenu.

And yes it matters. If I want to photograph a bird it is almost always necessary to select the smaller [Spot] size. But in general photography the larger size [1-Point AF] is required as the camera will sometimes fail to focus with the [Spot] area.

There are numerous other annoyances, none major but in sum they are a significant impediment to efficient and enjoyable operation.

To mention just a few:

The EVF and monitor are adjustable for brightness but not contrast or color.

Neither the EVF or monitor can be configured with key camera data beneath the preview image on a black background. This data is always overlaid on the lower part of the image where it is more difficult to see.

If you want to fit a lens hood or protective filter you must buy a separate adapter and even then you can have one or the other not both.

When using Servo AF the AF area disappears during the shooting sequence.

There are no zebras.

There is no ability to set a minimum shutter speed.  All these superzoom cameras need the equivalent of Sony's [Auto ISO Min SS] which allows the user to set a minimum shutter speed which then automatically changes as the lens is zoomed.

The AF Lock system is clumsy. You can allocate [Focus] to the [*] button but not focus lock. But you can have exposure lock, go figure. The only way to lock focus with the [*] button is to hold it down during a sequence of exposures.

You can engage a kind of quasi focus lock by pressing the left D button while holding the shutter button half pressed. This jumps the camera into manual focus mode from which it has subsequently to be extracted.

Most cameras I have used allow you to focus and lock in one step by pressing a back button then unlock and return to normal operation simply by pressing the button again.

The Ugly

The main problem with all the small sensor cameras including the SX70 is a disturbing abundance of luminance noise even at the lowest ISO setting.

One is always trying to manage images with a very low signal to noise ratio.

This adversely impacts picture quality either due to the noise directly which prevents the rendition of details or noise reduction strategies used in RAW or JPG images in an  attempt to manage the problem

On my tests I can always achieve a more pleasing result by processing Raw files than the camera can achieve with JPG files which use excessive noise reduction to the point that subjects take on the appearance of melted plastic.

To make matters worse there is no facility for user control of noise reduction in JPG files.

My iPhone 6s which was released in 2015 makes  better JPGs than the SX70.

The paradox of small sensor cameras

The people who buy and use one of these models are likely to be snapshooters who leave the Mode Dial on Auto thereby ensuring sub optimal results most of  the time.

The users who might be able to extract  decent results from these cameras will be experts who shoot Raw and post process carefully. They also constantly monitor the aperture/shutter speed /ISO readings in the viewfinder and switch between P, Av and Tv modes as required to achieve the best firing solution.

But not many such users bother themselves with cameras of this type.

My recommendation

To anyone contemplating the purchase of an SX70 or any other camera using the little 7.7mm sensor my suggestion is:  Understand what you want to do with the camera and consider the options.

If the aim is mostly general photography, with little need for the superzoom,  there are numerous compact cameras using the so-called "one inch" (actually 15.9mm diagonal) sensor. All these models can make more pleasing pictures than any of those which use the 7.7mm sensor.

If you absolutely must have the superzoom capability I  recommend using RAW capture. Be prepared to use strong noise management strategies in Adobe Camera Raw or equivalent. 

Summary

SX70 best features: 

* The concept, all-in-one superzoom in a compact package.
* Reliable and effective image stabiliser, essential with this type of camera.
* Consistent lens quality across the focal length range (except for the edges at the shortest focal lengths, 21-24mm equivalent)
* Reliable AF
* Decent image quality obtainable with RAW capture and careful work in an image editor (I use Adobe Camera Raw)

SX70 worst features:

* Large amounts of luminance noise even at base ISO.
* Excessive noise reduction on JPGs at all ISO settings resulting in the melted plastic look on faces and the smashed avocado look on grass and foliage.
* No facility for user control of NR in JPGs.
* As a result of the above issues the camera is less suitable for its likely buyer demographic (snapshooters) than it could be.
* Clumsy AF controls.

Alternatives

The small sensor, super-zoom bridge camera sector of the market is languishing at the present time with very little support from any manufacturer. So your options are limited.

Looking at what's available right now:

* Sony HX400V.  This is getting very old and is waaaay overdue for an upgrade. Raw is not available.

* Panasonic Lumix FZ80. This is a slightly warmed up version of the FZ70 with the same body and lens. The new Lumix cameras, even really inexpensive ones like this, have a fast processor and lots of interesting features including 4K Photo with Pre-Burst mode.
The deal breaker for the FZ80 is an inadequate image stabiliser which produces way too many unsharp frames at full zoom.

* Nikon P900. I had one of these for a while. It features a decent lens and stabiliser (V.R.) but output is JPG only. AF is slow and  unreliable.  Overall operation and responsiveness are sluggish.
After a while I realised that getting decent pictures at focal lengths over about 1200mm equivalent was difficult with a low keeper rate.

* Nikon P1000.  Wanna take pictures of the international space station ?  My suggestion: use a telescope. It is possible that birders who specialise in waders might find the P1000 useful, I don't know about that. For general out-and-about photography the P1000 is too big.

* Nikon B700. This has been discontinued. I had one for a while. The focal length range is about the same as the SX70 and is very useful for a wide range of uses. It has a decent lens and a decent stabiliser. But there are many operational shortcomings which detract from this camera's potential.
I think that if the Nikon product development boffins wanted to make a really nice camera with broad appeal then a complete rework of the B700 would be a good place to start.