Ah yes, it's true, the wonderful people of FreeDigitalCameras.com are, believe it or not, giving away these cameras for free. And how do these cameras fare? Quite well actually.


Conclusion - Pros

* Excellent resolution
* Low noise at ISO 50 and 100, not bad at 200 and 400
* Excellent metering, color and dynamic range
* Very clean, artefact-free images
* Wide-angle zoom (28 - 100 mm equiv.)
* Excellent range of controls
* Solid build quality, nice metallic finish
* Improved ergonomics, separate zoom and four-way controller
* RAW file format
* Ability to turn JPEG shot into RAW during record review
* Advanced features such as intervalometer, sync curtain, spot AE point
* Custom shooting mode (user saved settings)
* AF assist lamp

Conclusion - Cons

* Some purple fringing visible at wide-angle or maximum apertures
* Some corner softness at wide-angle and maximum aperture
* Lens slow at telephoto (F5.3)
* Auto focus can be slow
* Low-light focus unreliable - especially at long end of the zoom
* LCD monitor difficult to use in very bright light
* Poor automatic white balance in incandescent light
* Average macro performance
* Images slightly soft (sharpen well in post-processing however)
* Slow playback (image to image)

And if you're unsure as to whether or not you want to plop down 400 dollars on a camera released almost a year ago, then you can always go through the FreeDigitalCameras.com offer like I did.

After getting my S70, I splurged on a few accessories. Here is a review on how well they work with the S70.

- CF card, at least 1GB in size: This is a no-brainer must have. Get a high speed one (but note that Lexar's "Write Acceleration" is not supported on Canon cameras).

- Canon wide angle lens, and the required lens adaptor: Not worth it. The lens doesn't sit very stably on the camera (I expected a more solid feel when using genuine Canon accessories on a Canon camera), and the pictures taken are somewhat distorted.

- Wireless controller: If you have a decent tripod (any brand will do, the S70 accepts a regular tripod screw) and want to be in the pictures you take without resorting to Photoshop, the remote control is a nice thing to have. But don't expect too much, the zooming control on the remote is pretty much a joke.

- Portable dye sublimation printer: These are marvelous and produce absolutely real-looking (and waterproof too) 4x6 prints that are a world apart from anything inkjet printers can do. The obvious downsides are 1. paper and color cartridge kits are expensive and 2. 4x6 is the maximum print size. Other than that, these printers are great fun. And they are so small these days, you can take one on a trip and print your own postcards to send home. Canon models are: CP-220, CP-400, CP-330, CP-600 (the later two models include a rechargeable battery, so you don't even need a power source for printing). Another choice is the Sony DPP-FP30, which is almost as small and has slightly better colors.

The purpose of my review is not to provide technical information, as one can glean all that from other reviews or consumer report sites, but to state a comparative and realistic perspective from an average, if slightly amateur, digital camera user.

I do a lot of research before I purchase my digital cameras (since they're an expensive investment!), and Canon always receives rave reviews. I owned a Canon PowerShot S40 previous to this, and the image qualities have always surprised me, especially compared to my friends' pictures (we usually post them online for sharing, and I can rarely get anything above 4x6 prints from their non-Canon images).

I was debating between this and the parallel Sony 7.2 mp, but because I was so elated with my 4 megapixel Canon, I decided to be brand loyal. The S70 is much lighter and a tad slimmer than the S40, not to mention the obvious difference in color; the matte black makes it stand out amongst all its competitors.

Two of the best improvements, in my opinion:

1. The lengthening of movie clips - from thirty seconds to three minutes (although that isn't the best in the industry).

2. The macro capability is a marked difference - 4cm. This is great for my purposes, since I love crisp, detailed close-ups.

Cons: It is bigger and not as "pretty" compared to the tiny Sonys, but that is my only superficial complaint.

You can receive the Canon PowerShot S70 for free! I hate scam sites, but this link (http://www.FreeDigitalCameras.com/?r=17818890) really works, if you think signing-up for one free offer, plus referring others, is worth it. It is the only site I have tried, and probably the last. I believe you also have a choice among other digital cameras, although I highly recommend the S70.

For credibility (articles from Yahoo! Finance, The New York Times, etc), go to http://www.gratisnetwork.com/PressRoom.html to see evidence of the legitimacy of Gratis Networks (the company giving away the free stuff).

As you can tell, I am delighted with this camera, and would have forked over $400+ for it if I didn't fortunately run into this free deal.

This camera is fine and has a real comfortable feel to it. But I couldn't afford it so I tried one of those "scam" websites. Turns out it works. If it is worth the effort to you, give it a shot. use this link:

http://www.FreeDigitalCameras.com/?r=17702698

In the 7-megapixel class alone, Canon makes at least 3 current consumer models: the G6 (w/ 4X zoom), the S70 (w/ 3.6X zoom), and SD500 (the new "Elph", w/ 3X zoom). These are priced similarly, within $100 of difference. (Incidentally, here's a tidbit about the zooming capabilities - the closest telephoto zoom of the "3.6X" on the S70 is like a 3X zoom on most other cameras. The extra ".6" is on the wide angle end, which is rather unique and is nice for taking in vast sceneries.)

My previous digital camera (a Sony Cyber-Shot with 3 megapixels and 3X zoom) was one of the ultra compacts and although I loved the portability and was content with the lower pixel count, I was dissatisfied with the graininess and contrast of the pictures (despite much effort to adjust to lighting situations within the limited interface) and ultimately I put the blame on the quality of the optics.

For selecting my new camera, the G6 receives rave reviews almost everywhere I looked, but I wasn't willing to jump to such a large camera (when I am out and taking pictures it's for fun, not for professional use - carrying a big hunk of a camera inteferes with enjoying the trip). The SD500 is one of Canon's Elph series cameras with an amazingly diminutive size, but previous experience makes me doubtful of the ability of another ultra compact. And even though reviews do say the SD500 takes good quality pictures, one thing's for sure - it has fewer controls than I'd like. The S70 happily sits half way between those two, is reasonably compact, and has just enough user controllability that I thought I needed. Most importantly of all, the S70 seems to have just enough size to house the quality optics necessary for taking great pictures. My old camera used to take perfectly respectable outdoors photos, but in any indoors lighting condition it took either grainy pictures with bad contrast, or extremely over exposed pictures if I enable the flash. Not so with this one. Every snap shot so far has been crisp and vivid, with good contrast and beautiful flesh tones. The resolution at 7MP is more than necessary for any practical inkjet-printing-at-home purpose, but on the other hand it allows for quite a bit of freedom for cropping if you need to re-frame a shot to get the best composition.

Also worth mentioning, a slightly gimmicky but very nifty function is that this camera facilitates taking multiple pictures that can be seamlessly "stitched" together (by showing a portion of the previous picture when you take the next shot). This allows great possibilities of making VR files where the viewer can navigate the surroundings 360 degrees. I am toying with the idea of producing a few "virtual" house walk-throughs for a friend's webpage, who's a real estate agent.

Now, what I don't like about the S70 is that the mechanical motors for the moving parts operate way too loudly. You can go to CNET to see a video clip of the zoom lens coming out and hear what I mean. Otherwise, just a few minor quibbles on the interface which is arranged not quite as conveniently as I'd like. No complaints whatsoever for the picture quality. The S70 is, definitely, one of the finest cameras of its class.

I have done quite a research on the portable 7MP cameras (especially the ones that supports add on lens) and this S70 stands out. The Canon G6 is equally good but its bulky and weighs more. Even though movie support is not great in S70, we rarely take full-fledged movie in a portable camera. And the battery life of around 260 shots is enough for people like me for a day of outdoor shooting(you may sometime have to carry extra battery). The image quality is comparable to any good ones in this range. [...]

There's no doubt about it, the S70 is a great camera. Its small enough to carry with you (though a little too big for pockets), has a nice LCD and boasts amazing 7.1MP resolution. You can print out an 11x14 poster of your photo without having to stretch the image, that's how great 7.1MP really is. Also, its got tons of features for a non-SLR model that are easy to use for camera beginners.

I've been watching the canon S series since the S20, so when our film camera (a Canon) died after 10 years, I just bought the S70. This is the single best camera we've ever owned.

Where do I begin? 7 megapixels means even a partial frame prints without pixelation. I don't know what purple fringing is, we don't see any pruple fringes in our photos.

We bought a 512 MB card, which has a capacity of 160 photos at the highest resolution, minimum-compression JPEG setting. The quality is truly outstanding.

Sure, I wish the shutter lag was shorter, but it's as good as any digital camera I've tried. Full recharge of the battery takes less than two hours, and the battery lasts for over 100 shots (I haven't needed any more than that.)

Did I say we love this camera?

We do photo cards every Christmas. This year, I bought the camera in November, and the first weekend we owned it, I took an amazing photo of our daugher. Even though the best part of the photo just occupied 25% of the frame, it looked great after cropping. Within 30 minutes, I'd uploaded the photo to Ophoto, and two days later we received the highest quality photo cards we've ever seen.

Did I mention that I love this camera?

Hint: Get to know all the photo modes on the mail dial. They give you an amazing range of control over your images.

First of all, I am not a serious camera buff. The S70 is my first digital camera because I wanted to wait until the technology was proven before I jumped in. That said, the S70 has proven to be a great camera that takes great pictures.

The only problem I have noticed is that the autofocus has a hard time resolving anything without sharp edges. When I was at the Smithsonian a couple of weeks ago taking pictures of some impresssionist paintings they gave the autofocus headaches.

My bud is a camera freak. He just bought a $5000 12 MP Nikon to add to his collection of high dollar Nikons. I would ask him what such and such function does and, after explaining it to me, he would be surprised that a pocket camera would offer that feature. For example, for an important picture that might not be able to be shot twice, it has settings that will tap out three photos-one regularly exposed, one underexposed, and one overexposed.

He was one to snub his nose at small point and shoot cameras but, being a cameraphile, he cant resist playing around with mine when thats all there is. Over the past few weeks of playing around with it the S70 has earned his respect. He was impressed enough with enough that he recommended it to another acquaintance that asked him for his opinon.

I've owned more than a dozen cameras since i first caught the photography bug thirty years ago, but the S70 is by far my favorite (so far!).
I could go on and on about the amazing range of features packed into the S70's compact, sturdy little body (and i must admit that both the features and the design are impressive!). But what impresses me most about this camera is the consistently excellent images it produces.
The optics are superb; they are quick to focus and produce razor-sharp photos. The metering, too, is excellent, even in high-contrast situations. And the color fidelity is among the best i've ever seen in a digital camera, at any price.
This camera also boasts a true wide-angle lens, which is great if you photograph landscapes or architecture. And at a whim, the S70 can be a fully automated "point and shoot" or the next-best-thing to a fully manual SLR. I also love the thick plastic cover over the LED screen on the back!
The flash is perhaps a bit underpowered, which can contribute to the "red eye" some other reviewers complained about. I've noticed this to be a problem only in very low light, though, and it's my only complaint (and a minor one, at that!).
If you're looking for a rugged, reliable compact digital camera that consistently captures great images, look no further than the S70.

The s70 is a good all around camera for the secrete paparazzi in you. At its highest resolution you get amazing detail in the pictures. The digital zoom does make the picture a little grainy, which is a bummer. This is one camera where you need to read the manual if you want to take advantage of all of its features. I was a little disappointed in the TV viewing of my pictures. Perhaps it is my TV but the images are black and white.

With this camera you really must upgrade your flash RAM to 2GB. You can pick it up from www.newegg.com for about $100. The high rez pics are very large. I also bought the lens adapter and the tele-lens. Haven't received them yet so I can't let you know how they work.

Over all rating of this camera is good. With the other accessories; tripod (large and pocket size), 2GB memory, lens adapter, lens, remote control, and spare battery this setup is great for the dad looking for a camera to capture the family moments in life.

I'm very satisfied with the quality of the photos, its compactness, and its functionality. I used a 2MP s60 for quite some time, so this is a nice upgrade. Battery life has been good. My only complaints are that the display is hard to view in bright sunlight, and the lens cover slides off easily when placed in a pocket.

I received the merchandise in excellent condition, new, on time. Everything as promised. Thank you.

This is a review that I could not wait to write. You simply can't go wrong if you're considering buying this incredibly intelligent and powerful camera-the Canon PowerShot S70 7.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Zoom. With so many brands on the market and so many choices, where does one begin to find the right camera for their personal and professional needs? Where does a photographer or the average enthusiast start to isolate the camera that they want to buy for themselves or as a gift?

I really do hope that this personal and honest review will help you narrow your search and help you develop more faith in what you're buying. I'm assuming that you probably have a good deal of experience with photography or you're a person that appreciates great photography. So if you're looking for an outstanding digital camera at a Professional Level, you've found it with this monumental digital camera from Canon. This is a VERY dependable camera, probably in the top of the all the reviews I looked at while doing my homework. If you're a photographer, you know how great it feels to put a great machine in your hands. The Canon Powershot S70 is as sturdy and comfortable as they make them!

This camera will always take color-rich and vivid photos for you-even if you make a slight mistake or move your hands just a tiny bit when photographing. It actually has a great deal of technology that is built-in and designed to compensate for anyone who might be in a poor lighting situation or someone who forgets to focus well before shooting the picture. I typically use the function that allows the camera to call all the shots. At first I wasn't comfortable in doing that. After I took my first 2 rolls to the camera store for developing, I soon discovered that I had nothing to worry about and I was dealing with a superb camera.

Canon Powershot Digital Cameras are pretty hard to compare with others in the this arena. I've had Powershots for a long time and I've taken over five thousand photos with them-they stand up against my accidental drops or drops of rain when I've exposed the camera to water.

Aside for requiring powerful batteries that use a good amount of power, there is no downside to this incredible digital camera from a great digital camera maker. I've been able to have these photographs enlarged to poster size and found them to be as vivid (even close up) as I could ever have imagined. With 7.1 Megapixels, sizes like 8x10's are not even a concern when enlarging.

Canon was in the camera business decades before digital cameras were even on the market and they've really pushed the digital envelope with this camera. If you're looking for a gift for someone who is an avid photographer and like digital photography, you've found it in the Powershot S70. You can stop looking and place your order now. Your recipient will be extrememly satisfied with the ease of use and the high quality of this great camera.

If you are an avid photographer, like myself, and wish to have a camera for digital shots-this is the baby you'll want to buy! If you're looking to take photographs that you will likely enlarge to 5x7's, 8x10's or larger, this camera has enough power and technology to do the job without looking like a digital photograph. Often my framed digital prints look better than my photographs taken with film-something I never thought would happen!

There is a great deal of information that you can read about this camera on the Canon website and other review sites online. You can compare the camera with others in the same category. You might find some slightly better deals with other brands that might offer even larger amounts of Megapixels. That really is NOT what you should be looking for. Often the number of Megapixels is only possible with the use of special software to inerpolate the photographs. You don't want to have to worry about all of that. You are set with the Canon that truly delivers 7.1 VIVID Megapixels!

Canon puts together an entire Kit or Package when you buy the Digital Powershot. I wanted to also let you know that the software that's included with the camera package is fantastic and is literally worth the price of the camera in itself. However, you're getting a super package with this deal and a camera that can depend on for as long as you want to own the camera. I've exposed it mine to rain about 10 different times, and I've not EVER had any even a small incidental problem. reminds me of the Energizer Bunny-It just keeps on Going and Going and Going and never stops! You will NOT be disappointed with your purchase and with the warranty from Canon.

I hope that this honest review was of some help to you as it was a pleasure to write it for you.

The canon powershot s70 is in my opinion the best point and shoot camera you can buy for the money. It has all the shooting modes that an SLR camera would have but in a slim compact design. Set the dial to the preset settings for different situations or tweak the more professional dial choices to get that perfect shot. Though if you are not on the up and up with digital cameras these settings may seem a bit overwhelming. With 7.1MP your pictures will come out extremely clear. Most point and shoot cameras only have 3x optical zoom, but this baby has 3.6x optical zoom. Though sometimes this doesn't get as close as one would want. Add-on's are easy to find at any store that carries the camera. I haven't had any need for an extra battery but I would recommend getting a 512MB compact flash II for even betting images. If you are thinking you need a camera that has a substantial zoom then I would not suggest buying the telephoto lens that can be bought as an accessory. If you want close up images you have to take the lens off then put it back on for the zoom feature. Over all, this camera is great for the everyday use for those who want all of the features of the professional SLR digital cameras. I would highly recommend it to anyone in the market for a new digital camera.

I bought this Camera in October of 2004- when the product was first released. I have had zero problems with it, and have nothing but the best things to say about it's photo capabilities.

I think that this is the best balance of quality for the price. Besides, you don't need more than 7.1 mp for any photography. If I shot photos in the full 7.1 mp I could make life size posters!

The true test for this camera (to me) was when I went on vacation up the California coast. I shot the most amazing pictures in Big Sur. The detail was exquisite, and the color was amazing. Since I have purchased this camera, my PhotoShop days have been over. I never have to adjust the color of any shot I take, and that is why I love this camera so much.

If you are looking for a camera that has the capabilities of an SLR without the size of an SLR, this is definitely the one to get.

I purchased, through work, the PowerShot S70 in July of 2005. I've always owned Nikon products personally, but the features for the price of the S70 swayed me away from my usual Nikon brand loyalty. In the 12 months I've had the S70, it's been sent to the factory twice for repairs--the second time was just 6 days before the warranty expired. The first time it was sent in was because the lens door failed to turn on the camera and it was almost to come off of its track. Eight months later, the flash quit working in all modes AND the door was failing AGAIN!

The flash and door problem occurred while I was in Yosemite NP, so you can imagine the disappointment in being in a place like that with a camera that is only half functioning.

Now, the warranty is expired and I hold my breath every time I slide the lens door open. I have no faith in the Canon S70 and have lost a lot faith in Canon products as a whole.

The only bright side of this experience is that the factory repairs were completed within 2-3 weeks, which I thought was fast for warranty work.

I purchased the S70 10 months ago and travelled with it throughout southeast Asia through harsh climate conditions and rough roads. The camera was flawless! The camera "build" is fabulous and the camera can be quite simple to operate even though it has many features found in digital SLRs. Two features that I like most are: 1) the panaorama feature in combination with the Zoom Browser software that can produce breathtaking super wide angle panoramic images and 2) the capability of shooting/storing images in RAW format for those special occassions when you know you are going to want to print the image in highest quality (its successor the S80 does nothave the RAW image feature). This is a very high quality camera and if you don't want the bulk of the digital SLRs on the market but want very high quality images----this is the camera!! This camera turned me into a Canon fan!
I recommend at least a 1 gig memory card and one extra battery. At the highest resolution I was getting at least 350 images on a 1 gig card. I also recommend the LowePro case that is compatible with the S70 like the Rezo series pouches Very protective and holds extra batteries and memory cards.

At first I thought this camera was great, but owning it for 2 years now - I HATE IT. It's SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. The autofocus is SO SLOW. Reviewing pictures is SO SLOW. I can't stand it. Another thing I hate is the movie mode - it's only 10 FPS. I know the camera is for still photos, but my brothers camera at least captures movement at 30 fps. As for the actual photos it captures, they are fine - but then again I can't take any instant photos for those times when my niece and nephew are being cute for that split second. Buy this camera if you want a delay after delay. It's SO SLOW.

Love this digital camera compared to our previous ones. We're mostly a point-and-click family, and this is an easy-to-use camera that does a good point-and-click and gives an opportunity to do more if you should so choose some day.

A friend at work was just asking for advice on a camera as she had an early digital compact that was very un-user friendly. The conversation inspired me to post a review as this camera is so easy to use and takes fantastic photos.

Pros:
- Easy to use
- Picture quality is great
- Video is pretty good (not amazing but better than most out there)
- Size is good - not tiny but not big for the quality you get
- Stylish; looks nice
- You can buy a waterproof casing for it

Cons:
- The only thing that is probably the case with all compacts is its not super fast taking a photo. If you have used an SLR this will be a little annoying but overall its not a great problem and something you get used to with automatic focus.

I've been very very happy with this camera using it for travel and family shots. Thumbs up.

I have owned this camera since it came out on the market. I have used many different digital cameras - and I believe this one has been the most user friendly and produces very fine images. It is well constructed- I take mostly outdoor/nature photos and having traveled extensively with this camera it has held up remarkably well.

I spent over 8 months in one year on fishing boats in the Bering Sea...no problems. This camera captured thousands of images (intervolometer option - awesome!) inside it's waterproof housing while strapped to the steel gantry's of 100' ships in less than ideal weather...no problem.

This camera went with me to the top of Ecuador's highest volcanos...only problem was the LCD freezing - now there are a few 'spots' on it...but hey...that was my fault and it wasn't exactly warm up there at 20,000'

So, yeah...it's a nice tuff little camera.

If you want to see some of my images from AK, check out - [...]
you'll need to click on each underlined link...and of course the image size has been reduced to save space....

Check it out!

Nothing to complain, except slightly heavy and bulky (not too much though). Compare to my old S30, the battery life is greatly improved, and the turn-on time is shorter too. Picture quality and functions are also very good. Really love it. And its control is quite user friendly.

It was a descent camera at the time. I bought it in 2005 for about $390 something from BuyDig(finally a place that gave me no hassle, or the ussual run around.)
With wide angle lens, sliding lens cover. But here's what I learned: The slider is flimsy, and comes off of it's sliding rails sometimes, it doesn't do too well in low light. Forget about trying to take a candle lit shot of an altar. I ended up taping a piece of tissue to compensate for the overly bright flash. Above 100iso setting things tend to get rather grainy. This is a very sensitive and finicky camera to work with, you can have it on a setting that you like and as soon as you close the clam shell your setting disappears, and you're back to the default settings that may or may not work for you. Also the mode dial moves too easily, so you gotta be careful when you pull it out of your bag.

So save yourself the money. Because if you were to look on current market for point & Shoot digi cam, you'll find other cameras that are (1)cheaper, with (2)higher mega pixel counts, (3)Built in image stabilization/vibration reduction etc. (4)Slimmer body(so you don't look like you're overly excited, or have a pet gerbil hiding in your pants)

Finally, if you've been shooting film SLR you probably won't be satisfied with most digicam unless you're getting Nikon D3, or Canon EOS-1Ds MkIII.
Because unlike film cameras, the processor in those little digicam decides almost everything if it doesn't live up to standards you're stuck! ...with grainy, unnaturally color balanced images.