USA TODAY International Edition
Canon 70D SLR excels at autofocus
Digital SLRs come and go, with a great deal of hype that each new model is sharper, smaller and easier to use. Such is the groundswell for Canon’s new $ 1,200 70D SLR, which is shipping this week.
We got our hands on a preproduction model, which we’ve been using since July, and can report that the hype is real. The camera is that good. It’s the biggest breakthrough in shooting autofocus video since the introduction of DSLRs and the Canon 5D Mark II in 2009. The 5D ( now the Mark III) showed how a still camera could provide cinematic-like video images that looked more colorful and breathtaking than anything shot on video cameras. Reason: The image sensor on the DSLRs is 20 times the size of those on video cameras, producing better quality.
The 70D’s breakthrough comes in autofocus. I’ve never seen autofocus this good for shooting video — either on a still camera or a video camera.
What hasn’t improved dramatically is the quality of the image. Its 1080p video looks terrific in well- lit situations, but it’s not so great in low light. More on that in a minute.
Typically with the Canon line of cameras, once the focus is set and the recording started, you couldn’t adjust the autofocus, unless you did it manually, or bought accessories.
The 70D has a 20- megapixel “dual- pixel autofocus” sensor — in the past, the pixels on the image sensor were used just to capture the image, but now they also assist in focusing. For videographers, this means no more pressing the shutter halfway down and being frustrated as the lens hunts for the focus point.
The promise of the 70D is quicker, more accurate autofocusing, and that’s what I experienced, both for video and stills.
There are 19 autofocus points with the 70D, which Canon says cover 80% of the viewing area. What does that mean for you? When you’re shooting a school ballet recital and the dancer is moving across the stage, video will stay in focus. When you’re shooting a baseball game using a big zoom lens for close- ups and your son is running from third base to home plate, he will probably remain in focus. With the 60D, 70D’s predecessor, the odds of that happening were nil.
The autofocus works great for stills, too. I used the camera at a party recently, shooting in a dark room, which is where autofocus is generally the toughest to work. On my 5D Mark III, which sells for $ 3,500, the camera hunted for focus. I switched to the 70D, and the focus came in within seconds. It worked great.
But the image quality suffered with the 70D, which does sell for a third of the price of the 5D Mark III. What I don’t like about the 70D:
As I mentioned, the image sensor is great for autofocusing, but not great in low light. Anything above 1600 ISO will probably see lots of noise — little artifacts showing up that you’d rather not see.
The Wi- Fi is a step in the right direction, but very, very cumbersome to set up. It needs to be disabled in video mode. If you want to send photos via Wi- Fi and have just been shooting video, you’ll have to adjust the menu before you can start.
Canon’s got a long, long way to go to catch up to the ease of sending pictures from smartphones.
But at least photos on DSLRs are a whole lot sharper and crisper than smartphone photos or video; you can use zoom and interchangeable lenses. That’s pretty cool.