[Review] Get Ready For Some ‘Finger Clicking Good’ Photographs

This is probably the last gadget review we do this year and what a rocking time we had with this camera. We got our hands on the Canon 70D to run it through our test bench. This is a no-nonsense DSLR from Canon, built to perform in almost any type of light setting. Whether it is the wild outdoors, party floor or a casual walk on the beach, this camera will deliver superb photographs.

The camera is equipped with dual pixel CMOS AF 20.2 MP sensor. This enables it to focus faster when the live screen mode is turned on, both for videos and stills. But before we tell you more about the pictures, let us talk about the built. The camera looks like any other mid-ranged Canon DSLR and is quite grippy. At no point did we feel that the camera was slipping off our hands. The keys are placed conveniently and well within the reach of the index finger and the thumb. At times, extra effort is required to rotate the top mode dial, but that is it.

Canon has added a 3-inch swivel touchscreen at the back that lets users take images at various angles. The colours of the screen are great and one can clearly see and enlarge pictures on it. Moving on to the shooting modes, there is everything here – from the usual auto mode for beginners to the demanding manual mode.

We tested this camera with the 18-55 mm lens that comes in the box. Together, 70D managed to give us some spectacular shots. We particularly liked the macro shots. The 19 point auto-focus system works well and one can focus on the subject with ease. After 7D, 70D is the DSLR by Canon on which we loved the burst mode. Canon claims that users will get 7 frames per seconds under it and we got the same.

All this is good when it comes to capturing subjects in good ambient light or outdoors. But what about the indoors? Most urban users, including us, buy a DSLR to shoot indoors and in low-light conditions (at least 50% of the times). The results were quite good in low light. The 70D kept the digital noise out of the pictures, even when the ISO settings were cranked to 3,200. After that, a slight haze in dark-to-low-light conditions could be seen. On a single charge, we were able to squeeze about 200 shots in live mode. Users can get four times that amount by just using the viewfinder.

The 70D is also capable of capturing full HD videos at 30 FPS. But we did find a bit of lag here. We have seen better performing DSLRs from Canon’s camp when it comes to videos. The camera falls in the mid-segment of DSLRs for people who want good performance but do not want to spend over a lakh for it. With the 18-55 mm lens, this camera costs Rs 85,995. For people who do not mind spending a little more can seize the one with the better lens. The 70D with 18-135 mm lens costs Rs 1,02,995. Overall, the 70D is a great camera and well worth the money.