Who's first in with their pre-orders for the new Canon 70D?

[Donald]

As forecast, the launch was today.

What are the reactions of those of you who've looked at the spec?

Are you Canon users going to be putting your 60Ds and 7Ds in the rubbish bin/trash can immediately and stocking up with the new body?

And are all you Nikon (sorry for swearing) users now ready to see the light?

The pitch is:

"Building upon the success of the 60D, the Canon EOS 70D Digital SLR Camera Body slots into the mid-range of digital SLRs and is aimed at keen enthusiasts looking to take their photography to the next level. The Canon EOS 70D gains a couple of improvements over the 60D, including a larger 20.2 megapixel sensor, a jump from 5.3 to 7 fps, a broader ISO range from 100-25600 (ext.), a faster and more accurate 19-point AF system (same as EOS 7D), a powerful DIGIC 5+ processor, a 3.0” vari-angle LCD with touchscreen functionality and built-in Wi-Fi for image sharing and remote camera control from a smartphone or tablet. The EOS 70D is the first camera to feature Canon’s new Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, enabling fast and smooth AF tracking whilst shooting movies or stills in Live View mode. With this in mind and the increased burst rate of 7 fps, the 70D brings its appeal closer to the wildlife and sports enthusiasts who desire quicker and more precise focusing when capturing fast moving subjects."

[Adrian]

Perhaps this tells us more about likely positioning of 7D replacement than anything else.

[inkista]

Perhaps this tells us more about likely positioning of 7D replacement than anything else.

Not to mention the EOS M (as dpreview points out).

One feature that should have a lot of folks cheering: AF microadjust is back in the XXD line. I'm curious now to find out if the 70D has interchangeable focus screens. Given that it has the LCD overlay in the viewfinder, like the 7D...

---
addendum. Crap. Looking through the specs on the Canon website and the accessories list, looks like there's no easy swap of the focus screen on the 70D. Looks like it inherited that limitation from the 7D as well. Stupid LCD overlay...

[davidedric]

I think I'll wait to see what IQ this fancy new sensor delivers for regular stills photography (and what happens when you put third party glass in front of it). Still, looks like a distinct possibility if I wanted to upgrade my 600D.

[shreds]

And are all you Nikon users now ready to see the light?

Oh dear, Donald, why would we want to go down that route? We capture the light very effectively with our Nikons



(Better say that I always tell anyone on that wind up that N&C are generally very evenly matched and there is little to choose between them, having used both, although I have been resolutely a Nikon user for over twenty years. I would only look at digital medium format otherwise, but that is not suitable for everything I do, even though the results for say portraiture are outstanding on a Phase One)

[jessicapirson321]

Well it is a hard question, I think I will wait to see it in my local shop. I have been reading reviews for 3 hours and after first touch with it I think I will buy it. When you are reading pros and cons for this digital camera there are always more pros than cons.

[fluffchucker]

I was looking forward to update my 60D, as I especially like the swing out LCD
The initial price of £1079 doesn't look too bad.
I thought I'd just found it at £50, but that's ONLY a pre-order deposit
Currys doing at at £1399
Maybe there'll be better deals after Xmas

[Clactonian]

'fraid not Donald. I'll stick with my trusty D2Xs, which will probably see me out.

[RustBeltRaw]

I'm still looking for a second body, as I backed away from the used 1D MkII N (noise frequency too low above ISO800). It will not be the 70D, but not because the 70D has an problems. I'd love to have the faster autofocus, snappier processor, and increased burst rate compared to my 60D. But I'd rather pay $2,000 to get a lot more performance than $1,200 to get a little more performance. Strongly suspect the 7D MkII will be my answer. Praying for a 10FPS burst rate, dual cards, and a 1.3x or full-frame sensor, even though the rumor mill isn't optimistic about the last two.

There's talk of several new camera bodies beyond the 7D Mark II being released in 2014, as well. That may be interesting.

[pnodrog]

And are all you Nikon (sorry for swearing) users now ready to see the light?

Be careful young Donald wandering around writing such provocative statements may result in you becoming Canon fodder. There are many Nikon extremists out there.

[rpcrowe]

It looks to me like the 70D is another morphodite video/still camera that caters to the folks who want to use their DSLR for video work as well as for stills. The improvements certainly will make this camera a higher stakes player in the video field (I think Canon did not really think things out when they introduced video into their DSLR line) but, as I see it it, the 70D adds very little, if anything to the 7D still shooting capability.

I have a hunch that the 7DII or whatever Canon decides to name the replacement for the 7D will have little, if anything to add to the 7D still shooting capability but will be a better video camera. It will certainly have a LCD that articulates and will most likely have the new focusing system to make it a better video shooter. I don't use my DSLR for video work and that is why I decided to pick up a second 7D with which I traveled to Venice and Istanbul.

BTW: It was certainly nice to shoot with two identical cameras and it is the first time that I have ever experienced that luxury. Previously, I always shot with two different generations of cameras. I used a 30D and a 40D during my trip to China which were not all that bad and have (until I pulled the plug on the second 7D) used the 7D along with the 40D as my go-to cameras. The 7D + 40D combination had one big problem... I had to carry two different types of batteries and chargers for the two cameras. Not an insurmountable problem but a bit of a PITA when traveling. Having all the controls in the same places between the two cameras is also comfortable.

Finally; I had a new type prosthetic knee installed as soon as the company introduced it. It was supposed to be better than sliced bread but, wasn't! Two months later, after much suffering, I had to have the knee cut out and replaced with a standard joint. Since then, I don't buy any important item until other people have tested it.

[Dr Bob]

Well Donald, no.

As a 7D user, I am quite happy with my current camera body. The 70D does not offer sufficient advantages and value to me to justify the purchase. However, if I were still using my 450D and looking to upgrade, it would be a camera to consider.

Dr Bob

[davidedric]

Amazon UK are now selling both the 7D (£999) and the 60D (£599) below the proposed launch price of the 70D (£1079). Still wish they were priced in $'s mind.