Canon has announced an upgrade to the now four year-old SX60 HS compact superzoom. Though the focal length remains unchanged, the image sensor and processor have been updated, along with the electronic viewfinder and video recording capabilities. The PowerShot SX70 HS is also the first of Canon's point-and-shoot snappers to support its latest RAW image format.
The SX70 HS gets a megapixel bump from 16.1 to a 20.3 MP CMOS sensor, and the image processor goes from Digic 6 to Digic 8. This combination results in up to 10 frames per second continuous shooting, five stops of image stabilization and 4K video recording at 30 fps. The camera also supports Canon's storage space saving CR3 RAW image format. Light sensitivity isn't too impressive though, at 100 - 3,200.
Out front of the 5 x 3.58 x 4.59 in (127 x 90.9 x 116.6 mm) camera is a familiar 65x optical zoom lens, which translates to a focal length of 3.8 to 247 mm (or 21 - 1,365 mm in 35 mm film camera speak) on its own or up to 2,730 mm telephoto with some digital help. Users can get real close to a subject thanks to a minimum focusing distance of 0 cm, that's right: zero.
Around back, there's a 0.39-inch, 2.36 million dot OLED viewfinder that switches on automatically when the camera is brought up to the eye. Framing up can also be undertaken using the 3-inch vari-angle LCD panel at 920k-dots, which will be kinder on the battery – you can get 325 shots per charge when using the LCD panel only (though there is an Eco mode that will bump that up to 405 shots) or 255 shots when using the EVF. And finally, the SX70 HS comes with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi included for remote shooting and wireless image transfer.
The PowerShot SX70 HS will go on sale in November for US$549.99.
Product page: SX70 HS
