Thankfully, the most important component of the camera has been redesigned in every way and the new Canon 70D has a 20.2MP APS-C Dual Pixel Cmos AF sensor. There is a reason for for all that information as well. I am pleased to see 20.2MP on the sensor because it is clear that Canon needed to show that they were moving forward though we all know that more megapixels come at the cost of low light performance. As a result, I think 20 megapixels is a great blend of increased resolution without compromising low light performance by increasing it too much. The next aspect of the new sensor is low light performance. Canon claims that the 60D will set a new standard for APS-C cameras and has increased the max ISO to 12,800. First impressions seem to show that low light has definitely increased and i’m guessing we will see performance slightly ahead of the 24 megapixel Nikon D7100. The third and most important new feature of the sensor for Canon is the dual pixel Cmos. Without getting too technical, each pixel of the new sensor is split into two channels allowing the camera to use phase detection auto focus in live view or movie mode with much greater precision and speed. The Canon 70D should now be able to focus in movie mode similar to an actual movie camera at apertures up to f/11 and using 80% of the frame as the focus area. We will definitely be testing this because Canon may now once again have set a new standard in video performance with the 70D.

More notable features include a high resolution, 1 million pixel, 3” articulating screen. Although this is just slightly smaller than the 3.2” screen in the 5D, having the ability to move the screen around will be a welcome addition for many.
The 70D also inherits the 19 point all cross type AF system from the 7D, though some of the customization options have been slightly simplified. This is a welcome addition as the 7D focus system has proved to be a great performer for me. The D7100 AF system does have more points scattered around the frame but most of them are not cross type points and will not perform as well. Unless you are tracking subjects randomly across the frame, the 70D focus system should be a better fit.
The 70D gains built in Wifi although no GPS. This is perfect in my opinion as I rarely ever want GPS tagging of my photographs but I find Wifi incredibly useful.
The 70D is also faster with 7fps and a buffer rated to over 16 images at this speed. This is more than double the buffer of the Nikon D7100 which only records a max of 6 images at the top speed of 6fps. Anyone shooting sports, wildlife, or action will notice the difference immediately as it does not take much to fill up the D7100 buffer.
Viewfinder coverage also has increased to 98% which is more than enough for just about everyone.
The body while still mostly plastic has been outfitted with seals and o-rings to make the camera more resistant to dust and moisture. Functionally, the body will feel just like the old 60D with only a couple of small changes that are also consistent with other Canon cameras.
A microphone input has now been added with manual audio control clearly positioning the 70D to be a great video camera. Video resolution modes are still the same with 1080P recording at up to 30fps and 720p recording at up to 60fps. Canon has also now included the 2 recording formats from the 5D and allows video recording at higher bit rates with less compression.
You now have auto exposure bracketing of up to 7 frames which will make HDR enthusiasts extremely happy. The only major downside I see in this camera is the inclusion of only 1 SD card slot. I love having 2 cards for backup when shooting something important and would have loved to see this on the 70D. I’m not surprised at this move since the Canon 6D did not have it either but when shooting very important things such as once in a lifetime vacations or weddings, a second card slot for backup is priceless.

Even so, the 70D is way more of a camera than I expected and I am definitely looking forward to getting it in my hands to test these new awesome performance claims by Canon. Priced at $1199 for the body only, the 70D is aimed squarely at the D7100 and with many notable new features and improvements, Canon looks to have announced a winner. 

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