June 28th, 2013 Update – Please Read Canon 70D Specifications Leaked for more up to date information on the Canon 70D.
The other night when Annie and I went to the theatre, there was a commercial for Canon cameras which featured the Canon T5i and the Canon 60D. Annie asked me if I was interested in either of them. I have considered the 60D in the past, but it is actually quite similar to what I have now, and so when my current body dies in three to five years, I’ll probably be looking at the Canon 70D which is due to be announced in the next few months and be released before the fall. Read the bottom of this post for a primer on how Canon model numbers work.
By the time I am looking for a new body, I think the cost of it will be more reasonable, and from the rumours I’ve read, the features should be pretty decent.
It might come with the following:
- 18mp Sensor (Same as SL1)
- DIGIC V (no one has said it will get DIGIC 6)
- 6.5fps
- SD Card
- Wifi
- GPS
- 3.2″ Touchscreen LCD (No mention of swivel)
- Magnesium Alloy Construction
- Weathersealed
- Slightly larger than the EOS 60D
- $1199 USD Body Only
Information from Canon Rumours
Basically, it looks like a cropped sensor version of the 6D, Canon’s budget friendly full frame camera body. I hope that it comes with a better autofocus system though as the 7D that I owned had an amazing autofocus system, and most people agree that the 6D has a mediocre one.
Rant: It bothers me that they can create an amazing autofocus system and then instead of slowly integrating it into all of their product lines, they limit what they add so that people that want a good autofocus system have to pay a huge price premium. /Rant
I also doubt that the new 70D will have GPS and WiFi in it, as these modules, should stick to the single digit model number bodies. It might sell cameras to include it, but it isn’t a needed feature for most photographers, and is a gimmick that eats up body space and adds weight.
There are also rumours that the 70D might come with a 21MP sensor that hasn’t been released yet, but I think most photographers don’t care as much about how many MP their sensors have any longer, but would rather see things like dynamic range, ISO and other image quality factors improved.
Side note: Back when I was looking at upgrading my body to a more pro-level one, I thought about waiting for the Canon 7D Mark II, and it still hasn’t been released. It looks like it might not be announced until early 2014 at this rate.
Many people are wondering if the Canon 70D will be the little brother to the Canon 6D or the Canon 7D Mark II. I am not sure what Canon is going to do with their middle of the road body, but the 6D and the 7D are very different cameras. The 6D is a “budget friendly” full frame studio camera, and the 7D is a sports photography camera. And I feel like the 7D Mark II will be very different from the 6D as well, so choosing one direction or the other for the 70D will be important as many people step up through the various models along the same lines.
Why wouldn’t I go towards the 7D Mark II in a few years? Well, the average price of Canon’s more professional bodies is going up, and as such, I think it will probably be outside of my affordable range for the type of photography I’m interested in doing, and I would rather spend that extra cash on better lenses than better bodies.
I think the 70D, if given a good autofocus system could easily fit the budget in a few years, and give me the performance I need to continue improving my photography for years go come, especially if it comes with a nice weather sealed, sturdy body.
Canon model numbers primer: Professional bodies are one number long such as the Canon 1D, 3D, 5D, 6D and 7D series bodies.
Mid-range bodies are two digits long such as the 40D, 50D, 60D. They include more professional features, but are seen as prosumer cameras.
Lower end digital SLR bodies are the Rebel series which have three digits such as the 550D, 600D, 650D, but in North America, they go by “brand” names of the T1i, T2i, T3i. Recently, Canon added the 100D to their line-up which is better known by the brand name of the SL1.
The lowest priced bodies, with the least features are four numbers long, like the 1100D or better known in Canada as the T3.
Malcolm's Ramblings 
9 responses to “My Next Camera: Canon 70D”
My prediction is that the new 70D will be more like a entry level pro (single digit) of old than the middle prosumer line. With the new Rebels and the Nikon D7100 to compete with they have no choice. GPS and Wifii at $3 and $5 or is it $5 & $3 are a must. The new auto focus is a must. They HAVE to hav esome new techonology include beside a bigger sensor and a faster chip. The new sensor and 6 processor are a must. Since 20 Mp is a sweet spot for video while not a must it would be one hell of a good selling point. With the D7100 selling lie hot cakes they have to beat it on several points and come close to the others. Is the average consumer going to get into the micro-focus lenes and extremely low light performance? Probably not. Regardless, they will probably forgo the 18 meg sensor and relegate it to the Rebel line. Plus there’s a large segment of the market that considers mega pixels the primary purchasing factor. So, just because Nikon has it canon must. So, 20 meg is a plue. The fact that Canon’s will have excellent low light performace as compared to the Sony sensor will include the educated market as well. The difference between 20 and 24 is nothing. To the uneducated they will bothe be 20 meg chips but Can will have better performace. Mag frame pro construction like 50D is also a big plus. With all these is it a high-end prosumer or a low-end pro camera. Calling it entry level pro gear, I think, help the marketing. So, that’s the way that I think that it will be presented. The bigger question is after all of these improvements what will they have to do to the 7D to attract an audience. For the 70D toe a high end crop they have some serious hoops to jump through. Or does 7D become an upgraded entry level pro level 6D and the 6D line vanish? What does this all mean. Product line compression. There will be Rebels and there will be.Albeit entry level pro. The prosumer line will be put to rest. There will be everal levels of pro gear and sever of consumer gear and at the bottom P&s’s. The 6D will never be heard from again. If I can figure all this out I’m sure that Canon Can. The problem is Quality control on the igger chips. hence, all the delays.
I believe that in some respects, you are incorrect. Canon isn’t really known for creating products to compete directly with Nikon just because… They don’t care about the D7100 or any of the other products on Nikon’s side. If they did, their T5i would have been a more feature filled upgrade over the T4i and the SL1 probably wouldn’t have been released. Yes, they want to improve their sales figures, but to directly feature compete isn’t in their best interest, and they know people beyond the entry level are probably already invested in their lens technology and aren’t going to switch bodies without serious consideration.
Also, if they bump up the megapixels, they’ll potentially cannibalize sales from the 6D, even if it is a crop sensor camera (which there is nothing that I’ve seen which says the 70D won’t be crop sensor), and the 6D is too new to be relegated to the side-lines, so don’t expect them to do anything that’ll reduce sales of that new body.
With the 1D, 3D, 5D, and 6D rounding out Canon’s pro-line, and the 7D Mark II coming early next year which will also probably considered a Pro level camera, and the T5i, SL1 and T3 (and potentially an updated version of this, maybe a T6?) as their low end devices, they need some bridge devices in between, and I think the 70D will be this bridge device. Something less costly than the 6D but more expensive than the T5i or 60D. Feature wise, they could kit-bash something together that would probably fill this role easily, so I’m not going to hold my breath for some big advancement.
I appreciate the comment though and in many ways, I hope you are more right than I am, as I would love to see an inexpensive, super powerful Canon DSLR for me to purchase 3-5 years down the road, when the price is lower…
. While it’s true that once the ordinary consumer gets his set of lenses they rarely jump ship. It’s not a question of the Canon shooters going over to Nikon because of a lack of new features. It’s a question of canon users being induced into upgrading their bodies. Or inducing the small segment of the market that jumps int the middle of the product line. Prosumer vs entry level pro is really splitting hairs. But to come out with a camera at this level, what ever it’s called, with the same sensor as the Sl1 is not going to induce a lot of upgrades. And I agree that the difference between the T5i and T4i is so small I consider it pretty much the same camera. But, the Rebel market is a whole different animal. They’ve been coming out with a new model every year or less for ever. So, a new Rebel release rarely invokes much more than a yawn. They are usually first time buyers. So, the first time buyer can boast that they have a newer model.. So who is going to upgrade? Clearly not anyone in the 40D, 50D and 60D range and probably not even anyone with a Rebel less than 5 years old. Hell, if it’s a recycled 60D I’ll stick with my 20D.
As for cannibalizing 6D sales, I don’t think it really matters how great or poor the 70d is it’s still a cropped sensor and will have little effect on the full frame market. For the same reason people don’t jump to Nikon they are going ti be hesitant to jump format and start replacing at least part of their glass. i see the 1D, 7D, 70D and IDs, 5D, 6D as two separate markets. With all of the 1Ds as and most of the 5D as working pros that have little effect on the 70D bridge market. .The pros will shoot with 1Ds and 5D and the wantabe pros will shot with the 6D and the prosumer/advanced shooters will have 70D an 7D..With the big 35 meg sensors looming on the horizon as the new big guns they desperately need something in the middle to bridge the gap. As we’ve both agree. Going with 18 meg sensor, even if it’s new 18 meg sensor, with recycled technology (AF and processor) is not going to cut it. Especially, after waiting this long.
Regardless, if they were going to recycle components and mirror the Rebel strategy, the thing would have been released long ago. Even taking in account the effect of the floods this camera is way overdue. It begs the question why? As we both know, Canon never comes out with new technology in the high-end pro series. This would be the perfect platform to load the new stuff in and get 6-9 months of tweaking in before they put it in the big gun(s). At least, that’s what I’m hoping.
[…] in my earlier discussions and thoughts on the Canon 70D (My Next Camera: Canon 70D), I as pretty certain that the camera would come out with a 18MP sensor, like the 60D, T5i, and […]
Here’s a newbie question. I have an older “rebel” with some very nice EF-S lenses. I am waiting for the 70D to hit the streets. But have a bit of worry regarding if my EF-S lenses will still work. I know that I am safe with the 60D… Thoughts on the 70D’s lens utilization?
They definitely won’t make the Canon 70D a full frame camera, so you have nothing to worry about. The only time you have to worry about your EF-S lenses is when you go full frame. The 6D is considered the “entry level” full frame camera, and they won’t do anything to risk losing sales on that new body. The Canon 70D will be a crop sensor camera, and thus your EF-S lenses will still mount just fine.
Thank You. Now if they would only get it announced and in the stores.
[…] my previous post, entitled My Next Camera: Canon 70D, I discussed what I thought they would do with the Canon 70D, and I got some things right, and some […]
[…] If you want more information about Canon camera body numbering, check out the bottom of my post entitled, My Next Camera: Canon 70D. […]