Canon PowerShot Pro70

Introduction: The Pro70 at a Glance

Canon launched the PowerShot Pro70 in 1998, when digital cameras were still a novelty and most people shot film. It combines a built-in zoom, a screen that swings away from the body and room for two memory cards, so it sits naturally among the digital bridge cameras that enthusiasts like to collect and try.

Measured against today's gear, nothing here is quick, and that is the appeal. In exchange for modest pictures you get a bright lens, a real viewfinder and a camera that rewards patience.

Shooting with an early digital camera usually changes how a photographer works. With a fixed lens and limited resolution, cropping later is not much of a rescue, so you think about distance, light and framing before you press the button. The results have a recognisable early-digital look that suits web use and small prints.

Design Roots and Historical Background

A prosumer camera with a short career

The Pro70 is an early, serious digital camera. Canon released it in 1998, and the PowerShot Pro90 took over its place in 2001.

Together, the fast zoom, flash connection, card slots and rotating monitor read like a miniature professional kit.

A body organised around its controls

Shooting choices stay refreshingly short. Besides the green auto square and program (P), the dial offers L for lock/off, Play for reviewing pictures and a PC position for working with a computer.

For shots from the ground or above your head, the colour screen is the feature to reach for: it flips away from the body and can be rotated by 270 degrees, so awkward angles stay comfortable.

Key Technical Highlights

Out and about

The lens is the star. It zooms across a 28-70mm equivalent range with an aperture between f/2 and f/9, depending on how you set it. You can focus from 32 cm out to infinity, so close-ups of small objects and wide street scenes both fit within one lens. Framing is also possible through the optical viewfinder, which shows 90% of the final picture and has diopter adjustment so you can tune it to your eyesight.

In the studio or at an event

Anyone planning to use flash needs a separate unit, because the body carries none of its own. Many Canon EX speedlites fit the hot shoe. Storage is just as flexible. Two CompactFlash slots accept Type I and Type II cards, microdrives included, and a CF button chooses the active slot, so you can keep a spare card loaded at all times.

At the computer

What ends up on the card starts with an unusual sensor: a 1/2 inch CCD of 1.6 megapixels that uses a CYGM colour filter (cyan, yellow, green and magenta) where most cameras rely on the familiar red, green and blue Bayer layout. Pictures are saved at 1536 x 1024 or 768 x 512, and you can choose raw, JPEG normal or JPEG fine.

• Zoom: 28-70mm equivalent, f/2 to f/9
• Focus range: 32 cm to infinity
• Sensor: 1.6 MP CCD, 1/2 inch, CYGM filter
• Quality modes: raw, JPEG normal, JPEG fine
• Flash: external only, via the hot shoe

Modern-Day Use in 2026

Where the Pro70 excels

The Pro70 suits photographers who enjoy early-digital rendering and a deliberate way of working. Its fast lens, viewfinder and support for external flash give it more room to experiment than many simple compacts of its time.

Use it for:

• Small web images with an obvious early-digital character
• Projects built around early digital technology
• Trying out an external Canon EX speedlite on the hot shoe
• Practising composition within a fixed zoom range

Practical shooting tips

• Turn the diopter dial until the viewfinder looks sharp to your eye.
• Choose JPEG fine for everyday pictures and raw when you want to process files yourself.
• Use the rotating screen for low and high angles instead of crouching or stretching.
• Pack fresh batteries and keep a spare card in the second slot.

Buying and Maintenance Guide

What to check before buying used

A careful inspection tells you most of what you need to know about a camera of this age. Work through the list below, ideally with a card in the camera.

• Run the zoom through its whole range and listen for hesitation.
• Look through the lens against a light source for haze, dust or fungus.
• Flip the screen out and rotate it, checking the hinge and the picture.
• Try both CompactFlash slots and the CF button.
• Click through every position of the mode dial.
• Inspect the battery compartment and the hot shoe contacts.

Take a few test pictures and play them back to confirm they save correctly.

Power and batteries

Two power options exist: a lithium 2CR5 battery, or the rechargeable NB-4H pack, which is a 1400 mAh NiMH type.

• Ask which power source comes with the camera.
• A rechargeable pack needs a matching charger, so check that one is available.
• Remove the battery if the camera will sit unused for a long time.
• Clean contacts help avoid unreliable starts.

Basic care and accessories

• A soft microfiber cloth and a blower for the lens and screen
• A padded bag that protects the lens and the fold-out screen
• Spare CompactFlash cards and a reader for your computer
• A compatible Canon EX speedlite if you want flash

Browse our photography accessories for bags, cleaning tools and other everyday essentials.

Conclusion: Early Digital With Character

The Canon PowerShot Pro70 is a piece of 1998 digital history that still works as a camera. A bright zoom, a proper viewfinder, a flexible screen and two card slots give it a more serious feel than its small sensor suggests.

If you enjoy gear with a story and accept its limits, a well-tested Pro70 is a rewarding companion. Check the lens, the power source and the cards, and it should give you plenty of early-digital pictures to enjoy.

Ready to explore cameras like the Pro70? Browse our digital bridge cameras and the wider range of digital cameras at DutchThrift.com.

Sources: Canon PowerShot Pro70 on camera-wiki.org, text licensed under GFDL 1.3.