The PowerShot SX70 HS is Canon's latest bridge camera, and an update to the aging PowerShot SX60 HS.
While the 65x optical zoom range running from 21-1365mm hasn't changed over its predecessor, there are a number of other updates. These include a new 20.3MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor that's paired with Canon's latest DIGIC 8 image processor, which should see an improvement in image quality over that from the 16.1MP chip used by the SX60 HS.
The arrival of the DIGIC 8 has also boosted the performance of the PowerShot SX70 HS's image stabilization system according to Canon, reducing camera shake by up to five stops, while the new camera can also shoot 4K video at up to 30p, improving on the SX60 HS's Full HD video capabilities.
The burst shooting speed has also taken a big step up, with the new camera capable of shooting at up to 10fps compared to 6.4fps, although this does drop to a more modest 5.7fps with continuous AF.
Similar design, new viewfinder
The design of the PowerShot SX70 HS follows the DSLR-inspired design of the SX60HS, but the new camera gets a new 2.36-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder, compared to the 922k dot LCD display on the older model. The SX70 HS also gets a handy eye sensor to automatically activate the EVF when you raise the camera to your eye, while there's now a useful zoom switch on the barrel of the lens.
The PowerShot SX70 HS has lost the hotshoe that was on the SX60 HS, although we can't imagine that this will be a big issue for most potential users. As well as JPEG and raw shooting options, the SX70 HS also now supports Canon's CR3 raw format, which offers smaller file sizes.
The Canon PowerShot SX70HS will be available from November priced at £519.99 / $ 549, with pricing in Australia to be set at the dealer's discretion.