Last Updated on March 18, 2019 by cameraconsumer
The Canon EOS 70D, an icon in the DSLR world for a number of years, was discontinued soon after the release of its successor, Canon’s EOS 80D model. How well does it still hold up a few years later? Does its much-reduced price tag make the 70D a viable option as a mid-range DSLR camera?
A strange mixture of excitement and sadness takes hold when a favorite camera reaches the end of its marketable life. Okay, so it gets replaced, assuming you have enough money sitting in your account. Just 10 years ago, that wasn’t so unusual, not for a digital SLR.
A discontinued camera equaled some big new development in a still fairly new equipment sector, so a new model was highly a desirable piece of kit. Today, though, those developments occur incrementally, not as some abrupt, dramatic moment of change.
That being said, a DSLR that was manufactured in the last 5-8 years still has years of service left to give. Does the Canon EOS 70D belong in this technologically relevant, future-oriented category? This model was developed in 2013. That, admittedly, takes you back a number of years. So is this a model that’s destined for the camera scrapheap?
Does it belong on a shelf or the least popular pages of an eBay auction? Well, let’s answer that question by letting its specifications speak for themselves. After giving it a chance to prove its own worth, perhaps you’ll decide to invest in one, or perhaps you’ll choose a Canon EOS 80D instead.
Canon EOS 70D: A Powerfully Persuasive Option
A semi-pro camera by design, it sports a 20.4-Megapixel APS-C sensor, which shoots 6.7-frames of RAW or jpeg images every second. That’s a snappy speed, a capture rate that’ll still enamor the most demanding sports photographers out there today. Even the more affordable Canon EOS 77D, a model that came to market in April of 2017, peaks out at 6-fps, although it features a 24.2-Megapixel sensor. Incidentally, between a DSLRs pixel capturing sensor and the output image, a special piece of integrated circuitry processes the data.
The computer chip performs like a tiny darkroom, which is stored deep inside the camera. For Canon cameras, this microprocessor is called DIGIC, and just as a camera evolves over the years, so does the DIGital Imaging integrated Circuit (DIGIC). In the 70D, DIGIC 5+ pulls smooth gradations and high-definition details out of the image data.
The Canon EOS 77D equips itself with DIGIC 7, which means better image quality and AF tracking. Granted, that’s a win for the newer camera, but it’s not exactly a knockout victory, is it?
A Few Iterations Down The Development Pipe
And that’s the point being made here. Sure, updated image processors create slightly sharper photographs, but are they really that much better than those that were created on a camera that’s 5 years older? And a 20.4 Megapixel sensor may not beat a newer 24.2-Megapixel one, but is there really that much difference in picture quality? Of course, there are improvements. Otherwise, you’d be wasting hard-earned cash every time you purchased new equipment.
The point being made is this: for newer camera equipment, at least in pro-am models, the improvements made to the finest branded cameras over the last 8-10 years have mostly been incremental, not groundbreaking, not quantum leap-like.
To reach that kind of technology advance, you’d need to buy a Canon EOS 80D, not a 70D. Even then, as you take your photography skills to the next level, the 80D integrates DIGIC 6, which isn’t the latest and greatest image processing standard. Clearly, then, the lines blur between the different cameras, and that discontinued camera suddenly doesn’t seem quite so out-of-the-game.
And A Decision Is Made
Would you be sticking your neck on the line if you were to say the 70D still has value? No, that’s not a rash thought at all. On lining up the three models on a desktop, the whole matter gains perspective. Granted, a discontinued camera is no longer manufactured, but that definition, at least in this case, does not equate to an obsolete model.
Then there’s the 77D, which is an amazing Canon product, but it feels a little like a stopgap. It has a better image processing brain and more megapixels, plus a higher ISO range and a whole slew of advanced features under its compact hood.
Still, some camera enthusiasts have voiced small complaints. Basically, they believe stopgap cameras don’t bring enough major advances to the high-performance photography sector, not enough to justify the upgrade. Better by far, say they, to stick with a Canon 70D. Alternatively, save up your pennies for a few months more and purchase a Canon EOS 80D.
Why Was The Canon EOS 70D Discontinued?
With all of the facts and comparisons aired, the question that’s been itching at the base of your skull comes to the fore: why did they stop making the 70D? Well, what can you say? Times move on, new developments arrive, and they find their way into a newer, more powerful camera. But it boils down to this, that discontinued model shoots superb images.
They’re sharp, in focus, and rendered beautifully in true-to-life color. Sure, the next model up delivers a live preview AF mode and slightly sharper photographs, but some users have said it feels plasticky and, well, flimsy. Meanwhile, the 80D is a high-speed, feature-rich option, and it’s clearly rated as one of the finest pro-am cameras on the market. Still, it doesn’t have a 4K video recording mode, which is something that’s now becoming standard on newer models.
Again, the Canon’s successors bring much-desired improvements to the game, but are they must-have features? Surely a Canon 70D, a model that shoots gorgeous photographs, still has value. That’s an especially true statement if you consider modern conveniences like Bluetooth and NFC a distraction. After all, at the end of the day, purist photographers just want a perfectly composed, beautifully rendered image, right?
Cameras are replaced by newer models after a few years, even if they take superb photographs. That’s just the nature of this highly competitive business. But forget about business strategies and technology-based bells-and-whistles for just a moment. All things being equal, a 70D, made by Canon, is a remarkably good investment.
There’s no arguing the edge the other two models possess, but do you really want to write off a previous camera’s innate value because of a few not-so-major advancements, as adopted by two excellent but not quite so cutting-edge successors?
If you like the Canon EOS 80D, but would like to say a few dollars, the Canon EOS 70D is still a great option – especially as a mid-range camera! Until mirrorless technology (or computational photography) completely takes over the camera industry, the EOS 70D should definitely hold its own in any camera comparison!
