Canon A70

[Dee]

The batteries appeared to drain really quickly when using cheap local replacements.

This is one clue. With digital cameras you're better off with nickel metal halide (mAh) rechargeable batteries. I'm using 2200 mAh now. If I don't have to change my meory card, they last me about 3.5 dives. That's with auto focus on the whole time and using an external strobe on all shots.

I have 3 sets of 4 batteries that I rotate. One in the camera, one in the charger, and one ready to go.

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

Dee once bubbled...


This is one clue. With digital cameras you're better off with nickel metal halide (mAh) rechargeable batteries.

Halide? A typo I'm sure.

But I've found that 2000 milli-Amp-hour NiMH batteries last me through two tanks without a problem with the camera always on with the LCD always on.

Marc

 

[Dee]

FLL Diver once bubbled...


Halide? A typo I'm sure.

But I've found that 2000 milli-Amp-hour NiMH batteries last me through two tanks without a problem with the camera always on with the LCD always on.

Marc

Typo? More like a brain fart! I think one reason I get such long life out of these new 2000 batteries is I do turn the LCD monitor off if it's going to be a while between shots.

 

[gpeter]

Im looking into buying a A70 and the underwater housing. Two quick questions:

1) Has anyone used the A70 in northern waters, I live in British Columbia and wonder if a strobe will be a requirement or will I get any shots without it?

2) How does the strobe connect to the camera, is it slaved to the internal flash or does the A70 have an external flash connection?

Thanks
Gord

 

[Burner]

I have a A70 without a strobe. My best pictures were when it was pitch black on a night dive (I'm definitely a beginning photographer). As long as you are close the internal flash will work pretty well. I suggest trying it out with the internal flash for a few dives to get the feel of it, and then decide if you want to get a strobe for it. I don't know if you can put a strobe on it or not either. If you are buying the whole setup, some people on this board may point you to a different camera depending on what you use it for.
I got the A70 because it was a good deal on it for a land camera (I think I got it for around 200) Later I decided to give the case a try. I'm happy with it and I haven't checked around to find the camera I should have bought and got mad at myself for buying this one

 

[Burner]

Here are some pics
This is probably 80', night dive, no light except just the flash

 

[Burner]

this is snorkeling, sunlight only no flash

also the quality looks much better before recompressing and resizing each picture. It probably happened about 3 times for each picture

 

[mymiles2go]

So, I'm down to about 1-2 days left before I really need to get a external flash/strobe before going on my next vacation - got any suggestions that will work for the A70?

 

[Timothy Randall]

I have enthusiastically found this board/tread in reference to the Canon A70! I have recently purchased the camera, ordered the housing and like Gorde, I live in the PNW and would like to know about connecting a strobe to the camera? Does the strobes senses the "internal flash"?? The A70 does not have a connecting cable port? Do you get any scatter from the internal flash in combination with an external flash?

I would appreciate part numbers for compatible strobes

Thanks friends,

Tim

 

[Scubatooth]

Big Blue One once bubbled...
... I posted an earlier thread on this.

Went to Palau with mine and dived the wrecks there.

Had a great time and got some good picks but experienced some strange problems. The batteries appeared to drain really quickly when using cheap local replacements.

The camera essentially gave the impression its was overheating and so would work less on dive 2 and 3 even with a new set of batteries. I wasn't sure whether this was due to moisture or what really as the symptoms were very strange

After allowing to dry out for a day it appeared to behave better.

Will post the pics one day when I get around to it !!

Appreciate anyone who has had experience with it in an intensive trip such as multi day multi dives.

Subsequent to this I took it on a standard leisure dive weekend and it behaved itself and I even ran up 20 minutes of movie out of the casing.

The thing I really like about it is it is small and fits neatly in my jacket pocket !!

the cause of your problems was the cheap local batteries as they were probably very old batteries or that they werent rated as high a charge (which equates to in scuba terms air if normal energisers were a al 80 those might have been a 40) and/ or werent able to take the load of the camera (same comparioson as the charge) this is why i always buy my batteries before a trip if im usings alkinlines so i dont have to depend on substandard brands.

i dont think the moisture or pressure had anything to do with it at all but it was the batteries