Canon SX70 vs SX60 Review: Pileated Woodpecker Images

Year 5

I had not planned on writing this review today, Christmas Day. Our children and grandchildren don’t start arriving till tomorrow. Thus, Molly and I planned to spend this afternoon at the movie theater watching Mary Poppins Returns. Sold out! Thus, we are back home with some free time before supper.

Earlier today the male Pileated Woodpecker paid my yard a visit. He is a regular at my feeders and some of the dead trees in the yard. I knew this bird would hang around for a while, and give me the opportunity to take identical photographs with my SX60, and also with my new SX70. In summary I was dumbfounded in a positive way in terms how the Canon SX70 handled the low light compared to the SX60 I have owned for four years. This post includes the Canon SX70 and SX60 images … both right out of the camera and with some minor edits which I explain. As a fyi, I always use a monopod to help stabilize my photographs.

If you are interested in reading my original SX70 camera review, follow the link to my previous post. This review only compares the two cameras in terms of performance against each other. The other review reviews the camera in general. On with the review …

The weather conditions were blah … heavy overcast skies. A friend who was over at the house for Christmas brunch and myself both estimated the distance between me and the woodpecker as approximately twelve yards (he’s an ex football coach and should know that distance). I set the ISO at 200 for both the SX70 and the SX60 and used Aperture Priority. Note the HUGE difference in terms of shutter speeds between the two cameras. The SX 70 with identical Aperture Priority settings to the SX60 achieved a shutter speed  1/160th of a second. The SX60 could only achieve a shutter speed of 1/80th of a second. In addition the SX60 could not achieve focus. It was too dark.

Canon SX70 Aperture Priority: ISO = 200; Aperture = 5.6; Shutter Speed = 1/160th second

Photo #1 is directly out of my camera … unedited / no cropping

Photo #1 (same SX70 Image) was now opened in Camera Raw … following edits / no cropping

  • Clarity +40
  • Black +40
  • Shadows +12

Canon SX60 Aperture Priority: ISO = 200; Aperture = 5.6; Shutter Speed = 1/80th second … no edits or cropping … not worth any effort … garbage photograph

Note: I took over 50 photos using burst mode … stopping ever 5 to 8 photographs to refocus and attempt to get a clean image. I could never get a focus lock with the SX60. The Pileated Woodpecker was in the same exact location relative to me.

Finally when the Pileated Woodpecker moved to my platform feeder to eat some corn, and the light was more directly upon it, I was able to achieve a focus lock. Although the conditions were heavy clouds, my earlier images were towards the sun’s position behind the thick clouds. The following SX60 image is unedited or cropped (directly out of the camera). The bird was more out in the open at this point, and the SX60 was now able to achieve a focus lock, but the shutter speed actually decreased to 1/25th of a second. For those of you who do bird photography, this speed is way to slow to reliable stop action on even a somewhat motionless bird. I was not able to take a photograph with my SX70 before the woodpecker flew away. Here is the SX60 image.

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Best Photos of 2018: Part 1

Background, Year 5

As 2018 draws to a close, I decided to take a look back at my photographic journey through the year. This is the first of two “best photos” posts. Part 2 will focus upon birds, but today I will leave my fine feathered friends out of the equation for a change!

If it is not obvious, I love Lake Superior. When one lives in Duluth, the lake is everywhere. I am so thankful my parents moved here when I was six months old. I have had a life long love affair with the lake ever since. While Superior is beautiful in the Summer, it is during inclement weather that her full majesty is displayed.

Sea Smoke: When the temperature drops well below zero this is almost always a call for me to head outside with my camera. Early in the winter the temperature differential between the lake which has not cooled off much yet and the frigid air generates sea smoke. For this first photograph I was out at the Superior Entry Lighthouse on a cold day when I heard the Coast Guard Cutter Alder’s diesel turbines. I quickly checked my marine app and confirmed a ship was approaching the canal. For ten minutes I waited till suddenly the cutter appeared. The photo opportunity was over in seconds. I got cold waiting as the temperature was well below zero.

A few weeks later I had moved from the South Shore of Lake Superior to the North Shore. Strong winds and fear of ice buildup on the ships meant viewing opportunities from Silver Cliffs. This route to Sault Ste. Marie is much longer, but in the early winter ships will take this path to avoid the wind.

Back to the Superior Entry Lighthouse and one morning I found the three roses. I wondered why the flowers were left on the beach. I will never know.

Finally, another day at Silver Cliffs during this fall’s big storm. A freighter making its way through the tempest measured the wind speed at 86 mph just before I took this photograph. Uff dah.

While I love photographing birds, mammals are not far behind. The first two images were taken in my own yard. While I live on the very edge of the Boreal Forest, in addition to the part of my yard which is heavily forested, the rest of the yard is tall grasses and perennials. My local mammal population likes the combination and we see all kinds of wildlife, including this Gray Fox which caught a chipmunk underneath my bird feeders, and a White-Tailed Buck in velvet which hung out often in my yard this summer.

Most long time readers of my blog know I love to cycle, and my camera is always with me. Most days will find me at some point riding up the North Shore on Scenic 61 (Bob Dylan’s famous road). Both these images came about during bike rides. For the red fox, I spied the canine watching me through the lupines. I jumped off my bike and this pic resulted. For the river otter, I decided to check out a local river. I found this otter diving for shellfish breakfast. It was very cooperative in terms of letting me watch. My bike ride took a 30 minute break that day … not so good for the work out, but a magical morning.

Finally, I like photographing the “dark side”. From sunset to sunrise you will often find me out with my camera. For the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train photograph I have actually first scouted the location via Google Satellite, then Google Street View, and finally in person. I knew the location was a winner. My only hope was the train would slow down as it approached Nipigon, Ontario … and that I would be able to hear the approaching train over the sound of the rushing water.

The next two images are from Grand Teton National Park. Although I had caught pneumonia while in Yellowstone, and was still quite sick, I could not spend my entire day sleeping in our motel room. Sunset and Moonset over the Grand Tetons.

My final image is the Milky Way over the Davidson Windmill in northwestern Wisconsin. I wonder if the Finnish immigrants that built this windmill to grind grain in the very early 1900’s could have ever imagined some software nerd (what’s software) turned wildlife photographer would decide their windmill was one of his favorite night spots in the Northland?!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. The best birds of 2018 will come sometime before the new year.