Hi grumpy (I bet you're not)
Welcome to the Q&A Board! A little background, then some suggested solutions to obtain sharper images.
Most advanced digital cameras produce "soft" images. Manufacturers realize that many photographers prefer to have as much control as possible when post-processing (editing) an image.
Digital cameras such as the Canon S70 have menu options so the user can select the degree of in-camera sharpening. The S70 offers three custom levels of sharpness. Check the camera manual where to adjust this, then increase sharpening and take some test photos until you are satisfied with the results.
Other things to consider:
Take hand-held photos at shutter speeds of 1/60th second or higher. Slow shutter speed can produce camera shake and cause images to appear unsharp.
Increase the camera sensitivity (ISO) to get faster shutter speeds. Realize, though, that "noise" may increase.
Use a smaller aperture (higher numbers) to increase depth-of-field.
Also, understand that most digital images need post-processing (image editing), particularly sharpening. If you have an image editing program such as PaintShop Pro, Adobe Elements or Photoshop, you can improve the sharpness of images, sometimes significantly, by using the Unsharp Mask filter.
Related reading:
ISOhttp://www.digicamhelp.com/advanced-digital-camera-settings/iso.htmSharpening Imageshttp://www.digicamhelp.com/learn/image-editing/image-sharpening.htmCamera shakehttp://www.digicamhelp.com/digital-photography-tips/camera_shake.htmDepth of Fieldhttp://www.digicamhelp.com/taking-pictures/depth-of-field.htm
