Product Description

NIKON D70 -- The smart money says this Digital SLR is going to be a true buzz-killer for the competition! Now you can catch all the action in glorious detail and impeccable color fidelity, with a 6.1 million effective pixel CCD and the ability to shoot up to 3 frames per second. Stores images on CompactFlash ( CF ) Card Type I & II or Microdrive (sold separately) 1.8 TFT Color LCD w/ brightness adjustment Standard ISO hot-shoe contact USB interface Unit Weight about 21 ounces w/out battery or memory card In the box - Strap, body cap, eyepiece cap, LCD monitor cover, video cable, USB cable, EN-EL3 Li-ion battery, MH-18 charger, CR2 battery holder, software on CD-ROM Lens not included - accepts most Nikon Lenses except IX Nikkor models

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23979 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Nikon
• Model: D70
• Dimensions: 4.40 pounds
• Display size: 1.8

Features

• 25 July, 2007

Amazon.com Product Description
Delivering top-notch performance and high resolution at an affordable price, the Nikon D70 digital SLR offers easy-to-use yet powerful features to a wide range of users--from novices to serious and experienced photo enthusiasts. Its DX format 6.1-effective megapixel CCD sensor is optimized to deliver images with excellent sharpness and clarity, and it's compatible with Nikon's DX Nikkor lenses.

Optics and Resolution
The D70 incorporates a next-generation 6.1-effective megapixel DX format CCD image sensor that produces 3008 x 2000-pixel images, and is optimized to deliver a wide dynamic range and superbly sharp details. It also has 2240 x 1488 and 1504 x 1000 resolution modes.

Nikon programmed the D70's advanced system LSI processor for improved performance to produce vivid colors and clarity, optimized auto white balance, auto tone and color control, and to run real-time processes that diminish digital noise in long exposure shots for cleaner overall results.

More Features
The Nikon D70 has been designed to offer faster operation at nearly every level of performance, with the camera ready to shoot the instant it's turned on. Compressed NEF (RAW) files are processed and stored exponentially faster, making shooting in compressed NEF mode easier and more convenient than ever. It can shoot a rapid 3 frames per second for a continuous burst of 144 pictures (using the JPEG Normal/Large setting and a 256 MB CompactFlash card) due to improved buffer memory handling, faster image processing, increased memory card access speed, and greater system bus bandwidth.

Other features include:

• Built-in Speedlight flash with auto pop-up
• 1/8000 second shutter speed and a synch speed of 1/500 second for flash
• Auto modes include Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sports, Night Portrait, and Night Landscape
• 25 Custom Settings allow you to personalize the operation of your D70 to match your shooting style or the demands of different shooting conditions
• Shoot in any lighting environment with the D70's built-in creative lighting system and 3D Color Matrix meter with 1,005-pixel RGB Sensor
• The D70 displays menus with simple or detailed information on a 1.8-inch LCD viewing screen
• Choose from a variety of file formats, including Nikon's RAW mode (NEF), TIFF, JPEG formats or Nikon's exclusive compressed JPEG + NEF combination
• ISO standard hot-shoe with safety lock
• Optical viewfinder features high magnification, diopter correction, complete info display, and On-Demand grid lines to aid in composition
• High-speed, high precision 5-area AF system with predictive focus tracking and Lock-on ensures quick response and sharp focus

Storage and Transfer
Images and video are stored on CompactFlash memory cards (Type I/II), and the camera is compatible with MicroDrives (no memory card is included with this package). Files can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1 connectivity, which means it can be connected to any USB-based Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-Ion battery pack (EN-EL3, included) or three CR2 lithium batteries (with supplied MS-D70 battery holder). It measures 5.5 x 4.4 x 3.1 inches and weighs 21 ounces (camera body only without batteries).

What's in the Box
This package includes the Nikon D70 camera body, strap, body cap, eyepiece cap, LCD monitor cover, USB and A/V cables, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (EN-EL3), battery charger (MH-18), CR2 battery holder (MS-D70), and Picture Project CD-ROM. Optional accessories include: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery (EN-EL3), Multi Charger (MH-19), Quick Charger (MH-18), AC Adapter (EH-5), Speedlight SB-800/600, Nikon Capture 4 (ver.4.1) Software, Semi-Soft Case (CF-D7)0, Remote Controller (ML-L3).

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Customer Reviews

Destined to become a Nikon Legend
I have been a Nikon user for over 20 years, and owned at least six different bodies and lots of lenses. My all time favorite is the FM2N. Why Nikon? It's the lenses! Nikon seems to understand this is the main selling point of their system. SO they have never changed the F lens mount. You can use older manual focus AI and AIS lenses on the D70. The bad news: The meter won't work. However on a digital SLR, the LCD confirmation mitigates this since you can check your exposures. You could also use a handheld light light meter. More good news: depth of field preview works with AI and AIS lenses! So I've been having a great time using my manual lenses on the D70. This camera is really a winner and costs no more than some of the ridiculous "prosumer" digicams out there. It's far more versatile.

It's easy to use-if you've used another digicam or even a recent Nikon 35mm SLR. The fact that I've been able to figure out most settings necessary without even cracking the manual is impressive.
The flash syncs at 1/500! This makes for some really creative fill flash outdoors or in the studio. All necessary settings are within easy reach, and no stupid five click deep menus for stuff like ISO. All the important stuff like ISO, Metering pattern, Exposure modes, White Balance, etc. have a dedicated button right on the body. No fumbling to change stuff while shooting.

Shutterlag is virtually non-existent. It's almost as good as my FM2N. But face it, if you want zero shutter lag then get a manual 35mm camera! However with the D70, you will not notice it.

The Lens-the kit lens is a 18-70mm (27 to 105mm). It's pretty good, and the color has that gorgeous Nikon hue. It's bright for a zoom. A lot of people are criticizing this lens unjustly. It does have a lot of barrel distortion on the wide end, but for landscapes you'd never know. It's got a very good wide angle range for a digital lens. It's a great value, and way better than any junk Sigma puts out.

ViewFinder-Some have slammed the viewfinder. It does take a little getting used to, like looking down a long dark corridor at first. But it's just as bright as any AF SLR once you get used to it. I think Nikon designed it this way to get people used to the CCD aspect ratio. It's kind of like watching a DVD in letterbox format. Good news: the viewfinder has a diopter for eyeglass wearers.

Picture Quality-This is where the rubber meets the road. At all ISO settings, the images are superb. Colors are saturated and lifelike, with the "Nikon Pop". They remind me of a good ISO 100 slide film like Kodak E100G, or Fujichrome Velvia 100. Best of all, the grain is very low, even ISO 1600 is not bad when printed to 8 x10. This is a huge advance over my older Canon G2 digital. Like I said, think ISO 100 slide film.

This is destined to be one of Nikon's legends, like the N8008, N90, FM2N, etc. You get a lot of value for your money, much more than the Canon Digital Rebel. A lot of pros are buying D70s for backup, and the Press Photographers Association of Japan just picked the D70 as new camera of the year! What else could you ask for? This is a top drawer camera with a great lens.

Want a digital SLR? This is the one to get!
I have a Nikon D100 and love it. But if I were in the market today, the D70 would be the one I selected. At $999 (body only) this is absolutely an outrageous bargain, and Nikon has plainly positioned this camera price/feature-wise to dominate the market.

This camera and others like it herald the death of film. This camera will produce breathtakingly good images and you don't have to pay to develop them before you view them. Just take your CF card and attach it to a reader and you can review the pictures on your personal computer. Then select the ones you want and print them yourself (good printers are pretty cheap these days) or submit them on-line to any number of professional printing houses who will mail you wonderful prints in a day or two. And you can process the images with any of several superb (and inexpensive) programs giving you a "digital darkroom" capability that far exceeds what an expensive and messy film darkroom could achieve with film. The digital darkroom is a reality!

The D70 has all of the features that a serious amateur (and even a pro, IMHO) will want. First the basics: this camera will use all of the Nikon D and G autofocus lenses. Put in a 512MB CF card and it will take 51 RAW pix or several hundred JPEG pix, depending on your setting. These 6 Megapixel pictures are indistinguishable from film for essentially all purposes. What's not to like?

The D70 has improved Through-The-Lens metering, and improved buffering. This means that your images will likely be perfectly exposed each time. It also means that you can take many pictures in rapid sequence, and the camera will be able to keep up with you. Although the D70 is positioned slightly below the D100, in reality Nikon chose to improve these features somewhat over the D100! The D70 is not a "crippled" D100 the way the Canon Digital Rebel is a crippled Canon 10D (Canon's fine competing product to the D100). Although the D100 has some features that the D70 lacks, the D70 shows that Nikon has learned from the comments and requests of D100 owners by providing a bigger and faster buffer allowing users to take pictures in rapid-fire sequence.

Although the D70 is somewhat lighter than the D100, it is solidly built, and I like the heft and feel of the camera--it does not feel flimsy. It is light but solid. The menus are intelligently set out, and after an hour or so, most users will no longer need the manual.

The D70 is a winner, and the only problem that prospective buyers will have with it is finding one.

A Great Digital SLR
This camera is awesome! I have a Nikon N80 35mm film camera and the D70 is basically a digital version of the N80. They look and perform in very similar manners. The D70 is slightly taller and heavier than the N80, though. I do want to warn people that digital photography with a D-SLR is different than film photography with a 35mm SLR. It takes practice and a little time to get used to it. But once you do you'll love it!

The D70 has pretty much everything a digital SLR needs. It takes exceptionally sharp pictures with the 6.1 MP sensor. The rechargeable battery lasts forever. So far I've taken about 200 pictures (some with flash, some without), reviewed the pics on the LCD and experimented with various menu functions and the battery meter hasn't gone down any yet.

The menu on the D70 is expansive. It has all kinds of customizations to make the camera fit your personal preferences (Like which control knob changes aperture or shutter speed, bracketing order, self timer length, etc). The camera also includes many white balance settings and adjustments like vivid, saturation, contrast, etc.

The camera can take pictures in 5 different options: NEF(RAW), JPEG fine, JPEG Normal, JEPG Basic and NEF+JPEG Basic. And the pictures can be taken in 3 sizes: L (3,008x 2000), M (2,240x 1,488) and S (1,504x 1,000).

The D70 has a very fast write time to the memory card. Plus it has a memory buffer which lets you continue taking pictures even while the camera is writing to the card. Because of this I would recommend saving some money by buying a basic type memory card. I don't think you really need a "high speed" card. When I was testing out my camera, with a basic card, I was able to take 7-8 JPEG Fine pictures in about 3-4 seconds before the camera's buffer filled up (as soon as a picture is written to the card the buffer frees up space and so you can continue to take pictures but the picture taking rate slows down, maybe 1/sec. instead of 3/sec.)

The viewfinder is very clear and has a bar at the bottom that tells you shutter speed, aperture, metering numbers, etc. You can elect to add horizontal and vertical lines to the viewfinder as one of your custom settings. I would recommend doing this since it helps you keep things leveled up.

Auto focus is fast and pretty accurate most of the time. Of course you need AF lenses to utilize this feature. There is really no "shutter lag." As soon as you push the shutter button the camera takes the picture. Also, there is no start up time when you turn the camera on.

There are a few things I wish the D70 had. First, I wish it had a bigger viewfinder (like the one in the N80). Second, I wish it had "live view" on the LCD monitor like point and shoot cameras. As far as I know no D-SLRs have "live view." Since SLRs have a through the lens viewfinder the camera's mirror (which flips up when the picture is taken) blocks the digital sensor. Third, I wish it had a sensitivity speed of ISO 100. And fourth, I wish it had a mirror lockup mode for taking slower shutter speed pictures (The mirror can be locked up for cleaning, why not for picture taking!).

In conclusion, this is a great camera and you will not be disappointed. I think it is a steal for $1,000 since it has many professional D-SLR features. I would definitely buy it again and I very highly recommend it. Best of luck in your digital photography endeavor!