ehwang's Full Review: Nikon D70 Body Only Digital Camera
It almost didn't happen. I thought the D70 wasn't going to be available until I was already out of the country on vacation. But thanks to my friends at Kenmore Camera, I was not only able to be THE first in the area to own it, I also was able to thoroughly put it to use right away. So after two weeks, I'm convinced it was worth the wait.
I still own my F100 and owned the D100 for a couple of weeks, just long enough to know it wasn't worth the high cost. But at $1300, the D70 with the 18-70mm AFS lens is a bargain in my book. And in many ways, it's better than the D100. Let's start with the good.
THE GOOD
Startup and Shutter Lag - Gone!
It's faster! Nearly instant start-up and millisecond shutter lag is even faster than the D100. The new 18-70mm AFS lens is incredibly quick and silent. The audible in-focus beep eliminates the need to visually confirm focus. New algorithms process the picture faster. Picture review is extremely quick, especially with high-speed CF cards. The 3 fps combined with the 4-49 frame buffer (depending on size and quality) exceeds the D100 and Canon's EOS 300D (Digital Rebel) easily. It's not the D2H, but for less than half the price, I think it's more than adequate. The faster shutter and flash sync speeds allow for greater range and flexibility. Finally, the USB 2.0 connection speeds up transfers to your PC.
Battery Life - Long!
The battery lasts a long time. I bought an extra battery for use on my vacation, but found that it really wasn't necessary. Even with lots of reviewing of images, plenty of flash usage and using the default monitor settings (which are somewhat power hungry) the battery lasted for more than 200 shots.
Picture Quality
It's more accurate! The 1005 pixel matrix metering make the automatic white balance almost fool proof. In all but the most difficult lighting situations, the automatic mode has worked fine, but if you want, you can fine tune it to perfection. The new CCD also has a much better signal to noise ratio and more dynamic range than its predecessors and the competition. Side-by-side comparisons of images from the D100 vs. the D70 show a striking improvement in the latter, especially on long exposures.
Camera Controls
It's more flexible. Unlike Canon's EOS 300D, the D70 is not some stripped down economy model. With 25 custom settings, it has all the bells and whistles you would expect on a much more expensive camera while still being easy to use. I was shooting even before cracking open any manual. As I'm learning to use the camera, I leave most settings on auto, but as I want more control, I change the automatic settings to fine-tune everything from sharpness and saturation to the color space to match my workflow. If you're used to using Nikon's point and shoot digitals, then the various scene modes will be immediately familiar. Six specific scene modes along with a fully automatic mode makes this camera a big expensive point and shoot. I haven't used these much but I can see their usefulness to even advanced amateurs to whom this camera is geared.
Ease of Use
It's intuitive and easy-to-use! Like I said, I didn't open the manual until I had already taken a couple of dozen shots. But for someone used to the controls on the F100, the D70 was an easy switch. ISO, white balance, and image size/quality is much easier to change than the D100. Ergonomics are great. The D70 has enough heft to feel substantial yet light enough to be easy on your neck and shoulders when carrying it all day. The grip is sized for my small hands but can easily accommodate a larger hand. Things were placed exactly just where I would expect it to be and most everything worked just like I thought it should with a few notable exceptions. Which brings me to the not-so-good. I hesitate to say "bad" because these are mostly minor annoyances.
THE BAD
DX sensor - not Full Frame
Just because the image sensor is 2/3rds the size doesn't mean the viewfinder should be. Why can't the viewfinder magnify a little more. I didn't realize just how small the viewfinder image was until I looked through my F100 again. That DX sensor also changes the field of view for all my existing lenses. I gave up hoping that Nikon would go full-frame, so now I must find some way get super-wide angle shots again.
Small Annoyances
There is no place for a release cable like on the D100. The D70 uses an infrared release, but getting the infrared unit is pretty tough right now. Which brings me to the other problem with long exposures. Noise reduction. It is slow. If you turn on the noise reduction, expect long delays as the camera processes your image. And finally the other problem with long exposures--mirror slap. Yes, there is a custom setting to lock up the mirror, but unlike most other controls, it certainly isn't easy to use and the effects of not locking up the mirror are noticeable.
Durability
Despite the extensive use of plastic, the camera looks like it would hold up well. However, don't expect to abuse it like an old F4. It isn't designed to be dropped and dunked. The D70 needs more gentle handling and should avoid wet weather since it's not sealed like the professional models.
Compatability
Not every lens and accessory works as expected. Both the D100 and the D70 don't work as expected with older AI and non-AF lenses. The metering doesn't work...at least not easily. I guess I should be thankful at least that Nikon didn't change their lens mount like Canon.
My old SB-80 (non-DX) only works in Auto and not in TTL mode. Pictures still come out great, but I lose most of the functionality of the flash. Guess Nikon just wants me to spend another $300 for the SB-800. Update: I just found out that the SB-80DX also doesn't work in TTL mode with the D70 but works with the D100. Go figure!
No vertical grip nor any foreseeable way to incorporate one down the road. I guess there had to be something to justify the extra money for the D100.
Software
The D70 ships with PictureProject instead of Nikon View. Why did Nikon have to ship this camera with different software? It just forces me to have to download more from their web site. I don't like the way PictureProject handles the transfer and organization of the images. It uses virtual folders and collections that don't correlate with the actual folders on your hard drive. The auto-enhancement overly processes many shots by adding color enhancements and sharpening in addition to the processing done within the camera. And using another 1.0 version of any software makes me feel like a beta tester. Thank goodness they finally updated Nikon View to work with this camera.
THE UGLY - UPDATE (11 July 2005)
I just took the camera in for repair today. Three months out of warranty and the camera died. No display, nothing worked, just a blinking green memory access light. My local dealer, the Nikon web site, and even the Nikon telephone support person could not determine the problem. It always came down to, "You'll have to send it in for service."
It's not like I abuse my gear nor do I subject it to any extreme conditions. The most annoying thing is that it fails just a couple of months out of the warranty period. Like I previously said, it has questionable durability. This experience is almost enough to make a lifelong Nikon user make the switch to Canon.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 1300 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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