Amateur's opinion of the excellent Nikon D70 SLR.
Written: Nov 15 '05 (Updated Nov 15 '05)
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Pros: Unlimited lens options, battery life, sturdy construction and durable exterior, fast startup-speed and zero-lag shutter.
Cons: Included neck strap, slow USB transfer speed, moderately useful flash.
The Bottom Line: I can't help but recommend the D70 as it currently sits in the field of pro-sumer digital SLRs. Take my amateur word for what its worth, I LOVE this camera!
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| openroad's Full Review: Nikon D70 Body Only Digital Camera |
----- Class leading quality SLR at an affordable price -----
After four years with my trusty Sony DSC F707 5 MegaPixel camera I decided I needed to upgrade to a new model with more user friendly features. While a class leader in its day, the ever present shutter delay and somewhat limited lens accessories made everyday operation more frustrating as the years went by. After using a Canon Digital Rebel loaned to me for a few days I realized I needed not only a new camera, but specifically a unit conforming to digital SLR form factor. This combined with my personal price cap limited my choices to either the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT SLR, Nikon D70 SLR, or the Pentax *ist DS SLR.
In the end the decision came down to the Nikon or the Canon, which after reading quite a few reviews on all three cameras I decided the Nikon D70 was the right unit for me. First of all, the Canon unit didn't fit my hands nearly as well… it just seemed too small. Secondly it felt cheaper than the Nikon (which it is I might add), mostly due to its plastic casing, lastly the Nikon just fits my photographic needs perfectly and seemed to be the unit with the best reputation.
---- Why did I choose the D70? -----
First of all, I shoot mostly sports and action shots with lots of movement. My old DSC F707 had an infuriating 1/2 second shutter delay which caused me to blow more ‘perfect’ shots than I can count. The only way around shutter delay was to use the burst mode which gave you 3 rapid-fire shots in a 1.5 second timeframe. Hopefully with 3 pictures you would end up with one that turned out like you intended. In contrast the continuous drive speed on the D70 is night and day at 3 frames per second and you can keep burning memory up to 144 pictures. I must mention this is at 6.1 MP and your continuous drive speed increases if you reduce your quality a bit.
Battery life was also a big draw for me, as my DSC F707 had an excellent long-lasting battery. After 8 months with my D70 I’ve realized the battery life with Nikon's EN-EL3 battery is very hard to calculate since it takes me so long to wear it down. At one event over 400 pictures were taken in a two-day span, mostly in the daytime and without flash. This brought the battery meter down to 25 percent even with frequent viewing of recent pictures on the backlit 2.0" LCD screen. To me this power life is extremely impressive for a large camera with a relatively small looking battery. If you somehow manage to run this camera out of power and still need to shoot more pictures you can slide in a pair of CR2 batteries with the optional CR2 battery holder.
Speaking of the viewing screen I can’t say enough good things about it. Instead of your average moderately clear screen found on many sub-$500 cameras this is a high quality 2.0” TFT monitor with 130,000 LCD pixels. Running through the logically laid out menus is a joy thanks to the easily readable text and option screens. When reviewing your saved pictures you many choose from single image format or instead view 4 or 9 thumbnails at once. For reviewing those wide-angle shots you may use to the scroll wheel to activate the 4.7x zoom. While bigger is always better I’ve had no problems with this size screen in everyday use. In direct sun it’s somewhat hard to see as all LCD screens are, but shading the screen with your hand will let you see clearly thanks to the very bright backlight.
The last feature important to me is a near instant (0.2 seconds) power-up for those moments you’ve got a shot that you’ll never get again and your camera’s off. This speed is also found in image processing after each shot. This camera makes you forget you’re using an SLR and reminds me of the instant response found in Canon’s 35mm models of yesterday. As many times as you can bump the shutter button your D70 will respond instantly, the only exception is when you’re using the built-in flash.
----- Cons, this camera can’t be perfect… -----
Nope, it’s not perfect and I’m quite sure no electronic device ever will be. The biggest problem I’ve had with the camera is ironically the included Nikon neck strap. The way it threads through the built-in hooks on the camera is fine, but the locking slide-ring on the strap which is supposed to keep it from loosening up DOESN’T work. I knew this problem existed after I noticed the straps loosening up twice after I tightened them firmly. This came to a head one weekend when I loaned the D70 to a relative for a racing event. The camera was hanging around her neck as she walked when all the sudden in slid off her neck and hit the ground. Right on the lens. Yep, it was asphalt. I thank God for Sigma’s sturdy 18-50mm lens which only suffered a slight dent to the lens filter threads. I have since tied an unsightly knot in each end of the neck strap to prevent this happening in the future. A much better factory solution would be a doubled-over strap end than could adjust to the very end but not slide through the adjustment block.
The flash really isn’t all that useful other than as a fill-in for sunny days or a shot with too much backlighting. This isn’t a big deal to me at all since there isn’t a digital SLR with a top-rated flash on the market at this price point. Another flash related gripe is the inability to force-flash in the auto-program during the times you want flash all the time.
Downloading 500MB of images would be much faster if Nikon would have included IEEE 1394 Firewire support into the D70. It's tremendously annoying to bypass my willing and ready Firewire port which can transfer at up to 800 megabits per second and instead plug into the much slower (480 Mbps) USB 2.0 port. Downloading a full complement of photos from my 512MB card takes roughly 15 minutes on both my PC and Apple Powerbook.
----- Overall satisfaction rating -----
You have to understand this review is coming from a VERY amateur camera enthusiast who can’t afford to drop $1000+ on a camera every year. I paid $1000 for my Sony F707 in 2001 and got $300 for it 4 years later which I was happy with, but as you can see the resale value takes quite a hit over time. I’ll be keeping my D70 for a long time thanks to its SLR form factor and the unlimited selection of lenses, filters, flashes, and accessories of all types. How many pictures have I run through my D70 so far? As of this month I’ve just hit the big 2,000 on the counter, which is quite a few pics after just 7 months.
The image quality is phenomenal in my opinion, other than the large file size of 6.1MP images I’ve had no complaints in the image area whatsoever. Camera operation is a bit tricky to learn coming from a Sony model, but owners of other Nikon models will feel right at home. All important functions are accessible either through the menu or a shortcut button on the rear of the camera body. Two separate click wheels combined with these buttons allow you to adjust or change primary and secondary functions such as image size/quality, shutter mode, shutter speed, flash mode, and several others.
Unlike cheaper cameras the D70 requires you to frame images using the viewfinder instead of the LCD monitor. Many friends and family I’ve let use my D70 have complained about the lack of this feature they consider a must with a digital camera. What I’ve told them to no avail is that you don’t get accurate framing when looking at an LCD screen… what you see isn’t always what you get. The viewfinder on Nikon’s D70 is reminiscent of a fighter jet’s cockpit display, all the information you need is literally right in front of your eyeball.
I decided to purchase the naked-body D70 through Abe’s of Maine’s online store since I intended on purchasing multiple lenses right away. The out the door price of $1,250 included Sigma’s 18-50mm F 3.5-5.6 and 55-200 F 1.4-5.6 lenses, an extra battery, 3 lens filters, and a Samsonite carrying case for all of the above. While a significant price increase over the standard D70 w/lens, this combination of lenses is just about perfect for the average amateur photographer. The wide angle to standard zoom is great for events, indoor settings, family and group photos, nature shots, and all other everyday shots. Sigma’s telephoto lens is quite good for its price, although I’m sure a real photographer would find fault with it somewhere. My photos at 200mm zoom still look just as clear as the rest, thank God for no more digital zoom pixel-fests.
Since I’m definitely on the amateur end of the D70’s user spectrum I don’t need or use all the functions available, however I can still appreciate the quality images this camera produces. If you’re in the market for a new camera and want the flexibility, quality, and unlimited upgradability of an SLR body camera, take a good look at the Nikon D70. I’ve been very happy with mine and will hopefully continue enjoying it for many years to come.
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!
Openroad
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1250
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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