[MW Forums]

The D70s is a very good camera, but it’s not a very good value. If you already own Nikon lenses, then the D70s is an obvious choice. And if you don’t, you’ll want to handle it yourself to see if you like its feel better than the competition. more

[chrissyboy]

Not sure I agree with much of this article. It says you cant change any camera setting without using at least two controls this is of course wrong, you can change priority mode, speed and aperture just fine with one hand. What you can't do is knock a button and find you've been shooting in jpeg-basic or ISO1600 mode all morning - this is as it should be in my opinion.
Also the review says, about the Canon Rebel: if I can get an extra 2 million pixels for the same price, without giving up any other features, why should I buy the D70s? - well there are feature differences, the D70s offers spot metering, which is invaluable, flash-sync up to 1/500 (Canon has sync to 1/200) which is great for freezing things like splashing water, running children etc - also the build quality of the D70s is far superior, which will pay you back in reliablity and durability.
The Canon is obviously a fine camera, although the value of being 8mega-pixels is debatable, but the D70 has easily enough improvements to justify the price IMO.

[bitman]

What compromise is there to using Nikkor lenses with the D70s? Is there any change in fstop or magnification?
bit

[vineviz]

In reply to:

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. . . also the build quality of the D70s is far superior, which will pay you back in reliablity and durability.

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Not true.
For one thing, there is no appreciable difference in build "quality". There is no reasonable basis for asserting that the D70s is more or less durable than the Rebel XT.
For another, the camera will obsolesce so quickly that the value of the feature set(extra megapixels, higher speed flash sync, etc) will arguably swamp any alleged difference in build quality.

[KZ1101]

In reply to:

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What compromise is there to using Nikkor lenses with the D70s? Is there any change in fstop or magnification?

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Because the CCD isnt the same size as a frame of 35mm film (its smaller) the D70 & D70s have a focal length multiplier of 1.5. In practical terms this means that an 18-70mm lens will behave like a 29-105mm lens would on a 35mm film camera.

[Borgprobe1954]

First I would like to state that one should always match camera specs and capabilites to the end user needs. The D70s is geared towards the prosumer market. Consumers should use the cool pix or D50.
As a professional photographer - I also disagree with several aspects of this article.
- size of the camera - The D70s body is a great size, weight and feel for serious photographers - too small and too light of a camera translates into camera shake which creates blurry pictures.
- durability of the body - it is durable and great for my professional needs. Yes it will obsolete tommorrow, but so is everything in this world relative to time.
- 6 versus 8 megapixels - depends on your output needs. The marketing gurus have seduced the public that more is better. For great 8X10s prints all that is needed is a 3.2 megapixel camera. Now if you are printing for murals or images on the side of coke vending machines then more is better. Remember more megapixels means larger memory cards and longer image processing times.
- control of camera can be done with one hand. I use my thumb for shutter speed and index finger for aperature. I still use the manual controls and internal light meter. The auto settings I prefer aperture prority. Besides most of longtime SLR users are use to two handed operation.
- Burst speed - how many average people are going to be shooting event's that require burst greater then 3 fps. Most professional sports photographers will use the Nikon D2Hs and yes it is expensive also.
- Price - well Nikon has always been more expensive, but it has not stopped me from using the gear. The d70s has several advanced features and lens that I will use as a pro, that is, durability, features, accessories, and the lenses.

[KZ1101]

Seems like a harsh review of such a fine photographic instrument.
For what its worth, I bought a D70 back when the model was first released and I consider it one of the best purchases Ive ever made. It replaced an Olympus D600L which was a piece of junk. To this day Im amazed and pleased with the usability and performance of my Nikon D70. I have no criticisms of this camera at all, none. I consider it, from a practical point of view, perfect.

[bitman]

So my f2.8 60mm Micro Nikkor would effectively be a 90mm?
Hmmm... been waiting to replace my 8008s.
bit

[KZ1101]

In reply to:

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So my f2.8 60mm Micro Nikkor would effectively be a 90mm?

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Precisely, you've gotten it.

[Flavum]

I agree with most of the comments posted so far. My D70s is absolutely superb - I may finally retire my trusty collection of Nikon F2s, except for some occasional B&W shots.
A more comparable offering from Canon would be the EOS 20D, which is a fine camera, but also more expensive than the D70s. I'm also wondering why a camera with more features than the original D70, at $100 less (not including recent D70 EOL discounts) would get a full "star" removed from the rating.
And from what I understand, megapixels isn't the end-all to image quality. There are great CCDs and not-so-great CCDs. The Nikon's is great, IMO. I think this review is way off the mark - let your own eyes be the judge and you'll come away impressed with the D70s.

[navigatenet]

Wanted to say thanks to everyone for the helpful observations and feedback--I'm in the market for a digital SLR and appreciate everyone sharing their experience. I'm developing a sense the Canon's tech specs are sometimes over Nikon's, but Nikon focuses a little more on design and the practical side of things. I know everyone will reach different conclusions, and thanks for the tips!

[Nobody]

This is a silly review. Forget the typical boring Canon vs. Nikon drivel. If this guy really thinks the D70s doesn't measure up to the dreadful Pentax and the revolting EVolt, both of which produce simply godawful pictures, he should stick to PHD point-and-shoots.

[Frumius]

It is surprising that with the improvements and reduction in price it would lose a full mouse. I give my older D70 5 big mice. I would be interested to see how the menus differ, as I do find myself wandering around in them sometimes when I have to change an infrequently used setting.
My big gripe is the grip. I have a grip gripe. Prior to my D70 purchase my main camera was the F4. I love my F4, but I haven't hefted it 4 times since I got the D70 over a year ago. The F4's grip is awesome. Its grip has a second shutter release button along the outside right edge near the bottom, so that when you rotate the camera for a vertical shot your index finger rests right on it. I could also hold the F4 in my hand at arm's reach and press that button with my pinky to photograph myself /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif It's awkward to do that with the normal shutter release button. That is a special touch that reflects an attention to detail that I truly appreciate. That is the main thing I miss from the F4.
I do have a real concern.
I would rest easier if Nikon would let go of some of the control (that they seem to be trying to monopolize) over the manipulability of their RAW files. I really think a standard RAW format is necessary, perhaps such as that offered by Adobe's DNG (Digital Negative) format. I think it hurts us all (consumers, photographers) to have multiple RAW image formats because it means, among other things, that RAW image editors have to be able to recognize more and more proprietary formats--and you have to make sure yours is one of them, or be forced to use the camera manufacturer's software. Personally, I do not trust ANY camera manufacturer's software to be as capable as Adobe's at manipulating digital image information. Camera makers are newbies in that particular realm, while Adobe has been in it for a very long time.
Along those lines, I have heard (and the following is not presented as fact) that Nikon's upcoming NEF (Nikon's proprietary RAW format) tweaks will make it necessary to use their own software if you want to get the absolute best out of your RAW image files. If this is true, you would have to use their software if you want to get the most from your files--not because their software is better, or even good, but because they have locked you out unless you buy their RAW-processing software. It also means you have to insert another element into your workflow where before Photoshop might have been all you needed. I need to get more educated on this subject, and I would encourage anyone else to do likewise if s/he were considering Nikon. I would switch to Canon if Nikon went this route and Canon adopted a universal format. I don't want more hassle when it comes to manipulating my files, I want less hassle.

[MojoMac]

Yep, throwing in my 2 cents, I agree with most of the posts, some of this review is on (which still makes it sound slightly unfavorable), but the part that is off makes it sound like a poor choice camera. I have had a D70 since last Sept. It is truly a wonderful camera. I use it professionally and for my artwork. I chose it over Canon for various reasons. The main reason, shots look a bit more film like, the controls seem better from a navigation/placement, the spot metering & back when the first digital rebel came out this was to compete against it. The digital rebel feels cheaper to me. I love the quality that the D70 produces, I have canon point and shoots which I love as well, and I think the high anti-aliasing for those is appropriate. I don't think its appropriate on DSLR. The canon dslr shots look more plastic like to me (not all of course, just depends I suppose). The D70s is a really great value, it has improvements from the D70, but surely not worthy of 3 and half mice. If its that close to the previous model, then it should still be at least 4 mice, minus a half for pricing and 2 megapixels less then the canon (even though its priced less then when the D70 came out). /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
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