Nikon D70s Review

Nikon’s response to the newly emerging sub-$1,000 digital SLR market is the Nikon D70, which was introduced on January 28, 2004. However, its most direct competitor is the Canon EOS 300D (Digital Rebel), introduced in August last year.

After precisely two years following the release of the D100, Nikon unveiled the Nikon D70. The Nikon D70 looks to share quite a lot with its older sister, including a six-megapixel CCD sensor and a Multi-CAM900 autofocus technology. However, one of the most significant issues that Canon EOS 300D users have is the camera’s ability to compensate for flash exposure. The Nikon D70 offers several advantages over the EOS 300D in this regard.

The Nikon D70 and the D100 have a design that is quite similar to one another. If it weren’t for the large silver ‘Nikon D70’ logo and the new red flash on the hand grip, getting the two cameras confused at first sight would be straightforward.

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Nikon D70s with Nikon AF 28-80MM w/Bag

Last update was on: January 19, 2024 3:57 pm

The Nikon D70 has a durable (polycarbonate) shell, but it still doesn’t seem as solid as the D100. That being said, it does feel more potent than the Canon EOS 300D. Other physical distinctions include how the camera looks. The overall design of the Nikon D70 offers a pleasant sensation of balance and symmetry, with subtle seam lines, a decent variety of external controls, and a material selection that is both practical and tasteful.

Nikon D70s Body An Design

Side by side

Although the Nikon D70 is noticeably lighter than the D100 (and instantly gives the impression of being so), the difference in weight between the Nikon D70 and the Canon EOS 300D is only 30 grams; a difference of this magnitude is scarcely discernible.

Within your grasp

The hand grip of the Nikon D70 is covered in rubber, and the door to the Compact Flash container on the back of the camera has a rubber covering. Both of these features contribute to the Nikon D70’s pleasant and secure grip. The grip size is perfect, and it is easy to find the functions on the device. It’s hard for me to put my finger on it, but I get the feeling that more of the camera’s weight is on the right side (where the battery is), and as a result, the center of gravity is closer to your hand with the D70 than it is with the D100. Although the D70 is smaller, it feels better balanced than the D100.

LCD Monitor

LCD panel with a more excellent resolution than those found on the D100 and the Canon EOS 300D. The D70’s new monitor measures 1.8 inches and has 134,000 pixels. It seems that the monitor has good brightness, clarity, and detail. In addition, Nikon offers a clip-on screen protector cover that is entirely see-through in the center. Using this cover will help prevent scratches from appearing on the screen’s actual surface.

Status Panel

The information that is displayed on the status panel of the Nikon D70, which can be located on the upper right side of the body of the camera, pertains to both the photographic (exposure, focus, drive, etc.) and digital (picture size, white balance, etc.) aspects of the camera. However, in contrast to the D100, the green backlight can only be turned on by pushing the little button to the right of the LCD. Furthermore, unlike the D100, it cannot be configured to turn on automatically whenever any button is pressed.

Nikon D70s Battery

Storage Space for Batteries

The battery compartment of the D70 may be accessed by pulling the little lever placed in the base of the hand grip. Once inside, the door can be flipped open. You’ll discover an opening on the inside that can accommodate either the EN-EL3 Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery that comes with the product or the cradle for the three CR2 batteries that are also included.

Carrier for the Battery, Charger, and CR2

The Nikon D70 is powered by the same Nikon EN-EL3 Lithium-Ion battery pack (7.4 V 1400 mAh; 10.4 Wh) used in the Nikon D100. Considering how influential and long-lasting this battery pack was in the D100, we don’t anticipate any other performance from it in the Nikon D70.

One EN-EL3 battery may be recharged using the MH-18 rapid charger that is included, which can be powered by 100-240 VAC and typically does so in around two hours (if wholly discharged). In addition, the D70 has a brand-new battery carrier that can hold three CR2 (Lithium, 3V) batteries. This gives an additional power source if your primary battery dies while you are shooting in the field.

Nikon D70s Flash

Storage Space for Compact Flash Cards

The Compact Flash Compartment may be found on the back of the camera and is included in the molded grip on the back. When the lever on the door’s left edge is pressed, the door has a spring allowing the whole door to open.

There is a Compact Flash slot (Type I/II, which supports Microdrive and FAT32) on the inside of the camera. Like the one on the D100, this slot is set at a little angle. One may guess that if this slot weren’t mounted at an angle, there wouldn’t be enough room in the hand grip for the battery.

The fact that the doors to the CF compartment on Nikon cameras are closed in one motion, which means that you may do so by merely conventionally clutching the camera, has always been one of the features I have most appreciated about these cameras.

Flash Pop-Up Window

You may release the pop-up flash on the Nikon D70 by pushing a little button on the camera’s left side right below the moment. The button that releases the shutter also functions, logically speaking, as the button that controls the flash mode and the flash exposure correction.

Hold the button and adjust the front command dial to alter the exposure compensation (from -3.0 to +1.0 EV), which the Canon EOS 300D severely lacks. Next, hold the button and turn the rear command dial to change the flash mode.

Nikon D70s Flash’s built-in hot shoe

The Nikon D70 has a standard Nikon hot shoe compatible with various Nikon Speedlights, including the recently released SB-800 and SB-600. In addition, these new flashes are consistent with the Nikon i-TTL flash metering protocol. Unfortunately, d-TTL metering is one of the features not supported by the D70.

Nikon D70s AF Assist Lamp

Suppose the light levels are insufficient for the autofocus system to achieve a decent focus. The white light AF help lamp equipped with the Nikon D70 will automatically illuminate the subject. In addition, a user-defined function 4 allows users to turn on or off the light.

Nikon D70s Lens Mount / Sensor

Because the D70 is equipped with a Nikon F lens mount, it is compatible with virtually all Nikkor F mount lenses. However, only while using AF Nikkor CPU lenses of type G or D do you have access to the camera’s whole feature set.

Nikon D70s Sound of the Shutter Being Released

Every single one of our digital SLR evaluations now includes an audio recording taken during a rapid succession of shots. For example, you may download the recording of the Nikon D70, shooting continuously for 20 seconds, followed by the Canon EOS 300D, constantly shooting for 20 seconds, by clicking here (it is an MP3 file that is 1,284 KB in size).

The shutter speeds on both cameras was set to be more than 1/250 of a second and was directed toward a subject that was not moving. In addition, both cameras adjusted the image quality to six megapixels JPEG Fine. The used card was a SanDisk Ultra II 1 GB compact flash card (Type I).

The D70 stores the compressed JPEG file in its buffer, but the EOS 300D holds the RAW data from the sensor in its pad. This is the fundamental difference between how these two cameras buffer.

Therefore, if you use a lower JPEG quality or a smaller picture size on the D70, you can capture an even more significant number of photographs in a single burst at three frames per second. In addition, both of these cameras permit you to keep your finger on the shutter release while you take a picture, and they will snap the picture as soon as there is sufficient buffer space for the next photo.

Nikon D70s Lenses

Because the Nikon D70 is a camera that will appeal to both experienced users of SLRs and owners of compact cameras who are interested in upgrading to a prosumer-style camera, it is essential to consider the lenses and the quality of the lenses (especially with six megapixels to resolve). Because it utilizes Nikon’s D lens mount, the Nikon D70 is compatible with a broad variety of lenses, both those manufactured by Nikon and those manufactured by third-party lens makers. Because they don’t have to generate an image circle that’s as big as the one a 35 mm lens does, Nikon’s DX lenses are far more compact and lightweight than their 35 mm equivalents. These lenses were developed expressly with digital single-lens reflex cameras like Nikon’s D70.

Nikkor DX Lenses *

  • 10.5mm f/2.8G ED AF DX Fisheye Optical Image Stabilization
  • 12-24mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom
  • 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S DX Zoom
  • 18-70mm f3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom

Nikon D70s Image Quality & Size of Image

The output image size and quality may be selected independently of the D70. It offers three image size options, including 3008 x 2000 (6.0 million pixels), 2240 x 1488 (3.3 million pixels), and 1504 x 1000. (1.5 million pixels). You can select them with one of the three JPEG quality levels: acceptable, regular, or essential.

In addition, there is the RAW mode, which utilizes the Nikon NEF format and is lossless in its compression (a bit like zip compression). Finally, the last mode is RAW+JPEG mode, which produces a separate RAW file and a Large JPEG. However, the drawback of this feature is that the JPEG is made at Basic quality, and there is no opportunity to modify it.

Standard Test Scene

The following table is a cross-reference of some of the available combinations of picture size and quality. This will give you an idea of what some of these combinations produce:

  • 3008 x 2000 RAW (to TIFF using Nikon Capture 4.1) (to TIFF using Nikon Capture 4.1)
  • 3008 x 2000 JPEG Large / Fine
  • JPEG image size: 3008 by 2000 pixels; average quality
  • 3008 x 2000 JPEG Large / Basic
  • 2240 x 1488 JPEG Medium / Fine
  • 1504 x 1000 JPEG Small / Fine

Nikon D70s Color modes

The Nikon D70, just like other Nikon digital SLRs, offers three different color modes. Modes Ia and IIIa are mapped to the sRGB color space, meaning that images shot in these modes will look correct immediately and can be used as is. Mode Ib is not mapped to sRGB. Mode B is not mapped to sRGB. Finally, mode C is not mapped to s The color mode IIIa was developed specifically for use while photographing nature and landscapes; it offers more vibrant greens and a more authentic color balance.

Because Mode II is mapped to the Adobe RGB color space, the resulting color gamut is more expansive; nonetheless, the computer display output will require conversion to the sRGB color space. This capability is currently considered standard for virtually all digital single-lens reflex cameras because of the widespread adoption of Adobe RGB by professional photographers and publishers.

The D70 employs a unique filename mask for Adobe RGB pictures; these pictures start with “DSC” rather than the more conventional “DSC.” In addition, because they are now integrated with the Adobe RGB color profile, color space-aware apps such as Adobe Photoshop can instantly detect and apply the appropriate color profile.

Nikon D70s ISO Sensitivity / Noise levels

Standard Test

The ability to enhance the sensitivity of the sensor of a digital camera to allow for quicker shutter speeds and better performance in low light is referred to as the ISO equivalent setting. This is accomplished with a digital camera by “raising the volume” (gaining) on the signal amplifiers included within the CCD. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and doing so would often increase audible noise (random speckles visible all over the image).

We have shifted to employing a new methodology to conduct accurate, consistent, and objective noise assessments. The shots are taken in our studio with natural daylight as the illumination source. When using a Gretag Macbeth ColorChecker chart, noise is quantified by calculating the standard deviation of the medium gray patch. Before measuring the noise level, the image is first normalized, removing any chance of the results being skewed by differences in image contrast (one method of masking noise).

Test notes:

  • They were taken at roughly 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • The lighting was designed to mimic daylight.
  • White balance set manually
  • Priority of the Aperture

Nikon D70s Specs

Effective pixels6.1 million
Image sensor23.7 x 15.6 mm RGB CCD; 6.24 million total pixels
Image sizeL (3,008 x 2,000) / M (2,240 x 1,488) / S (1,504 x 1,000)
SensitivityISO equivalency 200 to 1600
Storage mediaCompactFlash™(CF) Card (Type I / II) and Microdrive™
Color setting3 modes available
LCD monitor2.0-in., 130,000-dot, low-temp. polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment
Exposure meteringTTL full-aperture exposure metering system; 3D Color Matrix Metering, Center-Weighted, and Spot
Exposure controlDigital Vari-Program (Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close up, Sports, Night landscape, Night portrait), Programmed Auto (Flexible Program possible) [P], Shutter-Priority Auto [S], Aperture-Priority Auto [A], and Manual [M]
InterfaceUSB: Mass Storage and PTP selectable
Power requirementsRechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3a, Quick Charger MH-18a, Multi Charger MH-19, AC Adapter EH-5 (optional), CR2 Battery Holder MS-D70 (optional)
Dimensions (W x H x D)Approx. 140 x 111 x 78mm (5.5 x 4.4 x 3.1 in.)
WeightApprox. 600g (1 lb 5 oz) without battery and storage media

Nikon D70s Conclusion

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Nikon D70s with Nikon AF 28-80MM w/Bag

Last update was on: January 19, 2024 3:57 pm

It was pretty straightforward that Canon was offering a formidable package at an excellent price which would be the mark for affordable digital SLRs of the future; with image quality almost identical to the EOS 10D and a price that was less than $1,000, it caused a significant ripple in the market. Shortly after Canon announced the EOS 300D (Digital Rebel), it made its way into the hands of reviewers. It was pretty straightforward that Canon offered a formidable package at an excellent price.

However, it is abundantly clear that Nikon was well aware of this and had the D70 up its sleeve. As a result, the D70 is a camera that is a significant step ahead of the EOS 300D in terms of build quality and feature set and is on par with, and in some cases, better than, the EOS 300D in terms of image quality.

The D70 from Nikon has three significant advancements in comparison to its predecessor, the D100, namely the following: (1) They were able to increase the functionality of the camera by making it possible for it to be turned on instantly, to have a rapid shutter release, to have excellent continuous shooting and picture processing speeds, and to make intelligent use of its buffer.

They have maintained build quality while yet offering a smaller and lighter camera. The D70 doesn’t seem any less well constructed than the D100; it is lighter and feels much more like $1000 worth of equipment than the EOS 300D could feel.

They have enhanced the image’s sharpness and detail. While we might quibble about moiré, the balance between artifacts and bite is worth it. In many situations, the D70 offers more points than our previous benchmark, the EOS 300D / EOS 10D CMOS sensor.

There isn’t much else I can say other than that I am delighted to see Nikon stepping up with a premium camera that doesn’t compromise on build quality, feature set, or image quality and still delivers outstanding value for money. This camera is the Nikon D7500. Even though the D70 has a slightly higher price tag than the EOS 300D (Digital Rebel), purchasing it is undoubtedly an excellent investment.

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January 19, 2024 3:57 pm
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Last update was on: January 19, 2024 3:57 pm

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