Be careful about this camera. I have had it for two years, and I took very good care of it seeing as it cost quite a bit, a bit too much considering the camera. After it hit the second anniversary of purchase, things started to go down hill . If you buy this camera, please get an extended warranty. Do it for me! First, the flash stopped working at random. That I could live with. Then, to my woe, I turned it on one day, took a picture, and everything was pink and green. So i took it into my neighbrhood camera repair shop and it is going to cost a lovely $400 to fix. NOT WORTH IT! Please, please, please. Either a. switch to film and maybe help the price of color film stop rising or b. get an extended warranty.(!) These things are pieces of you know whats, they are computers. Ever have a hard drive crash? That's basically what happened. They can't be trusted to the elements or time and wear. Go buy yourself a nice metal, all manual tank of a film camera. Don't waste your money. Your results will be better with film anyway, and more satisfactory. The medium is being destroyed by these stupid consumerist plastic computer chips. AND you can't even use the digital nikon lenses on their film bodies if the d**n thing breaks. i probably should have checked before i bought it.

Great deal? no not really.

Image quality and sharpness
Flexibility
Speed

A major flaw is that older manual lenses cannot be used in any metering mode

Great camera

Customer Service

Only experienced the battery exchange fiasco which was accomplished with no problems or cost. I have never had any of my nikon gear repaired in my 30 years of experience using nikon stuff. I do most of my own minor CLA.

Similar Products Used:

FM, EM, FE, FE2, F4, F100 with many nikkors and sigmas

excellent image quality at ISO 200
excellent battery life.
good speed.
Control and Button layout are good, and easy an intuitive to use.

Quality issue.
no cable release.
LCD cover easy to fall off.
Extra $ for Nikon Capture software
Noisy at high ISO
Plastic feel

I bought my D70 outfit package on April. 2004. Before then I didn't have a digital camera, I shot film, usually used Nikon F100.
I waited for a DSLR like this from Nikon for a long time since I owned some Nikon gears.
I always shoot in RAW format. The image quality is really good at ISO 200, even in 12x18 prints. This is the most important factor, so I was pretty happy with the camera until it got problems. The battery life is excellent. With one backup battery I seldom have to worry about the battery. (It can be different if you use build-in flash a lot.). The speed is good enough for me. I feel pretty comfortable to hold the camera, the control and button layout in the camera works good for me. Auto focus is quite accurate, exposure is good when it works.
I don't understand why D70 does not support cable shutter release. I have ML-L3 remote control, but it does not work well. The supplied picture Project software is very slow and buggy, not very useful. You need to pay extra ~$100 for Nikon Capture for editing RAW files. LCD cover is easy to fall off. My original one got lost in Yosemite two months after I got the camera. The image is usually very noisy at ISO >= 800.
The real problem with me is the quality. My D70 started behaving irrationally after 18 months when I was in Death Valley. I had approximate 9000 shots in it then. Exposure never locks on any mode, numbers in LCD and viewfinder display jump around wildly.
Twice got memory card access green light blinking and nothing functioning. Viewfinder display alternates between dim and bright. It give wrong flash indication even under bright sunlight. A web search showed that there are quite a few reports about this problem. I sent my D70 to Nikon customer service for repair with a detail description about problems. NIkon Eventually fixed the problem for free though they sent me $200 + SH bill initially.

Customer Service

The web service is easy to use. But eventually you have to talk some issue on the phone with service representtives.
Originally they sent me $200 + SH bill for repairing. I was really unhappy with that. I called Nikon service twice, they kept me waiting for long time, playing ads about Nikon products. The person on the phone was not really helpful, he just told me that free service does not cover my case, but cannot tell me what was wrong exactly, saying $200 is just the average cost for repairing D70. So I just paid the bill using their online service by Credit. After 3 weeks, I got my D70 back. To my surprise, Nikon waved repairing cost, even SH fee, it states as complimentary Service in the Bill. I'm happy with that, this earns back some my royalty. But I think that Nikon should be more forthcoming about the defect in the major component that are reported by users.

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 50mm f1.8D AF
Nikkor 20mm f2.8D AF
Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S,
Nikkor 70-200/2.8G IFED AFS
Nikon N60, Nikon F100
and other nikon stuff

It is a Nikon. Most all reviews rave about this camera. My review is based on my D70. i have seen excellent images produced with this camera. Since mine was repaired it takes great photgraphs and I have had no issues with it since.

Plastic. Image sensor bonked out and locked up camera. Menu navigation for items like ISO and white balance. I know of another D70s that the depth of filed preview locked into place casuing the camera to lock up, probably isolated bit it had to ve sent back to Nikon. They charge her as well for the shipping.

First let me say this is a D70 not one of the D70s models, though there is little difference. I bought this when they first came out. I am a Nikon dude all the way, except for my S3, which is more or less a Nikon with seom twists. I do not like this camera. It feels plasticky, it is. From the day I took it out of the box I had issues with image quality, they required alot of out of the camera processing, time consuming. My wife used this camera more than I did. When she first used she hated it compared to my Fuji images. It required some tweaking of the menu from their default settings to get acceptable reults. The camera always seemed to have issues with image quality. One day the entire camera froze, woud not work, would not turn off. This would not have been to bad if at the time the event we were at was rather important to us. I broke out my S3 and took the pictures, it was a sporting event. She watched the event and i worked, that is what using a S3 outside at night in a stadium is, work. The camera was returned to Nikon who replaced the sensor in about a week. It now has the same functions as the D70s. Nikon charged me 35 dollars to ship a camera to them to fix a problem that they had a recall on. So tack 35 dollars onto the purchase price. Now i understand anyone who has had an experience like this with any product is probably not going to give it great reviews. I also understand that when I bough this camera Nikon did not have a lot of other options in this price range except the D100 (please) it still was priced more than the D70. The camera seems like an entry level camera. It has all kind of little niffty modeslike auto, night, landscape,ect. So does the D50 and its cheaper. I do not like the way the camera feels nd if you put a really big lens on it the camera disappears. I assume a battery extender would solve this problem. i had the same issue witht the D200 and the extender fixed that issue. That is a personel preference. I know most people who review this camera love it. I have not used it since getting it back from Nikon. The photgraphs I have seen that my wife takes have been great. So maybe this is a sounding board. Most people have a budget. We buy quality items at the limit of that budget, we expect them to perform. This camera did not. I could understand if I had broken it then that is on me. I do not to this day understand why I was charged by Nikon to ship a camera that broke on them. If you are new to photography and are looking for an entry level camera get a D50 and use the extra money you save to buy a quality Nikon Lens. If you really get into photography you will outgrow the D50 as well as the D70. If you are new you will only use the auto features while you are gaining experience. Before long you will never use them again. I know alot of people who have this camera and love it. I have seen excellent images that came from D70 cameras. Read Ken Rockwell's review, he loves it. I know I am in the minority here on this. A review is to relate the experience one has had with a particualr product. I did not have a great experience with this camera. I own numerous Nikon products and love them. I have used this camera and taken great photographs. My experience tells me If I had to buy another one I would get a D50 and use the money saved on another accessory. The paticualr D70 I have did have some exposure problemts in A priority that seems to have been corrected when the camera was returned to me. I found the auto modes to produce ok images, they are average, like most auto modes the camera produces the image based on OVERALL information. The menu navigation is useless. everything is tucked away in Menus and Submenus that you navigate until you reached the desired location. Once again from reading other reviews I got a lemon. the D70 has been out long ehough that all the bugs have been worked out and someone else would most likley not experience the same issues as I did. I read reviews from alot of people that are making the switch to digital from film or are upgrading and limited by a budget, as a working stiff i know the feeling. If you are thinking about this camera and money is an issue get the aa D50 and a good Nikon Lens. The lens will still be with you when you upgrade past the D50 and 70 and you can use this camera as a backup.

Customer Service

They fix it and fast. They charge the consumer to ship the camera even on a recall.

Similar Products Used:

Fuji S3 and Nikon D200 and N80

Excellent Image Quality at all sensitivities! 6mp IS enough, uprez to 11MP in Adobe camera raw 3.3 is great if needed. Works well with 3rd party RAW converters RAW filesize is small, JPEGs smaller but both provide great results. Excellent metering system (one caveat, see below) AF is accurate in most conditions, speed is fine. high ISO cleans up nicely Nice feel for a consumer DSLR Controls well laid out Easy to use, not hard to get great results out of it. Nikon F mount...what more can you want!

For the price, i'm tempted to say none....I know i'm nitpicking too. If you instist though, things that for me it could use improvement in are: LCD is too small for my tastes...0.2" more on the D70S, but that isn't much, especially with the same pixel amount. Too many important functions in the menus, but what do you expect...consumer camera. VF is small, tunnel-vision-ish. Not nearly as bad as the Olympus Evolt E300, but still not good. I could MF decently with it, but relying on the focus dot for confirmation. DK-21M magnifier changes the diopter a tad too much for me. Command dials hard plastic, I like rubber now, and can't be used in menu nav. Mode Dial with Vari Programs...if this could be locked I wouldn't care. Not enough VF info or top LCD info... just a matter of preference after the D200. Color noise is a bit high for me, though easily reduced in PP with minimal effect on image. No in camera NR selectable for regular high ISO shots. Does, however, give me more sharpness this way. Metering cannot be fine tuned...I'd stick a permanent 1/3-1/2 stop adjustment here if it were like my D200. I just have to use a custom curve since I can't always be dialing in exposure comp.

I've used the D70 for over a year now, and I can say this camera gives you some of the best bang for your buck out there. If you're serious about an entry level DSLR, this is your best bet right now. The D50 is amazing for those who want better out of the box results without so much Post Processing or camera tweaking, but the D70 offers you the best flexibility you can get for $1000 or less. The used market is getting these out cheap now, so it is a very economical choice. the D70 has some of the best image quality in the business. Others use the 6.1mp sensor, but Nikon's version with their programming gives the best results. Frankly, the D70 is overall one of the best DSLRs ever. The Anti-Aliasing filter on this body isn't as strong as on others, so although you may get the occasional Moire, the results are extremely sharp. I routinely shoot in camera sharpening at Minus 1 (-1) Medium Low. Colors with this body are great, except for when you've got a lot of IR reflective stuff in your shot...a 'hot mirror' or similar filter can help with any problems here. Normally not an issue for me. I used it in every situation I knew...took it travelling several times, used it in snow, rain, even a hurricane, nothing fazed it. Controls are easy to use, and it doesn't take much to get at most of the key items. Overall I love this camera- i'm having mine IR converted soon because I now have the D200. I can't bring myself to part with it though.

Customer Service

Not required.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D70S, D50, D200, D2X; Canon EOS 20D, 300D, 350D, Olympus E300...

Great value for money Compact Light Menu is quick and easy to navigate, and understandable Instruction book is actually usefull.

Some times a little slow to auto focus, though could be the lens more than the camera

What a fantastic camera. I bought this becauseI I wanted to have more control over my pictures and was about to go traveling. I had only heard good things about Nikon and it fitted nicely into my price range. The preset functions are really good, and unless taking a particular night shot or trying for a certain effect then they are perfect for everything, the macro function is especially good and has produced some fantastic results. I would reccomend this camera to anyone who can afford it, especially if you are interested in furthering your knowledge in photography and what to be a little more serious about the pictures you take.

Customer Service

Website is second to none, and once you have registered and need to ask questions the replies are usually within the hour.

Similar Products Used:

lots of compact digitals

bang for the buck, the results beat my scanned sensia 100 images, I figure thats about 8.00 a roll with processing....or 95 rolls at the current price of a d70...so 50 rolls and an N80. I already put over 250 rolls worth of images on a d70 in 9 months, great value! speed of handling is very fast, I think the only better handling nikon dslr I have used is the the d2x, but for 750.00 vs 5000.00 it better be!

AF sensors must have been lifted from a 35mm SLR, the sensors are too large for the dx dimensions and dont follow the rule of thirds...I get around this by setting the camera to AFC with center sensor, and set the AF to only work from the AEL button, so off center compositions of moving subjects on the fly are easier than using the d-pad, which requires you to half press the shutter to wake it up if you decide to change the active sensor. the viewfinder magnification has got to be one of the worst I have used, Manual focusing with this camera is not practical, get good AF lenses and practice with the AF settings until you find what works for you. ie use AF-s when shooting single frames, use AF-c with AEL to activate focus and keep it locked for off center images when using the motordrive. use AF-c activated by the shutter if you use the AF sensor positions as your composition points.

I began looking for a dslr after scanning my 35mm film, it felt like scanning 15 years worth of pics was taking almost as long as it did to make them! a friend purchased a d70 and I had a blast using it, that was it, had to get one :D the d70 image quality is every bit as good as anything I could get from scanned (3200dpi) film images from the same lenses when used with film. my workflow is very simple with the d70. I shoot raw+jpeg for lower iso settings, I view the jpegs in windows picture viewer, chuck what I don't like, then I work with raws in photoshop elements 3 if an image could use improvement before conversion to a tiff or jpeg. I think the d70 does a very good job with 1600 iso set at jpeg normal or fine depending on how far you need to underexpose (normal seems better for low light). I feel the noise at iso 400 isnt much better than 800, so I just use the camera at 200, 800 (raw+jpeg), or 1600 (jpeg). auto white balance is a little cool to my eye, usually I will use the shade or house icon settings if shooting jpeg or use "adjustments photo filter 85c warming" in photoshop elements 3.0 I own 2 d70s and don't leave home without them, I do so much more photography again, it seems like I have learned more about photography by using these 2 cameras more than I had learned when using film, maybe it is also because I shoot so much more now that its "free"! highly recommended.

Customer Service

no probs yet.

Similar Products Used:

first digital.

Instant on/off Instant shutter response Quick autofocus lock Long battery life Good metering Easy and rich configuration settings Good grip and feeling (solid, but not too heavy)

incorporated flash is too close to body for long lenses You can only mount expensive SB600 or SB800 flash lights (not compatible with others) Noise at 1600 iso Should have had 50 iso

Very good camera for the price. Tough and responsive. Very quick. Software is not bad. Mechanically flawless. A must have! I would not go back to my F(N)-70 and film (even though I miss the dark room)

Customer Service

None needed

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F-70

Shooting speed, speedy autofocus, metering, autobracketing (ev, whitebalance), image clarity. Creative flash system.

No mirror lockup for shooting; ISO range could be wider (i.e. 100 to 3200, though these can be attained other ways.)

The D70 is lower priced professional DSLR within a "prosumer" body. Think of the F90 for a comparable body in Nikon's 35mm lineup. Accepts all Nikkor lenses (even manual, although it won't meter for them, you'll have to do that yourself.) If you're already using a DSLR from Nikon's pro lineup, this makes an excellent second prime camera at much lower expense.

Customer Service

Haven't had to use, never had a problem. Will probably go local for service.

Similar Products Used:

D1H; D1X (soon!) - Switched from Canon, sold all my equipment and went Nikon (Canon's DSLRs are very decent bodies, but the lenses are way too soft, particularly the pro wide zooms, which Canon markets as a cost saving alternative to buying several primes - feh. The equivalent Nikkor pro 28-70 is spectacularly sharp.)

-Solid feel -Dual command dials -Important features have well placed easy access buttons. -Incredible image quality -Plenty of options to customize the camera to suite your shooting style -Image detail feedback (histogram,exposure settings etc) -Depth of field preview -Incredible recording speed when used with a Sandisk Ultra II CF card. -Instant startup and shutoff.

-AF assist illuminator gets blocked by larger lenses -Auto image rotate sensor makes an audible vibrating sound when camera is tilted. It almost makes the camera sound like it's got lose pieces of material inside (but it doesnt) -Quite a bit of noise at ISO 1600 -Annoying exposure glow in the upper right corner when long dark images are exposed at ISO 1600 (astrophotography) -DOF preview button located in a slightly akward place -No cable release option (electronic remote cord substitutes a mechanical cable release) -"only" 6 megapixel. An 8mp chip would be nice, but it's plenty adequate for printing HUGE photographs.

For anyone who has a serious film SLR and is looking to get the benefits of digital, this is the camera for you. I had an N80 which served me very well, and it's safe to say that the D70 is virtually a digital N80. It actually gives you more control over your shot than an N80 does simply due to the inherent capability in digital as compared to film. The D70 has enough features to keep even a professional happy. It allows for plenty of growth for someone new to digital SLR photography as well.

Customer Service

None needed so far. Hopefully I dont need to :P

Similar Products Used:

Nikon N80