Though the six - megapixel Nikon D70s afford you excellent picture character , and is a well - build , full - feature camera , it ’s priced a little high give its capabilities . If you already own a collection of Nikon lenses ( that you might have grease one’s palms for your picture tv camera ) , then the D70s makes a circumstances of sense for the Nikon user who is looking for a open digital SLR . For everyone else , the option is n’t so clear . ( For more selective information about digital SLRs , see Digital SLR Glossary . )
Small changes
To the everyday beholder , there ’s no real difference between the design of the newfangled D70s and the original Nikon D70 ( ) . The novel camera is similarly hardy , and offers the same comfy clasp and assure layout as its herald , but includes slender alteration including a 2 - column inch LCD screen , a higher - capacitance barrage , redesign menus , and improved five - area autofocus execution .
The D70s is fair large when compared to other cameras in this market . At 5.5 by 4.4 by 3.1 inches and 1 hammer 5 ounces , the D70s is considerably turgid than the Canon Digital Rebel XT ( ) , the Pentax ist DS ( ) , and the Olympus Evolt E-300 ( ) . Many users will prefer the large size , so you ’ll decidedly want to essay the smell of the D70s before making a final decision .
When it comes to usability , the D70s take issue from the Canon Digital Rebel XT , its main competitor , in one rife elbow room : all of its control condition are interlocked . In other words , you ca n’t change any camera setting without using at least two control . While this makes it inconceivable to accidentally commute a camera setting , it also makes it impossible to alter any setting with only one mitt .
As with the D70 , one of the most telling things about the design of the D70s is its very quiet shutter mechanics . If you frequently shoot in locale that require you make as small interference as possible , the D70s is an idealistic choice .
Big feature list
The D70s packs all the feature you ’d require in a digital SLR . In accession to a full accompaniment of shot modes , the camera ’s autofocus mechanism is very good , providing precise , speedy , smooth autofocus , even in low light .
While the tv camera ’s burst rate is not great , it does manage three frames per second for about 10 frames , and then it decelerate down to about 1.5 physical body per second . This is about the same as the Digital Rebel XT .
The D70s yields the same excellent images as its predecessor , turn over you sharp images with accurate people of color and low stochasticity up to ISO 800 . Though its images are a tiny spot noisier at ISO 1600 than the Canon Digital Rebels or the Canon EOS 20D , you ’ll be intemperately - contract to identify an image quality difference between the D70s and its competition . ( For image - quality jury results for all digital SLR cameras we ’ve screen , please see Digital SLR camera panel tests . )
Weird price
Although the D70s has attractive feature article and gives you fantabulous quality images , its price make it a difficult sell . Offered as a body only for $ 900 , or in a kit with an 18 - 70 mm lens for $ 1,200 , the D70 costs as much or more than the 8 - megapixel Canon Digital Rebel XT . Resolution is n’t everything when it comes to image quality , but if I can get an extra 2 million pixels for the same price , without dedicate up any other feature , why should I purchase the D70s ? The extra resoluteness of the Rebel will open a slimly larger print size of it , and allow for more zooming and cropping .
Macworld’s Buying Advice
The D70s is a very good camera , but it ’s not a very upright value . If you already own Nikon lenses , then the D70s is an obvious choice . And if you do n’t have Nikon lense , you ’ll want to handle it yourself to see if you care its look good than the contention .
Jury Tests
Scale = Excellent , Very Good , Good , Flawed , Unacceptable
How we try out : We took a photo of a received test aspect with each tv camera under controlled conditions , with the flash twist off , with the white - point setting at tungsten , and at the same aperture and shutter - speed configurations . All other preferences were at automatic and all in - camera image - processing alternative were set at factory defaults . Images were salve as JPEGs . A panel of expert looked at our run image , both on screen and printed by an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 , and rated vividness calibre and uncloudedness as Excellent , Very Good , Good , Flawed , or Unacceptable.—Macworld Lab testing by Ben Long and James Galbraith
Specifications
[ Ben Long is the generator ofComplete Digital Photography , 3rd Edition ( Charles River Books , 2004 ) . ]
