Nikon D70

Model Design / Appearance (7.5)
The Nikon D70 is a sleek and impressive-looking camera, with its jet-black exterior and matte surface. It is definitely a show-off camera that you'll want to bring out or take on the go. I recently brought it to a party and was very proud to take photos of everyone and talk coyly about the new SLR I was carrying around. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. I imagined what I would have felt if I had the Canon EOS Digital Rebel in my hand and, unfortunately for Canon, I don’t think I would have felt the same. The silvery plastic body of the Canon EOS Digital Rebel is simply not as impressive.

The layout and design of the Nikon D70 is pretty typical. It’s hard to stray from the standard SLR design without throwing off consumers and jeopardizing your product. The size and feel of the body is comparable to that of the Canon EOS Digital Rebel, although slightly larger and heavier. The Nikon D70 is very manageable, especially next to many of the other digital SLRs on the market. The Nikon D70 is a great beginner digital SLR camera, and will create an easy transition to anyone upgrading from a lower-end model.

The key buttons and controls on the Nikon D70 are well placed and easy to access in the midst of shooting. I like how the On/Off button encases the shutter button because both are easily accessed by the index finger. The two command dials are also placed strategically close to your strongest shooting fingers. Although, I would prefer to have the control panel located on the back of the camera by the LCD screen, as on the Canon EOS Digital Rebel. It’s nice to have all your image information in one location, rather than two.

Size / Portability (7.0)
Looking at the broader digital camera market, the Nikon D70, as with all SLR cameras, is not designed for someone looking to tote her camera wherever she goes. If you’re looking for a fun, portable digital camera, check out something a little less advanced. However, if you know you want a higher-end camera, but portability is also important, then an SLR is a good option. The ability to remove the lens makes all the difference when trying to fit awkward-shaped cameras into normal-shaped spaces. Cameras like the Sony DSC-F828 are more difficult, as the long lens cannot be moved.

Compared with other digital SLRs on the market, the smaller size and weight of the Nikon D70 is very appealing. The D70 weighs 595 grams without the battery, memory card, or monitor cover, and measures 140 x 111 x 78 mm. The Nikon D70 is heavier and larger than the Canon EOS Digital Rebel (560 grams, 142 x 99 x 72.9 mm), but lighter than the previous Nikon D100 (780 grams, 144 x 116 x 81 mm) and much lighter than the Canon EOS 10D (875 grams, 150 x 107 x 75 mm). If anyone is looking for a digital SLR camera that is really light and easy, my first suggestion would be the Canon EOS Digital Rebel. However, the Nikon D70 is a close second and should not be discounted.

Handling Ability (8.0)
Not every SLR camera feels good in your hands, but the Nikon D70 does. Its small size and evenly distributed weight are key for ease of use and mass appeal. Even though many of the high-end digital SLR cameras produce knockout image quality and have scores of options, the sheer bulk is enough to scare many people away. If the camera is too big for you to use or carry around, you’re not going to be inclined to use it. This gets in the way of the ability to take good pictures, which is the key point.

The compact size of the Nikon D70 is good both for carrying around and for maneuvering control features. It fits nicely in most people's hands, and the buttons, dials, and terminals are easily reached. Some digital SLR cameras have control buttons and dials scattered across every inch of their large bodies, but the Nikon D70 is efficiently laid out. In cases where someone is having a rough transition from film SLRs to digital SLRs, I would suggest a camera like the Nikon D70. Its design is relatively easy to learn and its features are not that different from the traditional SLR design.

Control Button /Dial Positioning / Size (8.0)
The control features on the Nikon D70 are user-friendly. The square-shaped rubber buttons are large enough to see and use, and are nicely labeled in a yellowish-brown color. Many digital cameras lack clearly labeled buttons, which often makes it difficult for people to see the controls, especially in low light situations. Despite their nice size, I found the buttons on the Nikon D70 a bit annoying because they are slightly recessed into the body, causing your thumb or finger to slide around a little bit.

The major complaint I have about the layout is that the mode dial is located on the left side of the flash, as opposed to the right side like the Canon EOS Digital Rebel. I find it easier to adjust the dial with my right index finger and thumb without complicating my shooting. On the Nikon D70, you have to either remove your left hand from its supporting position underneath the body, or reach over the camera with your right hand to adjust the dial. Either way, it makes mode transition more cumbersome than on other digital SLRs.

I am definitely a fan of how the command buttons along the left side of the LCD screen are laid out. The Nikon D70 positions the display button at the very top, followed by the menu and the rest of the featured controls. More often than not, people press the display button directly after shooting to assess the shot they have just taken. I find the Nikon D70 layout easier and quicker than that of the Canon EOS Digital Rebel, which gives priority to the less predominant menu, info, and jump buttons, burying the playback button at the bottom.

Menu (8.0)
Within menu mode, there are four submenus: playback and shooting menus, custom settings, and a set-up menu. The playback menu allows you to delete images, select which folders can be viewed in playback, choose whether tall images should be rotated automatically, design a slide show for image viewing, "hide" images from viewing, and create a digital print order with print set.

The shooting menu allows you to optimize your image (while in program, manual, shutter, or aperture priority modes) by giving you the option of selecting normal, vivid, sharp, soft, or direct print. Long exposure NR (noise reduction) gives you the option of selecting noise reduction on images taken at one-second exposures or longer. This operation reduces image noise (colored pixels that overlay an image) but doubles the processing time. The image quality section lets you choose between RAW, RAW basic, JPEG basic, JPEG normal, and JPEG fine, and image size lets you choose from small
(1504 x 1000), medium (2240 x 1488), and large (3008 x 2000). There are ten ISO settings on the Nikon D70 to choose among, ranging from 200 to 1600 speed.

The custom settings section of the menu allows you to tweak camera settings based on your preferences. You have the option to reset the menu back to default settings, turn the camera's 'beep' on or off, choose between AF-S (single servo AF) and AF-C (continuous servo AF), choose the focus area (single, dynamic, or closest subject), and turn the AF assist illuminator on or off. You can also indicate if the ISO should be determined automatically, whether or not the shutter should be released without a CF card, and whether or not your images will automatically be displayed after shooting. This menu also gives you the option of displaying a grid in the viewfinder to help compose complicated shots. You can also change the exposure compensation increments from 1/3 to 1/2.

The Setup Menu has 18 options: folders (create/rename/select), file no. sequence (off/on/reset), format (yes/no), CSM menu (simple/detailed), date, LCD brightness (-2 to +2), mirror lock-up (yes/no), video mode (NTSC/PAL), language (10 choices), Image comment (add text to image), USB (mass storage/PTP, for printing), dust ref photo (yes/no), firmware version (displays current version), and image rotation (automatic/off).

Ease of Use (7.0)
Similar to the Canon EOS Digital Rebel, the Nikon D70 is in the prosumer range of cameras. They're not smart enough to be the professional line, but are too advanced for the average point-and-shooter. If you’re coming off of another digital SLR camera, the Nikon D70 will feel great. It is a really great feeling SLR that doesn’t weigh you down, but doesn’t fly away either. Nikon obviously put a lot of effort into making their newest SLR accessible and appealing to a large audience, and based on the hype surrounding this little guy, they did a good job. That said, the Nikon D70 differs significantly in size and heft for people who are jumping up from a point-and-shoot camera. In this instance, ease of use won’t be as high in the initial stages of shooting, but trust me, it will get better.