The Nikon D70 is aimed squarely at the "prosumer" digital SLR market, or in other words the same individuals that the F70 and F90 were aimed at with film cameras. In film cameras the F4 and F5 series distinguished themselves from their F70 and F90 counterparts in having the rugged construction and quality to stand up to rugged and reliable pro use, and similarly the D2h and D1x cameras continue to distinguish themselves in the pro segment.
Many extensive reviews of the D70 have already been written and posted on the web by sites exclusively devoted to the purpose. In fact they formed the basis for my decision to purchase a D70, even before any units were available to be seen or handled. Instead of replicating these reviews, hopefully this review will capture some of the thoughts of a typical consumer targeted by Nikon, and will serve to stimulate discussion and capture information typically not addressed in those "other" reviews.
The 6.31 Megapixel sensor is reputed to be an improved version of the same sensor used in the D100. If this is the case the difference should be noticeable in terms of lower noise in shadow details. The 1/8,000 maximum shutter speed and fast flash sync help contribute to more creative freedom by allowing the use of larger apertures, and balanced fill flash in bright sunlight. However it should be noted that this is offset by the minimum ISO setting of 200. In these situations a film camera with ISO 100 film, paired with 1/4000 maximum shutter speed, or 1/250 flash sync would yield the same results. So in a sense these groundbreaking features are required to compensate for the sensor speed. Nevertheless the faster shutter speeds and flash sync do help in situations where one would like to freeze motion.
Prior to the arrival of digital SLRs, the camera body had been described as a "light box", thus minimizing it's contribution to the quality of the final image, and attributing the contribution to the selection of lens and film. In a digital body however the sensor is the single most important contributor to image quality. Nikon has announced it's own custom sensor development, which are being used in the D1 series of pro-DSLRs. However it is widely rumored that the D70 sensor is the same as the D100 sensor and that it is manufactured for Nikon by Sony. 6.1 Megapixels provides adequate resolution for high quality prints, the dynamic range of 12 bits is excellent, and very low noise images at ISO 200 to ISO 1600 provide excellent exposure flexibility.
The D70 can be set to generate images in the following sizes:
| Image Size | Image Quality | File Size | Images/256Meg | Buffer Capacity |
| 3008 x 2000 pixels | NEF-Lossless 12bits | 5 MB | 23 | 4 |
| JPEG-Fine | 2.9 MB | 73 | 9 | |
| JPEG-Normal | 1.5 MB | 144 | 12 | |
| JPEG-Basic | 0.8 MB | 279 | 19 | |
| NEF+Basic | 5.8 MB | 21 | 4 | |
| 2240 x 1488 pixels | JPEG-Fine | 1.5 MB | 130 | 7 |
| JPEG-Normal | 0.8 MB | 253 | 7 | |
| JPEG-Basic | 0.4 MB | 481 | 7 | |
| 1504 x 1000 pixels | JPEG-Fine | 0.8 MB | 279 | 19 |
| JPEG-Normal | 0.4 MB | 528 | 27 | |
| JPEG-Basic | 0.2 MB | 950 | 49 |
One of the central elements of the "Nikon System" is the forward and backward compatibility between lenses and bodies supported by the F-Mount. The D70 continues the tradition, by allowing the use of almost every Nikon SLR lens designed. The D70 also comes with some of the constraints users of newer 35mm bodies will have run into. Matrix, center weighted, and spot metering are available with all CPU based AF lenses. In the D70 NO METERING, is possible with non-CPU lenses. This is a little different from some nikon bodies that only remove matrix metering, while still allowing center weighted and spot metering in manual mode. However it is possible to work around this limitation by using the preview feature on the camera to quickly narrow down the exposure by trial and error. As long as the lighting doesn't change significantly from shot to shot, the exposure can be set once by this procedure.
Pre AI lenses cannot be used since they bump into the little tab near
the depth of field preview button. The tab will flex a little in case you make the error
of forcing such a lens on, however repeated use would probably cause some distress. A good
source of information for all the gory details on the F-mount can be found at the
following links.
http://www.aiconversions.com/compatibilitytable.htm,
http://www.zi.ku.dk/personal/lhhansen/photo/indexing.htm,
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/nikonfmount/lens1.htm
Oh! did I mention the depth of field preview button! A welcome feature, which has been consistently missing from a number of Nikon autofocus bodies.
The D70 supports ISO settings from ISO 200 to ISO 1600 in either 1/2 or 1/3 steps. An auto ISO mode can be selected to operate in conjunction with various exposure modes, to increase creative flexibility without fumbling with buttons to change ISO settings from shot to shot. Image quality is excellent at all ISO settings, with some caveats described in the image quality section.
The D70 supports a number of exposure modes. These being:
These modes provide a user interface consistent with previous Nikon autofocus bodies. In manual mode, use of the dials to adjust aperture and shutter speed should feel very familiar to users of the Nikon F601/N6006 style of body. In fact the D70 allows the option to assign either shutter speed or aperture adjustment to the rear dial. Things get interesting in manual mode however due to the extra flexibility provided by auto ISO selection. If auto ISO is enabled, in manual mode both shutter speed, and aperture can be set independently for complete control over motion blur/camera shake as well as depth of field, without having to live with over or underexposure for that combination. As long as there is an ISO value between 200 and 1600 for correct exposure, the D70 will select it. The con of this behaviour is that if over or underexposure is the purpose of engaging manual mode, then the camera will conspire against you. Unfortunately switching between auto ISO and fixed ISO requires entering the menus, which will cause users to pick one mode or the other, and stick with it.
Aperture priority works as one would expect. The user chooses the aperture and the camera picks the shutter speed. Once again auto ISO adds a new dimension to this operation. It appears that as long as there is enough light the camera will adjust the shutter speed, however as the shutter speed gets low enough to cause camera shake, the D70 will start to increase the ISO instead. Once the ISO range is exhausted, the camera shake guideline will start to be violated and the shutter speed will once again start to decrease.
Shutter priority interacts with auto ISO in a similar manner. However this time there is no camera shake judgment the camera can make, so it simply adjusts the aperture, and once it runs out of range on the aperture setting it starts to adjust the ISO. One of the good features in both shutter and aperture priority mode is that once the auto ISO has run out of range as well, the D70 starts to display over and under exposure on the metering gauge built into the viewfinder.
But wait there's more... it is also possible to assign exposure compensation to the front dial, when using Aperture and Shutter priority modes. Adding this extra level of complexity pretty much blows my mind, however for those with a stronger ability to keep things sorted it puts them in the driver's seat with respect to creative control. Now it becomes possible to simultaneously think about composition, depth of field, motion blur, focus, and exposure compensation, in the instant before you press the shutter release. Perhaps it's really all a ploy to make you wish there was a program mode, so that the camera could be operated with point and shoot simplicity.
The D70 has more program modes that you can shake a stick at. There are seven Digital vari-Programs. With the following characteristics identified by the D70 user manual
| Auto | Use for snapshots. Vivid, smooth images with balanced saturation, colour and sharpness |
| Portrait | Use for portraits. Main subject stands out, while background details are softened. |
| Landscape | Use for vivid landscape shots. Enhances outlines, colours and contrast. |
| Close Up | Use for close up shots of flowers and insects. Reds and greens are captured particularly vividly. |
| Sports | High shutter speeds freeze motion for dynamic sports shots |
| Night Landscape | Slow shutter speeds produce stunning night landscapes while minimizing mottling and discoloration often seen in low-light photographs. |
| Night Portrait | Provides natural balance between subject and background in portraits taken under low light. Lighting for portrait subject will seem natural even when flash is used. |
Subscribing to the value of these programs, versus sticking with manual and pseudo manual modes like A, S and P is very much a personal choice. But once again digital SLRs bring a new twist over film cameras that begin to change the equation. With film cameras, the equivalent modes were limited to helping with selection of aperture and shutter speed, and balanced fill flash.
However with the D70 Digi vari-programs also bring in the correct settings for switching between vivid and normal colour saturation, degree of sharpening, and use of extra noise reduction algorithms. Manually walking though the menus and picking and choosing these options depending on the nature of the photograph is an exercise in frustration. It is very appealing to have saturated colours for a quick close up of a flower, and for the next shot to be able to take a portrait without having your subject look like a lobster.
My only reservation in subscribing to these features, is the inability to opt out of automatic control of major feature groups. I think of these as being, autofocus, exposure/development, and flash. On the D70 most of these modes place the camera in autofocus with nearest subject priority. This can be very error prone, in many situations, leading to well exposed, and balanced portraits of a twig, rather than your favourite nephew. Similarly in automatic flash mode, the built in speedlight will wait quietly until the shutter release is depressed, at which point it will pop open and release a burst if necessary. This is startling to say the least, and annoying if fill flash isn't desired. To be fair Nikon has provided the ability to override the autofocus mode, and flash automation in each of the digi vari-program modes. However after going through and setting these overrides, they are forgotten by the D70 as soon as the vari program dial is changed, or the camera power is cycled. After doing this a couple of times, it is easy to give up and stop using the vari programs at all.
The D70 produces excellent white balance in auto mode. Various conditions covering a mix of incandescent tungsten, fluorescent and even candle lights were tested. In most cases a natural white was produced, without giving up all the warmth inherent in tungsten lighting. Occasionally a strong yellow cast would appear under low light conditions, however it is difficult to fault the D70 in these situations. Manually setting the white balance to tungsten helped clear up the white balance in these situations. Furthermore it is possible to shoot in raw mode, allowing the white balance to be corrected during post processing.
Colour temperature can be fine tuned for each of the white balance modes. For example shooting in tungsten mode, it is possible to vary the nominal colour temperature assumption of 3000K , to values between 2700K and 3300K.
In addition the D70 supports a measurement mode, where the white balance can be calibrated for a shooting session, without having it change from shot to shot. Another really interesting capability is to use a reference photo for extracting the white balance. This allows shot to shot consistency for colour balance in a sequence of pictures.
Preset temperatures and correction are available for the following conditions, with six steps for each range:
The D70 provides 5 zone autofocus, with support for AF lenses and newer AFS lenses with a built in motor. Performance was tested with an 80-200 F2.8 AFD lens, as well as numerous other smaller and lighter lenses including the 16 F2.8 AFD, 20 F2.8 AFD, and 37-70 F2.8 AFD. All the lenses, including the big zoom were powered and focused quickly by the D70 body. Testing with a 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G AFS lens demonstrated that the AFS lens was much quicker to focus and quieter than the AF lenses.
The rapid 3 fps burst shooting capability of the D70 is an excellent feature at the present time, when most digital cameras still suffer from slow cycle times and shutter lag. Furthermore, as a "prosumer" I had never really let loose with a similar continuous shooting capability on the F601. The cost of film for burning through a roll of 36 exposures was enough of a deterrent.
Giddy with enthusiasm for the speed of the D70, and freed from the cost of film, it was very tempting to exercise this new found power. Unfortunately it led to a large number of decisive shots, where nothing in the frame was in focus. The reason for this is that in AF continuous servo mode (AF-C) the D70 fires the shutter as fast as possible, without synchronizing with the AF sensor. If the subject is moving slow enough, the AF system will track and crisp images will appear, if not, well... the solution lies in (AF-S) mode. With AF-S the system will not release the shutter unless the focus is locked.
All of which is to say that the D70 leaves a number of options open for how the photographer would like to set up a dynamic subject. These are as follows:
| Focus Mode | Shutter Mode | Possible dynamic shooting methodology |
| AF-S | Continuous | Maximum frame rate shooting is possible, every shot is guaranteed to be in focus, even at the expense of slowing the frame rate till the AF module catches up. |
| AF-C | Continuous | Maximum frame rate shooting is guaranteed. Focus is best effort, however this might not be a problem if the subject is tracking slow enough, if there is enough depth of field to clear up small focusing errors, of if the occasional lost frame due to bad focus is not a problem. |
| AF-S | Single | Pre focus at a known shooting location and ensure that the single shot taken is the decisive moment. |
| AF-C | Single | Acquire and track an object. This gives enough time to ensure that focus tracking is locked, before releasing the shutter. |
None of this is unique to the D70, but is rather a characteristic of the Nikon system. What changes with the D70 is that a large number of "prosumers" will now be motivated to try these and other techniques, given that they have a tool that can perform like a Nikon film camera, without the cost of film. It should also be interesting to see if more and more people start to demand full 8 frames per second performance in future DSLRs, in order to properly shoot pictures of their kids running around.
In addition to focus tracking, the D70 also provides a number of options for selecting how the 5 AF area sensors are used. Once again it was only after making some focusing errors did the full impact of some of the warnings in the user manual sink in.
| Sensor Option | Description |
| Single Area | Single area, should not be confused with using just the central sensor. The user can select any one of the 5 AF areas manually, however what this mode ensures is that the camera will not use any information from any of the remaining 4 sensors. |
| Dynamic Area | Dynamic area is just like single area, except the camera will monitor the input from the 4 other sensors, and if it detects a subject that was targeted by the selected sensor temporarily moves to another sensor, it will automatically use the input from that sensor. |
| Closest Subject | The system will automatically select the sensor covering the closest subject. In AF-S this decision is only made once, in AF-C mode it is continuously evaluated. |
Until I sat down to write this review, and carefully read the manual to make sure any of my complaints were well founded, it had been puzzling why a number of my low light photos were coming out soft. The results seemed inconsistent, and two identical pictures taken one after another seemed to vary greatly in quality of focus. The clue might lie in the following quote from the user manual, "Single area is also recommended with telephoto lenses or when the subject is poorly lit". Aha. Without that distinction, it is easy to assume that Dynamic Area is just like Single Area only better. There are many variables in trying to get to the bottom of why focus is soft, particularly in low light conditions. I still need to take a lot of pictures in Single Area mode, in order to confirm if this is the root cause of the problem I observed. It would be interesting to hear a number of opinions and experiences with the D70 in order for us to all be able to get to the bottom of our own observed issues.
When all else fails, of course the D70 supports manual focus, with focus assist using the built in rangefinder. If the lens is focused a green dot will light up in the bottom left corner of the viewfinder. This is consistent with all Nikon AF cameras. This is an essential feature for being able to use non CPU lens from the AI and AIS series.
The D70 has been given the best metering module Nikon has produced to date. The legendary 1005 pixel RGB sensor first introduced in the Pro F5 body. The complete or partial involvement of the colour sensitive metering sensor in white balance control is not obvious. However the D70 maintains the Nikon features of combining TTL metering, with distance information from the D type AF lenses, and communication with the speedlights to provide excellent autoexposure in difficult lighting conditions with and without fill flash.
Five segment matrix metering, center weighted metering and spot metering are all available on the D70. These are all Nikon staples and not unique to the D70. For further creative control it is possible to select the size of the center weighted metering from 6mm to 12mm. Spot metering tracks the AF area segment selected. If the AF mode selected is "closest subject", the metering is tied to the central focusing zone.
The viewfinder on the D70 is perfectly adequate. It seems a little cramped and dim compared to other Nikons, but whether this is a problem or not is a very subjective matter. Diopter adjustment is available. The only complaint with the adjustment is that if it accidentally gets moved, it is hard to find the 0 correction position. A mark or detent would be useful.
The information displayed in the viewfinder is very complete, and familiar to users of other Nikon cameras. The only room for improvement would be for the camera to display the auto ISO value, rather than simply flashing the words "ISO AUTO"
The included rubber surround is a simple but excellent idea for those who use glasses. My glasses cost me as much as a good Nikkor lens, and I need to wear them every waking moment. It is nice that the D70 does not scratch them.
The LCD screen is a 1.8" 130,000 pixel display. Which is meaningless. However to put things in perspective the new SONY CLIE handheld has a resolution of 102,000 pixels. The screen is perfectly adequate to preview a complete image. The D70 comes with an extremely well designed user interface for navigating the preview image, and zooming into a section to check for details like focus and depth of field. The zoom navigation is a difficult thing to explain in writing, but is definitely worth trying to see how it works.
The data display for camera mode settings is relatively simple, grouped into four menus. There isn't much hierarchy in the menus, so it is easy to navigate, and hard to get lost in. One of the best functions in the user interface is a built in help function. A dedicated key on the back of the camera labeled with a "?" can be pressed at any time, while navigating the menus, and context sensitive help pops up to provide a clue about the camera function being modified.
The image preview can be overlaid with lots of relevant shooting information, as well as a histogram, and blown highlights can be highlighted. It would be handy to get an 8bit and 12bit indication, so users can be more aware of what they are missing if they compress the dynamic range of their .NEF files.
The Nikon D70 draws on practically every accessory designed for SLR cameras in the Nikon system. This is one of the principal reasons for buying one, if you are invested in the Nikon system. It is also a good reason to use the D70 as an entry vehicle into the Nikon system of accessories, which have all been forward and backward compatible for decades. Not withstanding some exceptions with respect to speedlights, pre AI lenses, and some Nikonisms around metering modes.
The D70 shows incredible promise in the flexibility it has for controlling flashes. Unfortunately as a reviewer I am unable to do this topic justice, as I could not justify the purchase of an SB800 to replace the old SB24 I have been using occasionally.
One of the biggest issues with digital cameras has been the various delays and lags the camera imposes on a photographer, resulting more often than not in the loss of a fleeting photo opportunity. The D70 poses no such limitations. It handles as fast as any nikon 35mm SLR camera, in terms of autofocus performance, shutter lag, and cycle time. It's incredibly deep buffer and fast write time to flash results in a virtually unlimited number of continuous bursts at a nominal rate of 1.5 to 2 frames per second. It can burst up to 3 frames at 3 frames per second in raw mode before it needs to slow down to write the data to flash. Some camera reviews claim 3 frames per second for up to 14 shots in JPEG Large+Normal mode, however in practice, even with fresh batteries, I was unable to see that speed in any mode other than raw.
The D70 is supplied with an EN-EL3 1400 mAH rechargeable lithium battery, which is good for up to 2000 images on a single charge. In addition a holder is supplied to allow the use of 3 CR2 batteries. Considering the amount of signal processing and automation the D70 runs, it is amazing how long the battery lasts.
[Editor's note: The reviewer is in Canada, and it seems that the software included with the camera depends on where it is purchased. In the US, PhotoShop Elements II is NOT included with the camera. Instead Nikon include their PictureProject 1.0 software, a significantly less powerful image editor, but with NEF conversion included]
The D70 comes bundled with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2. This is extremely good value, and virtually indispensable for "prosumers", unless they already have a full version of Photoshop at the price of a good Nikkor lens. In addition Nikon View and Nikon Edit can be used to quickly pull up images, and to download them from the camera. Nikon Capture is not bundled with the camera and needs to be purchased separately. The D70 senses and registers the camera orientation. The nikon software works well with this function to present all the images right side up. The convenience of this feature cannot be overstated.
A special raw (NEF) file driver gets installed with Photoshop. This driver also performs the required post processing of the NEF file, resulting in 16 bit photoshop images with the anti-aliasing filter applied to the NEF file for a smooth and noise free result. ( The need for the filter is explained below in the image quality section )
The camera does not allow the use of a cable release, however an optional remote control can be purchased. The built in speedlight supports an RF control mode for communicating with other nikon speedlights, for sophisticated multiflash control.
Image quality on the D70 is excellent. Of particular note are the very low noise shadow details. In addition at higher ISO settings, while the noise starts to become observable, it is still not objectionable. Unlike many digital cameras, the Nikon D70 allows independent selection of image size, and quality in JPEG mode. With 3 image sizes, and 3 quality levels, there are a total of 9 possible JPEG settings.
Of particular interest is an understanding of image quality when using RAW NEF files. In order to enter a discussion on this subject, it is important to understand that Nikon chose to implement the anti-aliasing function partially in the softening filter in front of the sensor, and partly using image processing algorithms after the picture has been taken. A complete explanation of this can be found at the following link:. http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/technology_e/image_processing_e/index.htm.
What this implies is that the NEF file contains a partially antialiased image. This is illustrated by studying a NEF file directly without the antialiasing step using the Nikon Viewer (below, left), and the same file by simply opening it in Photoshop (below, right). The RAW file driver installed in photoshop performs the antialiasing function automatically, as the file is imported.
Within a week of having the D70, and after a successful evening of nocturnal photography at ISO 1600, with very low noise images, it came as a surprise to hear in some online forums, that the D70 produced noisy shadows, and oversharpened images. After quickly pulling up a random image in Nikon View to check the results, I was amazed to find the image on the left. How disappointing. Needless to say it took a while to find the link to the Nikon technical report that explained what was going on.
Having understood this, there are some important conclusions that come out of the way the D70 supports RAW output.
This discussion also helps to frame the question of image quality when comparing JPEG and RAW files. So far it has been shown that the RAW file needs to be softened to some extent, in order to remove aliased noise, and spatial artifacts. This is done automatically by the Photoshop NEF input module. If the imported NEF image was compared with a camera created JPEG, would the results be the same ?
Both of the images above were taken with a tripod mount, and computer triggered release to eliminate camera shake. The only difference in camera settings was to switch from RAW capture mode to JPEG FINE+Large. The RAW image was directly opened in photoshop and went through the automatic anti-aliasing filter. It can be seen that the RAW path does preserve some image sharpness, over the JPEG image.
Sample images taken with a D70 can be found on the nikon website at: www.nikonusa.com.
As an avid "prosumer" and target of Nikon's D70 design, it is a pleasure to report that the D70 goes a long way towards improving the ability to work in these situations. Excellent auto white balance, and low noise performance at ISO settings as high as 1600 are key to enabling one to become untethered from a tripod.
All of these factors are embodied in the picture above. Yes it could have been taken with Fuji Provia rated at ISO1600, but what about the tungsten balance ? Yes it could have been taken with slower tungsten film and a tripod, but what are the odds I would have lugged all the paraphernalia around ? Yes it could have been taken by any other digital camera that had an ISO 1600 sensitivity, but would it also have the low noise performance of the D70 under those conditions ? Thinking about these questions leads me to be satisfied that the D70 significantly improves the imaging options for creative nocturnal photography, like no other film camera, and better than most digital cameras.
Macro photography takes a degree of patience and fiddling, in order to archive predictable
results. The unique features of digital SLR photography with the D70 helps improve the
workflow somewhat. Getting precise focus with a very shallow depth of field is one of the
challenges inherent in setting up a macro shot.
The instant preview capability of a digital camera is an excellent way to check the results and fine tune the setup, as opposed to looking at a roll of film after it has been developed. The setup shown in the image above works well with the D70. The laptop is connected via the USB cable to the computer. The body is mounted on a PB 4 bellows with a 135 F4 bellows nikkor. Another tribute to the D70's compatibility with older accessories from the Nikon system.
Use of the PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) computer controlled transfer mode makes it easy to look at full screen previews of the macro shot as each picture is taken. Furthermore the use of the computer controlled shutter release provides a solution for camera shake, in the absence of a mechanical cable release. Colour saturation can be viewed in the sRGB space on the laptop or using Photoshop directly in the Adobe colour space. Fine adjustments to colour temperature for redoing the shots is then a snap.
 Exposure: 1sec, F4. 135mm Bellows
Nikkor, ISO 200. |
 Exposure: 30sec, F11. 135mm Bellows Nikkor,
ISO 200 |
PTP control of the camera has a long way to go, but it looks like the D70 has provided the hooks necessary to get there. It is encouraging that the open source community has started to embrace the idea. It is only a matter of time before decent control packages for all manner of functions and camera types become available, as alternatives to the expensive Nikon Capture option. The setup show above was operated using the built in PTP support in Windows XP, which allows the shutter to be fired directly, without requiring Nikon Capture.
The Nikon D70 is an excellent camera, built on their experience with the D100. It appears that many of the suggestions for improvement around the software, features and user interface with the D100 have been incorporated into the D70. Leaving a relatively short wish list of remaining improvements. These being:
And of course Kudos to Nikon on the following fronts:
In 1999 I promised myself I would switch to digital photography once a reasonable 4 Megapixel camera was available. Well the time has come, and Nikon has provided the answer in the form of the D70 Digital SLR. The fact that it is F mount compatible (mostly), produces excellent images, and is affordable have left me with no excuse for not jumping in at this point. The ultimate validation of this is the fact that my wife (who has always maintained a healthy dose of skepticism of my various equipment purchases) can't wait to get her hands on it, finally relinquishing her 20 year old Minolta SLR as the only tool a photographer needs.