Nikon D70s
Wednesday 03 Jan 2007
This is a bangin’ DSLR! Many pros prefer it to the more costly “pro” models. When I bought mine, the body only was just under $1000, they’re available now for just under $700. The D70s is an update to the earlier D70. To my knowledge, the main difference between the two is the D70s’ larger screen. There may be some firmware differences as well, however, all buttons, menus and other functions appear to be identical.
Granted the new D80 proves to be the D70s’s successor in the Prosumer lineup of Nikon’s DSLRs, but even in our world of 10+ megapixel cameras, the D70s packs quite a punch.
Don’t believe the megapixel myths about limits on print sizes. Manufacturers and resellers want you to spend the extra bucks on denser megapixel sensors. It’s not about just the megapixels, but moreso the quality of the sensor and what you, the photographer, are able to do with the image both in camera and afterwards that makes the difference (not to mention how you’re printing your photos).
I’m able to get stunning 24 x 36″ prints off my D70s. I’m sure I could get great quality at bigger, but haven’t tried as of yet. There’s far more to consider than megapixels when it comes to the camera; focus, lens selection, lighting, post processing…
Pics look great at most every ISO setting, I don’t start noticing excessive noise until around ISO 1200, and it’s still acceptable even then. Supposedly the D2Hs doesn’t have bad noise at any setting, but then again, it is nearly three times the price.
I got mine about 8 months ago and have taken more than 20,000 captures with it. It’s a great do-all camera and highly recommended for anyone wanting to move either from 35mm film or step up from point and shoot digitals. I traded my film SLR in on this and haven’t missed it since, if anything I was kicking myself in the head for not making the switch sooner. Sure, medium format film still reigns supreme for those doing large landscape or high fashion photography, but for the rest of us that need good quality pics, and need a way to incoporate them into a workflow fast and seamlessly - digital just makes sense, and the D70s is a great camera to work with.
A few tricks I use with the camera:
1. Shoot in sRGB mode. This way colors in your camera are far more likely to match what comes off your printer. I use Macs and Apple monitors, so I don’t really have much of an issue with color matching, it just works.
2. Always shoot RAW… yes, the file size is bigger, but you’d be amazed at the processing options that shooting in RAW gives you, especially when using a RAW converter like Adobe’s Lightroom. If the image matters, shoot RAW.
3. If you love wild, over-saturated colors (like me), pump up the saturation setting in the camera’s shooting menu.
4. I find that the D70s pics come out a tad more on the cool side than what I usually prefer, so I use an 81A warming filter almost always, but that’s me…
5. Nikon publishes the ISO sensitivity for this camera as 200 - 1600. By using the camera’s built in EV adjustments, it’s possible to get an effective ISO 50 - 3200 sensitivity!
Vital Specs:
Type of Camera: Single-lens reflex digital camera
Effective Pixels: 6.1 million
Image Sensor: RGB CCD, 23.7 x 15.6mm; total pixels: 6.24 million
Autofocus: TTL phase detection by Nikon Multi-CAM900 autofocus module with
AF-assist illuminator (approx. 0.5m to 3.0m) Detection range: EV -1 to +19 (ISO 100 equivalent, at normal temperature: 68 degrees F/20 degrees C)
Focus Lock: Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
Image Size (pixels): 3,008 x 2,000 [L]; 2,240 x 1,488 [M]; 1,504 x 1,000 [S]
LCD Monitor: 2.0-in., 130,000-dot, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment
Storage Media: CompactFlash(TM) (CF) Card (Type I and II ) and Microdrive (TM)
AF Area Mode: 1) Single Area AF, 2) Dynamic Area AF, 3) Closest Subject Priority Dynamic Area AF
Shooting Modes: 1) Single frame shooting mode; 2) Continous shooting mode: approx. 3 frames per second; 3) Self-timer mode; 4) Delayed remote mode : 2 sec. delay; 5) Quick-response remote mode
Focus Area: Can be selected from 5 focus areas
Picture Angle: Equivalent in 35mm [135] format is approx. 1.5 times lens focal length
Lens Servo: 1) Autofocus (AF): single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous servo AF (AF-C); predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status; 2) Manual focus (M)
Remote Control: Via Remote Cord MC-DC1 (optional) or Wireless Remote Control ML-L3 (optional)
Storage (Number of): RAW approx. 44, FINE approx. 73, NORMAL approx. 144, BASIC approx. 279, RAW & BASIC approx. 39 (Number of frames per 256MB CF card, image size L)
Viewfinder Information: Focus indications, AE/FV lock indicator, Shutter speed, Aperture value, Exposure/Exposure compensation indicator, Exposure mode, Flash output level compensation, Exposure compensation,Number of remaining exposures, Flash-ready indicator
Exposure Mode: Digital Vari-Program (Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close up, Sports, Night landscape, Night portrait), Programmed Auto [P] with flexible program; Shutter Priority Auto [S]; Aperture Priority Auto [A]; Manual [M]
Exposure Metering: 1) EV 0 to 20 (3D Color Matrix or center-weighted metering); 2) EV 2 to 20 (spot metering) (ISO 100 equivalent, f/1.4 lens, 68 degrees F/20 degrees C)
Storage System: Compressed NEF (RAW): 12-bit compression, JPEG: JPEG baseline-compliant
Sensitivity: 200 to 1600 (ISO equivalent) in steps of 1/3 EV
White Balance: Auto (TTL white balance with 1,005-pixel RGB sensor), six manual modes with fine-tuning, preset white balance, white balance bracketing possible
Built-in Speedlight: Auto flash with auto pop-up [P], [S], [A], [M]: manual pop-up with button release Guide number (ISO 200/ISO 100, m): approx. 15/11 (manual full 17/12)
Accessory Shoe: Standard ISO hot-shoe contact with safety lock provided
Auto Exposure Bracketing: Two or three frames ±2 EV in 1/3 or 1/2 steps
File System: Exif 2.21, Compliant DCF 2.0 and DPOF
Auto Exposure Lock: Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button
Depth of Field Preview: When CPU lens is attached, lens aperture can be stopped down and previewed by pressing the preview button
Exposure Compensation: ±5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Eyepoint: 18mm (-1.0m -1)
Flash Sync Mode: 1) Front-curtain Sync (normal sync), 2) Red-eye Reduction, 3) Red-eye Reduction with Slow Sync, 4) Slow Sync, 5) Rear-curtain Sync
Self-timer: Electronically controlled timer with 2 to 20 seconds duration
Playback Function: 1 frame: Thumbnail (4 or 9 segments); Magnifying playback; Slide show;
Histogram indication; Highlight point display; Auto image rotation
Delete Function: Card format, All frames delete, Selected frames delete
Power Source: One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3a or EN-EL3, Three CR2 Lithium batteries (with optional MS-D70 CR2 battery holder), AC Adapter EH-5 (optional)
Dimensions (W x H x D): Approx. 5.5 x 4.4 x 3.1 in. (140 x 111 x 78mm)
Weight (without battery): Approx. 1lb 5 oz (600g)
Supplied Accessories: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3a, Quick Charger MH-18a, Video Cable, USB Cable UC-E4, Strap, Body cap, Eyepiece Cap DK-5, Rubber Eyecup DK-20, LCD monitor cover BM-5, PictureProject CD-ROM. Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area.
Video Output: Can be selected from NTSC and PAL
Interface: USB: Mass storage and PTP selectable
Text Input: Up to 36 characters of alphanumeric text input available with LCD monitor and multi-selector; stored in Exif header
Focusing Screen: Type-B BriteView Clear Matte screen Mark V with superimposed focus brackets and on-demand grid lines
Viewfinder Frame Coverage: Approx. 95%
Viewfinder Magnification: Approx. 0.75x with 50mm lens at infinity; -1.0m-1
Shutter: Combined mechanical and CCD electronic shutter, 30 sec to 1/8000 sec. in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV, bulb
Sync Contact: X-contact only; flash synchronization at up to 1/500 sec.
Flash Control: 1) TTL: TTL flash control by 1,005-pixel RGB sensor Built-in Speedlight: i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash or standard i-TTL flash (spot metering or mode dial set to [M]) SB-800 or 600: i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash or standard i-TTL flash (spot metering); 2) Auto aperture: Available with SB-800 with CPU lens3) Non-TTL Auto: Available with Speedlights such as SB-800, 80DX, 28DX,28, 27, and 22s4) Distance-priority manual available with SB-800
Flash Compensation: -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Tripod Socket: 1/4 in. (ISO 1222)
Exposure Meter Coupling: TTL full-aperture exposure metering system(1) 3D Color Matrix Metering with 1,005-pixel RGB sensor; (2) Center-weighted: Weight of 75% (8mm dia. circle) given to 6, 8, 10, or 12mm dia. circle in center of frame, or weighting based on average of entire frame; (3) Spot: Meters 2.3mm dia. circle
