Solid build Great on-board flash Great kit lens Excellent metering Awesome value!! Intuitive controls Instant start-up Long battery life

No vertical grip Software is somewhat lacking (they always are)

What a great camera!! I have to admit, i have very little to base my comparison on, but i have been very impressed. After seeing the specs in the press release, i decided to sell my $1000 worth of canon stuff in order to take the digital SLR plunge with nikon. Outstanding responsiveness, great intuitive controls, and an above avg on board flash (which i use a lot). I will definitely get an external flash when i can pony up the dough, but the on-board is working pretty well for now. Very fast AF with very little hunting in low light. All of the specs of a mid to upper level SLR without the price. 3 fps continuous is very respectable for $1000. Metering options are plentiful and excellent. Definitely needs a vertical grip, but i'd say one will come out soon enough.

Customer Service

none needed so far

Similar Products Used:

Canon Rebel 2000 Several digital p&s

Responsive. Lightweight. Good ergonomics. More legible menus. Better image review zoom than D100. Vertical orientation sensor. Can record NEF+JPEG simultaneously. Low-cost IR remote. Built-in strobe can control SB-600 or SB-800 external flash unit wirelessly in TTL mode, and it can even sync in daylight at 1/500 sec, just like my medium format Bronica ETR, uses same LiOn EN-EL3 battery as D100, has 1005-pixel sensor for exposure metering (same as F5)

Buffer is only 4 frames deep in NEF (RAW) or NEF+JPEG Basic mode. Need to use some +EV compensation in Color Mode II (Adobe RGB) to pump up apparent image brightness / contrast, no vertical grip accessory available

This is my second DSLR. My first was a Nikon D100 purchased 1 yr ago. I've used film Nikons since 1975, and DSLRs since 1996 (Kodak DCS cameras based on Nikon SLR bodies). I originally planned to use the D70 as a backup to my D100, but I'm finding it more responsive, and since it's lighter as well, I don't mind carrying it as much; to put this into perspective, when you've shot all day with a Nikon D1X, the lighter weight of the D100 and now the D70 are a refreshing change. Another reviewer mentioned the D70's speed with a Lexar 40X. I tried the Lexar, and the D70 is noticeably faster with a SanDisk 1GB Extreme -- so I returned the Lexar and kept the SanDisk. WIth the SanDisk Extreme, you can shoot 3fps in JPEG Large Normal without buffer stall -- the D70 apparently can write to the card as fast as images come into the buffer. In JPEG Large Fine, the buffer is 9 frames, and in JPEG Large Normal, it's 12 frames deep (19 in JPEG Large Basic).

Customer Service

Free annual inspections of my gear by Nikon Pro service have kept it all in top condition. My first Nikon SLR (F-401s) from 1989 and flash (SB-24) from 1991 still work perfectly today, as do my 1991 F-801s (N8008s) and my F90x. I've used every pro film Nikon: F, F2, F3, F4, and F5; and several DSLR Nikons: D1, D1X, D100.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D100 -- a bulkier, heavier predecessor with similar image quality, good vertical grip option (MB-100). Nikon D1X -- heavy, built like a tank, great outdoor flash sync (1/500)