The new Nikon D70s digital SLR camera is a slight upgrade to the successful and popular D70 model. It retains the size and body construction of the D70, and also keeps all the features of the D70 that make the latter such a prized digital SLR, e.g.: same CCD sensor and DSP chip; instantaneous start-up; fast response, little shutter lag; industry-leading 1/500 flash sync (wow!); 3D color matrix metering; and the powerful i-TTL flash/lighting system. Like the D70, the D70s uses a CompactFlash memory card and is MicroDrive-compatible.

The D70s differs from the D70 in the following aspects:

- port for electronic cable release (MC-DC1)
- larger, 2.0" LCD (vs. D70's 1.8", but same resolution)
- slightly more powerful battery

To many Nikon diehard's disappointment, the D70s did not include more megapixels (unlike the Canon DR XT vs. DR) or a more powerful AF system, and kept D70's slow-poke USB 1.1 (a.k.a. "USB 2.0 full-speed") connection.

Since the D70s is just a minor upgrade, I strongly believe the D70 to be a much better value. You should go with the D70s only if you absolutely need the cable release feature.

Between the kit and the body-only versions, I highly recommend the kit version. The kit 4x zoom lens is of excellent quality (especialy optics-wise) and is well worth the price differential. It makes a great "street zoom" lens.

When Nikon brings out an `s' camera, it is virtually a sure thing that this is a camera you want to get your hands on. The D70s is not an exception. With essentially instant-on (.2 seconds), improved built in flash, a larger and brighter lcd screen, and especially the ability to take up to 144 exposures at 3 frames per second make this an incredible improvement to the existing D70. Imagine the sports or wildlife exposures you have the chance to get with this capability!

The D70s is the digital SLR to record daily life and life events. With a 6.1 mega pixel resolution limits the size of prints you can make with it to about 11" by 17". If this is not a problem for you then this is your digital camera. If you want to be able to make larger prints with good resolution, then you need to spend a great deal more money for a higher resolution digital camera (about $5,000) or stick with film. I keep my old N90 for these purposes.

Buy the D70s without the bundled 18-70 Nikon lens if (1) you already have a bundle of Nikon lenses; or (2) if you want a more capable first lens for your camera. If you want a more capable lens I strongly recommend the Nikon 24-120 lens. It cost $500 from B&H photo and will wind up being the lens you always keep on your camera. Its equivalent range in film cameras is 36-180 - in other words slight wide angle to more than satisfactory telephoto. This is the fourth generation of this lens by Nikon and it now has all the bells and whistles: Nikons best ed glass for super sharp and clear pictures, silent wave motor for extremely fast focusing, and vibration reduction to eliminate the shakes in low light. Nikon has other excellent zooms and you may want to look at them but I can highly recommend this lens as one to have if you never want to miss a shot of the kids or what is happening at the instant.
* One extra EN-EL3a Lithium-Ion Battery.
* Two 2GB 80X CompactFlash cards with write acceleration (WA) technology.
Note: Nikon recommends the SanDisk SDCFH (Ultra II), SDCFX (Extreme/Extreme III) or Lexar Media 80X WA CompactFlash™ card for best performance.
* One CF card reader for your computer. Firewire or USB connection depending upon your needs.

As time and money permit you may want to add the following:
* A telephoto lens for wildlife and sporting events. The 70-300mm F4-5.6G AF Nikon is a great value and complements the bundled lens nicely. If money is not an object step up to the 70-300ED or the 70-200 F2.8 with vibration reduction.
* A good macro lens such as the AF Micro Nikon 105mm f2.8.
* Polarizing filters for both the kit lens and the telephoto. Get Nikon filters there is no sense in spending money for Nikon lenses and then putting junk filters on them.
* A bag to carry all this stuff.

This will get you nicely started. Further down the line you may wish to get the following:
* A speedlight. Either the SB 600 or 800.
* A tripod and ballhead.

Be sure to check prices at B&H Photo as well as those shown here. They have a tremendous selection and have long been known and trusted by serious photographers. In addition I would suggest that anyone who buys a D70 join Nikonians. There or literally tens of thousands of people who are more than happy to help you with any question you may have about Nikon Cameras, lenses and other equipment as well as help you with your photography skills. And, bet of all, it's free! Go to nikonians.org.

This camera, as other D series cameras, has a serious limitation. It cannot be used on a bellows, a microscope or a T mount lens for automatic exposure. You have to set exposure manually by trial and error. If you only want to take conventional images with the lens systems that only Nikon will supply you there isn't a problem, but IF you expect exposure metering in the camera body, DO NOT BUY this camera.

This review is not intended to be technical. I just want potential buyers to know that the D70s is worth every penny in my estimation. No camera is going to be perfect. Each will have its drawbacks in one area or another, hence the 4 star rating I gave it. However, don't let that intimidate you into not considering this camera. The only reason I didn't give this camera a 5 star was the fact I would like to have had a double exposure mode and built in flash sync for studio lights. However these negatives are in my estimation only and can be easily worked around. The camera however, works flawlessly, and delivers extremely sharp images in a wide range of lighting situations. It's about as user friendly as digital cameras can get, but needs time to experiment with to really get to know its wide range of uses. It can be used as a point and shoot for the inexperienced or can be used by the pro to allow extensive creativity. And it feels like a camera in your hand!
The RAW+JPEG mode is great, however, Nikon has dropped the ball by not including RAW conversion software with this very capable camera. But all is not lost. You can download Rawshooter Essentials software off the internet for FREE which gives you a very good introductory conversion engine for RAW files that's easy to use. Sure beats the $100 Capture 4 software that should have been included with the camera.
Since I do a lot of landscape photography, I have found that shooting into the sun can be a headache at times. Lens flare is a significant problem with digital sensors, however, this camera does very well with filters as well as any film camera I have owned. Exposures from the cameras light meter are not the same as my film cameras, and I tend to have to overexpose more with the D70s. It just takes time to learn. But it has been a most enjoyable camera to work with. I have included 4 images on this web page that I shot with this camera for reference as to its color saturation capabilities. It's every bit as good to me as Fugi Velvia or Kodak EV slide film.
I hope this helps any potential buyers because I realize digital SLR's are a hot market right now. I considered several different makes before deciding on the D70s. And I have been very pleased with it overall. I don't think anyone from the entry level photographer to the advanced amateur would be disappointed with this piece. I bought this camera with a Sigma 18-200 zoom which covers a wide range with just one lens. The 1.5 magnification factor makes it approximately 27-300, which has done well for me. A battery grip with vertical shutter release will be available for the D70s in September from Hoodman.
Start with at least a fast 512 MB flash card, but a 1GB would be ever better.

The Nikon D70S is essentially the follow-on to Nikon's hugely successful D100 digital SLR. Make no mistake, this is not a "crippled" D100. The D70S features more advanced electronics than the D100 and corrects most of that fine camera's shortcomings.

Incidentally, the D70S came after the initial D70 model, and features a bigger LCD viewer and more advanced firmware. The original D70 can be upgraded via firmware to function identically to the D70S with the exception, of course, of the larger LCD monitor on the back of the camera.

The D70S improves over the D100 in a number of respects. First and foremost, to me at least, is the exposure characteristics of the D70S. The D100 had trouble producing correct exposures in a variety of conditions, especially situations involving high contrast, for example, a room with bright windows on a sunny day. The D70S handles such situations effortlessly, and can be depended upon to generally produce images that are ready for use right out of the camera. Bottom line: the D70S images will usually require less post-processing than those of the D100. (This does not mean that the D100 did not produce excellent pictures; indeed it did. But the D70S is a clear improvement from an exposure standpoint.)

Additionally, the D70S has a lightning fast buffer, allowing the photographer to take pictures in rapid sequence without the camera having to stop in order to save the pictures to the CF card. This also applies to the NEF format: the D70S saves RAW images in a nearly no-loss compressed format very quickly, which allows the user to shoot RAW images and save them compressed. This means that the photographer can store a lot more RAW images on a CompactFlash card. This makes shooting RAW images very practical, and is a welcome upgrade from the D100.

The D70S comes with some really excellent software: PictureProject. I was pleasently surprised how excellent this software is. Many users will find that it is adequate for their needs and will not even want to upgrade to Nikon's Capture editor or one of the various versions of Photoshop. Personally I find that PictureProject is great for post-processing and archiving casual snapshots, while Capture and Photoshop are better if you are trying to achieve more complex results.

The D70S menus are relatively intuitive, and after using various digital cameras including the D100 I had no trouble using these menus with little recourse to the instruction manual. Most users will have little trouble "figuring out" the D70S and taking excellent pictures right from the start. Of course, all digital photographers will benefit from taking some time with the manual and learning more about the camera. The controls on the D70S are generally well thought out, and correct some of the supposed shortfalls of the D100 setup.

The D70S includes its own built-in flash, which does a good job for casual close-in snapshots and fill-flash. Serious users will want to upgrade to the Nikon SB800 (or 600) flash. The D70S and SB800 are truly a wonderful combination and this setup is truly a joy to use.

Overall the D70S is hard to beat, and for the money it is a great deal in my opinion. This is a camera that the serious amateur can grow into, and the professional can use for many applications.

just not a great one and if you can save a few more pennies and move up to the d200 you will never and I promise never regret it. I had a d70 ...2 actually...the first one crapped out on vacation...:( and the second worked flawlessly. A note on nikon and warranty and serve....they are awesome...fixed fast and actually replaced my d70 with a new one...at there discretion...so why don't i like the d70...well i hated the menu set up, I really did not like the way most functions were accessed, and well I am a film guy...so when moving to a digital camera I wanted that film camera feel... This camera to me was suposed to replace my 8008s and my 6006 film bodies I have been hugging and lugging around sence 1994. So I wanted that easy of use ...this camera does not give you that...the d200 which I have recenty upgraded to does...yes its 2x's the price; I know, I bought both remember...but I have to say its worth it. Its that simple..at least compare them side by side before deciding....so bottom line if your a camera person...a film buff...then this is not your camera...if your just a having fun, new to the digital 35 world, and have no film body exsperience...then you might very well love it....

Love the camera! It goes well with the 80-400mm lens I bought it to go with. It also goes well with the D70 I already had.

My first digital camera. Made transition to digital about six months ago from a Nikon N80. The D70s takes fantastic pictures. As always there is a learning curve specially if you want to understand its most advanced features. Two of the features that I used the most are not even found in the pricier D200!

The ML-L3 ($20) wireless remote control allows you to stand in front of the camera (set on a tripod) and take pictures at the click of a button (your hand does not show in the picture while pointing the clicker at the camera if you set it with a 1 sec delay!). I use it when I am behind the camera as well (instead of the old cable release as in the D200).
I recently used this camera on a trip to Portugal and the Azores as shown here: http://www.reneeandjulio.com/gallery/album04

It is great to be able to set the camera on my little travel tripod, compose the way I prefer, step in front of the camera, point the ML-L3 and snap pictures without having to ask someone to take the picture for you. (I read that you could actually do this in the D200 but it cost an additional $165 to attach a ML-3 gizmo to the camera!)

Another nice feature of the D70s is the 1/500 flash sync speed which makes for nice balanced light between your subject if under a shaded tree (illuminated by fill-in flash) and the brighter surrounding landscape. The D200 only has a 1/250 flash sync speed capability.

In conclusion, the D70s is a very nice camera with useful features that were not included in the more expensive D200 camera. While the D200 camera may be superior in many other ways, the D70s for its price and numerous features that satisfy beginners as well as intermediate users deserves a 5 star rating.

This won't be a very in depth review because I don't have much clue about camera's, except how to take the pictures. I have a Nikon 35mm film camera, and 2 Sony digital ones.
I received the Nikon body only D70S, because I have 2 lenses from my nikon film camera, and figured I would just use those. Got it in the mail, charged the battery,
stuck a 2GB mem stick in, and I was outside and shooting, all within 2 hours. This camera is awesome, worth every penny!! The pictures look great. I will just be putting them on my computer, cd, or emailing them, but they look fantastic. And how easy was that, I was a little nervous thinking it might be complicated, but no problem at all. Goodbye film, this camera is the best!!

I am using the 18-55 kit lens of the D50 on my D70s camera because of the light weight of the lens - almost half the weight of the 18-70 - and because it has less barrel distortion at 18 mm than the 18-70. True, the build quality of the 18-55 is less good than the 18-70, but I'm very careful so that hasn't been too much a concern to me.

I went out testing the lens and initially I thought the camera/lens (the two used together in fact) somehow weren't capable of producing sharp results. I was going though the images in Windows Explorer and the images seemed soft even though they were taken with camera sharpening on "medium-high". How could this be? Eventually I realized what caused this: my computer wasn't fully resolving the JPEG file! Somehow, by first enlarging the picture, then bringing back the size to fit the window, the image finally came out in its full resolution (even a tad too sharp for my taste - must be the sharpening setting on the camera). So... my slow computer had been playing some tricks on me. The 18-55 used on the D70s is fully capable of taking sharp pictures!

I love the layout of this camera. Every important function (bracketing, white balance and white balance fine-tuning, etc.) can be easily accessed with buttons without having to fumble through menus on the LCD. The camera turns on in a blink and there is no delay between pressing the shutter and the picture being taken.

What it does better over the D50, and that I find really useful:
- Has depth-of-field preview button
- Has optional grids in the viewfinder
- Has a direct access button to bracketing functions
- Has a light on the top LCD display

The camera has automated modes Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night Portrait, etc. This represents years of Nikon picture taking knowledge built-in for those who lack that experience. Nota bene, D200 does not have any automated modes, but is destined for different type of users.
D70 electronic shutter allows use of full power of your flash (unlike the FP mode gimmick in D200), at single blast full frame synchronization down to 1/8000 sec (with non-Nikon Flashes, or Nikon made non-recognizable as Nikon). No other digital focal plane/electronic shutter camera, no matter how expensive, has that feature - but that is only for most advanced experimenting photographers.

I have owned this camera for about two months now and have taken about 100 photographs (keepers) to date. Because I have been involved in photography for almost 35 years, I have developed certain prejudices. In particular, I have never been comfortable with auto exposure and even less comfortable with auto focus. In fact, the last auto focus camera I owned was a Nikon N8008s that I ultimately sold at auction because I could not adapt to using the various auto settings.

However, I like this camera. Why? The D70s is a very easy camera to use and I have only had to refer to the manual to check on a couple of settings and look up some features. Honestly, set up takes only a few minutes and handling is not terribly different from a film camera. I should point out that this camera is really designed for auto focus lenses and if you choose to use your manual focus lot, you will disable many of the camera's features.

Because I am both stubborn and cheap (but mostly only when it comes to spending money on myself) I am using my manual focus lenses on this camera. It is true that I do not get any internal exposure meter readings and must rely on a handheld Gossen or the sunny 16 rule (quite effective, really) for exposure determination. The LCD preview screen thus is critical for determining or adjusting exposure. I should also point out that the depth of field preview feature is also lost when using manual focus lenses. I was stunned when I could not stop my lens down and burrowed through the manual to find out what I was doing wrong--which was nothing except that I was using the wrong type of lens. While I really miss this feature, I am not sure how big a loss it really is because of the viewfinder. Others have made mention of the low magnification and tunnel like views through the finder and I can attest to this fact. I compared finder views to my trusty old FM and was just stunned by how poorly the D70 compared.

Ultimately the best camera is the camera you use and the D70 has become my camera of choice. Even though I am using this camera like a vintage M series Leica--i.e., handheld meter and presetting exposure in anticipation of a photograph--I find that I can live with this level of usability. At some point I will probably buy an auto focus lens (maybe the 35 f2) and make full use of the feature set. But for now I content on using the camera the old fashioned way.

Excellent camera kit. Versatile. I have a lot to learn about the camera, though, as it is no simple point-and-shoot. However, in Auto mode, it takes great point-and-shoot pictures. I look forward to learning how to use it fully. Lenses came with warranty cards, but the camera itself did not. I bought the SB-600 flash as well and another battery and two 1 GB compact flash cards to round out the kit. Camera with lens attached is large, which I underestimated. $80 camera bag is too small for it all. Great camera, though. Price was the best I could find anywhere.

Let me preface by stating that I'm not anywhere near a pro photographer,nor even a talented amateur; however I've been shooting with 35mm SLR's since 1969 and have owned and used Olympus, Pentax, Minolta, Canon, and Nikon cameras among others.

I cannot offer technical considerations, but can give my impressions about the camera.

I purchased the D70s to take on a recent trip to Alaska, rather than take a film SLR and have to work through the X-Ray and security issues.

This camera is simply outstanding for a digital camera on the non-pro level.

I took 4 CF hi-speed cards, a Nikon 600 Speedlight, a spare camera battery with charger, the camera body, and a 18-55 Nikon lens on the Alaskan trip. The lens was frankly all I could afford, otherwise I would have taken a longer lens, or lenses.

The camera fits my hand very well (the Canon Rebel feels a little too small for my grip).

The near-instant on feature and the camera's ability to take multiple shots without waiting for the images to be saved to the card is impressive.

When we went to a whale viewing/photo opp outing the weather was inclement and part of the outing I photographed the whales (as they surfaced and dived) from within the ship, shooting through viewing windows. The autofocus had difficulty with the raindrops on the windows - focusing on the drops rather than on the whales. It took only a moment to change to manual focus and continue the shooting.

During a trip to photograph wildlife (bears, wolves, sheep, etc.) the autofocus worked perfectly and quickly, allowing me to concentrate on the framing of the shot.

The camera was used on small boats, a cruise ship, dog sleds (!), on trains, on buses, in the rain (with a ZipLoc bag over the camera), on a glacier, in a helicopter, in a snow storm (it snows in parts of Alaska even in June), and in temperatures above 90 degrees, and it never missed a beat.

Each night I swapped out the battery with the charged alternate, but never came close to exhausting the battery during shooting. Note that I turned off the "automatic review" function, and that may have had a bearing on the battery life; however since I reviewed the shots at night using the same battery, I don't think that is the case. The battery simply lasts a long time.

I've a lot to learn about this gadget, and I've placed an order for an 80-300 mm lens (my wife will probably kill me), but it may be the finest SLR I've ever owned. (Note that I've never actually owned a Nikon F3 ).

I'll be selling my Minolta Maxxum 5.

Im not from USA. My brother bought me the camara in a trip three months ago and it is not working!! It has serious conection problems in the body that I cant fix in my country. I lost 1000 US$

It has a learning curve, that's for sure, but WOW! This camera is worht every penny, far more stable then the comparable Canon Rebel, and the product comes with better lenses. The quality of glass DOES matter!

The D70s is a minor update of the original D70 introduced in 2004, with a few new features and a slightly larger LCD. It's still a great camera, but expect it to be replaced by the new D80, which has 40 percent more pixels, a 2.5-inch LCD, and additional useful features at the old price of the D70s.

So, you can probably save a little money and still purchase a sophisticated digital SLR if you wait until prices of the D70s stabilize at a new, lower level. At, say, $600, this camera would be an incredible bargain.

The D70s has shined as one of the best cameras in its class since its introduction. For example, it has a 1/500th second flash synch speed (found in no other camera but the D50) so you can keep ambient light under control and avoid ghost images. Its autofocus is fast and accurate, and features both single-autofocus, continuous-autofocus (for tracking action), and a novel "automatic" autofocus mode that switches between AF-S and AF-C as required.

If you have no Nikon lenses, get this camera with the 18-70mm kit lens, which is very sharp and versatile, rather than the more limited 18-55 lens. You won't regret it.

I do weddings, portrait, and outdoor photography and I don't see any reason why I'd ever switch from the D70 (other than the D80 :). This camera is professional grade at the consumer price point. Don't be scared by the 6.1 MP. I print at 20x30 all the time w/ out any problems. I'd recommend reading Thom Hogans manual.

I am a professional photographer, and I have owned this camera for nearly two years. I also have a D70 for backup. The batteries go forever, it is very quick to respond, the images are beautiful, and it has the typical Nikon durability and reliability. If you are already a Nikon user, the controls will fall easily to hand.

That having been said, the computer software with this camera is a joke. For the best image quality shoot RAW files, color balance with a grey card, and render the images with software like Capture One LE. The uselessness of the included software is the only reason that this camera gets four instead of five stars. Come on, Nikon, be real!!!

Shortly after I got my first D70, I shot a model for a small photo for a side bar in a catalog. I got an ugly feeling in my gut when I was told that the designer had taken a shot that was 3/4 figure, cropped to the head and shoulders, and enlarged the image for the cover of the 8.5 x 11 in catalog. By the time I found out, it was already at the printer. As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised: the cover shot looked great. After that incident, I have trusted this camera and have always been pleased with the results.

This camera is better than 35 mm in every way except response to the shutter button. In resolution and color reproduction it is more comparable to a medium format film camera. It is imperative to shoot RAW and process the files properly to get the most out of this camera.

I can't wait to try the D80!

I've had my D70s for about a year now, haven't regretted it for a second.

The controls are laid out logically, with everything to hand. The dual control wheels make adjustments fast and accurate. I personally love the optional grid overlay, I have no excuses for horizons that aren't horizontal. The wireless flash system is great, though you have to buy an SB-600 or SB-800 to get the full benefit. This camera is bigger and heavier than the D50 and D80, which in my opinion is a positive thing.

When digital cameras first came out, I, like many people swore I'd always be loyal to film. Digital could never take the place of film. I'm not convinced that it has replaced film completely. There's still something I love about putting a roll of film in the camera, shooting away, sending the film to be processed, and seeing the results. I also know it's a bit expensive. I know that the argument about quality has always been paramount in the discussion, but digital cameras are improving in this regard, and most manufacturers are assuring users that while the technology will always be improving, we are at a point where a good investment can be made in a digital SLR and it will not be outdated as soon as the buyer purchases the camera. So I figured now is the time to get a digital SLR.

I have been a loyal Nikon user for nearly ten years, and have owned the Nikon N60, N70, and N80. My first love was, and still is the N70 (I've been told by the person who sold me the camera he thought I was the only person who loved the N70). I purchased the N80 only after my N70 cost too much to repair, but I've enjoyed the way my various Nikon cameras have handled all sorts of situations and the fact that they can be as simple to use as a point and shoot if I don't have the time to use specific controls, but it also has options for more creative and artistic purposes. My Nikon cameras have allowed me to capture family moments with ease and majestic landscapes, wildlife shots and all sorts of other things I can't resist to capture forever.

I decided to purchase the D70 since it was close to what I've already experienced with Nikon. In many ways it works in a similar way to the N70 and 80, except it's a digital rather than film version. Like the film versions of the midrange Nikon SLR's, it has a dial that allows an automatic setting, portrait, landscape, sports, close-up, nightscape, and night portrait modes, the ability to select aperture, shutter speed or manual controls. The camera has auto and manual focus abilities. Photos can be as easy or technical as the photographer desires. The controls are easy to use, though it takes practice to be comfortable. On a personal level, the camera has passed the Halloween test, niece's birthday test, and fall foliage in New England test and favorite scenic spots test. The only real difficulty I've had with the camera is trying to capture stained glass windows in a dark setting. Auto focus has not worked at all and I'm not thrilled with the manual focus of these shots, but at this point I'm sure it's the photographer and not the camera.

I do have one suggestion for anyone who purchases this camera. The manual is very confusing. It uses all sorts of symbols and can be more of a distraction than anything else. I've had luck with the "Magic Lantern Guides" with my other cameras, but have not as of yet used it for this camera. I did purchase the NIKON D70 FIELD GUIDE (David Busch, Wiley Publishing) which has been helpful. It can be a quick reference for anyone already familiar with Nikon and photography in general but it also provides and introduction for the novice to photography.

In the never ending race for larger and larger megapixel counts, the D70s has fallen behind the pack. (However, if that's the only measure by which you're judging a digital camera - you really should consider further research before plunking down several hundred dollars.) Nevertheless, it's quite a good camera.

What I like about it most:
- It looks and feels solid. Some of the reviewers that pan this camera for feeling flimsy and plasticky are apparently still stuck in the realm of pro cameras that cost several thousand dollars. It's not a bulletproof titanium box that you can back a Hummer over, but it certainly seems to outdo DSLRs in it's category.
- Very good battery life.
- Backwards compatibility with decade's worth of Nikon SLR lenses.

My gripes:
- The latch that keeps the pop-up flash in place broke in less than a week.
- Inability to meter through older manual focus lenses.
- Lack of full functionality with flashes other than the SB-600 and SB-800.
- Nikon's RAW software and control software aren't included with the camera, and are IMHO overpriced. (...and on top of that, Nikon has split what used to be one overpriced software package into two overpriced software packages...)

What would improve this camera the most:
- ISO 100 and ISO 3200+
- Ability to store multiple custom white balance presets, and then pull them up on the fly.
- Replacing the "idiot modes" (i.e. "portrait", "landscape", etc.) with modes that you could customize.

This was my first DSLR. I have been using older manual 35mm SLRs which really is a good background. Overall I am really happy with it. Some comments:

-If you're looking at the D50 with the 18-50mm lens, really consider the D70 kit with the 18-70mm lens. I was going to get the D50 body only and buy this lens but the kit price of this package with this lens made it a no brainer. The 18-70mm lens is built better and I found I really needed the 70mm end of the lens often, plus having a much bigger zoom range without changing lenses. But also watch out becuase on the 35mm end there is a little barrel distortion on the edges of the pictures. (pretty minor though)

-The camera is extremely intuitive. I bought this camera right before I went to Burning Man and had snapped about 300 frames before I really dug into the manual. There are many many options in the menus that are pretty much self-explanatory.

-The battery life is phenomenal. I have a 1GB hi-speed CF card, and I can fill it up almost twice before running out of battery (about 700 pictures with occasional flash use)

My only complaints are minor:
-The slight distortion on the wide angle
-The viewfider is a litle small (although I have good eyesight and it hasn't been an issue)
-I wish the LCD screen was a little bigger.
-USB 2 would be nice, but for how seldom I have to dump pictures (I get about 500 on a card) it's not a big deal. You can just buy a CF reader and a 2nd card.
-Avoid the 1600 ISO setting unless you really really need it. It gets pretty grainy.

Before I write, let me just say that I'm as geeky as camera nerds are. Prior to my foray into the DSLR world, I only used fully mechanical manual SLRs (Nikon FM2, and Pentax K1000). I have an extraordinary intuition for guessing exposure and calculating aperture and shutter values with no meter.

I have now used both the D70 and D70s for two or so years now. 15,000 photos later, I can tell you that in the right hands, this can produce incredible photos.

The quality of the image is excellent. The camera handles extremely well and the ergonomics are great.

I use mainly prime lenses with this camera, but found that you can get great photos with the 18-70mm as well. The cropping factor makes it difficult to work with primes.

It's a great buy and you lose virtually nothing (except maybe ISO 100 and SD compatibility) from buying this over a D80.

Thanks.

the camera performs excellent.the manual leaves a lot to be desired.had the same problems with other nikon manuals

I bought the D70S body and 18-135 mm lens separately. This is roughly $200 cheaper than the D80 18-135 mm kit. I am very happy with the D70S. Well built, solid construction. Do take advantage of the manual modes - extensive metering and focusing options allow great flexibility in taking photos in difficult situations. Camera is very quick on power up and shooting.

A friend who recently purchased a Canon XTi with the 18-55 mm kit lens felt the D70s and 18-135 combo was a better buy after had a chance to try my Nikon out.

Pluses:
- Solid construction.
- Quick.
- The D70S and 18-135mm make a great package for less then the D80.

Minuses:
- Convoluted manual.
- Only 6 megapixel. Only an issue if you print enlargements or blow-up images a lot. Otherwise pictures look great on a monitor and the file sizes are reasonable.

This is a great SLR in the Nikon tradition. Fast and with a superb quality of pictures will leave the owner extremelly pleased. The quality of body and construction is great and it benefit from a large selection of lens.
THe menu is a bit complicated and the preview window is small but they by no means take away from the quality of this camera. Once you get to know the menu and all of the capabilities you will do wonders with this camera.

a lot of photojournalists have this, and its easy to see why: fast shutter speed and af, good ergonomics, many lens options, nikon quality. at 6 mp, d70 proves megapixels arent the be-all and end all, it's what you do with 'em. kit lens is sharp, too.

but i'd still want to go with the newer and better d80 if you can afford it, maybe even the d40 if you can't. the d70 is a great camera which had its place in the sun, but is now obsolete. still, if you're upgrading from a P&S, this will seem like a godsend. if you're lucky, you can scoop it up on closeout and save even more.

I'VE HAD THIS CAMERA FOR 15 MONTHS NOW AND I HAVE NOT REGRETTED ONE SECOND WITH IT. I AM A WEEKEND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER AND PORTRAIT & LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER DURING THE WEEK, AND THE PICTURES AND COLOR RENDITION FROM THIS CAMERA ARE SECOND TO ONE. THE D200. THE D70S HAS A MUCH BETTER METERING SYSTEM THAN THE D80 OR D40. MY PARTNER SHOT THE D80 FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND AFTER EXTENSIVE PHOTOSHOP WORK FOR THE COLOR ISSUES HE TRADED DOWN FOR A D70S. AND JUST TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON THE D200, THE ONLY ADVANTAGE WITH THAT IS THE WHITE BALANCE. THE AUTO SETTING ON THE WHITE BALANCE D200 IS MUCH MORE ACCURATE THAN THE D70S' BUT I SHOOT IN RAW NEF SO FOR ME THATS NOT A PROBLEM. NOR SHOULD IT BE FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHY ENTHUSIAST BECAUSE THEY CAN MANUALLY SET IT ON THE D70S. FIVE STARS FROM ME. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER CAMERA UNTIL THE TRUE FULL FRAME NIKON COMES OUT...WHENEVER THAT IS.

I've been using this camera for a year, and continues to surprise. I recommend Ken Rockwell's WEB page on this camera to optimize settings; example color saturation setting. I recently viewed a tv program of a professional outdoor cameraman, looking carefully for the camera he used. It was a Nikon D1x, sporting 5.5 megapixels. Though not to confuse the D70s with the D1x, it does imply something about the megapixel hyperbole. I personally like RAW (some don't), and with Capture NX, is a great complement to the D70s. The manual mode (for me) is sometimes frustrating using the kit lens in getting the focus perfect; am considering a viewfinder adaptor to improve this aspect.

I picked up a refurbished version of this classic recently (06/07), and to be honest, there is nothing else that even comes near its performance for the price. Yes the heart of this camera is 2004 technology, and yes it is only 6 megapixels, but let's be honest, 6 megapixels is more than enough and great 2004 technology beats mediocre tech from any era.

I was a Canon admirer, and I even owned a Rebel Ti setup (a film SLR), but when I could finally afford to take the DSLR plunge, I couldn't help but admire the virtuosity of Nikon's white balance and metering. Even humble the D40 blew away anything Canon had for less than the price of a used car. What makes the D70 (and D70s) even more remarkable is that they both have the same tech as high end Nikons (ie D200, D2X series): 1/500 flash synch, 1/8000 max shutter, and 1004 point matrix metering (plus it hasn't been dumbed down like the D40, D40x, and D80 sadly have). It also supports all of Nikon's modern lenses with AF on any that offer it (unlike the otherwise stellar D40 and D40x which require AFS). Additionally, unlike the D100 and other previous Nikon DSLRs, the D70(s) models both support I-TTL, Nikon's most advanced lighting system. Additionally the D70(s) can serve as a master in wireless flash situations.

The camera, like almost all of Nikons, is built incredibly well, more tank than toy (I wish I could say the same for the Rebels), and it exudes confidence. It also features a solid grip that suits my oversized hands, but I firmly believe it could accommodate more modest sized hands just as well. Confidence is further enhanced by an uncanny responsiveness, incredible burst mode, and lightning quick focus (on my 18-135mm AF-S lens). You really feel like a pro, even if you are just taking pictures of your cat.

Compared to the D70, the D70s adds a better AF system (which can be added to the D70 with a firmware upgrade), wider flash coverage, faster transfer of pcis from the burst cache to the memory card, and a larger screen. It likely also has a bunch of subtle refinements throughout, but nothing else of note. The 18-70mm lens offered as part of a kit is excellent, though Nikon has a huge assortment of lenses to choose from.

Great product, you do not need 10 mp, 6 mega pixel is not a problem especially if you shoot raw or fine, go all out and get both lenses and buy two high speed turbo memory cards so you can take consecutive pictures fast. Also buy the Hood man to protect the viewer, buy a Tamrac shock bag. The Lithium battery is great you can take 500 pictures with no charge on a 10 day vacation. Remember the most important thing with a digital camera is to save and BACKUP your photos so buy an external USB hard drive and duplicate all your saved shots. Buy a tripod, buy the remote and buy the DVD lessons.
I have had mine for a year, I am so happy! The D80 and D200 have nothing over the D70S and don't settle for the D40.

This is the best "first" camera for people who are just getting started with Digital Photography. We have a Photograph in our Gallery, made with this camera, that is five feet tall. Very good quality. Not made by Nikon anymore. Buy "B" stock or used if you can find it. Lens is to slow, get body only if you can. Best lens to start with, Nikon 50 mm f1.8D. Forget zoom, use your feet.

well I first got it had no clue how to use it but now after 2yrs... I love it and it has been sucha good camera for me and It is very easy to use. I love it so much it will complement my new addition nicely. SO if your looking for a good starter camera from nikon its good.. If you don't belive me on the pictures this camera can take...Please feel free to take a gander at the photos it has taken

http://www.pbase.com/lil_irish_angel01

I bought this camera 3 years ago and I still really love it. The clarity is unbelievable, even if someone is in motion that your taking a picture of. It's the best camera I've ever had, it's also very sturdy, my 2 year old has knocked over a numerous amount of times. Great camera.

I got this camera a year or two ago, and it has been great for me. I use it once in a while to do some event and wedding photos on the side with my Video Production business - and it does just fine for the limited pictures I need to take for the events. The build and quality of the body itself is great, feels good in my hands and is fairly intelligent to use if you are used to SLR cameras.
I think at this point, there are some other cameras out there that you could get that might be better for the money by now, but this is still a great camera and takes very nice images. You can see a couple of my shots in the customer image gallery above.
You can't really go wrong with this, and the lens that comes with the camera is just fine - not bad at all. Although you will most likely want/need to get a telephoto lens in addition.

better to buy a point and shoot, photo quality is just as good with Cannon A540, even when enlarging prints up to 36X24inches.

I bought this camera 3 years ago, and it worked beautifully until on a long trip in Yellowstone. After changing the memory card, the mirror locked up, as other posts mention, making the camera completely useless. Since I was past the warranty period, Nikon told me I would be charged, even though they had (have) a vague-enough-to-weasel-out-of service advisory out for this problem. The way the service works is to receive the camera, have a front desk monkey put it into a cost-to-repair category, which you must then authorize payment for before they will proceed to actually see what is wrong with the camera. When I asked how they knew what it would cost and why it wasn't covered under the service advisory when they didn't know what the specific problem was, they just told me they always hear the same complaint (should be a warning to them), but that's the way they'd always done it. I should have bought a Canon. Their service is well-known to be top-notch in the industry, and the cameras are good quality for a lower price. I highly recommend AGAINST Nikon, unless you're buying lenses and flashes.

Have had this camera for over 3 years, have had it on ski trips, to Costa Rica 3 time, baseball tournaments, paintball tournaments, boating and fishing. This camera is a work horse as far as I'm concerned. I stopped counting at 100,000 pictures and it's still taking great shots without ANY problems. Have had many a Canon owners say they wished they had the Nikon. Waiting to purchase the new D90 when it comes out mainly for the faster fps. Gonna give my D70 to my 14 yo son. Can't say enough good things about his camera and the quality pictures I've taken!

The Nikon D70S is a very good beginner to intermediate digi slr. Easy to use but also has a lot of options and manual settings. Battery life is amazing. Taken at least 500+ photos in raw format and still have half battery. Well built, strong body. 6.1MP is decent. Everyone now a days thinks more is better more is better however 6.1 is plenty for me. It all comes down to the photographer anyways. Good for people who are beginning digital photography, def. worth the extra money over the D40.

I am an amateur photographer who stretched a few years back to buy a Nikon D70 based on Nikon's reputation for quality and durability. The camera has taken great photos, but recently had a shutter failure that Nikon is charging over $200 to fix. Research shows this is a known issue with the Nikon D-series - no matter how good the images, if the camera only lasts a couple of years in light use, you do NOT want to spend a lot of money on it. Forget Nikon - buy a Canon!

I got this camera as a kit purchased off the Internet from an online merchant (not Amazon) in 2004. It dodn't come with the same equipment as this one, but it did include the camera body, 2 lenses, cleaning kit, sunshade, 3 filters, a macro lens, a charger and 2 extra batteries, a mini and compact tripod, a soft case and hard travel case.

Even though it came with all these accessories (the compact tripod was junk, as was the charger, the batteries didn't fit in it, and the macro lens was low-quality), the lenses weren't the same Nikkor 'DX' AF-S IF ED lenses this one comes with. My camera came with the lower quality AF-S 'G' line lenses (no ED glass elements or IF focusing).

There's a lot to like about the D70S, which is an upgraded version of the D70. It was recommended to me by a freelance photographer who does work for a popular magazine (National Geographic), so I bought it on their recommendation. If I had a choice, I'd have got the Canon Digital Rebel, but this one hasn't dissapointed me. It's got all the features of a modern SLR, but with the convenience of a digital camera. Everything on this camera is adjustible: F-stop, exposure, focusing, focal lengths, white balance, shutter speeds, flash profiles, you name it. Although not as critical for beginner photographers (it does have an 'auto' mode, no tweaking requiried), there are several manual modes which allow you to adjust things.

It takes great pictures for 6.1 megapixels on its own in the 'Auto' function, but if you can use the manual modes, they only get better.

My only gripes with the D70S are the low MP rating (it's advertised as 6.1, the comparable Canon's are 8-10), smallish LCD display (only 2"), and the size/weight (it wenghs almost 2 lbs for the body only-Canon's Rebels are much more compact and lightweight). Another minor complaint is that it also takes Compact Flash (CF) memory cards. They're more expensive than SD or SDHC cards as far as capacity, and larger. It's not very user-friendly either; it has taken me a while to get all the particulars of this camera down to the point they are useful.

To be fair, the feature-set was advanced and the norm for 2004, but Canon makes a better camera (lighter weight, smaller, more user-friendly, easier to use).

Pluses are the nearly infinite adjustibility (albeit there's a learning curve), high quality, fast start-up times, and the wide variety of lenses you can use with it. If you can afford it, avoid the standard Nikkor lenses and go for the DX line with the ED glass elements and improved IF functions or image-stabilization.

Although I prefer and recommend Canon for cameras, this is a good-enough camera that once you figure out how to use it, you can start shooting pictures just like the big gun photographers!

I'm a serious amateur who has used the D70s for nearly three years for paid gigs and personal use. Focusing and frame rate are fast enough for nearly every event I've ever been to. Photojournalists will be pleased, but sport shooters may want to look for another option.

don't let the lower MP count scare you away from this little gem; prints enlarge just fine up to 11X14 (I don't usually print larger than that). Battery life on the D70s leaves nothing to be wanted. I've shot almost all day on one charge. if you bring a spare battery, you'll have no worries.

The LCD is on the smaller side, but its adequate for checking exposure, and you can also detect any camera shake. No complaints. The menu system is very straightforward and easy to use.

Controls on the camera body are placed within easy reach and you can change most settings without removing your eye from the viewfinder -- a big plus. Metering is usually very good, but sometimes I've had to use compensation to nail exposure. some people make this out to be a huge problem, but it really isn't. just know enough about your camera to make it do what you want it to do under any lighting conditions.

I gave the D70s a four instead of five because after a couple years of use, the built-in flash seems to be dying an early death. It doesn't fire all the time anymore. Not a huge problem if you use speedlights attached to the body, but it has become a problem in the nikon creative lighting system, which is one of the reasons I wanted the camera.

All in all, a wonderful camera to use. its well-built, allows for full creative control, keeps up at most events and allows for full use of nikon lenses.

I owned the D40 for a little over two years before purchasing a used D70s in June 2009. On the internet I found there was little information comparing these two cameras and those that did all recommended the D40 over the D70 because of the larger screen and better jpeg quality straight out of camera. From my experience, the D40 is also noticably better at high ISOs and the auto white balance is a bit warmer.

Despite these facts, I am very happy with my decision to swap to a D70s. The external controls make the camera a pleasure to use. It is quick to change ISO and white balance (including preset white balance and white balance fine tuning) and flash exposure compensation and flash mode, all without using menus. These make camera operation much faster. The matrix meter on the D70s is significantly better than the D40's. The D40 consistently overexposes dark-coloured objects (or pets!) leading to blown highlights in the rest of the scene, and exposure compensation continually needs to be applied. This isn't a big deal for still objects but for moving creatures you don't always get a second chance! Another big advantage of the D70s is the ability to autofocus with AF prime lenses. Since purchasing this camera I have bought a 50mm f/1.4 lens and it has replaced my 18-200mm as the lens I leave on the camera. The low-light performance of this lens far offsets the slight loss in high ISO quality of the camera. It also allows huge control over depth of field which adds a lot of interest and is a lot of fun to play around with!

I was a bit apprehensive about purchasing a camera that was already long out of date, but for my needs it works perfectly! In fact, because of the D70s' meter, I'd choose it over the D80. For the price the D70s is going second hand, it's still a great buy today.