Nikon D70s vs Nikon D70 Comparison

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Nikon D70s

6 MP | APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm) CCD Sensor

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Nikon D70

6 MP | APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm) CCD Sensor

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Nikon D70s vs Nikon D70 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing D70s and D70, two Advanced DSLR cameras by Nikon. Both Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 cameras have 6.0MP APS-C sensors. Nikon D70s was introduced to market in April 2005 and Nikon D70 was launched in April 2004. There is 13 months difference between D70s and D70 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger D70s, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D70s Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2005-04-20

6MP - APS-C CCD Sensor

ISO 200 - 1600

Nikon F Mount

2" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

3.0fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

679g. 140 x 111 x 78 mm

Replaced Nikon D70 Compare

Nikon D70 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2004-04-05

6MP - APS-C CCD Sensor

ISO 200 - 1600

Nikon F Mount

1.8" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

3.0fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

679g. 140 x 111 x 78 mm

Nikon D70 was replaced by Nikon D80. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D80 vs Nikon D70
Nikon D80 vs Nikon D70s

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D70s over Nikon D70

LCD Screen Size	2" vs 1.8"	0.2 inches larger display
Optical Viewfinder Type	Pentaprism vs Pentamirror	Pentaprism Viewfinders are brighter than Pentamirror type

Reasons to choose Nikon D70 over Nikon D70s

Common Strengths of Nikon D70s and Nikon D70

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Top LCD Display	Yes vs Yes	Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Nikon D70s and Nikon D70

In-body Image Stabilization	No vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
Max Resolution	6 MP vs 6 MP	Less details and smaller prints
LCD Screen Size	2" vs 1.8"	Small display
LCD Screen Resolution	130k dots vs 130k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)	No vs No	no option to fine tune Auto focus

Nikon D70s vs Nikon D70: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon D70s has external dimensions of 140 x 111 x 78 mm (5.51 x 4.37 x 3.07″) and weighs 679 g (1.50 lb / 23.95 oz) (including batteries). Nikon D70 has external dimensions of 140 x 111 x 78 mm (5.51 x 4.37 x 3.07″) and weighs 679 g (1.50 lb / 23.95 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D70s and Nikon D70. In this case, we can see that Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 have the exact same height, width and thickness.

Comparison image of Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 have exactly the same weight of 679g.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 have the same Nikon F lens mount and APS-C sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D70s

D70

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D70s

D70

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D70s nor Nikon D70 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D70s's 2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon D70's 1.8" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Nikon D70s vs Nikon D70: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 have APS-C sized 6.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the D70s and D70 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 Cameras

Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores
At Camera Decision, we also look at Dxo Mark sensors when available as we think it is a good indicator of image quality.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Nikon D70s	50	20.4 bits	10.3 Evs	529 ISO
Nikon D70	50	20.4 bits	10.3 Evs	529 ISO

Nikon D70s vs Nikon D70 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 have the same Nikon F lens mount and currently there are 309 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 106 lenses with Image stabilization for Nikon F mount.

Lens Type	# of Nikon D70s Lenses	# of Nikon D70 Lenses
Standard Zoom	33	33
Standard Prime	21	21
Wideangle Zoom	33	33
Wideangle Prime	48	48
Telephoto Zoom	53	53
Telephoto Prime	45	45
SuperZoom	30	30
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	8	8
Macro Prime	26	26
Perspective Control Prime	11	11
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	1
TOTAL	309	309

Here are some of the most popular Nikon F Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Nikon F Mount Lenses for D70s and D70

	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G	35mm FF	425gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.4G	35mm FF	290gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF Nikkor 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR	35mm FF	1340gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD	35mm FF	1951gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.8G	35mm FF	185gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR	35mm FF	745gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f1.8G	APS-C / DX	210gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR	APS-C / DX	530gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon D70s for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D70 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D70s for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D70 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon D70s for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon D70 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon D70s for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D70 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm) sensor
Large Body
679g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details

Nikon D70s for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon D70 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Nikon D70s vs Nikon D70: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D70s and Nikon D70, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D70s and Nikon D70 scores compare:

Nikon D70s

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #76 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #696 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Nikon D70

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #77 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #698 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Nikon D70 vs Nikon D70s Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon D70s	Nikon D70
Brand	Nikon	Nikon
Announced	2005-04-20	2004-04-05
Body Type	Mid-size SLR	Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	APS-C	APS-C
Dimensions	23.7 x 15.5 mm	23.7 x 15.5 mm
Area	367.35mm²	367.35mm²
Megapixels	6 megapixels	6 megapixels
Max Resolution	3008 x 2000	3008 x 2000
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	1,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	200 ISO	200 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	n/a	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon F	Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses	309	309
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2"	1.8"
Resolution	130k dots	130k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)	Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	95%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.5x	0.5x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/8000s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	11.00 m	11.00 m
Max Flash Sync	1/500s	1/500s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None	None
Video Formats	n/a	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	679g	679g
Dimensions	140 x 111 x 78mm	140 x 111 x 78mm
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	50	50
DxO Color Depth	20.4	20.4
DxO Dynamic Range	10.3	10.3
DxO Low Light ISO	529	529
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