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Nikon D70 Review

  • Overview
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Nikon D70

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    Main Features

    • 6MP - APS-C CCD Sensor
    • ISO 200 - 1600
    • 1.80" Fixed Type Screen
    • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
    • 3.0fps continuous shooting
    • 679g. 140 x 111 x 78 mm
    • Replaced by Nikon D80
    CHECK PRICE
    CHECK PRICE

    Nikon D70 Overview

    First introduced in April 2004 , Nikon D70 is a 6.0MP Advanced DSLR camera with a APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm ) sized CCD sensor and Nikon F lens mount. Nikon later replaced D70 with D80. Follow the link to read our in-depth comparison of these cameras:
    Compare Nikon D70 vs Nikon D80

    Nikon D70 Review - Click for Table of Contents

    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. Lens Mount and Lenses
    4. Sensor and Photography Features
    5. Physical Specs
    6. LCD and Viewfinder
    7. Connectivity, Storage and Battery
    8. Other Features
    9. Photography Type Scores
    10. Alternatives
    11. Popular Comparisons
    12. Frequently Asked Questions
    13. Detailed Specifications

    Nikon D70 is a member of Nikon's Advanced DSLR class cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this class and how their main specs have changed with each new model.

    Nikon Advanced DSLR Series History
    Model Release Date Sensor Max FPS Dimensions Weight
    Nikon D780
    Compare
    2020 25.0MP - Full frame 7.0 fps 144 x 116 x 76mm 840g
    Nikon D850
    Compare
    2017 46.0MP - Full frame 7.0 fps 146 x 124 x 79mm 1015g
    Nikon D7500
    Compare
    2017 21.0MP - APS-C 8.0 fps 136 x 104 x 73mm 720g
    Nikon D500
    Compare
    2016 21.0MP - APS-C 10.0 fps 147 x 115 x 81mm 860g
    Nikon D7200
    Compare
    2015 24.0MP - APS-C 6.0 fps 136 x 107 x 76mm 765g

    Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side by side:
    Nikon D780 vs D850 vs D7500 vs D500 vs D7200


    **This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Nikon D70 PROs and CONs Review

    Now let's get in to more details of our Nikon D70 review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

    PROs
    Optical Built-in Viewfinder
    1/8000s High Shutter Speed
    Top LCD Display
    Flash Sync Port
    Report a correction

    Buy Nikon D70 from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO


    CONs
    No Wireless Connection
    No Sensor shift Image Stabilization
    No Articulating Screen
    No Full HD Video
    No Touch Screen
    0.5x magnification - Small Viewfinder
    No Face Detection Focusing
    Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP
    Max Sensitivity only ISO 1.600
    Small LCD Screen ( 1.80")
    Low Screen Resolution ( 130kdots )
    Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
    No Environmental Sealing
    Poor Low Light Performance
    No AF Micro Adjustment

    Report a correction


    Nikon D70 Physical Specs
    Nikon D70 weighs 679 g (1.50 lb / 23.95 oz) and has external dimensions of 140 x 111 x 78 mm (5.51 x 4.37 x 3.07″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 773g, its weight is about average in its class. With a thickness of 78mm, it also has an average thickness.
    Weight Comparison

    DSLR Cameras

    Nikon D70
    Min
    Average
    Max
    Thickness Comparison

    DSLR Cameras

    Nikon D70
    Min
    Average
    Max


    In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Nikon D70, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.


    Nikon D70 Body Size Compared to a Credit card and a Battery
    Physical size of the Nikon D70 Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery



    Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Nikon D70 with its main competitors:

    Nikon D70 Size Compared to Main Competitors
    Model Weight vs D70 Thickness vs D70
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D70s
    Compare
    679g equal weight 78mm equal thickness
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D80
    Compare
    668g 11g lighter 77mm 1mm thinner
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D50
    Compare
    620g 59g lighter 76mm 2mm thinner
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D90
    Compare
    703g 24g heavier 77mm 1mm thinner
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D40
    Compare
    522g 157g lighter 64mm 14mm thinner
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D3100
    Compare
    505g 174g lighter 75mm 3mm thinner
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D100
    Compare
    780g 101g heavier 81mm 3mm thicker
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D60
    Compare
    522g 157g lighter 64mm 14mm thinner

    Weather Sealing

    Nikon D70 doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

    Nikon D70 Lens Mount and Lenses

    Nikon D70 has a Nikon F lens mount and currently there are 316 native lenses available for this mount. Besides providing one of the largest selection of lenses, Nikon F mount also has backward compatibility which means that you can use F mount lenses even dating from 1960s. It is also well supported by the lenses form third-party manufacturers.

    Nikon D70 doesn't have a sensor based image stabilization system but 107 of these lenses already comes with Optical Image Stabilization.

    Weather Sealed Lenses for Nikon D70

    There are 82 lenses with weather sealing for Nikon D70 but bear in mind that D70 body doesn't have weather sealings.

    Here are some of the most popular Nikon D70 Lenses on Camera Decision:

    Popular Nikon F Mount Lenses for Nikon D70
    Model Focal Length equiv. Coverage Weight Focusing Street Price
    Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G Lens Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G
    105-450mm 35mm FF 425gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
    Nikon AF Nikkor 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR Lens Nikon AF Nikkor 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR
    120-600mm 35mm FF 1340gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
    Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR Lens Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR
    105-450mm 35mm FF 745gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
    Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD
    225-900mm 35mm FF 1951gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
    Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR Lens Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR
    300-750mm 35mm FF 2300gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
    Nikon AF-S Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8G IF-ED VR Lens Nikon AF-S Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8G IF-ED VR
    157.5mm 35mm FF 720gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
    Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM Lens Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM
    450-1200mm 35mm FF 5880gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
    Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f1.8G Lens Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f1.8G
    52.5mm APS-C / DX 200gr AF Amazon B&H Photo

    Here you can find the lenses that are compatible with D70 classified by suitability to certain photography types:

    • Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Bird and Wildlife Photography
    • Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Sports Photography
    • Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography
    • Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Travel Photography
    • Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Street Photography
    • Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Wedding Photography
    • Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Vlogging
    • Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography
    • Best Nikon F Mount Lenses for Macro Photography

    Check our Nikon D70 Lenses page for more detailed lens search.

    Nikon D70 Sensor and Photography Features

    Nikon D70 has a 6.0MP APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm ) sized CCD sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 3008 x 2000 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. D70 has a native ISO range of 200 - 1600 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

    Nikon D70 is not the highest resolution APS-C camera. Fujifilm X-T5 with its 40.2MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Nikon D70 vs Fujifilm X-T5 or take a look at Highest resolution DSLR cameras list.

    Nikon D70 DxOMark Sensor Scores

    DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Nikon D70 sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 50 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Nikon D70 here.

    Let's look at how the size of the Nikon D70's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

    Nikon D70 Sensor Size Comparison
    Comparison image of Nikon D70 Sensor Size with other standard sensors



    Nikon D70 LCD and Viewfinder

    Nikon D70 has a Fixed Type 1.80-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 130k dots. At only 1.80", the screen is on the smaller side and 130kdot resolution is lower than most of the recent models in this class.



    Nikon D70 back view and LCD

    Unfortunately Nikon D70 doesn't have a Selfie friendly screen. If this feature is important for your shooting style, check here the list of Best DSLR Cameras with Selfie Friendly LCD screen.


    D70 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder, making it easier to shoot in direct sunlight and in other situations where it might be difficult to view the LCD monitor. The viewfinder has a coverage of 95% and a magnification ratio of 0.5x. 95% coverage means that what you see in your viewfinder while shooting will slightly be different from the actual image.

    Nikon D70 Connectivity, Storage and Battery

    Nikon D70 has a USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

    Nikon D70 Features Compared to Main Competitors
    Model Max Video Battery Life Wi-fi Bluetooth NFC
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D70s
    Compare
    None shots No No No
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D80
    Compare
    None shots No No No
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D50
    Compare
    None shots No No No
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D90
    Compare
    1280 x 720 850shots No No No
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D40
    Compare
    None shots No No No
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D3100
    Compare
    1920 x 1080 550shots No No No
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D100
    Compare
    None shots No No No
    Nikon D70 Camera Nikon D60
    Compare
    None 500shots No No No

    Nikon D70 Other Features

    Max Shutter speed

    Nikon D70 can shoot continuously at max speed of 3 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/8000 sec.

    Flash

    D70 has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

    Focusing

    Nikon D70 features a Phase Detection autofocusing system.



    What type of Photography is Nikon D70 Good for?
    In this section, we review and score Nikon D70 in 5 different photography areas.

    Nikon D70 for Portrait Photography

    Nikon D70 has a score of 42 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Portrait Photography list.
    Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm) sensor
    Optical Built-in Viewfinder
    Good Ergonomics&Handling

    Read the details of how we scored Nikon D70 for Portrait Photography

    Nikon D70 for Street Photography

    Nikon D70 has a score of 43 for Street Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Street is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Street Photography list.
    Optical Built-in Viewfinder
    Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm) sensor

    Read the details of how we scored Nikon D70 for Street Photography

    Nikon D70 for Sports Photography

    Nikon D70 has a score of 71 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Sports Photography list.
    Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
    Good Ergonomics&Handling
    Optical Built-in Viewfinder

    Read the details of how we scored Nikon D70 for Sports Photography

    Nikon D70 for Daily Photography

    Nikon D70 has a score of 54 for Daily Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Daily is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list.
    Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm) sensor

    Read the details of how we scored Nikon D70 for Daily Photography

    Nikon D70 for Landscape Photography

    Nikon D70 has a score of 29 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over theD70.
    Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.5 mm) sensor

    Read the details of how we scored Nikon D70 for Landscape Photography
    Nikon D70 Alternatives
    In this section, we analyse how Nikon D70 compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range.
    Read a more detailed analysis of Nikon D70 alternatives.

    Popular Comparisons of Nikon D70

    Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Nikon D70 amongst Camera Decision readers.

    Nikon D70s
    Nikon D70s
    Compare
    Nikon D80
    Nikon D80
    Compare
    Nikon D50
    Nikon D50
    Compare
    Nikon D90
    Nikon D90
    Compare
    Nikon D40
    Nikon D40
    Compare
    Nikon D3100
    Nikon D3100
    Compare
    Nikon D100
    Nikon D100
    Compare
    Nikon D60
    Nikon D60
    Compare

    Nikon D70 Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras

    It would also be interesting to compare Nikon D70 with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Nikon D70's price range.

    Olympus E-PL1
    Olympus E-PL1
    Compare
    Nikon 1 J3
    Nikon 1 J3
    Compare

    Nikon D70 Conclusion and Scores

    Currently, Nikon D70 has an Overall Score of 41/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Nikon D70 is ranked #180 out of 209 in DSLR cameras (Top 20 DSLR), and ranked #685 out of 1259 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

    #685 out of 1259 in Top Ranking Cameras
    #180 out of 209 in Top Ranking DSLR Cameras
    #72 out of 93 in Top Ranking Advanced DSLR Cameras
    #237 out of 270 in Top Ranking APS-C Sensor Cameras
    #47 out of 60 in Top Ranking Nikon F Lens Mount Cameras
    #339 out of 379 in Largest Viewfinder Magnification Cameras (0.5x)
    #83 out of 143 in Lightest DSLR Cameras with APS-C sensor(679g)
    #351 out of 918 in Top Ranking Cameras with Fixed Type Screen
    Geek Score: 0

    Main Scores
    Imaging
    Features
    Value for Money
    Portability
    Overall Score
    Check our Smart Finder Tool to filter, sort and compare all digital cameras.

    Frequently Asked Questions about Nikon D70
    Does the Nikon D70 have Image Stabilization?
    Does the Nikon D70 have RAW support?
    Does the Nikon D70 have Weather Sealing?
    Does the Nikon D70 have built-in GPS?
    What is the Max ISO of Nikon D70?
    What is the Sensor Size of Nikon D70?
    is the Nikon D70 a Full Frame (FF) camera?
    Does the Nikon D70 have Touch Screen?
    Does the Nikon D70 have built-in Wireless?
    What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Nikon D70?
    What is the Weight of Nikon D70?
    What are the Dimensions of Nikon D70?
    Nikon D70 Detailed Specifications

    General
    Brand Nikon
    Model Nikon D70
    Announced 2004-04-05
    Body Type Mid-size SLR
    Lens
    Manual Focus
    Lens Mount Nikon F
    Number of Lenses 316
    Focal Length Multiplier 1.5×
    Macro Focus Range n/a
    Screen
    Screen Type Fixed Type
    Screen Size 1.80"
    Screen Resolution 130k dots
    Live View
    Touch Screen
    Viewfinder
    Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror)
    Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Coverage 95%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.5x
    Photography Features
    Min Shutter Speed 30s
    Max Mechanical Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Max Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps
    Shutter Priority
    Aperture Priority
    Manual Exposure Mode
    Exposure Compensation Yes
    Custom White Balance
    Image Stabilization
    Built-in Flash
    Flash Range 11.00 m
    Max Flash Sync 1/500s
    Flash Modes Auto, On, Off, Front curtain, Rear curtain, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
    External Flash
    AE Bracketing
    WB Bracketing
    Exposure Modes
    Multi-Segment
    Average
    Spot
    Partial
    AF-Area
    Center Weighted
    DxO Sensor Scores
    DxO Overall Score 50
    DxO Color Depth 20.4
    DxO Dynamic Range 10.3
    DxO Low Light ISO 529
    Report a correction

    Sensor
    Sensor Type CCD
    Sensor Size APS-C
    Sensor Dimensions 23.7 x 15.5 mm
    Sensor Area 367.35mm2
    Sensor Resolution 6 megapixels
    Max Image Resolution 3008 x 2000
    Max Native ISO 1,600
    Min Native ISO 200
    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
    Video Features
    Max Video Resolution None
    Microphone Port
    Headphone Port
    Connectivity
    Wireless Connectivity None
    HDMI
    USB USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec)
    Physical
    Environmental Sealing
    Water Proof
    Dust Proof
    Shock Proof
    Crush Proof
    Freeze Proof
    Weight 679g
    Physical Dimensions 140 x 111 x 78mm
    Battery Model EN-EL3
    Other Features
    Self Timer Yes (2 to 20 sec)
    Timelapse Recording
    GPS None
    Storage Type Compact Flash (Type I or II)
    Storage Slots 1


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