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George
Mann's-
Nikon D70 Review
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 NIKS
Thailand
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Apple Service Center, Bangkok, Thailand
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Nikon Distributor, Bangkok, Thailand
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Nikon D70 Digital SLR camera review - D70 Review Index
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 The back of
the D70
camera
body
This is where we spend a lot of our time as camera
users (when not looking through the viewfinder) and as most D100 users
can see, the basic interface has remained
the same on the D70.
The most obvious item on the back of the camera is the LCD screen and as in other recent Nikon DSLR cameras, a
transparent LCD screen protector has been included. But unlike Point and Shoot digital cameras, when we are not
reviewing images or setting Menu functions the LCD is turned off.
Many photographers (especially those who have been using Point and
Shoot cameras, ask why you can not compose pictures with the LCD on a
DSLR camera. There are two main reasons this function is not
implemented, one the viewing and focusing abilities of a single lens
reflex viefinder are far superior to an LCD screen, the second is that
it would waste a lot of precious battery charge, which is needed for
operating the more demanding functions of a DSLR.
Professionals are used to the 'Polaroid' approach, which in the digital
world basically means that you take an image, review it on the screen,
make some adjustments to your camera and then take, a hopefully better,
second and third image. Since digital film does not cost anything per
frame you shoot, this is a good habit to get into. It saves from a lot
of pulling out of your hair when you get home.
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Buttons
to the left of the LCD screen (from top to bottom) are:
1. Playback
button - shows the last image captured when pushed down
2. Menu button
- brings up the menus on the LCD screen (menus to be covered later)
3. Sensitivity
(ISO) and Thumbnail button -
Sensitivity (ISO) can be set from 200 to 1600 by holding down this
button and rotating the main command dial (located by your right thumb
when holding the camera with your hand wrapped around the right hand
side of the camera)
Thumbnail button is active when the Playback button has been pressed
first to review images already shot. The choice is between four, nine
and a single image dispayed at one time. A short push on the Thumbnail
button will toggle between the three settings.
4. White
balance, Protect and Help button -
White balance can be set in all but the Green Full Auto Mode. It is
controlled by holdin down the White Balance button and rotating the
main command dial (top back right of camera - under your right thumb).
White balance settings - Auto, Incandescent, Flourescent, Direct
sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, and Preset (manual reading off gray
card).
The protect button function is used to protect images while you are in
Playback mode, so they can not be errased with the camera erase button.
The Help button function can be accessed when making selections in the
Custom Settings Menu. Just press the button when confronted by a
setting that you don't understand.
5. Image
quality and size button, plus Playback zoom and Enter button -
Image quality is selected by holding down the Image quality button and
rotating the main command dial. Selections are NEF (RAW, JPEG Fine,
JPEG Normal, JPEG Basic, and NEF+JPEG. (I use NEF+JPEG almost
exclusively) (there will be a lot more information on these settings
later)
Size of JPEG quality setting is selected by rotating the Sub-command
dial (at top front of grip, under your right index finger).
Playback zoom is pushed to toggle back and forth between zoom and
non-zoom while in Playback mode, magnification is controled by using
the main comand dial and the muti selector can be used to move up and
down and sideways in the image. Very intuative once you have used it a
few times.
Enter button is for a number of selections in the Menu, it is often an
alternate to the right hand muli selector button and sometimes the only
enter command allowed.
The LCD monitor itself is a
1.8 inch, 130,000 dot, low temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with
brightness adjustment available in the Setup Menu.
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Buttons
to the right of the LCD screen (from top to bottom) are:
1. Multi
selector - is used to navigate throught the camera menus and to
change position of the focus area. It pretty much opertes the same as
cursor buttons or a joy-stick on a computer and is very intuative.
2. Focus
selector lock - locks the focus area so that use of the multi
selector does not change the focus area.
3. Delete
button - any image being viewed in Playback mode can be deleted
by pushing the Delete button - a confirmation message will appear and a
second push of the Delete button will remove the image permanently.
pushing any other button after the first push of the Delete button will
cancel the delete function.
The Memory card compartment is
easily opened with one finger (your right thumb), a Compact Flash
memory card slots in at a slight angle to the left with the front of
the card facing out from the camera (to the right).
The light gray button above the memory card slot is the card
release which pushed the memory card out far enough to grab with two
fingers to remove from the camera.
The Memory card access lamp is situated to the left of the bottom of
the memory card compartment.
Memory Card Capacity
for a 256 MB card
Im. Quality
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Im. size
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File size
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No. Im.
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Buffer
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NEF (RAW)
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-
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5.0 MB
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23
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4
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JPEG Fine
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L
M
S
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2.9 MB
1.6 MB
0.8 MB
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73
130
279
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9
7
19
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JPEG Norm.
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L
M
S
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1.5 MB
0.8 MB
0.4 MB
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144
253
528
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12
7
27
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JPEG Basic
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L
M
S
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0.8 MB
0.4 MB
0.2 MB
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279
481
950
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19
7
49
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NEF+JPEG B
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L
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5.8 MB
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21
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4
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NEF
images are 3,008x2,000 pixels in size.
NEF+JPEG Basic
are recorded in Large size only.
Buffer
indicates the number of frames that can be stored in the memory buffer.
Large capacity cards - when a card
has enough room to record over a thousand images the number of images
shown in the LCD monitor will be displayed in thousands and rounded off
to the nearest hundred. for example 1,260 would be shown as 1.2K
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Left hand top
back of camera controls:
1. Bracket
button - In P, S, A, and M modes the camera offers three
bracketing options. Bracketing is not available in Digital Vari-Program
modes.
Bracketing function is turned on and off by holding down the Bracketing
button and rotating the Main command dial.
CSM 12 - Sets the three bracketing
options.
AE & Flash
or AE only - With each shot the camera varies the exposure by
±2EV, bracketing exposure is selected with exposure compensation
(modes P,S, and A) or by user (mode M). Each shutter release produces
only one exposure, so you must release the shutter three times to get a
three shot bracketing set.
AE & Flash
or Flash only - With each shot the camera varies the flash level
by ±2EV. Each shutter release produces
only one exposure, so you must release the shutter three times to get a
three shot bracketing set. Available only in iTTL and auto aperture
flash control modes.
White Balance
- White balance bracketing only requires one exposure to make three
separate white balance setting files. Not available with NEF (RAW)
because NEF (RAW) files contain entire range of white balance setting
information.
2. Shooting
mode and Format button -
Single frame
- the camera takes one photograph each time the shutter release button
is pressed. Access light will be on while the image file is being
recorded. If there is enough room in the memory buffer, another image
can be taken immediately.
Continuous
- the camera records at about three frames per second while the shutter
release button is held down.
Self-timer
- as normal the self timer is for including yourself in a photograph or
allowing the camera to settle down on a lightweight tripod before the
picture is taken.
Delayed remote
- the delayed remote setting is for use with the optional ML-L3 remote
(I have used the older ML-L1 remote quite successfully with the D70).
Pushing the button on the remote will activate the lens focus and the
shutter will be released after a two second delay.
Quick response
remote - same as delayed remote except that activating the
remote release focuses the camera lens and immediately releases the
shutter. (an electronic cable release)
Format
function -
see explanation of LCD illuminator and Format button.
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Right hand top
back of camera controls:
1. Main
command dial -
One of the main function of the Main command dial is to set the shutter
speed of the camera in the S, A, and M modes. Amost all the function
buttons have values that are changed by rotating the main and
sub-command dials.
CSM 14 -
Exchanges functions of the Main command dial and the
sub-command dial.
2. AE/AF lock
button -
Auto exposure - in P, S, or A exposure modes with center weighted and
spot metering only
Auto focus - in P, S, or A depending upon exposure area
3. Diopter
adjustment control -
-1.6m to +0.5m adjustment control in camera and -5m to +3m corrective
lenses are available from Nikon (fit in place of viewfinder eyepiece
cup)
4. Viewfinder
eypiece - shows view 95% of actual image being recorded.
5. Viewfinder
eyepiece cup - rubber eye cup for comfort and to keep from
scratching eye glasses. Can be replaced by additional diopter.
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More D70 review pages top come in the days and weeks ahead. Please bookmark this web page.
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All above images are the
copyright property of George Mann - if you are interested in using any
of these images please contact george@dpmac.com
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