This is my first DSLR purchased in April 2006 from my local Jessops. I think I paid about £750 at the time including a 1GB CF card, and it came bundled with an 18-70mm kit lens.
It took a while to get the hang of the controls at first, as I was used to "auto everything" compact point & shoot cameras.
The camera comes with "scene modes" to help beginners get the hang of using it while they experiment with getting more control by using "aperture priority", "shutter priority" and even fully manual exposure modes.
I have taken almost 20,000 pictures so far (the shutter count is logged in the "exif" data), and still have a lot to learn, but it's easy to learn the basics.
The ergonomics of the camera are superb, and I even prefer the feel to the more advanced D80 which I've used a few times.
The only drawback is that the viewfinder uses the cheaper "penta-mirror" rather than the traditional "penta-prism" (as used in old film SLR cameras). The D80 & D200 both have the better penta-prism type viewfinders and give a much clearer brighter viewfinder image to aid manual focussing.
The kit lens that it came with was very good for a kit lens, but I have sold it and purchased a 35mm f/2 "prime" lens to allow me to shoot in lower light. I hope to get a 50mm f/1.8 prime soon as well.
DSLR cameras inevitably collect some dust on the sensor, which gets in while swapping lenses. These dust specks can sometimes show up in photos, especially in plain areas such as skies. The answer is to get a Giotto "Rocket Blower" while using "mirror lockup" mode to expose the sensor.
Some bits of dust will stick despite blowing, and I use the popular SensorWand with Pec*Pad and eclipse fluid, but it is nerve racking the first time you clean a sensor this way. Some photography shops offer sensor cleaning services, but self-cleaning is not difficult.
The camera came with Nikon Capture 4 editing software as a 30 day trial, and I liked the software so purchased it (about £100) once the trial ran out, and have since upgraded to Capture NX. For previewing my photos prior to editing I use the excellent Nikon View software which is freely downloadable. Nikon View recognises my camera when I connect it to my laptop via the USB cable and downloads any new photos, as well as synchronises the camera's clock with my laptop's clock. Many people prefer to remove the CF card from their camera and use a card reader instead, and many PCs & Laptops have built in card readers.
It can become pretty addictive, and I spend a lot of time on flickr learning from others. The camera pretty much goes wherever I go so that I don't miss any good photo opportunities!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: fast, Nikon build, flexible, professional tool, lens choice, relatively cheap for DSLR. great kit lens Disadvantages: weight, not compact, won't suit all photographers, risk of dust as all DSLRs
tomstainer 05.07.2006 (05.07.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Nikon D70s
Advantages: easy to use - quality of product -speed - just cracking! better than canon or nikon 50 Disadvantages: Price but then SLR digital cameras are all dear! No memory card included
averycrossman 23.09.2005 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Nikon D70s
Advantages: Great battery life, and still a great camera. Now even cheaper to get hold of. Disadvantages: Not as many features as later models. Sensor can get dusty, though there are tools
RossUK1 22.02.2009 (22.02.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Nikon D70s
Advantages: fast, Nikon build, flexible, professional tool, lens choice, relatively cheap for DSLR. great kit lens Disadvantages: weight, not compact, won't suit all photographers, risk of dust as all DSLRs
tomstainer 05.07.2006 (05.07.2006)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Nikon D70s
Advantages: easy to use - quality of product -speed - just cracking! better than canon or nikon 50 Disadvantages: Price but then SLR digital cameras are all dear! No memory card included
averycrossman 23.09.2005 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Nikon D70s
Nov 7th, 2007
very helpful by (80%):
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