Nikon D70 Review - Currently the Best Prosumer Digital SLR

I spent a fair amount of time researching my options before purchasing my first Digital SLR. After much analysis, the options came down to the Canon EOS Rebel, and the Nikon D70.

First, a word about pricing. This item is manufacturer price fixed. IT IS THE SAME PRICE EVERYWHERE. Now, if you are finding a lower price, it was probably bought on the gray-market (i.e. in a foreign country) and may not be subject to a US warranty. I'm not here to look out for the manufacturers interests, just be wary of what may look like a great deal.

The camera is currently incomparable. The lens if far superior in quality to the Canon "kit" lenses. This is basically a lens you would purchase if you bought the body, and separately shopped for a lens.

The speed of writing to the flash memory card and buffer size are unbelievable. In multipicture mode, you can burst approx. 144 straight pictures without any lag whatsoever. Unbelievable.

The customization options are far superior to the Canon. This is a first rate camera, with the ability to either turn it on and begin taking photos, or customize each setting until your heart is content.

The two major negatives:

1. The manual appears to have been written in Japanese, translated into German, and then translated into English, all by a Chinese kindergartner. It is virtually unintelligble.

2. The included software is very basic, and not intuitive. Also, the software does not come with a RAW mode feature enabled, only a trial period of approximately 30 days, after which point you must pay $100 to fully enable the feature. In any event, better image manipulation software is widely available.

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