DP review has offical specs up on the D70. Looks like they wanted a camera better than the 10D, D300, D100 ect.

Also a 8 mp 5700 replacement.

This may sound a really dumb question (alas I am still a slave to film with a bank manager who hates me) but why would Nikon announce the D70 as a 6MP camera and on the same day announce an 8MP coolpix?

Does this mean another SLR is coming hot on it heals (albeit at a higher price) and before Nikon know they will have a 8++ CCD?

Or am I just a being a conspiracy theorist?

Yes you are :wink:

The 8MP coolpix looks like an answer to the Sony 818 (probably the same sensor).
In the semi professionals cameras market the standard today is the 6MP and its look sufficient so why to bother with larger sensor?

From observation, the D70 looks like it will almost certainly squeese into most D100 housings - with possibly a few small changes to the base tray in the housing. I think that not all the buttons on the left of the LCD will line up with the housing controls. But I would be confident that shutter release, primary and secondary dials and the focus area select are very similarly positionned.
Should speed up housing production and mean that this would make a feasible second body for D100 owners.
Alex
With the D70 specs so similar to the D100 - I suspect a D100X is not that far away. Oh and the D70 it has flash synch to 1/500th - D100 only to 1/180th - good for us UW flash loving snappers!

"Apologies for the new avatar - I can't find the old one"

Alex, that is grusomelah!

Reward for anyone finding Alex's old avatar!

Images uploaded to the old server can be retrieved. Look here to find many of the uploaded avatars from the old site.

Thanks Craig. I'm feeling back to my old self again. For anyone wondering what the previous two posts were about - and missed me in all my 'tached and 'fro-ed glory:

I've written two replies. Neither have shown up. This is a test.

Probably youused the Quick Reply Form and pressed Post Reply instead of Submit. I allready lost 3 Messages to this Trap ;-)

Try again George. If you use the Quck Reply and hit the "Postreply" button, I think you can use your browser's "back" button to get back to your post.

Cheers
James

James: No. At least my browser (Mozilla) lose the values (this worked with the old board but doesn't seem to work here.

Simon

This is my shorter version:

I surmise it was easier for Nikon to keep features for an extra $100 than delete them and compete price wise with the Canon 300D.

I would definitely buy a D70 over a D100. The missing features aren't worth $600 and the D70 has 1/500 flash sync and better metering. ND filters can stay in the bag. The F100 can stay on the shelf. (Musing; how many of us really get lousy exposures with less capable metering systems? I would guess that what we are using now gives us the same exposure settings as the 5 dimentional, 8 million sensor meter 90% of the time. Maybe it's smart enough to know what snow and dark animal fur is).

Nikon needs a D100 replacement fast or they will simply be selling a few more camera units for $600 less.

Question: Since the reverse engineering of E-TTL and D-TTL is progressing, will this i-TTL and rumored E-TTL-II create a new obstacle?

e-TTL-II shouldn't, as it's supposed to work with the old e-TTL flashes.

Yes, time to buy another round of flashed. You thought your DX speedlite would last you a while? WRONG AGAIN. Now you get to buy an SB800 or SB600 folks...

Cheers
James

There's some speculation that the D70 will replace the D100 and there will be no D100 update.

The D70 has no 10-pin electronic connector on the bottom. Wonder how LMI feels about that?

It looks to me that the D70 is a superior camera. If I had a choice between the D70 and the D100 for the same $$, I'd choose the D70. The 1/500 flash sync is very impressive and something that Canon will have trouble matching. I don't think the CMOS sensor they use can do fast electronic shutter. Notice that the flash sync of the EOS-1D mark II went down to 1/250 when they switched to a CMOS sensor.

The faster write speed is also a plus.

It doesn't seem likely to me that they will sell many more D100's at the current prices. it'll be interesting to check what they go for in ebay in a little while.

I also don't see them wrapping another body around the same imaging chip. If they come out with another camera, it'll probably have a better imaging chip.

I would bet that within a year Nikon comes out with a D100 replacement/upgrade. 1500 to 2000$. If it follows the philosophy of the D70 it will come with a set of features that makes it a competitor for higher priced (next level up) Cannons. The 2 companies are engage in a competition that will only make better cameras at a more bearable price for all of us. People have been wanking on Nikon for not matching Cannon camera for camera. But is seems to me to wait a little longer and make a bigger jump in camera quality as Nikon seems to be doing may be a financially better strategy.

I would also bet that after everyone finishes arguing about which camera may be better you will find the quality of the images from different makes will still be about the same.

I'm guessing that Sea&Sea announced a housing for the Nikon D70 on the same day. (Can't read Japanese.)

http://www.seaandsea.co.jp/

There is also a Canon 300D housing, and a month old Nikon 5400 housing.

Anyone know Japanese? I'm interested in the info about the 5400.

/Anders

I don't know Japanes but I know the babelfish: http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/u...e.html&lp=ja_en

Cool! Sea and Sea DX-D70!



Cheers
James

I notice on Nikon USA's site they have a D70 package listed with a 18-70 AFS DX lens. However they dont list any availability. Anyone know when they are expected in the states? and an estimated street price?