Nikon's Digital SLR Camera

D70 Outfit is company's first model designed for photographers of all stripes.

Tracey Capen

Nikon D70 Outfit.

For users of single-lens reflex cameras, moving from film to digital can take a heavy toll on the pocketbook. SLR body prices jump from hundreds of dollars for a film camera to thousands for a digital model, which is why most digital SLR manufacturers have concentrated on the professional market--until recently.

Nikon's 6.1-megapixel D70 Outfit is the company's first model designed for photographers of all stripes. Sold body-only for $999 or as a kit with a 27mm-to-105mm lens (35mm equivalent) for $1299, the D70 is relatively inexpensive for a digital SLR. Only Canon's 6.3-megapixel EOS Digital Rebel costs less, at $899 (body only).

The D70 has features you don't typically find in today's digital SLRs. For example, it provides six scene modes, such as Portrait, that are useful mostly to photographers not comfortable with arcane camera settings. Pressing the D70's Help button pops up brief descriptions of the menu-based settings.

Novice-friendly does not mean that advanced photographers get shortchanged: The D70 has a slew of fine-tuning options for exposure settings, such as a variety of autofocus modes, depending on the subject you're shooting. And the camera's exposure-bracketing options are highly flexible. The D70 works with most of Nikon's modern lenses, including "AI" models. However, the older the lens, the less automation you get. "G" series lenses provide the best combination of lens and body.

Still, a day's shooting with the D70 left me somewhat disappointed. The eye-level viewfinder seems small and slightly awkward to use, especially when you're wearing glasses. And shooting in default mode may produce slightly underexposed or muted color shots, though you may be able to improve these by adjusting the camera settings before trying again or by running the shots through a photo-enhancement filter in Nikon's bundled Picture Project software.

But otherwise, the D70 has quick startup, fast focus lock, and fairly intuitive controls.

Nikon D70 Outfit

Not rated, pending Top 100 tests Best way for owners of 35mm Nikon SLRs to migrate to digital. Street: $1299 with one lensCurrent prices (if available)