Both praise comfortable handling, effective autofocus and clean, detailed photographs across the ISO range. Both miss an optional vertical battery grip and find automatic white balance less useful than presets in some lighting. DPReview particularly praises responsiveness and continuous shooting but reports occasional moiré in fine detail. Digital Camera finds the kit lens better than expected, while reporting underexposure in scenes with substantial sky; DPReview is more positive about matrix metering.
6.24 million total pixels; Image Dust Off reference data for software correction
Image formats
JPEG, compressed 12-bit NEF RAW and RAW plus Basic JPEG
Lens and shooting
Lens mount
Nikon F mount
Stabilisation
Optical lens stabilisation
Maximum continuous burst
3 fps
Lens detail
DX angle of view approximately 1.5× FX focal length; AF coupling supports compatible screw-drive lenses. Non-CPU AI lenses permit manual exposure without metering
Autofocus
Multi-CAM 900 phase detection with five areas; AF-S and AF-C; single-area, dynamic-area and closest-subject modes
Shutter
Combined mechanical and CCD electronic shutter; 1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; flash sync 1/500 second
Burst detail
Approximately 3 fps; DPReview measures four RAW frames before the initial rate slows, with longer JPEG bursts depending on card and quality
Stabilisation detail
Optical VR depends on the attached lens; no sensor-shift stabilisation
Flash
Pop-up i-TTL flash; guide number approximately 15 at ISO 200 in metres, 17 at full manual output; commander mode for compatible remote Speedlights
Exposure controls
P/S/A/M, auto and scenes; 1005-pixel RGB metering; ±5 EV compensation
Screen and viewfinder
Viewfinder
Optical
Screen size
1.8″
Screen dots
130,000
Tilting screen
No
Display detail
Fixed TFT; maker rounds the resolution to approximately 130000 dots. DPReview quotes 134000
Viewfinder detail
Pentamirror, approximately 95% coverage and 0.75× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity; 18 mm eyepoint; selectable grid
Connections and design
Battery life (maker's claim)
400 photographs
Body weight
595 g
Release detail
Nikon Japan records 19 March 2004; main retains the month without assigning the Japanese day to every region
Recording media
CompactFlash Type I/II and Microdrive
Ports
USB 2.0 Full-Speed, 12 Mbps rather than Hi-Speed; analogue NTSC/PAL output; optional EH-5 AC adapter input
Battery life detail
EN-EL3; approximately 400 photographs in the manual's single-frame test with flash on alternate exposures, not labelled CIPA. A separate continuous test claims approximately 2000; supplied MS-D70 holder accepts three CR2 batteries
Charging
External MH-18 charger
Dimensions
Approximately 140 × 111 × 78 mm
Weight detail
Approximately 595 g excluding battery, card, body cap and monitor cover
Video
Video detail
Still-image camera without movie recording or live view
Pros and cons
Pros
+Built-in autofocus drive for supported AF NIKKOR lenses
