Compared to... (features & specifications)

Some will (no doubt) say that this isn't a fair comparison as the Nikon D70 is some $600 cheaper than the Konica Minolta 7D however a scan down the specifications indicates that the D70 can indeed stand up to the 7D on features and specifications. Indeed, apart from the D70's pentamirror viewfinder, lack ISO 100 and no mirror lock-up the 7D makes it look like a bit of a bargain.

More worrying for Konica Minolta however must be Canon's EOS 20D which retails for about $100 less and carries a higher megapixel CMOS sensor, faster continuous shooting, faster startup and proper Hi-Speed USB 2.0. That said the 7D offers several advantages over both of these cameras with its built-in Anti-Shake, an excellent control system (once you're accustomed to it) and that huge 2.5" LCD monitor.

	Konica Minolta 7D	Canon EOS 20D	Nikon D70
Price body only	$1,599	$1,499	$999
Announced	15 Sep 04 (prev 12 Feb 04)	19 Aug 04	28 Jan 04
Review	You are here	Click here	Click here
Body	Top & front: Magnesium Rear: Plastic	Magnesium Alloy	Plastic (metal chassis)
Sensor	6 megapixel CCD	8 megapixel CMOS	6 megapixel CCD
Lens mount	Minolta A-type	Canon EF / EF-S	Nikon F
FOV crop	1.5x	1.6x	1.5x (Nikon DX)
Stabilization	Anti-Shake built-in	Optional IS lenses	Optional VR lenses
Modes	Auto, P, A, S, M	Auto, P, A, S, M, A-DEP, 6 preset scene	Auto, P, S, A, M, 6 preset scene
Image formats	JPEG, RAW	JPEG, RAW	JPEG, RAW
RAW+JPEG	One RAW, One JPEG	One RAW, One JPEG	One RAW, One JPEG
Image params	Contrast (5 settings) Saturation (5 settings) Sharpness (5 settings) Hue (5 settings)	Contrast (5 settings) Sharpness (5 settings) Saturation (5 settings) Color tone (5 settings) 3 preset parameter sets	Auto Sharpness (6 settings) Tone (6 settings) Saturation (3 settings) Hue (7 settings) 7 preset parameter sets
Color space	sRGB (2), Adobe RGB	sRGB, Adobe RGB	sRGB (2), Adobe RGB
ISO	100 - 1600 (1 EV steps) 3200 via boost	100 - 1600 (1 EV steps) 3200 via boost	200 - 1600 (1/3 EV steps)
EV steps	1/3 or 1/2 EV	1/3 or 1/2 EV	1/3 or 1/2 EV
Exp. compen.	+/- 5.0 EV (1/3 or 1/2 EV)	+/- 2.0 EV	+/- 5.0 EV
Flash exp compen.	-2.0 to +2.0 EV	-2.0 to +2.0 EV	-3.0 to +1.0 EV
Metering	Pattern, CW Avg, Spot	35 zone, Partial, CW Avg	3D matrix, CW Avg, Spot
Shutter	30 - 1/4000 sec	30 - 1/8000 sec	30 - 1/8000 sec
Flash X-sync	1/160 sec	1/250 sec	External up to 1/500 sec
AF mode	Single, Auto, Continuous	Single, Auto, Continuous	Single, Continuous
AF area mode	Auto, Single	Auto, Single	Single, Dynamic, Closest
AF assist	Flash strobe, must be up	Flash strobe, must be up	White lamp
AF system	9-point TTL Phase Differential	9-point TTL CMOS sensor	5-point Multi-CAM900
Continuous	JPEG: 2.7 fps, 24 images RAW: 2.7 fps, 9 images	JPEG: 5.0 fps, 25 images RAW: 5.0 fps, 6 images	JPEG: 3 fps, 12 images *1 RAW: 3 fps, 4 images
Self-timer	2 or 10 sec	10 sec (3 sec with lock-up)	2 - 20 sec
Mirror lock-up	Auto with 2 sec self-timer	Yes, option	No
WB	Auto, 6 preset, Kelvin, 3 manual Can be fine tuned	Auto, 6 preset, Kelvin, manual	Auto, 6 preset, manual Can be fine tuned
Bracketing	AE, Flash	AE, White Balance	AE, White Balance
Slow sync flash	1st or 2nd Curtain	1st or 2nd Curtain	1st or 2nd Curtain
Viewfinder	Pentaprism Eyepoint: 25 mm (-3.0 to +1.0 m-1 dioptre)	Pentaprism Eyepoint: 20 mm (-3.0 to +1.0 m-1 diopter)	Pentamirror Eyepoint: 18 mm (-1.6 to +0.5 m-1 dioptre)
LCD	2.5", 207,000 pixels	1.8", 118,000 pixels	1.8", 130,000 pixels
Orientation sensor	Yes	Yes	Yes
Custom functions	19 over 4 menus	18 settings	9 or 25 settings
Storage	CF, FAT16/FAT32	CF, FAT16/FAT32	CF, FAT16/FAT32
Power	Lithium-Ion NP-400	Lithium-Ion BP-511A	Lithium-Ion EN-EL3 CR2 carrier
Connectivity	USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed)	USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed)	USB 2.0 (only 1.1 speed)
Text comment	No	No	Yes, embedded in EXIF
PictBridge	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dimensions	150 x 106 x 78 mm	144 x 106 x 72 mm	140 x 111 x 78 mm
Weight (no batt)	760 g	685 g	595 g
Remote release	Wired (optional)	Wired (optional)	Infrared (optional)
Vertical grip	Yes, optional	Yes, optional	No
Status LCD	No (uses LCD monitor)	Top of camera, backlit	Top of camera, backlit
Command dials	One rear, One front	One rear, One front	One rear, One front
Power on	2.6 seconds	0.3 seconds	Virtually instant
CF write speed	RAW: ~4.5 MB/sec	RAW: ~5 MB/sec	RAW: ~4 MB/sec

*1 The D70 buffers the final image rather than the 'RAW data' and at lower image sizes / qualities can shoot hundreds in a single burst.