Nikon D70 vs Sony ILCE-QX1

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D70 and the Sony ILCE-QX1, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Nikon D70 was introduced in April 2004 and Sony ILCE-QX1 was introduced in September 2014. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D70 over Sony ILCE-QX1.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony ILCE-QX1 over Nikon D70.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Nikon D70 has a 1.8" screen with 130k dot resolution and Sony ILCE-QX1 has a [] screen with 0k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens. Sony ILCE-QX1 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Sony ILCE-QX1) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder on Nikon D70

Nikon D70 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. It has a 95% coverage and 0.75x (0.50x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Sony ILCE-QX1.

Nikon D70 features a 6.1 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor with dimensions of 23.7 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 369.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 200 - 1,600. Sony ILCE-QX1 features a 20.1 megapixel APS-C [] sensor with dimensions of 23.2 x 15.4 mm and a total area of 237.2 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 16,000.

Nikon D70 can take pictures up to 3008 x 2000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2240 x 1488, 1504 x 1000 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Sony ILCE-QX1 is equipped with Bionz X processor and can take pictures up to 5456 x 3632 resolution.

Lens Mount

Nikon D70 has Nikon F lens mount and Sony ILCE-QX1 has Sony E (NEX) lens mount. They both have APS-C sensor but because of a small size difference their crop factors (also called lens multiplier) differ from each other. Nikon D70 has the crop factor of 1.5x which means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5. Sony ILCE-QX1 has the crop factor of [] which means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times [].

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Nikon D70 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Sony ILCE-QX1 nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Sony ILCE-QX1

Sony ILCE-QX1 has a built-in Wi-Fi which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC on Sony ILCE-QX1

Sony ILCE-QX1 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs

Both models have USB inputs for data transfer.

Battery

Nikon D70 comes with EN-EL3 battery pack and Sony ILCE-QX1 comes with NP-FW50 battery pack with battery life of 440 shots.

External Storage Slots

Nikon D70 has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II, compliant with UDMA), MicroDrive card slot. Sony ILCE-QX1 has a single microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC/Memory Stick Micro card slot.

Shutter

Nikon D70 has Combined mechanical and CCD electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Nikon D70, and up to 1/4000 sec on Sony ILCE-QX1. Nikon D70 can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps. Sony ILCE-QX1 can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 11.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon D70. Nikon D70 also accepts external flash which can be connected via Standard ISO hot-shoe contact with safety lock. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/500 sec on Nikon D70.

Nikon D70 body has dimensions of 140 x 111 x 78 mm (5.51 x 4.37 x 3.07") and Sony ILCE-QX1 body has dimensions of 74 x 70 x 53 mm (2.91 x 2.76 x 2.09"). Nikon D70 weighs 679 g (1.50 lb / 23.95 oz) and Sony ILCE-QX1 weighs 216 g (0.48 lb / 7.62 oz).

Nikon D70

Sony ILCE-QX1

140 mm

111 mm

74 mm

70 mm

111 mm

70 mm