My first DSLR was a Nikon D100. The D100 was a marvel at the time, one of the first affordable DSLRs, but when the D70 came out, I bought one. The D70 is the camera that the D100 should have been, with much improved placement of controls, and menus that were much improved in appearance (after a firmware upgrade). I've taken several thousand photos with the D70, and some of them have won contests with nice prizes. For the current price, I doubt if there's a better bargain to be had.I recently bought a Nikon D200, but I'll definitely keep my D70 for a backup.