1. Introduction

It's clear that the Nikon D70s is an evolution of the familiar D70, which has been very successful and was unchallenged in its category until the arrival of the Canon EOS350D. The latter is a new camera rather than an update of its predecessor, the EOS300D, which was the first digital SLR deliberately aimed at the prosumer market. (For owners of the Nikon D70, we should point out that an update of the firmware is available on Nikon's support site, which will let you use the new menus and get the benefit of various improvements, including enhancements to the auto-focus system.)

We tested both cameras with their respective standard zoom kit lenses, the configuration most purchasers will choose. Obviously, both units are also available in a body-only version that you can pair with your own lenses.