From the D70 Review "The D70 has a standard Nikon hot-shoe which supports a wide range of Nikon Speedlights including the new SB-800 and SB-600, these new flashes support the Nikon i-TTL flash metering protocol. One thing the D70 doesn't support is D-TTL metering."
(My italics)
As a beginner, I'd like to ask, what is D-TTL metering, and is this function essential?
From the D70 Review "The D70 has a standard Nikon hot-shoe which supports a wide range of Nikon Speedlights including the new SB-800 and SB-600, these new flashes support the Nikon i-TTL flash metering protocol. One thing the D70 doesn't support is D-TTL metering."
(My italics)
As a beginner, I'd like to ask, what is D-TTL metering, and is this function essential?
i-TTL system is the TTL system used by SB50DX and SB50DX, it works with D70, but not in the full auto mode. TTL metering system on a flash can say to your camera, what light will be emmited to those exposure setting. The camera reads this value and shows in the ligh meter the real meter value (those that will be get after shoot when flash fires). Every manufactor gives some taste to TTL system. TTL system are used in DSLR to meter light. And it is used in the flash too. Some cameras, when attached to TTL flashs read te metering from the flash. The most common case is the E-TTL (canon) or D-TLL and i-TTL (Nikon), where the camera reads your light and flashs do the same, then its values are interchanged and flahs adjust your fire power and type accoding to the cameras exposure value, and camera shows you the compesated metered value (as the flahs light is turned on in that moment). The principal upgrade in i-TTL system is the ability of flash to read the WB value from camera adjusting the light intensity to mantain the white balance tha camera expects. It´s a real worth improvement. If you have photographed with flash you know it very well.
As a beginner, I'd like to ask, what is D-TTL metering, and is this function essential?
If you aren't using a Nikon SB-28DX, SB-50DX, or SB-80DX speedlight, the lack of D-TTL support on the D70 won't be an issue. The D70 instead supports i-TTL, which is compatible with the new SB-600 and SB-800 speedlights. (When using a SB-28DX, SB-50DX, or SB-80DX, they'll function in thyristor mode without any TTL metering. The sensor on the speedlight quenches the flash when it simply receives enough reflected light -- without any measurement/input from the camera.)
In terms of what "D-TTL" is:
On film cameras, Nikon TTL (through-the-lens) flash metering measures the light from the flash that reflects from the surface of the film when the shutter is open and the flash fires. In Nikon digital bodies, the CCD sensor isn't as reflective as film, so Nikon came up with a scheme where the shutter is reflective, and the camera fires a short flash burst while the shutter still closed, but the mirror is flipped up, and this "preflash" is what is measured and used to determine flash power.
I'm not a Nikon guru, but I believe I read that the new "i-TTL" technology (also used in the D2H) uses a small (1005 pixel?) dedicated imaging sensor to help determine the proper flash exposure.
I´m just waiting for the photographic tests on dpreview. Have been considering buying Canon 300D but if D70 shots are as good or better I´m on it.
I´m a Nikon guy. I love some features of Nikon cameras. But I´m thinking so much about what DLSR worth my money. My decision may be wiat for a full frame, once Nikon may change your lenses to this format. But in general lines, not to be tendencious, Nikon D70 is much better than Canon EOS 300D. It´s shutter lag, max shutter speed, burst cache and speed are perfect. We only expects, as you say to view the SNR (noise) of it´s sensor. The CCD is best to image quality and low noise than CMOS that 300D employ. D70 is better than D100 too, that is surprise to market.
But Canon EOS 300D can be your price lowered to US$600... after D70 starts to sell. Pay attention to the market and save money!
There is a lot of good talk on this thread about D-TTL vs i-TTL, however am I missing something? On the chart from the D70 Review, under the D70, both i-TTL and D-TTL are indicated as "yes". So, is this really an issue?
