Introduction

	Canon EOS Digital Rebel (300D)	Nikon D70
Sensor Resolution	6.3 megapixels	6.0 megapixels
Sensor Type	CMOS	CCD
Kit Lens	18-55mm f/3.5-5.6	18-70mm f/3.5-4.5
Date Announced	8/20/2003	1/28/2004
MSRP (body only)	$899	$999
MSRP (kit)	$999	$1299

The above table summarizes the key product characteristics of the Nikon D70 and the Canon EOS Digital Rebel. Beyond these basic differences, the D70 was generally considered to be a slightly more 'prosumer' and less 'consumer' camera at the time of its introduction, primarily due to its more diverse set of customizable features and its somewhat superior build quality and professional aesthetic; this targeting is reflected in the price of the body. Moreover, it appears based on the significantly different kit prices between the two models that Nikon valued the D70's kit lens much higher than Canon valued the Rebel's.

A key question to answer from a consumer and business perspective is whether the price premium charged by Nikon for the D70 appears justified. Of course, the answer to this question can vary from person to person depending on that buyer's priorities; feature set, image quality, and 'softer' factors just as appearance and weight can all play important roles in consumers' purchasing decisions.

In the context of image systems engineering, clearly we are best equipped to approach this question from the standpoint of performance, i.e., image quality characterization. The remainder of this report will describe the ways in which this study attempted to assess the relative image quality of the D70 and the Digital Rebel and the results of those explorations.