Seriously thinking about purchasing the D70

[Anonymous]

Well, now that we've ordered the new computer (new iMac! woo-hoo!), the only thing left that needs upgrading is the camera. She has an SLR and a 6pm digital, and I have my Nikon Coolpix 880. A D-SLR would replace them all, and I think the D70 would be perfect for us.

$1,300 is the going rate for the camera and a basic lens. What's a good macro lens to look at?

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

You might want to wait a little bit--Canon is coming out with the 20D here shortly--it'll replace the 10D, and should street around $1300-$1500. It'll blow the wheels off the D70.

What lens mount is her SLR? If you've already got some lenses, that might make the decision easier...

 

[Len]

John, you Canon nut!

I think the D70 price will soon fall, so if you can wait a few weeks, you may be able to save a hundred bucks or so. Canon's 20D is a different league of cameras and is about 50% more expensive. It looks like a really nice unit .... something Nikon will address with their 100D replacement (about time!)

Ya, I'd go with whatever system your gf has already so you can borrow her lenses There's a lot of good macro lenses (Nikon is the better of the two companies for macro photo).

 

[fade2black]

I don't think the D70 prices are going to drop IMO. They are priced just right and have been selling like crazy (ie, No one just the body in stock. Everyone has them backordered). If they are selling that good, why would Nikon cut the price? Just my 2 cents

 

[Len]

True. I'm anticipating that once these B/Os have been filled, the market might slow a bit for the D70 due to the 20D. And if Nikon announces a D100 replacement, that'll impact sales as well. I'm just guessing, of course

 

[fade2black]

Supposedly the successor to the D100 is going to be announced at Photokina at the end of the month. That might make the D100 drop in price and make it another option. Although there are relatively few differences between the 100 and the 70, with the 70 taking the slight edge IMO (1/8000th shutter speed and 1/500th flash sync). The 70 is hard to beat in it's price range.

This is a good discussion forum for Nikon owners or prospective owners.

http://www.nikonians.org/

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the input, guys, but I think the D70 is the way to go. Hell, I'm upgrading from a Coolpix 880!

Just think...with the Coolpix 880 I kick y'all's asses...imagine when I get the D70!

YOU'RE TOAST!!!



Peace,

Chip

 

[fade2black]

I have been shopping around for one for about three weeks now, comparing prices and deals. One thing I have learned is to stay away from Kingston CF cards. There is some issue with them and they don't play well with the D70. SanDisk Ultra II is very good as is the Lexar 80x (even the 40x is good). Newegg has the Sandisk 512MB for $78 and free shipping, which is a smoking deal. Shop eBay for additional batteries (not that you really need one), they can be had for $15-20 new, where camera stores are charging over $45 for them. Just a few things I have found along the way.... Let me know if you happen across any good package deals that are legit. Oh, one more thing. The 18-70mm lens is far superior to the 28-80 that some "kits" are sold with. Same price usually, but the 18-70 is a MUCH better lens.

 

[Anonymous]

Just think...with the Coolpix 880 I kick y'all's asses...imagine when I get the D70!

YOU'RE TOAST!!!


Chip

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


BMP

 

[Anonymous]

Oh my! :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

John, you Canon nut!

I think the D70 price will soon fall, so if you can wait a few weeks, you may be able to save a hundred bucks or so. Canon's 20D is a different league of cameras and is about 50% more expensive. It looks like a really nice unit .... something Nikon will address with their 100D replacement (about time!)

Ya, I'd go with whatever system your gf has already so you can borrow her lenses There's a lot of good macro lenses (Nikon is the better of the two companies for macro photo).

Len, you Nikon nut! ;-)

The D70 is still over $1k, isn't it? The 20D will only be a few hundred more than that, and like Len said, it's in a different league altogether. It's the difference between an entry-level DSLR and an entry-PROFESSIONAL level DSLR.

I'd shy away from the D70 if for no other reason than it has no external battery grip available and it won't even do ISO 100. It starts at 200 (which I've heard is a pretty good 200, but still, there's a difference when you start cropping and/or making enlargements).

 

[Anonymous]

The D70 is still over $1k, isn't it? The 20D will only be a few hundred more than that, and like Len said, it's in a different league altogether. It's the difference between an entry-level DSLR and an entry-PROFESSIONAL level DSLR.

I'm saying that the comparison you're making makes no difference to me. I'm not a professional photographer...the D70 will be fine based on what I'm upgrading FROM. What's the price on the 20D?

I'd shy away from the D70 if for no other reason than it has no external battery grip available and it won't even do ISO 100. It starts at 200 (which I've heard is a pretty good 200, but still, there's a difference when you start cropping and/or making enlargements).

From what I've read, it doesn't need to do ISO 100 b/c everything's great all the way up to ISO 1600. Again, any other nit-picks are just too advanced for my user-level. Every review I've read sez it's a kick-ass camera, and given as to how it's selling it's a great buy at the price.

Thoughts?

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

It's not the camera that makes the photographer :wink:



BMP

 

[Anonymous]

That's very true BMP. I've seen guys with $10K setups that couldn't take a snapshot. hehe

Chip, that's true. I just give ppl the advice to always go a bit beyond what they think their needs are. Saves them from realizing later that they've outgrown their gear. Kind of like how everybody's first tank is always either a 29 or a 55, then later they realize they should've invested the extra $$ and gotten the 125 or 180 from the get-go.

(And don't get me wrong...the D70 IS a great camera. I played with one at best buy the other day though and it just felt kind of toy-ish to me, in comparision to the similarly priced CAnon 10D (and assumingly its replacement, the 20D))

 

[Anonymous]

That's very true BMP. I've seen guys with $10K setups that couldn't take a snapshot. hehe

Right, but I've taken some great stuff with the 'regular' digital...I'm ready to actually take some moving shots that are IN focus.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

That's very true BMP. I've seen guys with $10K setups that couldn't take a snapshot. hehe

Right, but I've taken some great stuff with the 'regular' digital...I'm ready to actually take some moving shots that are IN focus.

Chip,

You’re so modest :wink: You know it would be much cheaper to teach the fish to pose for you like I do. I also have a similar rapport with the birds and alligators. :lol: :lol:

By the way....those out of focus shots don't bother me one bit. :wink:

I think Canon gets a slight nod in the digital market. You seem to get a bit more bang for the buck. I like Nikon for 35mm gear. I have a half dozen manual focus Nikkor lenses that I like a great deal. I would lean towards a Nikon body for this reason....but no auto focus with these lenses kinda sucks.

I would like a new DSLR. I don't know if I want to get a Canon DSLR and have to start over buying lenses. I like my fixed focal length lenses for tack sharp images. Zooms are nice for composing in the viewfinder but most don't meet the sharpness of the fixed focal length lenses. I could spend way more $$$ on new lenses than the body if I went the Canon route. Maybe I'll save up for a medium format digi :wink:

Let us know when you get this new gizmo.

Good luck

BMP

 

[Anonymous]

That's very true BMP. I've seen guys with $10K setups that couldn't take a snapshot. hehe

Right, but I've taken some great stuff with the 'regular' digital...I'm ready to actually take some moving shots that are IN focus.

Peace,

Chip

Oh I agree wholeheartedly. Your shots are fantastic!

Whichever platform you decide to go with, you might want to avoid any of the kit lenses--those are usually very low-end, and I got burned buying my 300D with the 18-55 kit lens. It's not bad per-se, but it's far from good, and for a couple hundred bucks you can get a really good medium-distance lens.

 

[Anonymous]

Whichever platform you decide to go with, you might want to avoid any of the kit lenses--those are usually very low-end, and I got burned buying my 300D with the 18-55 kit lens. It's not bad per-se, but it's far from good, and for a couple hundred bucks you can get a really good medium-distance lens.

Which site do I belong to??? I'm getting the macro lens first, baby!!!



What do I look for when buying a medium distance lens? I'd want to shoot shots of my g/f's kid playing baseball and such...

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

Lenses you really get what you pay for, for the most part. For something like an 18-55mm, I'd expect to pay around $75-$125 for a cheapo lens (like mine), and around $200 for a good lens. I don't know nikon glass (Len can help with that, I'm sure), but with Canon, the 'EF series' are the entry level lenses. the 'L series' lenses are the higher end.

For sports stuff, you'll want a longer zoom. If everything you shoot will be in bright daylight, you can get by with an f4-5.6 lens. Since I do a lot of night soccer games and indoor hockey games, I had to shell out the cashola for an f2.8 lens--much bigger opening = more light = more $$. :|

Here's a photo of my two zooms. The one on the bottom is a 75-300mm f4-5.6. The big beastie is a 70-200mm f2.8. It's a bit less of a zoom, but I can shoot sports at dusk now.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Chip,

Not sure how much experience you have with different focal length lenses but here is a neat lens comparison.

http://www.usa.canon.com/html/eflenses/ ... callength/

I might suggest renting a few different lenses to try them out before dropping some bucco bucks on them. I prefer fixed focal length for sharpness and color rendition/contrast etc.

For your sporting events I would start with a 200mm. The price is usually reasonable and this gets you pretty close to the action while still keeping a fast lens within reason. The minute you step up to 300mm or larger you are into a great deal more money and loss of light gathering ability (fastness).

Another option is a high quality tele converter. The 2X is popular and will double the focal length of your lenses. It will turn a 50mm into a 100mm and a 200mm into a 400mm. I would figure out what focal lenths you will use most often and then try and purchase the most expensive (fastest/multi element/multi coated lens) you can swing.

I would do some research regarding 3rd party lenses as there are many mediocre to crummy lenses out there for cheap. If you go with a Nikon I would seriously look into the Nikon/Nikkor lenses. After all this is why you buy a Nikon right :wink: If you go Canon then I'd look into their lenses. You do pay more for their name but you also "usually" get a superior lens. For 3rd party I have had good luck with Tokina high end lenses. They make a variety of levels/quality. I would look into their professional models if you can swing it. IMO Tokina does a excellent job with zooms.

Happy shopping

BMP