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Nikkon D 70

Justin Horne

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I don't own one, but I o use one quite a lot at school.. Overall.. Thouroughly unimpressed...

While, by itself, it's a good enough camera, there are certainly better things out there for the money.. Specifically, the Canon Rebel XT (same as the 350D if you're looking up reviews). They both probably give about the same picture quality, though the 350D is 8MP compared to the 6 or 7 of the D70. I use a 20D myself, if you were wondering, a sstep up from the 360D.
The real complaint I have with the D70 is the menu layout and button controls. I'm sure if you had it all memorized it would be simple enough, but it isn't user-intuitive. The 350D though, 20D also, are very good with their controls.
Also, one very small thing that just bugs me about the D70... The Shutter sounds as if it is gently moving up and down... On Canon models, the shutter is very fast and very well built sounding. It just sounds as though the Canon is much more sturdily built. It may just be sound, but the Nikon does indeed sound fragile.
So, to conclude, 20D>350D>D70
 
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VWPETE

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my friend has a d70 and i think its a dandy camera. obviously i didn't know how to work it right but i got a fair ammount of cool picks when using it. i would take it over the newer D50 and even over the new Canon Reble xt...wich i thought was my favorite new entry level DSLR but its too small im my hand and that would bug the poop out of me.

also im on the other end of the pond... i feel the canon is a cheaply built camera.. im sure its strudy.. as my little whimpy A70 is a real tank i just feel that Nikon DSLR cameras.. at least the entry level are better built. more comfortable..
 
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Southern Cross

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I have three D70 cameras - one is a D70S. It's a great camera as far as I'm concerned. My income is based on the quality of my images. Once you learn how to use it - as with any other camera - it can produce fantastic results. The D70S is the current model in production, and it focuses slightly faster than the first generation D70 it replaces and offers a larger LCD screen and remote socket. I've found the control layout to be intuitive and fast. It's simply different from Canon - as is Pentax, Olympus and Minolta/Konica. Once you get to know the menu, it's really quite simple.

8mp doesn't get you any significant increase in image quality over 6.5 mp unless you are intent on producing 20X30 or larger prints and you need to crop significantly.

The Canon 20D is a respectable camera, and it has fairly good high ISO performance, but somewhat inconsistent flash performance (well, by my standards, anyway). It's still a very good camera, but I chose the D70 for it's strengths. Those strengths are (a) reliability, (b) great flash metering capabilities for consistent flash exposure and (c) affordability vs. performance is excellent. The D70S kit lens (18-70mm AF-S) is also an excellent performer for the money.

In the past, I had the chance to switch to Canon. I didn't much have a preference either way. The D70 just felt better to me and I already had Nikon lenses anyway. Canon would have been fine, too.

As for a "shaky" shutter, what the previous poster is probably referring to is a bit of play in the mirror assembly. Shake a camera around, you'll hear it on some bodies. It has nothing to do with build quality. I can't hear anything when I shake my cameras and mine get banged around quite a bit. D70s are supposed to be rated for something like 25,000 exposures for shutter durability. I've got close to 70,000 exposures on one of my D70 bodies, 40,000 on the other. My D70S is new, so it only has somethig like 8,000 on it. I shoot anywhere from 1,000-3,000 images per week because it's my full time job.

If your budget is right around $1,200, the D70S is a great camera for the money to get started. The SB-800 flash unit is also perfectly matched to the camera.

If your budget is tight, you can buy a used mint condition D70 for around $550. Not a bad deal if you know where to look.

Good luck. Choose the camera that feels best to you. Play with them if you can. Don't listen to a sales person unless you trust them to give you an unbiased opinion. My local shop will push Canon one month, Nikon the next. They get promotional kickbacks from the manufacturers if they sell X number of units. That's why I order from NY.
 
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rgbivens

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I totally agree with Southern Cross. I spoke with him a lot before I bought my D 70. I have read a lot of information regarding the comparison between the Cannon Rebel XT and the D70, most of the results agreed that the D70 out performed the XT.

I'll try to find this VERY detailed comarison but if you don't hear back from me in a day or two google something like 'D70 vs. Rebel XT' or 'D70 Rebel XT comparison' and see what you come up with.

-Grant
 
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ashes2beauty

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I love my D70. However, its not something I'm comfortable taking with me everywhere I go, so I bought a "cheap" point & shoot camera that I can fit in my bag or glove compartment in my car. I say cheap, cause I'd rather risk breaking/losing a $589 camera than a $1200 one. But the D70 absolutely rocks, I've taken some great photos with it. I'd definately recommend it to anyone. Then again I'm partial to Nikon.
 
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