upgrading from D70

I have been shooting semipro with my trusty steed...my D70 for several years. I feel I am ready for a real pro camera

and I am looking at the D300. Because of expense ..I might have to go with the D200. I shoot mostly portraiture so

the D70 has been fine for awhile. I have read enough to know that the change in cameras could be very jarring. What

specifically am I going to find challenging in the new camera? Any advice?

Having had a D300 for a year, I would highly recommend it. It is a big jump from the D200, well worth the few hundred more. Coming from a D70 you'll first instantly notice the bigger viewfinder, the bigger LCD screen, and a much smaller shutter release delay. The D300 is heavier and beefier than the D70, and can shoot at ISO 1600 with very clean results vs. the D70. I think you'll find it a natural upgrade and love it!

Clearly the D300 is the "better" camera, but for portraits (i.e. people sitting or standing still), the D200 should be just fine. You should immediately notice the much better viewfinder and build quality from either the D200 and D300.

With a D200 you will also be able to meter older manual focus lenses. That was a big reason I choose it. Its bigger and heavier but not hard to move to after a D70 which was my first DSLR. Just study the manual and become familar with the menu

Remember, the D200 is more than two years old now, which for digital tech is pretty old. The D300 isn't just 2mp higher resolution, but the in-camera processing is much better too. The large LCD can be used to check focus very reliably. This can be huge for portraiture if you want to make sure you nailed your focus.

 

I wouldn't buy a D200 in your case. If you're a working pro you can justify spending a little more for the D300. It's a tool you will reap benefits from again and again, and it's good enough that buying one now will mean you won't need to upgrade for years to come.

Tiffany, as a semipro, you should be able to deduct the cost of equipment (at least partly), so it would serve you better to

go for the more advanced camera instead. In the long run, it pays to spend a bit more. Take care and have fun shopping

and later getting used to the new camera!

I do also some semipro work and changed from a D70 to a Fuji S5 pro. A perfect camera for portraiture, see the

reviews. Inside, the sensor technology is Fuji, outside it's a Nikon D200. Dynamik range and high ISO

performance of the Fuji super CCD are great.You can get the S5 for half of the price of a D300 these days.

The D300 has far higher resolution than the Fuji S5 Pro, which for portraiture and large reproductions (say a family portrait printed at 30x30 inches for a wall hanging), is a very significant drawback. We're talking about a 6mp camera with a 12mp in-camera resizing, that doesn't come close to the D300 in terms of overall quality. Continuous shooting is also very slow compared to the D300, which can be an issue for needing a real pro camera, as the OP has stated. Not to mention that Fuji may be getting out of the DSLR business as they haven't released a new camera in years.

 

I'm not saying the S5 Pro isn't an excellent camera, because it is. But the OP stated specific needs and I don't think the S5 would satisfy those particular needs.

 

I'd go with the D300 for all those reasons. You'll have no regrets at all.

Wow...I can't wait! I had read that because of the higher megapixels...it wasn't always a good thing. It might be a less forgiving camera. I had also read someone's complaint about bad color or trouble with the white balance or something like that. I don't have to dial in too much to the D70 and I am hoping that the 200/300 doesn't leave me scratching my head saying...."what the....???" too much

"The D300 has far higher resolution than the Fuji S5 Pro" - ? - really ?

 

Fuji S5 PRO has 12.34 million pixels. Half of the pixels are large, and half are small, and that reportedly improves

camera dynamic range, especially useful for professional work. You get RAW and JPG max picture sizes at 4256 x

2848 pixels.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0609/06092502fujifilms5pro.asp

 

D300 has picture size max at 4288 x 2848, so it is only few pixels more in horizontal direction.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond300/

 

Putting aside pixel sizes since they are nearly identical, there are other features that would possible make one

camera superior to the other for a particular application... do your own homework...to see what matters to you and

how you indent to use the camera.

Tiffany, I took a look at your portraits and have to say that you are a fine example of "it's not the camera, it's the shooter." You have an exceptional eye for your subjects and the finished images.

 

I upgraded from the D70 to a D200 a few years ago, and never looked back. If I was doing the upgrade today, I would probably move up to the D300, just because of the change in technology and improvements overall.

 

I don't think you'll be challenged by any of the cameras if you choose to upgrade. In fact, I think the newer technology and improvements of features will open up even more avenues for your shooting style, and your imagination.

 

Good luck.

Frank, yes, the D300 does have higher resolution. Read the review of both cameras on dpreview and you'll get it. The S5 does offer higher dynamic range, which has its advantages. But the negatives on the S5 far outweigh any positives. Namely that Fuji has a very poor RAW converter, and they are getting out of the semi-pro SLR business altogether. Sorry, but the S5 isn't worth investing in as a professional tool, in my opinion.

if i couldnt afford a d300, i'd get a d90 over a d200. d90 has better high ISO, almost equivalent frame rate, auto-CA correction, and 920k LCD with same AF module.

Tiffany, may I ask why you feel the D70 is inadequate, and what missing features you believe will make your work flow or results better or easier? <br><br>

Camera is but a relatively small fraction of the total investment for a working pro making indoor portraits. While important, it's often not the wisest place to spend resources if what you already have does the job. Have a look at Marc G's work - he shoots with a 6 year old Kodak DCS Pro 14n which by anyone's definition is a horrifying camera nobody would buy, let alone shoot with. On the other hand, if he never goes over ISO-200, doesn't need speed and always shoots under controlled lighting, then anything more than a 14n would be a waste of money. I also doubt that a "better" camera will make his pictures any better. <br><br>

Just my humble point of view. :-)

"Frank, yes, the D300 does have higher resolution. Read the review of both cameras on dpreview and you'll get it. " - yes, I get it.

 

To be precise, D300 has 91,136 pixels more than Fuji. Both cameras are in the class of 12 MP cameras. The Fuji is not a 6 MP camera like some would like to unfairly discredit it.

I knew you would come around here Michael....oh gallant defender of D70's! Basically...I want a pro camera. I have heard so many good things about the 300...I am already sold. Higher resolution...less noise ...improved sensor technology....faster. The Fuji sounds good but I know my Nikon. I have my lenses and I don't really want to change brands. I have used Nikons for the length of my shooting career and I am pretty happy with them. I do appreciate all the information though. Maybe one day...if I ever make any money at this..I can buy a few additional cameras. Thank you BW for stopping by my work. I appreciate it. Eric...I am considering the D90 too. Frank and Dave...thank you for the reviews. Dave... the camera store that I have been doing business with for along time echoes some of your info (and a lot of the employees shoot with D300's). Thank you for the affirmations.

Over two years ago when I decided to get back into photography after a 20 year absence, I had to decide on trading in my two F2 bodies

for DSLR. I decided against one D200 for two D70s bodies for about the same price to fit my needs. I've been very happy with them, but I

am ready to move up now and the D300 is the way I'm going, and I'm so glad I did not go the D200 at the time. I see factory refurbs for

$1299 around now (one of my D70s bodies is a refurb and I've had no problems what-so-ever).

Meaning the D300 refurb, $1299.

Hi tiffany,

 

Looked through your pictures here on PN and they are wonderful!

 

I have a D70 as well and still enjoy using it from time to time. I also have the Fuji s5pro. Its a

wonder! especially for people photos. The colours are amazing the DR is amazing and I can use all my Nikkor lenses on it. From your last post you seem to think that you will need new lenses for the Fuji s5pro. No you dont, the S5pro has a D200 body and works fine with all the Nikkor lenses and Nikon Flash system. I think you can get it cheaper than a D90 at the moment.

 

The Big thing about the s5pro is the DR and that is a real advantage. No more blown highlights(well a lot less). I can take high contrast scenes and not loose the details. serioulsy You can take photos of things that no other camera can. eg photo of a stage with the spot light on the main characters on stage and still be able bring back details in the shadows from people off stage or in the crowds.

 

For portrait work I would seriously consider the S5pro but the D90 is also good value. and the D300 is a nice beast. Knowing what I know now, if I had a D70 only, and wanted to upgrade I would get both the s5pro and a D90. Or a D700.

Tiffany, Bust loose with the cash and get a D300. Want to zero in on an eyeball, the AF system on the D300 is as good as it gets, about ten times better than the D70. Want to catch a fleeting expression from some little brat, put the D300 in machine gun mode and blast away. I can see where the live view feature on the D300 might come in handy for you also. I am guessing that because of the weak economy, the price of the D300 should drop a bit after Christmas. Buy from a reputable dealer and let us know what you end up doing.

I doubt you'll find anything too challenging in a switch.

 

As far as a switch, I think it's simple: If money is any issue at all, get a D90. If money is not an issue, get a D300/D700.

Also: What's a D200? :o)

I upgraded from D70 to D300 and I am glad I did - love that low noise at higher ISO which came in handy at a wedding when I was not allowed to use flash during the ceremony. And then came the D700 a few months after I bought the D300 and wondered if I should have gone to this one. That is the dilemma of digital photography these days.

Hello Tiffany, the "problem" with using a higher resolution camera is that it will show more easily your technical errors, if there are any. If you open an image on your monitor and view it at 100% you are actually looking at a higher resolution so any camera shake, misfocus, lens fault will be more visible. It's like looking at your slides with a more powerful loupe. But don't worry: the same shot with the same lens and the same technique will not print worse at the same dimension with the D200/300 vs D70. I also went from D70 to D200 a couple of years ago, and plan on keeping the D200 some more time. I had no particular problem in the transition, I enjoy the better viewfinder, monitor with higher zoom ratio, faster response, metering with my manual focus lenses, somewhat better AF. The D70 had a lesser body but produced wonderful images, not far behind my D200. Good luck with your activity. Marco

I upgraded from a D70 to a D300. Now 7000 shots later I have no regrets. The large screen is useful for quickly checking expressions. Standard cable releases fit, which would be nice for tripod based portraiture. The AF is very nice. The higher resolution permits better reproduction, even in 8x12" prints. High-ISO performance is better than with the D70. The D200 is definitely an upgrade, but doesn't offer all these nice features and the price of the D300 has come down a lot during the year.