when to upgrade a Nikon D70?

Most of you good folk have greater insight into the future of Nikon DSLRs than

do I. I bought a Nikon D70 in the summer of 2004, after reading all the

reviews. (I use a Canon A620, and before that the A95 and A80 as take anywhere

cameras. I also own the F, F2, F3, FE2, FM2n, and F100 cameras to satisfy my

love for film). I am pleased with the D70, but will upgrade when warranted. I

am not sure the D70s was even an upgrade. The D80 was very tempting, but didn't

quite meet my threshold. What and when do you expect Nikon to announce or

release a model that will be a major quantum jump from the D70, and what

features would you expect and/or like to see.?

I think you have to use Crystal Ball to get an answer on this question. But when you wait long enough all the little steps improvement in each new type seems a quantum jump for you.

The D200 is already a major upgrade for the D70, and so are the D2 series. Not sure what additional features sets you would want, seeing as how you seem to be pleased with the D70.

 

When to upgrade? When you are no longer pleased with the the D70, and when your budget can handle it.

 

I used to have a D70, and my time to upgrade came when the D200 was released. I'm happy with the D200 (I have 2) and unless the price of higher end bodies go down to match my budget (or unless I get a financial windfall), I expect to shoot my D200's for quite a while.

 

Keith

Well there's the D200, it's a pretty huge upgrade in my opinion. Significantly better image

quality, a lot more features, a far superior body. It's usually considered a consumer grade

camera because of it's price but it's pro quality in most every regard.

 

As for the future, I don't really know. I'd think the D200 or D2Xs would be the next in line for

a major upgrade since they're the oldest, but I haven't heard any actual rumors or anything.

i went from an olympus om 4 ti +an asortment of lens.which had seen me in good sted,for a good 15 years or more.when i traded it for the nkon d70,i must say, there was a tear in my eye.the d70 was a very good d-slr.but when i saw my first photograph from the d2oo,the detail,colour,and the image size,was just so much more,this camera has both body and soul,and i am so glad that i move up.<div></div>

Simple. The shutter on the D70 is only good for about 60,000 images. If you're more than 2/3rds of the way it's time.

I would upgrade just to be able to use (meter) all the manual focus lenses you undoubtably have. I also love using the aperture ring as apposed to a dial. That feature alone in my opinion is worth the upgrade. Everything else is just iceing on the cake.

The D200 is appealing but it two years old and that is a long time in the digital world. Do you expect Nikon to come up with an upgrade within the next year? I would not expect the D70 shutter to drop dead at 60,000 cycles or even 100,000 cycles unless they get the shutters from Detroit. I am purely amateur.

If you would get a d80 in your hands, you would likely upgrade to it immediately. The viewfinder is far superior to the d70's and worth upgrading (IMO) for this feature alone. The monitor is much bigger. Picture quality is improved substantially as is exposure. Think of all the fun and convenience you are missing out now by not owning one today!

 

I don't know what you mean by 'threshold' but chances are when Nikon releases more advanced cameras in the near future, they will have a minimal and likely insignificant increase in resolution, have features you don't need and be priced out of your price range. Keep in mind that even if they released a 20mp camera which sounds to be impressive, it would only be a 25% increase in resolution over the d40x/d80/d200 line - an equivalent increase of going from 6mp to 10mp. A 3mp file will make a fine 12 x 18 print. There is virtually no difference from 6mp to 10mp unless you crop a lot or make huge posters.

Eliott,

Please do explain your math.

 

My interpretation = from a 10 megapixel sensor to a 20 megapixel is a 100% increase.

 

From a 6 megapixel camera to a 10 megapixel camera is a 66% increase.

"from a 10 megapixel sensor to a 20 megapixel is a 100% increase" - increase in number of pixels.

 

To double the resolution, you need to double pixel number in both directions. That is for 6 MP you need to have 24 MP to double the resolution, if we forget talking about the pixels density, etc.

 

What matters is how many dollars you have left in your wallet. 6 MP seems plenty.

It may sound wrong but I sold my D70 and bought a D1H...

I know, is older, D-TTL, less MP (2.74) and battery life SUCKS.. all and all, I like the D1H end result more than the D70, 2.74mp sensor of the D1h IMO is awesome.

 

 

but must say, the D70 is a GREAT camera.

 

PS.

I have a D2H as a N.1 camera.

If you really want to upgrade to something new get the Fuji S5. It's a D200 but with a kick-ass new sensor.

I have two d70s and I'll buy something new when there's a camera that's significantly better in the same size/weight class. Something that might actually translate into better photos.

 

Like 3-4 stops increased dynamic range. Or ISO6400 equivalent to ISO800 noise. Possibly a 20MP+ sensor (same amount of pixels as my 35mm film scans), a FF sensor or a D2Xs AF system could make some difference. And it has to retain the unique features of the D70s as flash sync up to 1/8000s.

 

I'd say it takes another three to five years or so.

I also have two D70's and I'm in no hurry to "upgrade" any time soon. I'd LOVE to have a D2x but I'm in no hurry to drop 4-grand for a camera body.

Think about spending your bucks on some really good glass instead.

By the way -- 10 megapixels is NOT a 60% increase over 6 megapixels. If a 6-mp sensor is 3000 x 2000 pixels and a 10mp sensor is 4000 x 2500 pixels you're only gaining about 30% in resolution in the horizontal and vertical dimensions respectively. This is a geometric progression, not an arithmatic increase.

I've made beautiful 16x20's from my 6-mp D70's. Don't waste money because some dude in a camera store or a geek with Nikon Acquisition Syndrome tells you your D-70 is obsolete.

If Nikon releases a camera that is based on new sensor technology. That's probably when it's time to upgrade. The Nikon D100s to the newest D40x uses the similar Sony CCD sensor. If Nikon releases a new camera with a Fuji Sensor, LBCAST, or a Foveon sensor then it might time to upgrade to a new camera.

When I start to regularly print larger than 20x30cm and can see significant differences between my D70 and someone else's Dx00 then perhaps.

 

The shot attached taken with a $30 75-150mm f3.5 Series E and $40 3T close-up.<div></div>

Kudos to Andy Aungthwin for making a great point about the D70 (and his $30 75-150 E lens -- I used to have one -- it is a great lens) AND for showing us a fabulous picture which had more to do with his knowledge and skill as a photogrpaher than the hardware used

@Sam Song: The D200, D80 and D40X use a new 10MP sensor in two different versions (4-channel for D200, 2 Channel for D80 & D40X). The D100, D70, D70s, D50 and D40 all use the old 6.1MP Sony sensor.

 

And if you want a Nikon body with a Fuji Sensor, buy an S5 Pro. It's a D200 with the Fuji Sensor in it.

Kerry wrote:

 

The D200 is appealing but it two years old and that is a long time in the digital world. Do you expect Nikon to come up with an upgrade within the next year? I would not expect the D70 shutter to drop dead at 60,000 cycles or even 100,000 cycles unless they get the shutters from Detroit. I am purely amateur.

 

My reply:

 

I was very pleased with my D200 purchase last year, and have not regretted owning it for one moment since. There will always be a better and less expensive camera in the future, but if you don't buy what's available now you will always be putting off using the best available. For the price, the D200 is currently the best available. I do expect a D200 replacement sometime near the end of this year, if you don't jump on it shortly after it comes out though then you will be facing the same dilemma later next year (i.e., holding off for the next great thing).

 

As for the D70 shutter dropping dead at 60-100k, that's exactly what it will do. What's worse, you cannot predict when exactly it will do that.

 

Edward wrote:

 

If you really want to upgrade to something new get the Fuji S5. It's a D200 but with a kick-ass new sensor.

 

My reply:

 

It's a little pricy in my opinion, and has less resolution and fps than the D200 which costs about 25% less. The S5 sensor is less of an improvement over the S3 than the D200 sensor is over the D70; and the same issues of "obsolescence" will soon overtake the S5. Imagine if Nikon and Canon come out with cameras that have more resolution and faster fps, cost less, and have nearly equal DR; that is very probably what will happen in the next year or so. Of course, what I said about the D200 and "obsolescence" applies equally to the S5; for me though it goes to the question of optimizing value (an underlying premise of this thread).

@Adam

 

I know they used different sensors. But they all use CCD sensors sourced from Sony.

 

Also I know that the S5 is available. But it's much more expensive than the D70 and in practice a lot slower than the D200.

 

A quantum jump for me would be keeping with the D70 price and Nikon software and branding with new sensor technology which is different from the D70.

Hi Sam, I just want to mention that there isn't much of a "quantum leap" between any of the current crop of DSLRs. Canon is the best at high ISO, low noise; Fuji is the best at DR; Nikon has excellent value and UI; Sony has one camera that is not very good. It's more of a "quantum drop" (for Sony) in that regard. All the cameras are starting to distinguish themselves less from one another as we seem to reaching a technological plateau. I doubt there will be enormous breakthroughs in the next couple of years; mostly things will continue to evolve, and soon everyone will have low noise, high DR, and maybe even Nikon's UI (the Canon Mark III appears to be going in that direction for instance).

I upgraded from a D70 to a D200 about 8 months ago and have never looked back. I have to say the single biggest reason for the upgrade for me was ergonomics. The D200 with the battery grip fits my large hands very well. Out of camera jpegs are resiliant and vibrant, something I did not get from the D70. HOWEVER, my skills as a shooter have increased exponentially since I first purchased a D70 just by the shear volume of trial and error shooting, and learning from this message boards and others. Given that, I am not sure the D200 is a vast improvement over the D70 for an experienced shooter. Rumors abound about the next gen Nikon DSLR so you might wait another 6 or 8 months to see what comes around. If a D3 comes out, you might even find a good D2 that is in your price range. If you cant wait, the D200 is an awesome camera though.

I agree with James Martin, if there is one valuable body to replace a D70, it is the D200. But considering the current rumors of the D3 and corresponding consumer-oriented DSLR being just around the corner, I would wait at least till September.

I personaly own a D70 too, it was my first DSLR, to replace my good old F70/F90. I was considering the D80, but it costs too much compared to the D200 (performace/price). I am currently going to purchase a Nikkor 18-200 VR to add to my D70, then I will move to the Dx0 or Dx00 which will be released when Nikon will finally released its D3 (I bet between September and December, as larger Photo events are now too late (Photokina and Co are behind us), and Nikon can not wait for longer time to upgrade D2 line)

james martin, wrote

I upgraded from a D70 to a D200 about 8 months ago and have never looked back. I have to say the single biggest reason for the upgrade for me was ergonomics. The D200 with the battery grip fits my large hands very well. Out of camera jpegs are resiliant and vibrant, something I did not get from the D70. HOWEVER, my skills as a shooter have increased exponentially since I first purchased a D70 just by the shear volume of trial and error shooting, and learning from this message boards and others. Given that, I am not sure the D200 is a vast improvement over the D70 for an experienced shooter. Rumors abound about the next gen Nikon DSLR so you might wait another 6 or 8 months to see what comes around. If a D3 comes out, you might even find a good D2 that is in your price range. If you cant wait, the D200 is an awesome camera though.