Buying a Nikon D70 for landscape work-Lacking a PC?

[nate_cowlishaw]

Hello Photo.net Users,

 

I would like to know if it is worth investing in a Nikon D70 even if

I lack a computer and the use of Photoshop to edit photos? I cannot

afford the camera, and the PC together. The prices for a DSLR are now

affordable though and I'm usually traveling a lot. So is there

anything to worry about?

 

I'm wondering if a Digital SLR will be worthy and dependable enough

for serious landscape work also?

 

These are just some thoughts, and they aren't engraved in stone...

[khairul_yusuf]

Serious landscape work, with or without a DSLR, will require serious photoshop work.

I don't reckon the latter is possible without a PC.

But then again, go on and buy the D70 and have fun.

[kelvinphoto - arlington, t]

That's what digital all above. Computer is just like your Film Dark Room. If you don't edit your own Image, then let the lab do it, which is an arm and a leg($2.99 per digital image). Or you can print them as it, which doesn't look good. Like letting an hour photolab print your film stuff.

[jakob_norstedt_moberg]

Nate,

 

You do not necessarily need a brand new high end PC. Even if it is five years old you can have a lot of fun with it. I do some of my D70 post processing on an Pentium II 466MHz of 1999, with 384MB memory. It is slow, but it can be done. My image archive (Cumulus) is run on that machine.

 

Jakob

[hendrik]

Nate,

 

I sell and use cameras every day.

 

The main advantage of digital is workflow.

You're able to manipulate and render a photo to your needs in your own time. Without a PC the workflow stops. Before printing any digital file a PC must be used. You may make a deal with your local print lab to use one of their PC's but this does nothing for your workflow, since you must use their time and only when they are open.

 

Since you will then not gain the main advantage of digital, one of the rules of buying a digital camera comes into play: He who can wait longer will buy the bargain.

 

Last but not least. If you travel a lot you will need lots of storage for your files $$$$. And, or a laptop.$$$$

 

Good Luck<div></div>

[Karim Ghantous]

Well, you certainly do not need a computer with you on the road. I mean, why bother carrying around a laptop, it's just another electronic device you have to worry about.

 

You can either buy several memory cards (which you can re-use later, remember) or buy a portable hard drive device (e.g. iPod; or other devices specifically made for photography) or a portable CD recorder.

 

Okay, so do you need a computer for when you get home to work on your images? Yes, you do, but it doesn't have to be expensive (to repeat a point made above). However, 'bargain' priced computers are false economy. Better to buy a slower, good quality computer than a faster, poor quality one.

 

I think DSLRs are fine for landscapes from what I've seen and heard. Sure, it's not medium format quality but then neither is 35mm. And at least you can shoot wildlife at the same time without too much trouble.

 

A lot of folks are just as happy with the cleaner but lower resolution image from a DSLR as with a noiser but higher res image from a 35mm frame. For example, even the humble 4Mpx D2H is said to be surprisingly good considering its 'low' pixel count. The D70 would be marginally better. I'd suggest you shoot in RAW mode and not JPEG or TIFF.

[edward_h]

As far as I understand, what you need for landscapes is pixel count. The more the better.

 

If you make your living shooting landscapes then the only option for you is the Canon 1Ds. It's nowhere near the D70 in price, but then again there aren't any other cameras that come close in pixel count.

 

If you only shoot landscapes occassionally, then I suppose the D70 would suffice, but I would wait a month or so until the Canon 20D comes out. It has more and cleaner pixels than the D70 and extra features. Being able to put on Canon L-glass is a plus. :)

 

Don't have a PC? Then I suggest you either get yourself one or get a film camera. DSLRs and "no computer" don't mix. At all.

[jluebke]

Not sure what you mean by "serious" landscape work, but IMO it's pretty silly to buy a DSLR without owning a computer. Unless you will be content to view your snaps on a tiny little LCD screen, you're going to want to edit and print them, and in order to get the maximum quality you will want to shoot RAW and use a computer to convert the images. Plus, you're looking at investing in a decent quality printer or else paying a lab to make your prints for you. One route that would save you the cost of both a DSLR and a computer is to find yourself a used TLR or MF folder and a buy a brick of Velvia.

 

Bluntly put, if you go cheap and digital you will most assuredly get cheap-looking results, but you can still go cheap with film and get nice results.

[larry_tudor1]

---As far as I understand, what you need for landscapes is pixel count. The more the better.

If you make your living shooting landscapes then the only option for you is the Canon 1Ds.---Whay about the Kodak Pro 14N ?

[jluebke]

**Larry Tudor said "Whay about the Kodak Pro 14N?"**

 

If he can't afford both a D70 and a computer, he sure as hell isn't going to be dropping $3-5K on one of these...

[edward_h]

"Whay about the Kodak Pro 14N ?"

 

Its noise reduction softens details, giving the 1Ds the resolution advantage, in spite of having fewer pixels.

 

The noise reduction can't be switched off, btw... Thank Kodak for that.

 

Oh well, the dude doesn't have the cash for the 1Ds anyways, so I don't see why we're discussing this.

[phule]

Having a DSLR without a PC is like driving a car on 4 of those emergency donut tires. Yeah, you can get to where you want to go in a pinch, but it's simply not a solution.

[dean_g]

I reckon you can get darn nice results with a 10D, or the 20D. Closer to MF than 35mm film, depending on how large you want your prints. Doesn't make sense without a computer though. Computers are not that expensive these days. I got a workhorse of a notebook computer, refurbished for around $800.00.

 

But it seems that if you're really after "serious" landscapes you would want a more serious tool for the job. Might not have to be too spendy either. You could probably find a really sweet TLR, maybe even a nice older Rollei, get a basic useable computer, and something like an Epson 4870 for scanning, and an inkjet printer for not much more than the D70. The scanner and printer could be used for proofing if not final prints, and you can have a good lab provide those.

 

A ricoh diacord or Yashica mat would set you back maybe $300.00

Computer $700-$1000. (a tool you'll want for whatever you do anyway)

Epson 4870 scanner about $350.00

Canon i9100 these days about $300.00 or less. You could be set up for around $1500.00 +/- a buck or two.

 

You have to have a computer regardless. If digital there's no sense fighting it, digital means computer.

[ecarter]

If you're looking for a bargain-basement approach, the Canon 300D may be your best bet - it's cheaper than the D70 and includes a lens in the kit that is as wide as the D70's for a few hundred less. I prefer the D70 myself (better build, better shutter speed, higher flash sync, and more controlable) but a lot of the D70's advantages aren't really what I'd think of as being useable for landscape photography. If you think you'll be doing more general photography though, the D70 is much better.

 

Either way you go, you really need a computer. If you don't have one and don't intend to get one, you don't gain any real advantage by going digital - and a few significant disadvantages. For the same money as a D70 or a 300D, you can get a more durable film camera body or more lenses.

 

That being said, you don't need to break the bank on a 'puter - Most $500 specials nowadays can do for a lot of photo-editing work, even if you subsequently take the files to the lab for printing. The computer is a fairly cheap part of the whole package - you'll pay more for the camera and glass. :-)

[gpdno]

"I'm wondering if a Digital SLR will be worthy and dependable enough for serious landscape work also?"

 

Serious landscape work...get a large format ie 4x5 and shoot film. You can get a nice system for the price of your D70, you don't need a computer, and your image quality will be that of "serious landscape work" :)