AH completely torn between D50,D70s, XT

[matt_g1]

I currently have a minolta xg-m from 1981, always ending up scanning

negatives in and working on them digitally. Film costs add up and hey,

there are "some" cameras and lenses out there can blow it out of the

water. So im entering the DSLR market... money is, somewhat of an

issue. Right away i decided the D70S, then figured out the differences

from that and the D50, and decided that the D50 would be a better

choice because of the lesser cost> features in my opinion(yours?).

Then i bring the rebel xt into the picture, it has 2 more MP,

different storage capacity, smaller, lighter ("cheaper" built).. but

anyways you all know that and a heck of a lot more. My question i need

ALOT of help on is as follows..

 

D50,D70s or Rebel XT?

 

( I'll end up buying the standard kits rather than the body and buying

lenses seperately. )

 

D50- $545

D70S- $965

Rebel XT- $750

 

-Prices from leobarnet.com

...any recommendations/better places to buy whatever i finally decide

to buy as well?

[mikep]

I Love my D50.

[leicaglow]

I use Nikon now (switched from Canon when their optics weren't up to their bodies in the early 80's). Now I'd buy whatever you prefer. I really like the Nikon "philosophy" of how they make lenses, bodies and firmware. I don't know how Canon is in terms of feel, except to say the last time I used a digital EOS, I didn't feel like the zooms, telephotos and prime lenses seemed "matched" somehow. If you do, then go with it. The D50 is a great camera (now a backup system to my D200), but I would say this about either system: buy the best lenses you can buy, and not the cheapo kit lens stuff. It will make whatever body you use them on look great.

[glenbarrington]

I compared the D50, the D70, the DRebel XT, and the Olympus E500 2 lens kit. I selected the Oly E500. That being said, I would rate the D70 and the D50 as clearly superior to the Canon (and I'm a Canon guy for close to 40 years).

 

The Canon just felt CHEAPLY made and even though I'm a relatively small man with small hands, my hand felt cramped with the Drebel XT. It has terrible ergonomics.

 

Plus, the Nikon kit lenses are a bit better in quality. you aren't going to notice THAT much difference between 6 and 8 megapixels, especially if you've got a better lens. I just don't think the Canon is worth the extra cost.

 

I would say if you can swing it, go for the D70, if not go for the D50. If you are open to a third possibility, check out the Oly E500 you may find yourself as surprised as I was.

[titospna]

Check out Adorama (a p.net supporter) -- D50 @ $650 w/kit lens; D70s @ $650 body only. Just look for a used 18-70mm lens which is tons better than the 18-55 OR get a 50mm nikkor for about $100 and wait this summer for the new Tokina 16-50mm (f/2.8).

 

I love my D50, but with the pricing of the D70s coming down, it's hard to turn away. The D70s gives you 2 command dials and gridlines options that are missing on the D50. I miss these from my N80 days. Otherwise the D50 is a very nice box, yields excellent pics right off. Your buying options are better now than when I moved to digital. Going digital is a no brainer. Good luck.

[mikep]

Got my 18-70mm Nikkor on Ebay for $167.50-- Its like new.

[Andrew in Austin]

They are all plastic outer bodies, but Nikon hides it a bit better.

 

B&H Photo shows the D70S body as selling for $649. Check your prices.

 

 

I handled and shot with all the above and settled on the D50. You really need to shoot a series of in-store images with each camera, then decide. Tell the sales person this.

 

Both Nikon and Canon have large user base and large range of existing AF film lenses, in addition to their DX glass. So, buying a couple of used primes isn't going to be an issue with either.

 

Canon does offer more current single focal length lens options than Nikon at the wide end.

 

The deciding factor was that the Nikon D50 and D70s both have the definite edge with regards to ergonomics over the Canon Rebel XT. That was the deciding factor for me, pure and simple. That is inspite of my owning a couple of 1 gig Compact flash cards. The D50 uses SD cards.

 

The Olympus 4/3rds system has a smaller user base and has its unique lens mount that incorporates a 2x crop factor. A large stock of existing 35mm film lenses are not an option with the Olympus.

 

Buying a body and selecting your own lens options is the best way to go.

[matt_g1]

thanks for the replies everyone, its going to be a Nikon for sure, i've heard alot about ergonomics and build quality about the two brands before.

 

 

opinions on this D50 kit?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D50-Digital-SLR-Camera-18-70mm-DX-Lens-Kit-USA_W0QQitemZ7619288779QQcategoryZ43456QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

looks legitimate

trustworthy all-around seller, 135K feedback, 99.8 positive as well(pretty impressive)

[titospna]

Yes, Cameta is a good source. I bought my D50 from them; however, the one listed on your link is a refurb. NOT new. If you are comfortable with that, okay, but I prefer new when buying a digital body. Others may have a different opinion.

[titospna]

Yes, Cameta is a good source. I bought my D50 from them; however, the one listed on your link is a refurb. NOT new. If you are comfortable with that, okay, but I prefer new when buying a digital body. Others may have a different opinion.

[rich_b1]

"thanks for the replies everyone, its going to be a Nikon for sure, i've heard alot about ergonomics and build quality about the two brands before."

 

Matt,

 

Before you buy the camera, try it out in a local store to see how the ergonomics fit YOU. Hearing is not the same as holding and you could possibly be very disappointed with your choice. How comfortable the camera feels is going to be the difference as these are all great units and the picture quality will be strictly up to your skills.

 

Good luck,

[ifeito]

Matt,

 

I went with the XT, just bought the vertical grip and it feels very ergonomical in my rather large hands.

 

Like you said, D50 uses SD cards, probably not a big deal, but it's still an issue.

 

Resolution. 33% more IS significant. Don't let anyone tell you it isn't. Helps if you want to crop your images, which I do a lot.

 

Finally, there is available functions. XT has mirror lock-up, none of the Nikon's has it. High speed flash sync? I think there's a work-around on the D70, but it's considered to not be available, so forget about fill flash at large apertures in bright light. Vertical grip? None available for Nikon, sorry.

 

A good friend has the D70 and we compared cameras, he agrees that the XT can do a great deal more than the D70.

 

Then there is the issue of lens selection. Canon has the lions share of the market on DSLR's today. Nikon is coming up with some good cameras, but to me Canon offers a much better range of lenses and accessories than Nikon does.

 

Finally, you can look at image quality. Both systems produce good pictures, but you'll find consensus among pro's in the fact that Canon delivers better image quality.

 

There may be some folks switching to Nikon, but there are a lot more going the other way.

 

So don't discount the Canon.

 

Ignacio

[tom_luongo1]

6mp <em>is</em> about the same as 8mp. The difference is 15% in the linear direction. It might make a little difference, but if you're cropping, the editing software is going to interpolate either way. Your eye won't see the difference between 125 dpi and 144 dpi on a 16x20 print, especially at normal viewing distances. I'm still doing 8x12 from 2.7mp Nikon D1 I've even done a few 12x18 inch prints. <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm">http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm</a> is a pretty good article on the subject.

<p>

You're not going to do badly with Nikon or Canon. You've had your Minolta body since 1981. But you'll possibly upgrade your digital camera in a few years. Best to think of it as a long term rental. If it stops working in five years, a digital body won't be economical to repair.

<p>

As has been mentioned, the 18-70 from Nikon is a much better lens. Besides the optical quality, zoom range, and lens speed, the Nikon kit lens has the built-in autofocus motor.

<p>

I don't agree with Ignacio's comparison between the D70s and the Rebel. Canon site lists 1/200 as the Rebel's sync speed. D70s syncs at 1/500. D70s top shutter is 1/8000 while the Rebel is 1/4000. D70s has a large LCD display. Neither camera does a great deal more than the other. They both take pictures. Your use of the tool will be the biggest factor in the images you get.

<p>

You've got a big head start that you're already working digitally with scanned negatives.

[ifeito]

To the moderator of this board:

 

What was wrong with my reply to Tom's message? Could you please contact me at ifeito@fya.com.mx? I really don't think that deleting messages from properly behaving, paying members of photo.net is a good thing to do.

 

Ken Rockwell's reviews are a joke, whether my messages get deleted or not.

 

Dang, this is getting on my nerves!

 

Ignacio