Keeping my D70s no need for change.

[jamesnjohnson]

Greetings,

<p>Just letting you know I am keeping my D70s. I have no reason to

upgrade/change to D80 or even a D200.

</p>

I came to this conclusion when I starting making prints from my D70s. 8x10

prints look amazing from this camera once you nail down the subject, composition

and exposure :-)

<p>

For me things changed when I started making prints. I feel more complete with a

print in hand and not just viewing on my monitor and posting online. The D70s

does a great job when it comes to printing as long as my photography is good.

When I lay out a bunch of freshly made prints on my dinning room table I just

get all warm inside. Looking at those prints make me forget all about looking at

the specs of new machines on the block. I just want to learn more and make more

prints.

</p>

<p>

It feels good to not have the urge to want the newest and greatest DSLR.

Now I might want to change from a HP Photosmart 7850 to a HP Photosmart Pro

B9180. Thats just trash talk.

</p>

<p>

So my D70s is here to stay.

</p>

[brettjohnson]

I'm keeping my D70 (not S). Until such time that my camera limits my ability to take good shots I see no reason to change. It is very exciting to get into new gear though. I would rather spend my money on purchasing new lenses not bodies. But thats me - everyone has a different life.

[hash]

>> once you nail down the subject, composition and exposure

 

How effectively the camera does these things is what makes a camera better or worse.

 

I'm keeping my D70 too. I do feel crippled with a tiny viewfinder and 5 point AF, but I don't have money!

[jamesnjohnson]

Viewfinder do suck. It is the one thing I really really hate about it but after about 30 minutes behind it I get kind of use to it 4 hours into the gig I don't notice anymore. Also my face is numb by that point from the intense facial focusing.

<p>

Then when I get home and hate it agian when I see some out of focus shots (Which is actually my problem).

</p>

[sammurphy]

Hmmmmmmmmm.... sell my D70 for $600, buy d200 for $2600 (prices in Australia).... or.... take a month long holiday in India, Cambodia, Morocco or Peru and take some amazing photographs and have the time of your life...

 

Hmmmmmmmm.... Amamzing Holiday.....or......27% more megapixels....

[walterh]

Sam I sell you my D70 for 390 Euro :-)

 

Actually I just upgraded from two D70 to one D70 and one D200. I sell one D70 and keep the other. Having the D200 I can say I just love it after 2 weeks of use. Will I kick the D70? No way - I still think its a great camera and I will keep one of my two bodies. The D70 can do better than just excellent 8x10 (inch)- the limit goes further. I like its compact size and light weight. If medium fast AF and a crippled smallish viewfinder is fine for what you shoot it is hard to top this camera. I guess the D200 + D70 combo is a perfect match (price/money) if you want 2 bodies.

[titospna]

I also agree that thereﾒs no compelling reason to switch to the D80. I own a D50 and for other D50 and D70 users busy taking hundreds of photos, I don't believe there's enough in the D80 to make us rush out and get on a waiting list. Without VR built-in or AI compatibility, the D80 seems ho hum to me. Maybe I'm dead wrong, but I would be very surprised if the sales numbers for this camera are phenomenal. Heck, even the kit lens is a "chin scratcher" -- a medium tele zoom, 5.6 on the long end, no VR. (hey, is that a plastic lens mount?) No thanks. You're better off saving your pennies for a D200, or a D200s in about 12 months.

[ptkeam]

I have add my voice to the chorus. My first D-slr was a Fuji S-2. Great camera. Then I bought a D-70 to use as a backup. I found myself using the D-70 most of the time -- size/weight, 1/500 sec. flash synch. Image quality from the S-2 was somewhat better but not THAT much. I sold the Fuji & got another D-70.

I've made gorgeous 16x20's from the D-70's.

The point that some contributors above have made that you need to GASP actually take a good picture to get a good print is well taken. This has always been the case -- esp. with 35mm film.

Yep, for the forseeable future, if I spend money on equpiment it'll be on glass

[photo5]

Have to second, no, third, fourth, ack, the call for the D70s. I love mine. The color and contrast control I get from this camera combined with Nikon Capture NX is simply superb. When I look at the images from this camera I ask myself why am I still thinking of shooting film??

 

Dave

[drekephotography]

Add me to the list of those keeping their D70. After 24,000 images, I still love the camera. I have several 12x18 prints hanging at my kid's school and they look great.

 

I see no reason to purchase the D80 (or D200), I'll invest in new glass and save for a D2x. Although I did recently purchase a used D2h for shooting sports. the price was right and the better AF and 8 frames/second will be fun to use at the next soccer game.

[briany]

Wait, you're on the Nikon forum talking about subject, composition, exposure[/lighting]? And not fixated on specs?

 

I'm with you -- I loved the D70. I actually did buy a D200 (and a 70-200mm AFS VR) b/c I had some money burning a hole in my pocket. It was an upgrade, but to me it was more about the 5fps, wider bracketing options, AIS metering, ability to control two flash groups (saved the cost of another SB-800 right there) etc. And the viewfinder is nice even though I rarely found the D70's to be a problem.

 

Nice as the D200 is, I had no qualms leaving it at home and taking the D70 on vacation when I was going to be going underwater, not watching my gear as carefully in tourist crime areas, etc. And once again, the D70 did great. Even got some nice pelican-in-flight shots, for which the 70-200's AFS-VR was much more important than the D200's slightly better autofocus would have been.

 

Nice to see a few posts about the value of photgraphic skill rather than gear on photo[gear].net

[ecarter]

I've got a D70 and am very happy with it, thank you very much...

 

But I must admit the idea of a better finder is very attractive.

 

I don't have the pennies saved up for a D80 or D200 (yet) - when I do, it'll be off to the shop to see if the viewfinder and other stuff is worth the extra cash.

 

The answer is probably "no" - at least not for a while - but if prices come down some... who knows?

[lahuasteca]

Got a D70s last April. Am I thinking about changing it for D80/D200? No way. Still have

lens lust, though, see my post about a 105 DC below. And that's where my money will go -

to glass until I get a lot of use from my D70s.

[juan_parm_nides]

Hello James, just a simple words. The man, better, the man benevolence is what makes just the diference between machines and dreams. Remember Sebastiao Salgado.

[rebecca_pinkus]

I just have to add in a big thank you to everyone on this forum. I spent most of my past

Sunday reading replies to my question regarding whether I should immediately send back

my brand new D70s and wait for the D80, which promises to be better (yeah, yeah, it will

be...but it's not immediately available.) I literally found out about the D80 a few days after

getting my D70s, so there was a small window during which I could send it back for a full

refund.

 

It's taken me this long to buy a digital SLR in the first place (I shoot with an F100 and

Velvia), and I tell ya, the tech talk drives me NUTS. All I want is a good, reliable camera that

works, and that I can make good prints from. (So it's nice to hear someone out there is

making good prints.)

 

I haven't returned the camera yet, and I think that had I not read so many comments on it I

would have been okay with even the small viewfinder (which, of course, I now compare to

my F100 and my wonderful old FE).

 

Anyway, it's nice to hear from so many happy D70 users who aren't immediately buying

the newest thing. I think I just need to pretend that I bought my camera a few months ago,

rather than just days before the D80 was announced. That was kind of a shock, especially

since I was wondering why there wasn't something in between the D70 and D200

(although, oddly, it seems that the D50 fits in there...but I didn't like the feel or response

of the camera when I tried it. This is the main thing keeping me from preordering the

D80....I need hands-on time before I buy!)

 

Thanks again.

[sammurphy]

Just to mention one other big plus for the d70/s vs. d80/d200, BATTERY LIFE! Those big new lcds are nice and pretty, but damn they eat batteries.

[bourboncowboy]

I had a D70 and went for the D200 upgrade. I loved the D70 until I got the bigger camera. Then there was no comparison. However, the REASON I upgraded was to take advantage of the AIS metering on a number of manual focus lenses. I eventually sold my D70, but purchased another for IR conversion. That's my suggestion - use the D70 until you have more experience and money. Then upgrade to the D80 or D200 (or whatever new camera Nikon creates) and convert your old D70 for IR use.

[jamesnjohnson]

OK, I ended up getting a D200. I must say it is a buy that do not regret. D70s is still here to

stay.