Used Nikon D70, or advanced PAS?

[dspindle]

<p>I've been considering purchasing a used Nikon D70. I'm on a fixed income, and can't afford to spend very much. I have two Nikkor zoom AF lenses, a 35-70mm, and a 70-200mm that I have been told will work with the D70.<br>

I'm afraid the adjustable dioptor on the eyepiece of the D70 can no longer match my eyesight, and so for the first time, I've thought about purchasing one of the advanced PAS cameras. They have large 3" lcd viewers, and many come with impressive 15 and 20X zooms.<br>

I understand on these max zoom PAS's, that the ISO automatically cranks up to huge numbers when these lenses are at max, pretty much rendering the shot useless. I also understand that these cameras pretty much run on "auto".<br>

Questions:<br>

1. How would picture quality compare between the D70 (6.1megapixels) and an advanced PAS at 10 or 12 mp?<br>

2. Is there a PAS camera that will allow me to zoom out to 2 or 300mm and manually set the ISO to 80 or 100? (it would be on a tripod)....would the flash automatically try to flash?<br>

3. Is there a PAS camera that allows any manual override of aperture settings?<br>

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!</p>

 

[bobcossar]

<p>There are a large number of advanced p/s cameras that do all you ask and more. My advice is to go to www.dpreview.com as they have quite a number of group tests/comparisons of a wide useage group of such cameras......You will find the answers there, and in depth...Regards, Robert</p>

[stefan_g]

<p>If you just need more eyepiece magnification, the DK-21M fits on the D70.</p>

[ken_kuzenski1]

<p>Dave, a lot depends on what you want to do, how you prefer to work, etc. I've had a D70 for five years, just got a D90, just this morning ordered a new P&S. :-) If I had to live with EITHER a D70 or a P&S there would be no contest--the D70, hands down. No shutter lag, great photos, ability to use all my old Nikon lenses, great metering. In my area, used D70s are going for $250, though getting one with a guarantee from a reputable dealer might be a good idea--my own D70 has a problem with the CF card seat, and occasionally stops working until I reseat the card. A really good P&S is a nice thing to have, and that may be all you need .... but if I were picking one or the other, it would definitely be the dSLR, not a P&S.<br>

My own eyes aren't nearly as good as they used to be, by the way, and I have found I can let the Nikon AF do the focusing for me. :-) </p>

 

[jcuknz]

<p>As Ken says it is a question of what you want. The DSLR will give you great quality with restrictions. The Pro-sumer will give you flexibility as a great tool to work with with minimal extras and good quality up to A3 print size. For me there is no question, I pick up my Nikon 5700 or Panasonic FZ50 every time in preferance the the D60, that's an older Canon I bought so I could use my old 'film' lens and accessories.<br>

With both my cameras I can stop the camera making decisions for me such as you describe and frankly suprised you think cameras work that way, they can if you work in AUTO, but in other modes they do what you let them. I have mine set to 100ISO and working in Aperture priority the camera tells me in the viewfinder what shutter speed it is going to use ... I can accept that, take precautions for slow speeds or change the combination. I also have OIS which helps somewhat, though I believe the photographers skill in keeping the camera steady for the exposure is equally important. <br>

The DSLR usually has the advantage of being heavy though my FZ50 is no light weight like its smaller cousins in the FZ range. I have a small Olympus tele adaptor, which didn't cost the earth, to approach the zoom range of newer models. <br>

I have my flash disabled 6.99/24, but it is simply the setting of an option in the menu when I want it. <br>

In a way it is sad not to use the lens you already have, but on the other hand the top line pro-sumer is such a freindly useful beastie ..I love mine .. though happy to admit its limitations. Shutter lag is there to a degree but when you don't want it there are ways around the problem except for 'snap shooting' [as a rifleman does it].</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>the key thing here is that you have some nice nikon lenses...to me that sways in the direction of a d70.</p>

<p>with a P&S superzoom IQ will be OK but not great up until about ISO 400 and there will be more distortion, chromatic aberration and of course shutter lag. the problem with d70s is some of them have seen a lot of wear and/or may have mechanical issues, so a warranty is a must.</p>

 

[bill_tuthill]

Amazon has a used D70 for $340, so if your lenses work with the D70, that is the least expensive alternative that meets your criteria. Presuming you are nearsighted and find it easier to look at an LCD than thru a viewfinder, cameras to look at (superzoom with manual) are the Panasonic FZ35, Canon SX10, and Fuji S200EXR. All have manual modes, but cost over $400. Also look at the Fuji F70EXR, which has semi-manual modes, a sizeable LCD, and 270mm zoom.

[dspindle]

<p>Thanks for the great responses. I'm leaning towards the D70 or D70S because I hate the idea of giving up my Nikon Lenses. Also, thanks for the tip re "dpreview", it's a great site. Shopping for the D70 is a real trial...so few have decent descriptions of the camera's condition etc, let alone any warranty.<br>

I'll try and post when I've got the camera and let you know how it went. Thanks again for all the terrific resonses.<br>

Dave</p>

[dspindle]

<p>Ordered a D70s for a little more that I wanted, but it's supposedly in excellent condition, and it comes with a 90 day warranty plus a 3 year warranty. Very excited...will let you know how it goes!<br>

Dave</p>

[bill_tuthill]

Well, at least the D70s has a 2" LCD, which is better than what the D70 had. Good luck!

[dspindle]

<p>Received my D70s yesterday. Overall, very very satisfied, and thrilled to be back in the Nikon family again. Believe it or not, my last Nikon was a 2020 and I still have it. I can't convey the pleasure I experienced at being able to make use of my two Nikkor AF lenses again! <br>

I'm in the process of taking test shots (I also purchased the "kit" lens (18-70mm) and learning to navigate the menus, etc. All is great so far and the shots look fantastic. The "feel" of the camera is very comfortable and light, particularly with the kit lens attached. My older AF lenses obviously weigh things down a bit. Very easy camera to set up, and the pictures are great. Mostly making use of "A" and "Manual" modes, with a few taken in "Auto". I've adjusted the diopter eyepiece to max, and it's right on the edge of my prescription, but close enough to allow me to get close, and let the AF do the rest. (I'm researching optional diopter lens attachments of plus 2, plus 3 etc but not sure how they work). I've also turned off the "auto ISO" as I prefer to set it myself. A little surprised the lowest ISO is 200! I didn't notice that in my research...what happened to 100 or 80? Also, I've never used these lithium-ion batteries..but I think I'm going to need a spare.<br>

All in all, very pleased. And grateful to Robert, Stefan, Ken, JC, Eric and Bill for taking the time to help me in making my decision. Thank you very much.<br>

Dave</p>