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It's true the SB600 isn't as powerful as the SB800, but it's still a nice and quite usable flash unit - I have both and use the SB600 as a backup and off-camera 2nd flash (gotta love the commander mode on the D70 - can command both the 800 and 600 off-camera). It's not a bad way to go, especially if you're a little tight on money and don't want to shell out on another SB800.

I've got my old 20GB IOMega Photo Library, but the battery is having more and more trouble holding a charge. I've just picked up a 60GB video iPod and will try seeing how that works - no card reader is the weakness, of course, but I carry *usually* enough CF that I end up downloading once a day in any case - though I still would love to see a card reader accessory. I'll keep looking, but in the meantime will see how this works.

We need to know the model of the scanner and the type of the scanner to be sure, but most film scanners will take negatives or slides - my Minota Dimage scanner has a carrier that will handle a strip of frames for a negative, and a second carrier that will handle 4 mounted slides. I'd be very surprised if you have a scanner - either a flatbed that can handle film or a film scanner - that doesn't have the ability to scan slides this way.

Really, so much of how much fill flash you should use depends on the conditions you'll be shooting in. Since others have mentioned that you may want to be cautious about accepting this job, I won't repeat that again. Anyways, The general rule of thumb that you should be thinking of when using fill flash is how harsh the shadows are going to be...

 

In full direct noonday sun, you'll probably be using your flash unit at -1 (if that) to try and overcome the dark shadows that such brilliant light creates. On the other hand, a cloudy or overcast sky is an almost perfect "natural softbox" and you'll use very light fill flash if any. You should experiment if possible ahead of time to get a feel for how you'll need to adjust your flash in certain conditions.

 

Check this site http://www.danheller.com/tech-fillflash.html - it may be helpful to you, though the info here is pretty general.

 

There are two color films I'd think of when I think weddings - Fuji NPH 400 and Kodak Portra 160 NC. If you're in low light, you may also want to check out Fuji NPZ 800.

I've photographed in the National Aquarium in Baltimore (if you get a chance, GREAT place) and have not had any issues with flash photography - except around the octopus tank where it is strictly forbidden. However, each place is different on their policy so definitely check with the staff as to what can and cannot be done in the way of lighting.

 

If you are able to use flash and tolerate the light loss, then a good polarizer will definitely help but it won't substitute for being careful with angling your shots with respect to reflections - but you've already got that advice in hand. Most aquariums tend to be on the dark side so dragging the shutter will be important with darker backgrounds - again, as has already been brought up.

 

Have fun and good luck!

I'd definitely have this back to Nikon - the I can certainly see the banding on my calibrated Viewsonic 19" (A90F+) - it appears to be most pronounced on the table, but also on the man with the pint glass in the background (very high contrast change there). I'm glad so far that I've held off on the D200 - while I think it is a wonderful camera, I'd definitely want to be confident that I'll get a good camera without this issue. I know that something can go wrong with ANY camera you purchase (problems do happen) but banding seems to be an ongoing issue. I do know that if I get a D200, the first thing I'll do is test thoroughly for banding, but then I tested my D70 thoroughly when I got it - to me, this is just standard proceedure. :-)

 

Hope Nikon gets this straightened out for you quickly Paul, and thanks for putting this up.

Oh, didn't see it, but Adam is right. Sony does have a 10 MP camera with a APS sized sensor similar to a DSLR's. I don't know if this camera is the one your husband is thinking of, but it doesn't suffer the small sensor woes that most digital P&S cameras do.

Louise, you're dead right in this debate. More megapixels does not equal better image quality, and there are significant advantages to a DSLR compared to most consumer p&s cameras, even those with higher megapixel counts.

 

Probably the biggest advantage is the ability to use different lenses - this gives you more options regarding quality and field of view. While a lot of P&S cameras have very good lenses, they tend to be wide range, do-it-all lenses. These are also available

 

The next advantage DSLR's like your D70S have is the sensor size - larger sensors and photo-sensitive sites on the sensor mean lower noise (and the capability to shoot higher ISO - most consumer P&S cameras max out around ISO 400). The sensor size also means that controlling the depth of field in the photograph is much easier and more precise. In order to get the correct field of view (wide angle versus telephoto) most P&S cameras need to use very short focal length lenses which translates to a wide depth of field (range from the camera where objects appear in focus). With a larger sensor, the lenses used for the same field of view have a longer focal length which allows the photographer to control depth of field better - IE, the photographer can cause a single object to stand out by "blurring" the background.

 

Finally, the "viewfinder" on most P&S cameras is an LCD screen, where a DSLR camera has an optical viewfinder - I find it much easier to work with a true optical viewfinder.

 

As far as poster-sized prints are concerned, how sharp a print appears at a given size depends more on the viewing distance from the print rather than megapixels (though having more megapixels can help). I regularly do Super B size prints (13"x19") from my D70 and these prints are quite sharp from a few feet away - I've seen excellent poster size prints from the D70 larger than that, and I've known billboards printed from the same camera - because those are viewed from hundreds of feet away, they appear sharp.

 

This doesn't mean that P&S cameras cannot do the job - I've seen great work done with them. They're two different approaches and each has strengths and weaknesses - but more megapixels does not mean better at all - it's something hyped up by companies to help sell cameras past its real importance.

Brad - as someone who's handled the D70 and the D50, I can tell you that either one will be fine for your purposes. The D50 is a lighter weight camera and has a different control interface. Images out of the D50 seem a little smoother right out of the camera.

 

For me, the D70 is a better camera, but that's because I have paws for hands and the diminutive D50 is too small for comfort - also, I have a strong preference for a camera with two control dials. Either is good, and image-wise there's not much difference to tell.

 

On either camera, the 18-70mm will translate to the equivelant of a 27-105 lens on a film camera as far as the field of view is concerned. You may want to go with a wider lens depending on what you're doing. The kit 18-70mm is a nice lens for the cost, but there are better options. The sigma is a possibility, and I've seen good results on the Tokina 12-24mm F4 lens. Shop around.

I prefer the D70's ergonomics and controls to the D50's, but that's a purely personal feel - the D50 may be fine for you. Try the two cameras out in a store if you can to get a feel for the bodies and if the money will allow, go with what works better for you feel-wise.

 

If money is super tight and you can live with the D50, of the two cameras you may want to go with the less expensive D50 and use what funds you have left to purchase better lenses.

Dunno about the bags you've mentioned but I have a Lowepro Nova 4 AW as my main kit bag for my D70 kit - lets me carry the camera with the kit lens attached, room for 2 other lenses (including my Sigma 70-210 f/2.8 monster) and still have enough room for an SB600 or SB800, power cables, charger, spare battery, manual, flashcards and a partridge in a pear tree. It's pretty rainproof closed up and sturdy, and fully configurable with velcro partitions (like many bags out there nowadays, thank god). May be an alternative you want to check into.

I use this lens frequently and it is my main "fast" lens for this range.

 

Optically, it's very good, or at least the sample I have is - quite sharp and renders nicely.

 

For drawbacks, though - focus is a little on the slow side and, yes, it is louder but not obnoxiously so. I bought mine pristine for about $400 or so used, but wouldn't pay much more for it than that, but even at that price I'd prefer it to the Nikon 70-300 you mention (I have a Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 Macro "consumer" lens which is a near match to the Nikon and while not bad for the price, doesn't compete in speed or quality to the sigma, HSM or no).

Ahh, if everyone's so worried about looking like Uncle Bob with his Digital Rebel XT but still wants to use one, just get a black body one instead.

 

After all, everyone knows all "professional" cameras are black, not silver. You'll have all the people who brought their silver XT's drooling over your professional camera!

 

BTW - this is a joke. Use what you like. :-D

Eeek!

 

It should NOT be doing that. My first thought would be to remove the UV filter and see if it isn't that causing the vignetting, but that image seems a little extreme. Also, if the lens hood is not on correctly, it might cause this as well...

 

...but if this lens does this without the filter and the hood on, test your lens on another Nikon DSLR to see if the problem is with the lens or the camera.

<P>I don't get a whole lot of call for this lens, but when I do, it can do some of the neatest stuff! It is a trick to use though, but once you get used to the way you have to hold the camera and lens to adjust the focus and sweet spot, there's a lot of interesting things you can do with it.

<P><CENTER><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/3993421-lg.jpg">

<P><I>Cicada Husk - Nikon D70 using Lensbaby 1</I></CENTER>

For a moderate fast zoom at a reasonabe price, you may want to consider the Tamron 28-75 F/2.8 Di - this is a fairly inexpensive standard zoom lens, but is very fast and holds its own with the more expensive Nikkor fast standard zoom lenses.

To know what really happened we'd probably need to see the original photo and if possible the EXIF data recorded by the camera in the file to see shutter speed, flash, etc...

 

Most "ghost" images where there's actually a "ghostly" person are caused by using a slow shutter speed and having someone walk in the frame and stop long enough to "impress" their image on the camera film or sensor, then move out of the frame before the exposure is completed, while most "orb" ghost photographs are dust or water droplets hit by flash that are closer than the "depth of field" that the camera is focused on. These images reflect the flash light and are rendered by the camera in the shape of the camera aperure iris - a circle or orb.

 

It might also be lens flare, if you have a stray reflection from light hitting the lens surface itself.

Sorry - I said the D50 produces cleaner images at higher resolutions - I meant at higher ISO... been a long day. :-)

The D100 is a better-built, sturdier camera with a two dial interface and a better finder - for me, the I prefer the D100 to the D50. The two cameras have the same resolution, but I think the ergonomics on the D100 are better and the D100 is a little quicker at continuous shoot - for the first few frames anyways. The images out of the D50 straight from the camera may be a little cleaner, especially at higher resolutions.

 

The advantages that the D50 has over the D100? The D100 is a touch faster but has a smaller buffer so it can't keep up with the D50 for more than a few shots. The D50 is a fair bit lighter and smaller, so if carrying the camera around is an issue, that may justify getting one. As far as manual control is concerned, the D50 can be shot manually, so that shouldn't be a concern, though it uses one command dial (the old push button and turn dial routine) which annoys me some. My lady just got a D50 though and it's a good lightweight camera.

 

The D50 uses Secure Digital media rather than Compact Flash - prices for cards are pretty comparable, but the cards themselves are much smaller. Also, they do not use the pins arrangement that is (IMO) the weak point in Compact Flash - less likely to bend a pin inserting a card into the camera. I think this was a decision made by Nikon to tempt more "point and shoot" camera users into their digital SLR cameras - many point and shoot digital cameras nowadays use SD cards and this means they can just drop in the same cards they used with their other cameras. Just my opinion on it though.

If IR is important to you, then it's worth noting that as nice as the D200 is, it is FAR less sensitive to IR light than the D70. It can do it, but your shutter speeds become VERY VERY long. This may be a problem or may not, depending on what you intend to shoot.

 

I'm not sure about the D50 - my fiancee has this camera but I haven't tested it for IR shooting yet. :-) Maybe worth checking out - I'll have to borrow it and fit it up with a IR filter and see what it can do.

<p>I've heard a lot about QC issues on Tamron and there may be, though when I purchased my 28-75 2.8 XR Di, I got a good one right off the bat and never looked back.

 

<p>For the money, this lens is high quality and a real bargain, very sharp and very little chromatic problems. There's some distortion at the wide end, but unless you're shooting something very critical for this (architecture maybe) this is not a real problem. Is it better in the sense of image quality than the Nikon or Canon equivelants? Maybe not, but if it isn't, it is extremely close and at a far lower price.

 

<p>However, if you decide to get this lens, run it through its paces right away and if you're not happy with it, get a trade-in on another one. Peter is right on that, though I think it is good advice on ANY lens.

 

<p>For more technical details, check out Bob Atkin's review <a href="http://www.photo.net/equipment/tamron/28_75_Di/">here</a>.

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/3762581-lg.jpg">

<P><I>"Hmmmmm..." - Nikon D70 w/ Sigma 70-210 f/2.8 APO</I></center>

I've used both the N90(s) and the N80 (I own an N80). They're both good cameras and you should be able to find them used in your budget.

 

The N90(s) is the more solidly built camera of the two, not quite as tank-like as some of the F series cameras, but pretty robust, and the viewfinder is better IMO than the N80 (though both are workable). The downsides of this camera is that if you ever do decide to get Nikon G lenses, this camera won't like them in some modes and it is - compared to the N80 - a heavier beast to carry. The N90(s) does not have a pop-up flash, so if you need flash, you need to get a flash unit to mount onto the camera. This is a better way to go, though, and you don't need to spend uber-bucks for this.

 

The N80 is still pretty decently built, but it definitely isn't as solid as the N90(s), and isn't as well weather-sealed - a consideration if you need to shoot in rain or snow. The viewfinder is a little more cramped (though still pretty usable). On the other hand, this is a lighter camera to carry, will take the G lenses if you want them, and has a built in pop-up flash (still, get an external flash unit, you'll do better).

 

Either of these cameras will give you full manual exposure control and manual focus if you want it. I agree strongly with the recommendation that with either of these cameras, you should start with a 50mm f1.8 or f1.4 lens. Neither should break the bank and quality-wise are excellent (the f1.8d will set you back about $100 brand new, but you should have no problem finding these used for half the price in good quality).

As far as photographing apparatus, I'm not sure what you want to improve. As far as the photo you showed me, it seems that it's more your technique and how you judge light that you may want to think about. You may also want to try a lens hood to help keep stray light from causing glare and reducing your contrast on your shots. That would be cheaper than another lens certainly and may help give you better results, so long as you do not shoot directly into the sun.

 

As far as shooting firefighters at work, you'll need fairly long, fast glass (firefighters don't need you underfoot so you can get the perfect shot). $350 will get you consumer-grade lenses that are either long, or fast (sometimes) but rarely both. Your best bet is probably to look for a used Nikon 80-200 f2.8 at the great auction site or perhaps check www.keh.com to see what they have in their inventory used (their "bargain" is what most people tend to rate as good). You may find some of the "one-touch" style of this lens (still very good) for $450 or so ... I know it's above your stated budget, but it's about as good as you're going to do.

 

There are long consumer lenses in that range that are well within your budget - I have a Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 1:2 Macro LD that runs around $150 or so, but it isn't very good for anything that's moving fast or shooting in lower light. Between a used decent quality 80-200 f2.8 and a slower consumer lens, spring for the extra money and get the better used glass if at all possible. You'll be happier with the results.

Oh, choices, choices and choices! :-D

 

I've got both the lenses you're looking at (for my D70) and my fiancee' has a D50 which I've played around with a fair amount.

 

Both the kit 18-70 and the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 are good lenses - for "natural light" the Tamron is quite a bit better, but the kit 18-70 will give you more wide angle, which for what you intend to do I think is more important.

 

Given what you've said, I think your best bet though is to go with the D70s and the kit 18-70 lens. I'd also recommend checking out the SB-800, but on the D70s either flash is a good choice. I'd also recommend getting a Nikon 50mm f1.8. On either the D70s or the D50, this makes for an excellent portrait lens and gives you a good "natural light" lens for a bargain price.

 

As far as write-speed, I'm not sure but the D70s is a touch faster in shooting speed and feels snappier... just (the D50 is no slouch in this regard either though - the D70s runs around 3 frames a second for 12 frames, the D50 2.5 frames a second for 12 frames). The big advantage the D70s has over the D50 is the 2-dial system (I am not a big fan of hit a button and turn a dial) and the interface in general. It all depends on what feels better to you. Also, the D70s fits my bearpaws of hands better than the D50.

 

Finally, if flash is important to you, the D70s can actually use its built-in flash to remote command SB-600 or SB-800 flash units. This is something the D50 cannot do.