Questions about the D70

yvonk · Apr 2, 2007

I'm seriously looking on buying the D70, but I wanna get some equipment with it also.

First, is a flash like in the link under something I should worry about getting? Keeping in mind I'll be mainly doing landscapes pictures for now, is this kind of flash a must or the one that is in the D70 is good enough?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/D-Concepts-AF-TT...95593446QQcategoryZ107933QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Second, how can I see the battery life of the D70? I've read in reviews that it's good- but I'd like something more precise as I won't have access to electricity so often. So I'll need something that have a good battery life.

Thanks

Big Mike · Apr 2, 2007

First, is a flash like in the link under something I should worry about getting?

Yes, if you plan on shooting some flash photography.

is this kind of flash a must or the one that is in the D70 is good enough?

Not really a must but the built-in flash really isn't very good either.

You could probably find a better flash that that one. I suggest the Nikon SB600 or at least something that swivels as well as tilts.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D80/ZLCDILLB.GIF
The D70 has a battery gauge on the top panel.

Don Simon · Apr 2, 2007

If you can't think of situations where you'd need the flash... then you don't need the flash

it sounds like you're mainly doing available light work at the moment, and you can always buy one later when you decide you're interested in the uses of flash. On the other hand, if you can already think of situations where you'd use a flash, then a dedicated one with tilt and preferably swivel will be about a thousand times better than the pop-up flash. Pop-up flashes are horrible.

As usual I am going to second what Mike says (you really need to have a mad conspiracy theory so we can disagree on something!). That flash doesn't look great to me. I would instead look for a Nikon, or possibly a dedicated Sigma or Metz (no disrespect to 'Digital Concepts' intended... well maybe a little)

yvonk · Apr 2, 2007

Yeah of course, I just meant a flash like this type. The ones that you must add to the camera you know... Also, let me flip the question like that(I'll be able to understand better my situation, although it might look dumb) When do I need a flash for photography?

Also about the battery thing, I mean does any of you know a review website where they talk about them(such as you can take 400 shots and you must recharge the batteries 2 hours)? Because I must be sure that they are good quality/life before buying the camera...

Digital Matt · Apr 2, 2007

I can't think of to many situations in which I'd use flash for landscape photography.

newrmdmike · Apr 2, 2007

the battery lasts a really really long time.

i would venture to say over a thousand shots, but don't know for sure.

i know that i didn't charge it but once a week or less, and it made it through every wedding i did no problem, on just one battery.

Big Mike · Apr 2, 2007

When do I need a flash for photography?

When shooting indoors or anytime it's dark and your subject is close at hand. As mentioned, not really useful for landscapes.

The battery use will depend on many things. If you use the built-in flash, it will drain faster. If you use the LCD screen a lot, it will drain faster.

I suggest just buying a few spares, if you are worried about it. I suggest www.sterlingtek.com

yvonk · Apr 2, 2007

Ah okay thanks for the help, it's all more clear in my head now.
For some reasons, seems like I can't figure out what Spares are...?

I think I'll go with a flash then, because I'll be doing night shots also. Maybe not macrophotography- but some type of nature/landscapes/urban photography so the flash will be a good add.

gmarquez · Apr 2, 2007

yvonk, love the 'Leon' avatar!

For nature/landscape/urban, remember that the flash will only reach things that are relatively close. For example, a city night scene would not make use of flash, unless you had some people in the foreground for the flash to hit (and yes, you can get both the dark background and the people in the foreground to expose correctly).

grafiks · Apr 2, 2007

yvonk said:
Ah okay thanks for the help, it's all more clear in my head now.
For some reasons, seems like I can't figure out what Spares are...?

I think I'll go with a flash then, because I'll be doing night shots also. Maybe not macrophotography- but some type of nature/landscapes/urban photography so the flash will be a good add.

When I had my D70, I bought a couple generic (non Nikon brand name batteries) to have as backups (spares). I think they were less than $10 each and gave me enough extra power to get through any photo shoot I ever did. Always make sure your extra batteries are fully charged before you go on a shoot and you should be fine.

yvonk · Apr 3, 2007

Hehe, thanks Gmarquez.

Also, another little question- is there a big difference between the D40, D70 & D80? Other than the resolution of the picture...

grafiks · Apr 3, 2007

yvonk said:
Hehe, thanks Gmarquez.

Also, another little question- is there a big difference between the D40, D70 & D80? Other than the resolution of the picture...

Here is a nice article for you.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40-recommendations.htm

newrmdmike · Apr 3, 2007

also remember the d40, being the most entry level camera, and also the smallest doesn't work with tokina and some other af lenses bc it doesn't have the af motor in camera, correct me if i said that wrong.

yvonk · Apr 3, 2007

Thanks for the review, it helped.
So I guess there's not a lot of difference between the D40 to D80 series... Difference are more between D80 & D2X and such... But those other models are around 2000$ and I don't have that money for now to spend on a dSLR, especially that you can't really live out of photography out here.

The weakness with the D40 is that it's only compatible with the newest lenses that have autofocus...

And what is the AF Motor... I guess something about the lens or? And what is its utility?

I think I'm going back to my old thoughts, that the D40 would be a perfect camera for me- as this purchase will be my first dSLR...

Don Simon · Apr 3, 2007

The AF motor is in the camera body; it's a little "screwdriver" motor which controls the autofocus on the lens. The D40 and D40x do not have such a motor. Therefore with these you can only autofocus with lenses which have an internal focus mechanism. This unfortunately rules out a lot of Nikons both old and not so old, including common prime lenses, plus many Tamron, Sigma and Tokina lenses... all of these will work on the D40 but without autofocus, whereas they would have autofocus on a D50, D70 or D80. You may still think the D40 is the best choice for you, but it's good to know what its limitations are.