To go digital or not?

[molested_cow]

Really confused now.

I use a Nikon F501 body with 3 lenses. The body was given to me when my dad went digital... well, he never really used it much. So that was when I really picked up the hobby.

I don't take photos often, but when I do, I burn through the negatives like crazy. I usually take 8~10 rolls each time I travel. I don't make prints, but have them scanned onto CDs. 8~10 rolls can easily cost $100 to scan. Developing is usually separate. Plus the film cost, I spend about $150 each time. Although I usually do this about twice a year, it's still painful.

Then I realized that there might be something wrong with my light meter. It tells me that I can take shots under conditions where I previously couldn't, and many photos came under exposed. Also, the pic tends to me very grainy even when I use ISO 200 films.

I don't know what exactly the problem is, and I know any fix will cost more than the camera itself.



Digital:

Since I have 3 Nikkor lenses, it's a not brainer for me to get a D70. The problem with D70 is that the convertion ratio of 1:1.5 means that my 20mm wide angle lens will become 30mm. I use the wide angle lens A LOT, so it will suck for me.

Also, switching to digital means I have to get a bunch of new things as well. Extra battery, extra memory, even a remote for D70 which I know costs around $60.

The lense convertion is still the biggest problem for me.



So what do you say? I know digital will save me money, but I want my wide angle lens to work like how it does.

 

[Big Mike]

I think the Kit lens is 18-70, so that will give you a FOV of a 27mm lens. There are super-wide angle lenses made specifically for the 1.5 & 1.6 crop sensors. There are 10-22mm lenses and 12-24mm from companies like Sigma & Tamron.

 

[hobbes28]

You won't have to get an extra battery right off because the D70 battery lasts for over 1000 shots at least. (I don't think I've ever gotten less shots than that or even come close). The memory can get pretty expensive but you have to keep in mind how many shots you'll be taking before you can download them. I think on a 512 card I can get around 150jpgs or 90 RAW files. More or less depending on the type of shot. The remote for the d70 is around 16 bucks from most stores. That narrows down the initial spending. The kit lens that comes with the d70 is great for those wide angle shots as well as being a very good lens. It's really sharp and ultrasonic so it would take care of most of your wide angle needs. And like Mike said, you can get some crazy wide angle lenses for pretty reasonable prices. Good luck with that one and let us know how it comes out.

 

[spiralout]

Go for it. I was in the same boat a few months back, and I'm SOOO glad I got my D70. You can program a PoGo PRC200 as a remote shutter release. You get two and they are both small enough to fit in the tiniest pocket you can find. link You can find Li-ion batteries for your D70 on eBay for under $5, and they are just as good as the $50 Nikon ones. I just bought 4 spares, and they all work great. Now you can save all that money and put it towards that beautiful 12-24 lens that I've been drooling over for the past 3 months.

 

[molested_cow]

Arhh... tempting... tempting... tempting.....

Where's the best place to buy it? I saw some kit deals on ebay, but I was thinking what if I need to exchange some faulty things. It will be troublesome. Get it at a store will be too ex....

 

[molested_cow]

BTW, the 20mm lens was given by my dad with the body and it was pretty precious, so I really don't want to give up on it. The reason why I want to get D70 is because I want to use the same lens. If I get new lens, then I may as well go for a Rabel.

 

[ajmall]

The D70 was cheaper last time I checked than the rebel.

I did a lot of research before recently buying a D70s. a LOT. It's not something you want to rush though to give you some perspective, I can't see Nikon releasing another DSLR (a D100 replacement for sure plus maybe others) until 2006 or perhaps end of this year. They like to take their time with new cameras.

All in all I think I took about 9-12 months from seriously thinking about buying a DSLR to getting one - money was the main obstruction!

Even though I bought mine overseas with a warranty and saved around £200 (est. $350), I would buy it from your home country. If money allowed it I probably would have.

 

[spiralout]

There are plenty of small online stores that sell cameras relatively cheaply, but make sure
A.) It's NOT gray market
B.) They're a reputable store. Check their ratings at a ratings site like resellerratings.com.
C.) Get ready for a pushy salesman trying to sell you every accessory on the planet. Be prepared to say no.

As for the D70s, I personally don't think it's worth it. It's the exact same thing as the D70, except for the bigger LCD (.3" bigger, that is). You have a good deal of Nikon stuff, so I would definitely stick with a Nikon. You'd be spending more on a Rebel, even if the camera itself is cheaper. Just my $.02

 

[molested_cow]

So D70s has bigger LCD and that's it? what other upgrade is there?

 

[Ant]

So D70s has bigger LCD and that's it? what other upgrade is there?

The D70s also has provision for a wired remote shutter release, the D70 doesn't so you'll either need to buy an infra red remote or use the self timer if you want remote shutter release.

The D70s also has a newer, supposedly higher capacity battery(which will also fit in the D70). Although in nearly a year of owning my D70 I've never seen the battery meter read less than full, so there was nothing wrong with the old one.

The D70s also featured improved firmware for better autofocus performance, but this was made available for the D70 with a firmware upgrade anyway.

So no real major upgrade.

 

[molested_cow]

I use the Bulb mode a lot for night shots, so can the intra red remote give me what I want? Or do I have to go with a wired remote?

 

[hobbes28]

I use the bulb mode too with the wireless remote. It's the same thing but just without the cord and you can't do a half press so you'll have to be focused before you use the remote.

 

[molested_cow]

So does the wireless remote come with the package or do I have to get it separately?

 

[hobbes28]

It's seperate. You can pick one up for about 16 bucks at your local camera store or from one of the web stores. I know they carry it at the Calumet in Cambridge if you're still around Boston.

 

[molested_cow]

Thx. I'm just going to hold on for a while to see how things go. Maybe I will find a good deal.