D50 vs D70s

[acshobo11]

Ok here's the situation. I'm chief photographer of my school's newspaper staff for next year. I'm looking for a DSLR. I will be shooting everything, sports, features you name it. I'm on a tight budget but will be willing to spend the extra money for a camera that will be better. I'm not totally new to the world of digital photography because we used DSLRs last year but I have a lot to learn and I want one that will last me a while and will let me do what I want. I see myself having a future in photography so I want what is best for the money.

Thanks

Adam

 

[logikalone]

Hello there and welcome to the forums, I too am the chief photographer at my school's newspaper and I personaly use a film camera myself. though I own a D70, I feel no need to use such a high quality camera for a paper because the image will still look the same in print. But if your heart is set on a DSLR, then I would go with a D70s. If you want to save a ton of cash then look around for a EOS Elan 7 fiolm camera and buy one of those. You will be able to use the lenses from that camera on a digital if you choose to upgrade down the road to maybe say a 10d or so.

 

[D-50]

Both are extremely similar. The main difference is the D70 has two wheels, one for aperature and one for shutter speed. The image quality is the same.

 

[zedin]

And the d70s has a depth of preview button but unless you are doing macro shots where it is crucial it shouldn't really be needed for a school newspaper.

 

[PNA]

And, the D50 is plastic, the D70 is magnesium.

 

[Unimaxium]

This is a good site with very detailed reviews of both. Here are the links to the reviews of those two cams: D50 and D70.

Like others said, the D70 basically has a nicer feel and build to it, and is more a bit feature-rich than the D50, but they still use the same image sensor and processing technology (at least I'm pretty sure they do), which means they will both take similar- (if not identical-) quality photos. That makes the D70 more convenient to use in manual mode, but I bet they are equally as good if you shoot full auto. If you're looking to use it for photography of your own and want something you can grow into, the D70 looks good. If you're thinking more of just using this for shots in a newspaper and maybe casual shots on the side, the D70 still is a great camera but you might want to save your money and go for the D50. Check out the reviews to see what the specific differences are between them. Also, go to a store or somewhere and fiddle around with both of them. See which feels good to you.

 

[Unimaxium]

Oh, and another thing. The kit lens that comes with the D50 is inferior to the one that comes with the D70. If I recall from using my friend's D50, it has a rather flimsy feel and doesn't zoom in as far as the D70's. Unless you're thinking of buying your own glass for the camera, the quality of the kit lens is definitely something to consider. But still, depending on what you're planning to do with the camera, the D50 may suit your needs just fine.

 

[anthegreat1]

i have a d50 and am happy with it. i am trying to get into photography more but could not afford a d70s. i was reading in anther forum and people were saying that camera body is not as important as the lense. on that note i decided the d50 would work for me. i don't use most of the features it has, so more features would be a waste as far as i'm concerned. i generally spend more time on composition. when i can afford it i'll get some better lenses and tough it out with my d50.:thumbup:

 

[Ihaveaquestion]

I love my D50.

You should hold out for the D80 though.

 

[fotogenik]

I love my D50. I compared the two camera's mentioned extensively and really the only thing I Miss is the DoF preview button. I don't do macro photography but my friend has a d70 and I wish I had that one button. I do however like that my D50 only has one thumbwheel.

 

[rmh159]

I heard that the D70 is going to be discontinued (not sure the new model but I'm assuming that's what you're referring to). Any idea when that new camera will make it's debut or what price range it'll be in? Probably the D70's price range but that's a lot of guessing.

I love my D50.

You should hold out for the D80 though.

 

[Ihaveaquestion]

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55273

5 days.

 

[Protean]

ok, ima just tell you striat up, im the head photoeditor, (and was the go-to-camera guy for our yearbook[lol, i even taught the teacher how to use the camera, when she took photography classes in college, and knew how to run a darkroom and film slr....]) just get teh d50, but without the kit lens, and get a 18-70 dx lens, the 18-55 is ok, but the 18-70, much more confident with it

i personally own the d50, and its kit lens
the school owns 2 d70

the extra money for the d70 is NOT worth it, and i would not get teh d80 iether, i would wait till it comes out, the d50 to go down in price, then buy the d50, if your just learning, the d50 will do you very good, and i've printed pictures up to 12x16 that look superb, and i am very confident you could go bigger than that with stupendious results, if you would like to see some pictures that i've taken with teh d50 just check out www.invokeit.deviantart.com/gallery

 

[AluminumStudios]

I have a D50 and love it to death. Despite what the body may be made of, it feels very solid and sturdy. The only feature of possible consequence that it's missing IMO is commander mode for the flash if you want to use a setup with various off-camera slave flashes (which it doesn't sound like you'll be doing.)

I say save the money and get a D50. You'll be very happy.

 

[Tiberius]

the extra money for the d70 is NOT worth it, and i would not get teh d80 iether, i would wait till it comes out, the d50 to go down in price, then buy the d50,

The D50's price will not go down notably after the D80 release. The D80 is replacing the D70 and is competing more at the Canon 30D-ish level. The D50 is in a seperate league, is still selling quite well, and will not see any major price decrease.