Hello! Considering a D70

[JonathanNYC]

Hello! I am obviously very new to the field! I have been an avid shooter using P&S cameras, but feel the need to advance to SLR Digitals. I found a deal and am picking it up tonight, what do you guys think of a Nikon D70s with a 18-55AF-S lens, 2 batteries and the charger for $250?

would you get this over a Nikon D3100 or a Canon T3? any and all advice is appreciated!

Nikon D70 body has never been dropped etc, and has 19,800 actuations. :thumbup:

i look forward to becoming an avid shooter, mainly of my kids, nature and other macro shots eventually of things like flowers, objects, but mainly my famliy :mrgreen:

 

[digital flower]

Well I still love my d70 but it doesn't get much use these days. Its a rugged camera but the other cameras you mentioned are at least a couple of generations ahead of the D70 so feature wise they are better.

Welcome to the forum

 

[Mach0]

It's a good price but it's rather outdated. If its in your price range, then it would suffice. I would recommend buying a flash. I would recommend the t3 or the d3100 over it. IMHO. Still a solid camera but for your use, you'd see more benefit of the newer bodies.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome aboard.

would you get this over a Nikon D3100 or a Canon T3? any and all advice is appreciated!

No, certainly not. Unless my budget was only $250.

For that price, it's still a decent camera that will get you the advantages of a DSLR. It is fairly old, compared to modern DSLR cameras, but it's still likely to be a nice improvement over your P&S cameras.

 

[JonathanNYC]

It's a good price but it's rather outdated. If its in your price range, then it would suffice. I would recommend buying a flash. I would recommend the t3 or the d3100 over it. IMHO. Still a solid camera but for your use, you'd see more benefit of the newer bodies.

Can you recommend a good flash for it? are their better brands or comparable brand flashes to the Nikon? that wont burn a hole in my wallet? when you say outdated, what do you mean? in features? considering I am going from a standard Point and Shoot to taking some better shots of my children, nature shots etc, would you say its worth the price? obviously $250 for the D70 + starter lens is not equal to a T3 or a D3100 at $700+ ;-) (although Costco has a deal for a D3100 with 2 lenses, a camera bag and a 4gb card for $699)

Well I still love my d70 but it doesn't get much use these days. Its a rugged camera but the other cameras you mentioned are at least a couple of generations ahead of the D70 so feature wise they are better.

Welcome to the forum

what features are better? (curious to know b/c I don't really know much) the camera has a 0.2 second startup time (which i absolutely want, something that loads and can shoot almost immediately) i don't want the case to be made of cheapo plastic either, the D70 is a mag-alloy case from what the guy told me. only reason why he is selling it was b/c he went shopping for a battery grip and wound up leaving with a D5000

opinions?

and thanks for the warm welcome!

 

[Mrgiggls]

Well the 6MP sensor will still give you plenty of resolution...but aggressive cropping will yield small pics that will not be useful for much beyond a cell phone desktop image. And the thing I hate most about the D50/D70 is the tiny/low res 1.8" LCD monitor.

Todays generation of cameras offer better ergonomics (controls), better metering, and typically better AF systems. All this means is that it'll be easier to do what you want with your camera once you become a capable camera "driver". It doesn't necessarily mean you can get better images.


For getting snapshots of family and the odd Unicorn that suddenly appears on a deep forest trail, you have all you need and more. As you learn more about creating art with a camera you may find limitations, but many of them can be overcome with more/better glass and some external flashes.

Speaking of external flashes the Nikon Creative Lighting System is a ridiculously powerful tool for photography. This video is worth 10 times it's price imho and will open up a whole new world of possibilities once you add a couple of Speedlights to your tool-bag.

Best wishes and grats on your first DSLR!

 

[JonathanNYC]

Well the 6MP sensor will still give you plenty of resolution...but aggressive cropping will yield small pics that will not be useful for much beyond a cell phone desktop image. And the thing I hate most about the D50/D70 is the tiny/low res 1.8" LCD monitor.

Todays generation of cameras offer better ergonomics (controls), better metering, and typically better AF systems. All this means is that it'll be easier to do what you want with your camera once you become a capable camera "driver". It doesn't necessarily mean you can get better images.


For getting snapshots of family and the odd Unicorn that suddenly appears on a deep forest trail, you have all you need and more. As you learn more about creating art with a camera you may find limitations, but many of them can be overcome with more/better glass and some external flashes.

Speaking of external flashes the Nikon Creative Lighting System is a ridiculously powerful tool for photography. This video is worth 10 times it's price imho and will open up a whole new world of possibilities once you add a couple of Speedlights to your tool-bag.

Best wishes and grats on your first DSLR!

thank you!! does anyone know if the battery grips are interchangable? meaning will the D80/D90 grips fit the body of the D70s? I am unsure if they are considered universal or not and i can't find a definitive answer online. also, that looks like a really good video to get! may have to order it when I get the camera!

 

[Mrgiggls]

thank you!! does anyone know if the battery grips are interchangable? meaning will the D80/D90 grips fit the body of the D70s? I am unsure if they are considered universal or not and i can't find a definitive answer online. also, that looks like a really good video to get! may have to order it when I get the camera!

I have a Zeikos vertical grip for my D90. I love it..the plastic almost matches my camera perfectly and feels like quality. Here's a link to the D70 version.

 

[bhop]

...i don't want the case to be made of cheapo plastic either, the D70 is a mag-alloy case from what the guy told me. ...

D70 body is plastic. (I have one) But it's still durable. I haven't used mine for a couple years now, I used to use it as a backup for my d200 when I was shooting events and things where I didn't want to change lenses. The photo quality at low iso is fantastic, high iso, not so good, but it should make a decent gateway dslr for you.

As far as grips, the d70 wasn't designed for a grip, it doesn't have the connectors, so you're out of luck.

 

[bhop]

thank you!! does anyone know if the battery grips are interchangable? meaning will the D80/D90 grips fit the body of the D70s? I am unsure if they are considered universal or not and i can't find a definitive answer online. also, that looks like a really good video to get! may have to order it when I get the camera!

I have a Zeikos vertical grip for my D90. I love it..the plastic almost matches my camera perfectly and feels like quality. Here's a link to the D70 version.

That link is for the Canon 7D.

 

[JonathanNYC]

thank you!! does anyone know if the battery grips are interchangable? meaning will the D80/D90 grips fit the body of the D70s? I am unsure if they are considered universal or not and i can't find a definitive answer online. also, that looks like a really good video to get! may have to order it when I get the camera!

I have a Zeikos vertical grip for my D90. I love it..the plastic almost matches my camera perfectly and feels like quality. Here's a link to the D70 version.

really nice! what do you think of this one with the incorporated remote? is "Zeikos" a well known reputable brand? Amazon.com: New Battery Grip For Nikon D80 D90 MB-D80 & More with IR REMOTE!: Camera & Photo

 

[JonathanNYC]

...i don't want the case to be made of cheapo plastic either, the D70 is a mag-alloy case from what the guy told me. ...

D70 body is plastic. (I have one) But it's still durable. I haven't used mine for a couple years now, I used to use it as a backup for my d200 when I was shooting events and things where I didn't want to change lenses. The photo quality at low iso is fantastic, high iso, not so good, but it should make a decent gateway dslr for you.

As far as grips, the d70 wasn't designed for a grip, it doesn't have the connectors, so you're out of luck.

i made a mistake, the camera is a D70s any difference?

 

[Mrgiggls]

That link is for the Canon 7D.

Awe rats! My mistake...sorry about that JonathanNYC. I wouldn't worry too much. A vertical grip is not a must-have accessory and carrying an extra battery usually means all-day shooting if you aren't using the flash.

 

[bhop]

...i don't want the case to be made of cheapo plastic either, the D70 is a mag-alloy case from what the guy told me. ...

D70 body is plastic. (I have one) But it's still durable. I haven't used mine for a couple years now, I used to use it as a backup for my d200 when I was shooting events and things where I didn't want to change lenses. The photo quality at low iso is fantastic, high iso, not so good, but it should make a decent gateway dslr for you.

As far as grips, the d70 wasn't designed for a grip, it doesn't have the connectors, so you're out of luck.

i made a mistake, the camera is a D70s any difference?

I think the difference was only a larger rear lcd... still no grip connectors.

 

[digital flower]

Everybody pretty much told you what I meant. The LCD is bigger on the S model but still dinky. Pretty much useless for reviewing. This model is prone to noise in low light/high ISO pictures. That is one thing the new cameras do much better. The 6.1MP isnt great for cropping. The camera went to a couple of different countries, California, Hawaii it is pretty good construction. I still carry mine a lot. It still takes nice pictures. It has my Sigma 24mm/1.8 lens on it mostly but does well with both the 60mm and 105mm macro lenses. I wouldn't worry about the grip the batteries are amazing.