Hello! Considering a D70

[Joel_W]

I can only offer you my personal opinion. When I got back into photography after a 30 year hiatus, I bought a Nikon P500 Bridge camera, but found that it had some serious limitations, so I sold it after just a few months. I bought my brothers D70S with a 18-70 mm lens (the upgrade to the kit lens). It's in perfect condtion, and had less then 3,000 acuations.

For my present needs it's perfect. Picture quality primarily is determined by lens quality, not the camera body. And yes, I do understand that the 6.1 MP is no where near todays 12 MP of the D3100, but it's fine for my needs. I rarely make prints, and when I do, they're never larger then 8x10. The CCD sensor is one generation behind the current CMOS sensor. As for the LCD screen, I only use it for menus, and every once in a while to check that I actually composed the picture as I intended, nothing else. So while it's on the small side, it's fine for my needs. Also, the auto focus motor in the camera body is not used if the lens has one, and every lens today does.

Another plus to consider is that it has a lot less features that today's cameras have. The features and options that it does have, are all you need to become a serious and competent photographer. Plus it doesn't have video, which I never wanted, and have no interest in.

It's a great learning tool, at a price that fits your budget. Cameras like the D3100 have their own issues/limitations, and will cost you nearly 3 times as much. Many posters say they wish they had purchased the D5100 instead. Use the savings to buy a good lens with quality glass.

You'll know when it's time to upgrade. As of now, I'm planning on a D90 by early 2013. In the meantime, I've focused my attention on becoming a better photographer in the areas that interest me, namely florals, macro florals, macros, and water related scenics.