Nikon D70 or Canon Rebel XT

[CrackerJack]

Which camera would you suggest?

Goal: Image Quality

I have no lenses for either. I have held both and could be happy with either. I have read the comparison articles but they are too vague to be of any use.

Which is the best camera to purchase now?

 

[willg133]

I would go with the new rebel...and if you can afford it the 20d...couple it with the canon 50mm f/1.8

 

[Kent Frost]

If you enjoy black & white, I would recommend the new Rebel as well. I'm not certain if Nikon's D70 will do it, but I don't think it does. Converting to BW later loses quality. The new Rebel will keep the quality using it's BW mode.

 

[catweh00]

www.kenrockwell.com
He compares them both side by side, and I actually have talked to him before. Really nice guy and he knows his stuff (IMO). I purchased the d70, and I love it. I do several BW shots (having converted them with photoCS) and have had no problems. Are you starting an entirely new system I presume? I really like my nikon glass, but I am sure that Canon's stuff is just as good. If you have any lenses from one, I would stick with that.

I love the d70 though. It has a great, heavy feel to it if that's what youre looking for. I've heard the rebel is lighter and smaller. I've never handled it.
Sounds like youre in a great position either way.
Craig

 

[mrsid99]

I agree with Craig, wrap your fingers around each of them and buy the one you like best, they're both excellent.

 

[willg133]

i actually don't like the feel of the new rebel...i am a big guy though ~200lbs and it just feels too tiny

 

[DocFrankenstein]

I'd invest in the Canon system, they seem to have the edge on digital right now.

D70 however may be better than either of the rebels.

If you can... spring for 20D and you'll never regret it.

 

[Hung Over Harry]

Ive had problems with quality loss converting to B&W also(may be to my own fault), so the color functions on the 20D are awesome.

The XT is a little to small for me, like the Pentax *ist D. You really have to feel both to make a choice though.

Id go for the D70, but I agree with willg133, if you can afford the 20D thats the way to go.

 

[Digital Matt]

I think Canon delivers better image quality.

Imho, there is no reason to convert to B&W in camera. There is no reason you should get increased quality loss in post processing. The same methods are being applied either way. If you shoot in raw, export to tiff, and do your b&w conversion, the results are excellent.

I think, if you are trying to choose between the XT and the 20D, you should look at what you are getting from the 20D for that extra $500 you'll be spending.

Bigger, better build; metal body. Scroll wheel instead of buttons. Faster, bigger buffer, and faster motor drive.

Is that worth $500 to you? Or would you like to put that $500 into a 17-40 f/4 L, or a speedlight, or CF cards and an extra battery? It all depends on your use I guess.

I'd buy an XT now, and I have a 20D and a Rebel.

 

[willg133]

I just bought a 300d...seriously marked down, but I also don't have a steady income because I am still in college

 

[Contra|Brett|]

If you are determined to get a canon rebel, get the old one. Use the extra 200 bucks towards a good lense (notice how I say "towards", and not "for").

The advantages of the xt are:
3 fps vs. 2.5 of the old rebel.
start up time, .02 seconds (or something like it) vs. 2 sec of old rebel
has USB 2.0, vs. old rebel's USB 1.1 but you should be using a card reader anyway.
Has E-TTL2
8 mp vs. 6
finally has RAW + JPEG, something the old rebel sadly lacked
(anyone who tries to tell you this is even a medium sized advantage has no idea how a pixel is actually made in a digital camera, and shouldn't be listened to.)

The shot buffer still sucks, it's still only something like 14 frames, whereas the d70 is close to 130 frames.

The d70 is not in the same class as the rebels, it is much more like a 20d than a digital rebel.

WHY I HATE THE REBEL XT
Everything is menu based. When you push a button on the body that does some function like change the ISO, it takes you to the menu.
It is so phricking tiny that my hands don't fit on it. (I used to think my N80 was small)
crappy flash sync, the d70's is 1/500 which is what every camera should have.
Canon switched to a smaller NB-2LH battery. (pretty lame decision in my book)
This is a minor thing, but i hate the squeek the shutter makes, it's a higher pitch than an EOS-1 V and sounds very electronic.

Like I said, If you buy a rebel get the old one, body only for 699, put the money you saved towards a good lense.

KEEP IN MIND. ANY CAMERA CAN MAKE GOOD IMAGES. PHOTOGRAPHY IS ABOUT CONVAYING HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT SOMETHING TO AN AUDIANCE THROUGH A PHOTO. YOU WAIT FOR THE LIGHTING, OR MAKE IT, WHATEVER. THE POINT IS THAT YOU NEED TO GET A CAMERA AND START SHOOTING.

 

[willg133]

or with the kit lens for $10 more.....this thing keeps dropping

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=297501&is=REG

 

[santino]

def. rebel.

 

[thebeginning]

if you can wait at all, i would. i think there are some new nikons coming out and the d70 will go way down. if you can, like everyone else said, i'd go for the 20d.

 

[Kent Frost]

I think Canon delivers better image quality.

Imho, there is no reason to convert to B&W in camera. There is no reason you should get increased quality loss in post processing. The same methods are being applied either way.

I beg to differ unless you're simply converting to grayscale. When I refer to converting to BW, I'm referring to using the channel mixer to achieve the effect of having used colored filters. If you've done it like that, then you should be able to see the loss in quality when viewing the image at actual pixels because of the way you'd be boosting or lowering the three channels that make up your total clarity. In the Rebel XT and the 20D, you can shoot in grayscale mode in the camera with the use of all 3 color sensors, giving you same effect when you use actual colored filters, and you'll have the use of total clarity.