D70 in today's marketplace?

Since going digital I haven't bought another SLR, since with my kids I
usually have my hands full. My current compact has more or less full
manual controls (Canon S80), but the low-light performance is not good,
and images are not sharp near the edges at short focal lengths. Also
I'd like to be able to bounce the flash. I'm considering an inexpensive
dSLR and a fast wide angle prime, to use around the house and other
times when the bulk isn't an issue.

I have a friend with a disused D70 (upgraded to D200 a couple years
ago), who would probably sell it to me at a good price (I haven't asked,
but maybe $300 with a kit lens? Probably less if I asked but I don't
want to be a jerk.)

My question: with the newer options now on the market, is it advisable
to get an older midrange camera, or a new budget camera instead? It's
hard to find reviews that directly make this comparison. When I look at
the market for other used electronics, such as laptops or mp3 players,
new ones seem to be the better option. 6.1MP won't allow for a whole
lot of cropping, but then at least they'd be high quality pixels.

Thanks for the tip on the lens kit. I don't know which his is, but I'll
ask.

flambe wrote:
If the camera is in good condition with the 18-70 lens then he is
practically gifting it to you at $300.
The only drawback of the D70 is that the viewfinder is a bit small and dim
compared with the D80.
Sensor size is not an issue in any way shape or form for your uses.

Has high-ISO sensor performance improved at all in the last 4 years? Or
is it just a function of sensor size and (for still subjects) image
stabilization?

This is the single biggest factor for me; on my S80, ISO 400 is
"emergency use only," and even 200 is noticeably worse than 100. The
faster lenses of SLRs will surely help, but high ISO is important too.

If the camera is in good condition with the 18-70 lens then he is
practically gifting it to you at $300.
The only drawback of the D70 is that the viewfinder is a bit small and dim
compared with the D80.
Sensor size is not an issue in any way shape or form for your uses.
While a dSLR can be used in P&S mode with jpeg recording you will not see
the full potential of the camera unless you learn to use raw. However dSLR
image quality in jpegs, particularly the Nikon dSLRs, should be much better
than what you are seeing in your P&S.

On Dec 24, 4:36 am, timeOday wrote:
Since going digital I haven't bought another SLR, since with my kids I
usually have my hands full. My current compact has more or less full
manual controls (Canon S80), but the low-light performance is not good,
and images are not sharp near the edges at short focal lengths. Also
I'd like to be able to bounce the flash. I'm considering an inexpensive
dSLR and a fast wide angle prime, to use around the house and other
times when the bulk isn't an issue.

I have a friend with a disused D70 (upgraded to D200 a couple years
ago), who would probably sell it to me at a good price (I haven't asked,
but maybe $300 with a kit lens? Probably less if I asked but I don't
want to be a jerk.)

My question: with the newer options now on the market, is it advisable
to get an older midrange camera, or a new budget camera instead? It's
hard to find reviews that directly make this comparison. When I look at
the market for other used electronics, such as laptops or mp3 players,
new ones seem to be the better option. 6.1MP won't allow for a whole
lot of cropping, but then at least they'd be high quality pixels.

It's a reliable camera and it's output will blow away any P&S. $300
with an 18-55mm kit lens is a good price. Used D70s and 50s routinely
go for $400+ on Ebay. Plus, there are no Nikons in the entry level
now that offer the control and build quality of the D70, the next up
is the D80 and it's $800+ for the body.

On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 02:36:56 -0700, timeOday wrote:
Since going digital I haven't bought another SLR, since with my kids I
usually have my hands full. My current compact has more or less full
manual controls (Canon S80), but the low-light performance is not good,
and images are not sharp near the edges at short focal lengths. Also
I'd like to be able to bounce the flash. I'm considering an inexpensive
dSLR and a fast wide angle prime, to use around the house and other
times when the bulk isn't an issue.

I have a friend with a disused D70 (upgraded to D200 a couple years
ago), who would probably sell it to me at a good price (I haven't asked,
but maybe $300 with a kit lens? Probably less if I asked but I don't
want to be a jerk.)

My question: with the newer options now on the market, is it advisable
to get an older midrange camera, or a new budget camera instead? It's
hard to find reviews that directly make this comparison. When I look at
the market for other used electronics, such as laptops or mp3 players,
new ones seem to be the better option. 6.1MP won't allow for a whole
lot of cropping, but then at least they'd be high quality pixels.

That's a very good price, particularly if the kit lens is the 18-70
rather than the 18-55. The prices on new Nikons start at ~$500 for a
D40, which has the same 6 MP resolution. If you want 10 MP, that's
either a D40X (~$800) or a D80 (~$1000)

-dms

On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 18:53:22 GMT, Daniel Silevitch wrote:

That's a very good price, particularly if the kit lens is the 18-70
rather than the 18-55. The prices on new Nikons start at ~$500 for a
D40, which has the same 6 MP resolution. If you want 10 MP, that's
either a D40X (~$800) or a D80 (~$1000)

Forgot to mention that the latter two prices are with the 18-135 lens
rather than the 18-55. The D40X with an 18-55 is $600.

-dms

timeOday wrote:

I have a friend with a disused D70 (upgraded to D200 a couple years
ago), who would probably sell it to me at a good price (I haven't asked,
but maybe $300 with a kit lens? Probably less if I asked but I don't
want to be a jerk.)

keh.com might give you some used prices to compare. No D70 listed now,
although they have a D50 with 18-135 F3.5-5.6 lens for $645. New D40
with 18-55 for $475, refurbs I've seen elsewhere for $400.

The EN-EL3 battery used in the D70 had a recall; check the nikonusa.com
page.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 06:50:51 -0700, timeOday wrote:
flambe wrote:
If the camera is in good condition with the 18-70 lens then he is
practically gifting it to you at $300.
The only drawback of the D70 is that the viewfinder is a bit small and dim
compared with the D80.
Sensor size is not an issue in any way shape or form for your uses.

Has high-ISO sensor performance improved at all in the last 4 years? Or
is it just a function of sensor size and (for still subjects) image
stabilization?

Pretty much any DSLR will be much much better at high-ISO than most any
P&S. There are some distinctions between different DSLR models, but
it's relatively minor compared to the big gap between the large-sensor
DSLRs and the small-sensor compacts.

This is the single biggest factor for me; on my S80, ISO 400 is
"emergency use only," and even 200 is noticeably worse than 100. The
faster lenses of SLRs will surely help, but high ISO is important too.

On my D80, anything up to ISO1600 is reasonable (above 1000, you see
noise entering, but it's not too bad), and you can go up to 3200 if
you're desperate. The D70 should be able to do at least as well,
possibly a bit better due to the smaller number of pixels (which means
more light-gathering area per pixel). Pair it with the fast primes you
mentioned in your original message, and you'll be in pretty good shape.

An example image from a D70 at ISO 1600 is he
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonD70/page23.asp

-dms

"timeOday"

I have a friend with a disused D70 (upgraded to D200 a couple years
ago), who would probably sell it to me at a good price (I haven't asked,
but maybe $300 with a kit lens? Probably less if I asked but I don't
want to be a jerk.)

The day after I got my D300, I put my D70 on eBay, body only.
It went for $310. If you can get a D70 with lens for $300, take it.

The D70 is a fantasic camera. I loved mine, and even though I
have the newest and shiniest, I hated to give up the reliable D70.

Chris