Author Topic: Nikon D-70 (Read 1885 times)

Bad Bob · « **on:** January 12, 2005, 09:35:27 AM »

Is the latest thing they are offering for $999. A special lens ,28-80?, is also available in a pkg deal for $1300 with a $100 rebate. Canon made them bring this out because of their $999 Rebel. I was told Nikon is loosing money on this camera but must compete with Canon. I also have the Sony 717 and its great for a lot of things but won't come close to the speed and accuracy of the Nikon especially for Sports. The 3 fps at full 6.1 resolution is amazing and its lightning fast on the focus and the Sony is not near as fast. I think I saw a gig flash card at Sams club for $80. My first $1200 is gone to the Nikon. IMO....

Yukon Gold · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2005, 10:59:51 AM »

If you search (Froogle) for the D70 body, you can find it as cheap as $650.
The Nikon lenses with the "kits" are typically low end. For the same money, you can find a "professional series" sigma lens with much better quality optics and body for the same price. Not all Nikon lenses are the same.
From everything I have read, the D70 is the best "sub $1000" SLR (digital) on the market - hands down.

BruceP · « **Reply #2 on:** January 12, 2005, 12:25:14 PM »

Bad Bob, I have not use the D70 although I have heard and read good things about it. I did look at one before I bought my Canon 10D but the Canon had a couple of features that I wanted that the D70 did not have Having not used the D70 I won't comment on it but I wanted to comment on the CF cards. If the Sams club near you carries the same ones as the one I go to then I think you would be better off to look elsewhere for the CF card. The Sams near here only had the low end (read slower) CF cards when I checked a few weeks ago. I have been using the Sandisk Ultra II CF cards in the Canon and just this week ordered the new Sandisk Extreme III card that is suppose to read and write and twice the speed of the Ultra's and the Extreme (first version) Yes it was more than $80 but the Ultra II's can be had for not a lot more. I would check http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ thats where i got mine and they are a good place to order from.
You can also check out the difference in CF speeds at with the D70 at:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-6816

I did not see the new Extreme III listed though
BruceP

Bad Bob · « **Reply #3 on:** January 12, 2005, 01:24:37 PM »

Quote from: BruceP

Bad Bob, I have not use the D70 although I have heard and read good things about it. I did look at one before I bought my Canon 10D but the Canon had a couple of features that I wanted that the D70 did not have Having not used the D70 I won't comment on it but I wanted to comment on the CF cards. If the Sams club near you carries the same ones as the one I go to then I think you would be better off to look elsewhere for the CF card. The Sams near here only had the low end (read slower) CF cards when I checked a few weeks ago. I have been using the Sandisk Ultra II CF cards in the Canon and just this week ordered the new Sandisk Extreme III card that is suppose to read and write and twice the speed of the Ultra's and the Extreme (first version) Yes it was more than $80 but the Ultra II's can be had for not a lot more. I would check http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ thats where i got mine and they are a good place to order from.
You can also check out the difference in CF speeds at with the D70 at:

I used to shoot sports with the Nikon N-90s and then the Canons started showing up in Digital and the pros are usually right. Ime just getting back into photo and didn't have a clue about the difference in cards and should have known better about the lens. THANKS

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-6816

I did not see the new Extreme III listed though
BruceP

Bad Bob · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2005, 07:37:11 AM »

Quote from: Yukon Gold

If you search (Froogle) for the D70 body, you can find it as cheap as $650.
The Nikon lenses with the "kits" are typically low end. For the same money, you can find a "professional series" sigma lens with much better quality optics and body for the same price. Not all Nikon lenses are the same.
From everything I have read, the D70 is the best "sub $1000" SLR (digital) on the market - hands down.

I called a dealer in NY and can buy the camera for $618.00 but it has no warranty at all. They told me I should buy the extended warranty from them because it was much better than the Nikon warranty you get with the $999 camera. Nikon warranty supposedly is 90 days and somewhat limited?? Said their warranty is around $300 and covers all parts and labor for three years. I would assume that would be the better deal.
But what buggs me is the fact that its necessary to buy a warranty on a brand new product that I feel should be bulletproof for 3-4 years anyway.
Oh well, Ime still saving up for something. Also am looking at the new Konica/Minolta camera that contains the new anti-shake device built into the body of the camera. There are anti-shake lenses out there and they are expensive but am told they work very well and give a 300mm 5.6 lens a couple of more F-stops. If thats the case are these cameras with anti shake in them the coming thing or just another gimmick. Thanks

Don Fischer · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2005, 03:24:59 AM »

I've got a D70, N70 and an F5. All the lenses off my film cameras work well on the D70. My film cameras don't get a lot of use anymore. My main lense for the D70 is my Sigma 28-70. I also use a Sigma 170-500 a good deal. Get a good printer too. This Epson 300 is my first and works real well. Won't print well with HP paper tho. For inexpensive paper I like Kirkland professional glossy, Cosco claims a 50 yr image life. I also like Staples photo supreme satin, Staples also claims 50 yr life. I've also tried Kodak ultra professional but didn,t have good luck, they claim 75 to 100 yr life.

I'm not sure there's any big advantage of Nikon over Canon, both have a lot of stuff you'll never use. I got the Nikon because I've already got a bunch of lenses. Didn't get the lense that comes with it.

Getting back to paper a moment, I,ve also found that Epson's paper is a sure thing. Just use the better grades. I can take photo's that have dried and run water on them in the sink and they don't run!

Tusker · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2005, 11:49:01 AM »

Don-- I have been looking HARD at the D-70. Maybe you can find the time to answer a couple questions for me. I have a F2A-- and a few lenses. Mine are GLASS. Can they be used with the d-70? does the d-70 have a self timer, and a MACRO feature? I want to come out of the darkages, but need to be sure of my direction.

I have a Cannon that was a gift, but the 2.6 MP leaves a bit to be desired. New e-mail is

tusker@adelphia.net

THANKS!!
By the way-- I have been getting my CF cards at COSTCO-- I believe the D-70 takes CF cards as well??

BuckTrucker · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2005, 03:26:45 PM »

Tusker,

The D70, and now the D70s, is a great camera that has received tons of awards. One of the best things about Nikon vs. Canon is that Nikon has kept all their new bodies, including digitals, compatible with all their older lenses. Canon has changed the lens mount 3 times which has obsoleted all their older lenses. Your old lenses will not auto meter with the new bodies but they will take great photos if you know how to manually meter. BTW, all Nikon lenses are still GLASS even though there are now big quality differences in various lenses within their lineup. The D70 does have self timer but Macro is a function of the lens, not the body.

You will be thrilled if you invest in a D70.

BT

Don Fischer · « **Reply #8 on:** May 27, 2005, 07:43:33 PM »

Sorry this post is so late, been gone for the last month. The F2A is a manual focus camera. But the mounts are the same. If you have a Nikon camera, most every Nikon lense ever made will work on it. With your F2A lenses, you'll just loose auto focus. The D70 has a manual focus switch, no sweat. I use several Sigma lenses and have used Tamron and Tokina lenses in the past, all are better than I am. The lense that comes with the D70 isn't worth having but, it'll do the job if your not real picky.

Star1pup · « **Reply #9 on:** October 08, 2005, 01:15:01 PM »

I just found this thread and it's intertesting. So you are saying that if I buy a D-70 all of my Nikon lenses will work as long as I don't need auto focus? I have a bag full of some great Nikkors that would make the Nikon my choice.

BruceP · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2005, 04:04:26 PM »

Star1pup, Yes your manual Nikon lenses will work on the D70. There will be some other features besides autofocus that will not work like the full program modes and AV, the full manual mode will work and the TV mode might work I am not sure. Before going digital I tried my manual nikon lenses on a friends D100. If I remember correct I dont think the meter worked on that one with the manual lenses. I could use it in full manual mode and get some decent photos though by giving a good guess at exposure and then adjusting by the LCD. Someone with a D70 could geve you better info than I can on what will work and what won't. I decided that with the way it worked on the D100 that it would be more limiting than I wanted and I ended up going with the Canon 10D (and new autofocus lenses) because it had some features I liked that the D70 did not.I hope this is of some help to you.
Bruce

Star1pup · « **Reply #11 on:** October 10, 2005, 12:25:17 PM »

Thanks Bruce. I would want to retain the through the lens metering, but the rest of the auto stuff I can live without.

I guess I'm old fashioned, but I was a TV news photog once and the first thing I did was learn how to eliminate the auto everything on my cameras.

I still do some regional magazine work and having a good digital would save me a lot in processing and postage. Right now I shoot some stuff with a 4mgpix Olympus and it seems to do okay, but my F-3 gives me a lot more versatility. It would be nice to have a digital that would do the same.
Bill

BruceP · « **Reply #12 on:** October 10, 2005, 02:20:51 PM »

See if you can find someone in your area with a D70 who would let you try your manual lenses on it. The D70 may be different in the metering department with manual lenses than the D100. It could be that since I was not familiar with the D100, or any similar camera, (I was use to a FM2) that I was doing something wrong. The owner of the D100 could not get the metering to work either. The D70 is newer so it may be updated in that reguard. On my Canon 10D the meter does work with an adapted screwmount 500mm f4.5 lens for the older Pentax cameras.
If you dont know anyone with a D70 you can try. I know a couple of people who have them. I don't see these people often but if I can get in touch with them I would be glad to try my manual lenses on one to see what works and what doesn't.