Should I Buy A Nikon D70s?

WOODY · 17-10-2006, 19:51

Hi Everyone , Sorry Its Been A Long Time Since My Last Vist To The Forum, My Question Is This, At The Moment I Use A Canon A1 With Ma Motor Drive, Plus Canon 35-105 Lens. This System I Am Now Finding To Difficult To Manage, With The Weight Of The Whole Thing ,also Trying To Hold It While Focusing , Problem Being For Those That Don't Know I Only Have One Arm.i Have Been Considering Buying A Nikon D70s What Are Your Views On This And Will I Find It Easy To Use In Relation To My A1 How Heavy Is The Nikon Will It Be As Reliable As My A1 Has Been. I Would Be Grateful For Any Advice Anyone Can Give Me On This. Thank You

**Dabhand16** · 17-10-2006, 20:05

Hi Woody. I've got a D70s, and I have to say that when I was buying, it came down to Nikon v Canon. Now the thing that swayed me to the Nikon is that I liked the feel of it better, but the Canon was smaller, and maybe a bit lighter, and that might suit you better. I think Olympus are currently advertising the smallest/lightest dSLR. Might be worth checking out.

From a lens point of view, a good range is 18-70 (about 26 - 105 in old money), although you can get 18-135/200 (26-200/300ish) as good all-round lenses. They tend to be quite slow, so are not too heavy. Again you'll have to try them out.

Dave is selling a D70 body with a D70s firmware upgrade. See the sales and wants forum. I'll bet it is as new.

Hope this helps.

Sparhawk · 17-10-2006, 20:38

Hi Dab
I have an Olympus E300, the weight of the body {without battery} is 580 grms {1.3lb} the one problem with it is with the new 4/3 connection the range {and cost} of lenses is rather steep {IMO}.
To me it is a great camera {but as I have never had a Canon or Nikon SLR I could not say that it is better or worse than either of the other 2., and I would not want to advise anyone to totaly change their equiptment until more lenses for this {new} format is on the market
Regards
Sparhawk

**Dabhand16** · 17-10-2006, 20:53

I can't remember what the Olympus model was, only that the ad claimed it to be the smallest/lightest.

Woody - just thought - the latest bridge cameras have come on a bundle now. Also check out cameras like the Panasonic LZ30/50, and Fuji 9000 range. They are dSLR's with fixed zoom lenses that have good ranges, are pretty small and light, and most have image stabilisation too, which might also help you.

maddiedigital · 17-10-2006, 21:36

Hi Woody - not really an expert on this but I recently bought a D70s as a major upgrade from my previous camera and I have to say it really is very good quality producing excellent photos. The dust problem on the sensor is a pain buit I suppose that happens with nearly everything these days but can be quite easily be cleaned. There are probably wiser more knowledgeble folk around who can advise you better, but from my own angle I have not regretted the D70s investment. Hope this helps and good luck with your choice - look forward to seeing your stuff

WOODY · 17-10-2006, 21:47

Thanks For Your Replies Everyone I Still Like What I Have Seen Of The Nikon As It Looks To Be Of Similar Size To My A1 Without The Weight, I Don't Want Anything To Small As I Use My Left Hand Anything To Small And My Fingers Get In The Way Of The Lens. Would Still Be Interested In Peoples Views On The D70s Thanks Again

**Dabhand16** · 17-10-2006, 22:44

If I could have afforded it, I would have bought a D200. There. I've admitted it. Having said that, I'm very pleased with my D70s. It has got the kit 18-70 lens which is OK for general use. The battery life is fantastic. I read a review that said they got 2500 pictures on one charge!!

Some of the functions (shutter speed, apature, EV, WB, ISO etc) are changed by the use of wheels on the RHS (front and back) of the camera. Some settings require a button to be held down + a wheel turned. I think a lot, if not most, digital cameras will have this sort of function selection.

Lowest ISO is 200, and the max is 1600. I've not found this to be a problem.

If you find the camera suits you, you won't be disappointed with it's performance.

Dutchie · 18-10-2006, 07:43

I've held a D70 in my hand and for me it was too big. But the performance of the camera seems to be very good. Look at the reviews of KenRockwell.com
He is a big Nikon lover and has got a few dslr's. I found his website very useful.

I just wonder if it isn't to heavy for you as you only use your left hand. Difference between de D50 and D70s was quiet big I thought. Not sure how much difference the weight was.

WOODY · 18-10-2006, 18:03

Thanks For Your Advice Everyone, After A Lot Of Soul Searching, I Have Decided To Go For A Nikon D200 , I Know This Might Seem A Bit Extreme But After Reading Alot Of Reviews On The D70s And D200 I Feel The D200 Is More Robust, Metal Constuction As Against Plastic Build In The D70s, The Reason For This Is Again Because I Will Use It With One Hand, If I Did Happen To Knock It Or Drop It, Hopefully There Won't Be To Much Damage. I Have Searched Several Places For Prices On This And Warehouseexpress And Camera World Seem To Be The Cheapest Has Anyone Had Any Dealings With Either Of These Companies ? Or Does Anyone Know Anywhere Else. I Tried Jessops They Seem To Be About £200 Dearer . Thanks Again For Your Help.

**Dabhand16** · 18-10-2006, 18:22

I'm still not the slightest bit envious.

***Dave*** · 18-10-2006, 18:45

Cracking camera you've just chosen

All that said, the D70/s is incredible value for money at the moment

P-E · 18-10-2006, 20:05

Nice choice WOODY.

I've dealt with Warehouseexpress many times without any problems at all.

You might want to look at this thread..........

http://www.pixalo.com/community/came...sops-8422.html

18-10-2006, 20:07	#13 (permalink)
Dutchie Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Lancashire Posts: 666