does anyone have any experiences or personal reviews on the nikon d70?

my dad has one that he's not using anymore because he's shooting with a d200 now. his friend wants to buy it from him, but my dad asked if i wanted it before he sells it.

i have a point and shoot camera (canon sd800is), and it's really more than what i need now. but i would love to start picking up photography as a hobby and take a class or two.

so firstly, does anyone have any experiences or reviews on the D70? good camera? i'm no expert or camera buff, so is it a good camera for amateurs?

and does anyone use both slr and p&s cameras? i mean, the 800is is an awesome camera and i don't want it to go to waste and be unused, and i don't want to fork up money for the D70 and not use that either.

when do you guys use the p&s and when do you use the slr instead?

thanks!

 

I see Dan Martin is in here, so I'll just let him comment on the D70...

I love having an SLR (Canon XT) and a subcompact (Canon SD500). The SLR takes amazing shots when I really want quality pics and don't mind lugging it around. And the P&S is super convenient, especially while on vacation if you'll be walking around a lot and don't want to carry the SLR but still want pics.

 

thanks.

i figure i'd want to use a dslr when i travel or go on vacation, but it's just so much more convenient to carry around a p&s.

then i'll have to buy a camera bag, etc.

how much do lenses go for because i'll only buy the body from my dad. looks like he's keeping the lense.

 

I've got the D70 and have been really happy with it. I bought the body only for a reduced price after they launched the D70s. I initially used the kit lens (28-80 I think) and a 70-300mm zoom that I had from my Nikon F65.

I found that with the 1.5 cropping on the D70, that the 28-80 didn't have a wide enough angle, so ended up getting a Sigma 18-200, and have been pretty happy with it. It has become my walk-around lens since it give me such flexibility. I just spent a couple of weeks in Japan, and used that lens exclusively (I feel like an idiot having lugged all my gear around for 2.5 weeks only to not use any of the other lenses )

 

I don't have the D70, but it was the strongest contender next to the camera I purchased. I flipped back & forth several times before deciding on the Canon Rebel XT instead. They each had their strengths & weaknesses, so it came down to price & deciding which weaknesses I thought I could live with most happily. I did a ton of research, though, & believe the D70 is a very nice camera.

Lens prices are widely variable depending on quality and focal length. Expect to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of 400-600 at least for a good quality walkaround. You could spend much more (>1k) or much less (~150) depending on the manufacturer & the quality of the glass/optics. Unfortunately, I'm not at all familiar with Nikon's lineup, so can't offer any suggestions. Is your dad including a lens in the sale, or just the body?

Oh yeah, to answer your question about the P&S...I have a Nikon Coolpix that is a few years old. I find myself dissatisfied with it's output about 90% of the time. The only time I use it now is underwater, because I have a waterproof housing for it. I'm just too spoiled by the control over the image, and the quality provided by my DSLR...

 

I have a D70, it was my first DSLR and a great one to start off with. Low-light auto-focus (with an SB-600) is not very good, that's probably my only complaint. Daytime, its fine. Its a capable camera with many features and a good price.

 

thanks!

yea i'm just buying the the body so i'll have to buy a lense separately.

 

The D70 was my first DSLR too. I currently shoot with a Nikon D200 and have given my D70 to my sister. It's a fine camera that you'll be able to learn and grow. I wouldn't really recommend it for high speed/action sports but just about any other subject would be fine.

Lenses are the key so do a lot of research before you get them. You might be surprised how expensive good glass can be. Personally, I would recommend the Nikon 18-200mm VR if you're looking for an all-in-one lens. Here's a link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...D_IF_AF_S.html


A good place to do reseach and ask more detailed questions would be here: http://www.dpreview.com/ There are fantastic forums there and the people there are very, very knowledgeable.