D70-Degree of Difficulty? Which Lens?

[Kim]

I am about to replace my practically antique Nikon Coolpix Zero Hundred and, while I have loved the camera and its point and shoot convenience, I find that shutter response is too slow for wildlife (whales/bears/eagles) shots. And zoom has been non-existent. So, first question, should I go SLR? I am willing to master a reasonable amount of printed material to use the camera properly, but I do not want to have to have to take a photography class.

Second question. If I go with a D70, what is the best all-around lens and why?

Sneaky bonus question: I have loved my Nikon and I am basically a loyal person. But my friends love the Canon Rebel. Is love blind here?

[George Riehm]

I am about to replace my practically antique Nikon Coolpix Zero Hundred and, while I have loved the camera and its point and shoot convenience, I find that shutter response is too slow for wildlife (whales/bears/eagles) shots. And zoom has been non-existent. So, first question, should I go SLR? I am willing to master a reasonable amount of printed material to use the camera properly, but I do not want to have to have to take a photography class.

Second question. If I go with a D70, what is the best all-around lens and why?

Sneaky bonus question: I have loved my Nikon and I am basically a loyal person. But my friends love the Canon Rebel. Is love blind here?

While I am a big fan of the D70 it may be more than you need. Since nature photos seem to be your passion you might want to consider a camera like the Pansonic FZ20 at less than half the price of the D70 and at least $100 less than the Canon DReb.

If you were looking to become a serious (means invest many dollars) amature or were thinking of going professional then the D70 would be a great choice. But take a look at the FZ20 and what it would take to equip a dSLR to be equvelent and I think you will see my point.

Wander over to the Panasonic boards and you will see what I mean.

[Kim]

Thanks, I will check out the others. I should add that I photograph from a boat, so image stabilization would be a plus. Also, I have a blog, so I photograph whatever is of interest along the way, even if it is not nature. The time that it takes the camera to respond to the shutter has been a real problem for me, as has the inability to do any zooming.

Many thanks for the quick response.

[George Riehm]

Thanks, I will check out the others. I should add that I photograph from a boat, so image stabilization would be a plus. Also, I have a blog, so I photograph whatever is of interest along the way, even if it is not nature. The time that it takes the camera to respond to the shutter has been a real problem for me, as has the inability to do any zooming.

Many thanks for the quick response.

IS or VR lenses are relatively expensive for dSLR's. Starting at about $500 for a 24-120 (in the case of Nikkor) and going past the $1500 range for a long zoom or fixed focus lens. These lenses are also very heavy (over 2lbs).

I have a D70, and would not trade it for any of the all-in-ones out there, but spending $1500 for a long image stabilized lens, may be beyond my means, so I carry a $100 monopod. I am considering buying an FZ3 just for the lens, and packing it with me for those long shots. For $399, for a 35mm to 420mm, f2.8, image stabilized lens it's a bargain, AND they throw in a free 3.2MP camera body as well.

You will find that most of the new all-in-one cameras have greatly improved the shutter response and memory interface to make the cameras very speedy. Power-on start up times can still be a little slow compared to a dSLR but 3 seconds is pretty decent. The Panasonic FZ family fall into this "faster" catagory.

Again. Try all of them and see what you like (and can afford).

[Kim]

Ok. I've really done it now. I went to the camera store and tried several cameras. I fell in love with the Canon EOS 20D. Lightening speed and, when coupled with the 75-300 IS lens and the lens that comes in the store's kit, a dream package. But now I have to decide whether to step up that far.

[George Riehm]

Ok. I've really done it now. I went to the camera store and tried several cameras. I fell in love with the Canon EOS 20D. Lightening speed and, when coupled with the 75-300 IS lens and the lens that comes in the store's kit, a dream package. But now I have to decide whether to step up that far.

Didn't know you were that serious. And you may be stepping off the cliff here $ wise. With the exception of a couple more frames per second the 20D isn't that much faster than the 300D or the D70. The IS vs. VR lens is a draw.

But if you have the money... ;)

[Mike Woods]

Sorry to all the Nikon D-70 fans but I can't hold it in any longer. For less than the price of a D-70 with lens, you can by the Canon Digital Rebel with kit lens, the Canon 50 mm f 1.8 prime lens, and the Canon 75mm- 300mm image stabilized lens from B&H Photo (a respected internet supplier)! There is no question that the D-70 is a better built camera, but I think if you drop it, or most other digital cameras for that matter, they are gonna break. It has more advanced features than the dreb- if you really need them, but... the image quality is arguably not quite as good as the rebel. The D-70 is hands down the fastest with an almost instant start up time and a faster frame per second rate, for a greater amount of pictures, but as far as bang for the buck goes, is there really any question here? Kim, this is the set up I have and I could not be happier. I strongly urge you to compare the Digital Rebel to the D-70 and the 20-d to see if this set up will satisfy your needs.

[Kim]

Mike said:

Sorry to all the Nikon D-70 fans.... is there really any question here?.... I strongly urge you to compare the Digital Rebel to the D-70 and the 20-d to see if this set up will satisfy your needs.

See? That's what I'm talking about. You sound like my friends!

[utgaard]

I own the D70 and if I had to do it over again I may have purchased the Rebel myself. I bought the kit and also purchased the 70-200 VR lens to go with it. I've taken over 15,000 pictures with it .. some very good .. but to the most part I am not pleased with the pictures when it comes to people and indoors. On the otherhand, the pictures I've taken of landscapes, cars, etc are excellent. I live in a small town so most of my investigations are taken on the internet. I know the biggest problem is ME not running the camera properly ... Best of luck