D70 with rebate vs. D50

jefframm · #1 07-31-2005, 04:37 PM

First time poster here. Have read lots about the D70, D70s, D50, and Rebel XT, including reviews here, dpreview, and dcviews, as well as lots of forum posts. Having done a good bit of 35mm SLR photography many years ago (Olympus OM-1n, etc) I'm planning on a DSLR.

Have eliminated the RebelXT based on ergonomics and kit lens. Was hoping for "confirmation" of my current strategy based on the learned Nikon users here.

It appears that I can buy (after rebaate) a D70 with the 18-70 DX EG lens for about $950. I've handled it quite a bit and really like the feel. My wife will complain a little about the weight, but can live with it. The alternative that I've been considering is the D50, but I prefer the wider range of the kit lens on the D70, and from what I can tell the kit lens on the D50 is a little lesser quality than that on the D70.

I'll be shooting a lot of outdoor and "people" photography, and will likely opt for a 1.8 50mm lens as well, as I really like blurred "depth" for portraits. Eventually I'll add another zoom, potentially the Sigma APO that gets a lot of discussion.

The reviews discuss the noise levels of the D50 as being better than that of D70. Where I'm a little confused it whether that will matter for my use (I'm not a pro, obviously) and also whether the D70 firmware update changes the noise level at all. I'm also trying to assess if there are any clear advantages to the D50 over the D70. The small increase in screen size is a non-issue for me. Also, while it appears the D50 comes set up for more "punchy" color out of the camera, my impression is you can set that on the D70 as well, correct?

I'm curious for opinions from the group here and would appreciate any and all input.

Thanks for a valuable resource!!

D70FAN · #2 07-31-2005, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefframm

First time poster here. Have read lots about the D70, D70s, D50, and Rebel XT, including reviews here, dpreview, and dcviews, as well as lots of forum posts. Having done a good bit of 35mm SLR photography many years ago (Olympus OM-1n, etc) I'm planning on a DSLR.

Have eliminated the RebelXT based on ergonomics and kit lens. Was hoping for "confirmation" of my current strategy based on the learned Nikon users here.

It appears that I can buy (after rebaate) a D70 with the 18-70 DX EG lens for about $950. I've handled it quite a bit and really like the feel. My wife will complain a little about the weight, but can live with it. The alternative that I've been considering is the D50, but I prefer the wider range of the kit lens on the D70, and from what I can tell the kit lens on the D50 is a little lesser quality than that on the D70.

I'll be shooting a lot of outdoor and "people" photography, and will likely opt for a 1.8 50mm lens as well, as I really like blurred "depth" for portraits. Eventually I'll add another zoom, potentially the Sigma APO that gets a lot of discussion.

The reviews discuss the noise levels of the D50 as being better than that of D70. Where I'm a little confused it whether that will matter for my use (I'm not a pro, obviously) and also whether the D70 firmware update changes the noise level at all. I'm also trying to assess if there are any clear advantages to the D50 over the D70. The small increase in screen size is a non-issue for me. Also, while it appears the D50 comes set up for more "punchy" color out of the camera, my impression is you can set that on the D70 as well, correct?

I'm curious for opinions from the group here and would appreciate any and all input.

Thanks for a valuable resource!!

A difficult decision as the D50 has just enough improvement to make you like it and lacks just enough performance to make you think twice. Be aware tha the 18-70 DX lens can be purchased separatly. But with the D70+DX lens going so cheap I would have a tendancy to get the D70 (again).

For $950 - $999 after rebate the D70+18-70 DX lens is still the hands-down winner.