Nikon D70 Or Canon Digital Rebel (Yes, A Tired Thread) (Little Long)

I can't believe I'm even having to ask this question, as I am a long-time
Nikonian. However I did just purchase a Canon Digital Rebel at a killer
price--used, 8,000 shutter actuations WITH the 18-55 lens & all box
contents--only $565 w/shipping at a private Fred Miranda sale. But in the
meantime, since then, I've seen on Rob Galibrath's website a guy selling a
D70 body for $750. I've seen the DR selling for close to $650 or so on eBay,
so I could be $100 away from a D70 (although I'd need a lens too; but the
28-80 sells for a small amount).

The Nikon D70 is without a doubt more feature-filled. However, one thing
largely mitigates that--the Wasia hack. It does somewhat shrink many of the
D70 advantages features-wise. Also, despite my "Nikonian" label I started
out "blank" with this--no lenses or accessories from my Nikon (N80 most
recently) days, save for a Sunpak 433AF flash which I actually use with my
Nikon Coolpix 5700. I only have the 18-55 lens for the Canon so far, and no
hot-shoe flash or "propreitary" supplies yet save for a spare battery ($11)
and the corded release ($17).

As I see it, here are the main advantages/disadvantages of each, accouting
for the Wasia hack for the DR, and adjusting for my particular circumstances

================
Digital Rebel advantages
================
Major:
I already own it.
Can select size of JPEG in "RAW + JPEG" mode (thanks to the hack)
Mirror lockup (thanks to the hack)
According to dpreview.com, slightly lower noise at lower ISOs (esp 100)

Minor:
Faster AF in low-light than D70 (according to dpreview.com)

================
Nikon D70 advantages
================
Major:
It's a Nikon (I'm biased towards Nikon)
Faster startup time & faster reflexes (though so far DR has actually been
plenty quick even in faster situations)
Lower noise at higher ISOs (though DR isn't shabby either)
Faster AF-point selection (thumbpad instead of push-button/turn dial)
Can specifically select Continuous (Servo) AF

Minor
Viewfinder gridlines
Familiarity with it since it's a lot like the N80 I once owned
Faster flash x-sync (1/500 vs 1/200)
Separate aperture-shutter speed dials
I BELIEVE it has an LCD/viewfinder indication if flash-exposure compensation
is in use
AF-assist doesn't require flash to be up
Integration into Nikon View/Capture which I already have installed for the
CP5700

The hack mitigates the D70 advantage of flash exposure compensation, ability
to lock-out 'slow-sync' flash in aperture-priority, and ability to prevent
shooting photos if no CF card is present. The D70 has the advantage also of
being to specifically select metering mode regardless of shooting mode,
rather than doing the DR's funky thing of changing to center-weighted in
manual mode or partial-weighted in exposure-lock situations--but frankly, I
use aperture-priority or shutter-priority and matrix (or evaluative)
metering 98% of the time anyway, and that's what the DR gives me.

I also never use the rear-curtain sync of the D70 (my N80 had it, I never
used it). However, one thing could turn the tide, as petty as it seems--I've
noticed my DR is sllooooooow at browsing images in playback, especially if
you zoom out to thumbnail view. Even my CP5700 is faster, even when I put a
new SanDisk Ultra II card in the DR (the 5700 has a Lexar 12x card, 512
megabytes).

Also--and this is covered somewhat by the minor point under D70 of
N80-famaliarity--but I LOVED using the AE/AF button on the back as AF-lock
only; I could make it to where when I pressed it there was no
autofocus-delay when pressing the shutter release. In situations where I had
prefocused and was shooting at like f/8 or smaller and depth-of-field would
cover small focusing errors, that button was a very handy way to
"force-fire" the camera--make it take the photo immediately without
autofocus-lag. I find that handier than having to hold-down the shutter
release halfway the entire time.

What do you guys think? I know I've given you a lot. One of the main points
that's a priority for me is the slow image-preview of the DR; does anyone
else notice this? Do they observe the D70 being quicker?

Tips?

LRH

"Anynomus" wrote in message
news:j6Rnd.2069$8o.578@trndny08...
You can get a brand new D70 for under $700.00 here.
http://www.expresscameras.com/prodet...rt=1&OVRAW=Nik
on%20D70&OVKEY=nikon%20d70&OVMTC=standard

No, you can't. You'll never see it, "anonymous". Check out the reviews of
this sumbag store he

http://www.price.com/vendor_review_d...id=-2147483331

"Anynomus" wrote in news:j6Rnd.2069$8o.578@trndny08:

You can get a brand new D70 for under $700.00 here.

Well, you could certainly order it. In short order you will receive a phone
call to confirm" your order, during which time the scumbag will
surreptitiously slide in an offer to "upgrade" the camera to the "metal"
version, or some similar bait-n-switchesque lie, plus many other
"opportunities" to buy lots of other stuff.

Now, granted, it's a pleasure telling them to **** off, but you won't be
getting a D70 for a low price.

My concern, and the reason I will probably pick the Canon, is the cost of
lenses. I priced an EF 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS and an EF 75-300 f4-5.6 IS for
just a little over $800 for the pair. Nikon has a 24-120 f3.5-5.6 VR for a
little over $500, but the larger VR zoom is closer to $1400. I think that
image stability is important enough to spend the extra money on the IS or VR
lenses and Canon is definitely less expensive.

"Bill H." wrote:

My concern, and the reason I will probably pick the Canon, is the cost of
lenses. I priced an EF 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS and an EF 75-300 f4-5.6 IS for
just a little over $800 for the pair. Nikon has a 24-120 f3.5-5.6 VR for a
little over $500, but the larger VR zoom is closer to $1400. I think that

So is also Canon 100-400 L IS ($1400), which compares to the 80-400 VR Nikkor.

image stability is important enough to spend the extra money on the IS or VR
lenses and Canon is definitely less expensive.

Do the Nikon lenses compare to the L series lenses or the less expensive
series? I have not seen a comparison and this could make a difference, at
least in my purchase.

Do the Nikon lenses compare to the L series lenses or the less expensive
series? I have not seen a comparison and this could make a difference, at
least in my purchase.

"Anynomus" wrote in message
news:j6Rnd.2069$8o.578@trndny08...
You can get a brand new D70 for under $700.00 here.
http://www.expresscameras.com/prodet...rt=1&OVRAW=Nik
on%20D70&OVKEY=nikon%20d70&OVMTC=standard


Check this:
http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1805.html

A Customer Satisfaction rating of 1.47 (out of a possible 10) doesn't bode
well for the transaction going as planned...

--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com

"Anynomus" wrote in message
news:j6Rnd.2069$8o.578@trndny08...
You can get a brand new D70 for under $700.00 here.
http://www.expresscameras.com/prodet...rt=1&OVRAW=Nik
on%20D70&OVKEY=nikon%20d70&OVMTC=standard


Check this:
http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1805.html

A Customer Satisfaction rating of 1.47 (out of a possible 10) doesn't bode
well for the transaction going as planned...

--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com

"Bill H." wrote in message
...
Do the Nikon lenses compare to the L series lenses or the less expensive
series? I have not seen a comparison and this could make a difference, at
least in my purchase.


The Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VR and 80-400 f4-5.6 VR are in a class with the Canon
70-200 f2.8L IS and 100-400 f4.5-5.6L IS. The 75-300 IS lens is a consumer
lens fpr which Nikon, currently, has no competitor.

--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com