Speedzilla Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Any advice for someone that is jumping into this hobby? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinecure Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 From what I've experienced, glass matters. Cheap lenses = cheap photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gecko Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 I've had a D70 since it hit the streets (OK 3 months before it hit the streets in the USA) and can honestly say that I love it as much now as the day I bought it. If I had to replace it I would buy a this D90 setup because it most suits my needs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxguitarist Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Try out a Nikon & Canon before buying if you can (assuming you don't have any glass yet) One will likely feel better in your hand than the other (Nikon here) Consider used bodies. A good condition D70 is under $300, and a D80 will be a bit more. You could get a "prosumer" (professional-consumer) level body for the same as a new D90 which is the highest consumer model. D200s go for around 700 it looks like. Check here: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedzilla Posted February 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Thanks for the tips everyone, keep 'em coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarvingScooby Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 I've had a D70 since it hit the streets (OK 3 months before it hit the streets in the USA) and can honestly say that I love it as much now as the day I bought it. If I had to replace it I would buy a this D90 setup because it most suits my needs Gecko, any cons you can share on your D70? Cheap lenses = cheap photos 100% agree! Thanks Roy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxguitarist Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Gecko, any cons you can share on your D70? POOR high ISO performance That said, I've got one and have gotten some good pictures out of it- just keep the ISO low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarvingScooby Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 POOR high ISO performanceThat said, I've got one and have gotten some good pictures out of it- just keep the ISO low. Anyone else? No...? Must be darn good unit:rolleyes:!! Cheers Roy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie00 Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 I got a good deal on and Canon XS package with case, battery grip and a second battery. I know it's very entry level DSLR but for me and to learn and more than enough machine. My dad has the Nikon D40 and took a few shoots to compare and it's very similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vahur Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Anyone else? No...? Must be darn good unit I had D70 and while it was quite decent camera for its time I'd not buy this camera anymore as it's outdated for now. Some of issues: * limited dynamic range compared to modern cameras. This means that in contrasty situations (e.g. taking riding pictures of someone with dark clothing on well-lit high-altitude slopes) there is risk of overexposure on light areas and dark areas do not contains enough details. For sure, such situation is hard to handle for any camera but newer cameras are better in this regard. * Combined shutter: this means that minimum speed of mechanical shutter is 1/200 seconds (IIRC) and shorter shutter speeds are handled with electronic shutter. This is good if you want to use flash as main light source (you get sync speed 1/500) but if you shoot against the sun or other light source with fast shutter speeds then you get severe overexposure not only on lightsource but also in nearby areas due to sensor "overflow". * Automatic white balance is not good. This is especially visible for snow scenes (e.g. for riding pictures) where different colors of snow are very well distinguishable. Despite of these shortcomings it's still very good camera and produces better images than any of compact cameras, not to mention operation speed. My camera line goes D70>D200>D300>D700 and most noticeable quality change seems to be from D70 to D200, next changes are less noticeable except for low-light/high-ISO where D300 is quite decent and D700 really shines. If budget is limited, then I'd suggest D70 or D80 and good lens(es), but if there is more money to spend, then D90 or second-hand D200 or D300 is better choice (here second-hand D300 goes for almost same price as new D90, D200 is much cheaper). For lenses any kit will do for a start. For action shots (snowboarding) telelens I'd suggest AF-S 70-300 VR which has quite decent optics. Or 55-200 VR lens, which is also quite sharp and price-performance is good. Can't speak for cameras from other companies as I have no experience with them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 I've had a D70 since it hit the streets (OK 3 months before it hit the streets in the USA) and can honestly say that I love it as much now as the day I bought it. If I had to replace it I would buy a this D90 setup because it most suits my needs I love my D70s. If money wasn't an issue I would go up a bit. D90 at least for the video factor. Lightroom has eliminated the WB, dynamic issues for me and should be part of your workflow anyway. Better ISO noise issues may well be solved on the newer ones. I know the firmware upgrade last year seemed to help out with that too. I print regularly to 16x24 off my raw files and the images are great. G'luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedzilla Posted February 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Could one of the experts educate me on lenses a bit? If I bought a cheap D70 and a nice lens, would that lens be compatible with other Nikons if I decided to upgrade the camera? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loc Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Speed - what kind of photography will you be doing with a DSLR? It helps me give better advice. I started out with a Canon 300D when it was the first camera to break the $1k barrier. Now I shoot with my trusty and aging 20D. I haven't kept up with the latest gear but from talking to photo friends, the playing field has widened up a lot from just Canon and Nikon. Choice is good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedzilla Posted February 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Everything from family shots, scenery, to action sports. These are some shots I took over the weekend with my Lumix FZ7: http://buckhill.com/winter/tpgallery.shtml I've been looking at the Canon XSI as a starter DSLR, but everywhere I go people point me towards Nikon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Could one of the experts educate me on lenses a bit?If I bought a cheap D70 and a nice lens, would that lens be compatible with other Nikons if I decided to upgrade the camera? Yes. Get an ED series lens if possible. Best glass. Others may know better if there is something new that corresponds. I love, , love my ED series lenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinecure Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 There are some great threads about this over on TGR. www.tetongravity.com/forums A bunch of members there are pro photogs, who have good info, plus lots of avid amateurs weigh in with some perspective. FYI, if you want to try out a couple, Costco can be a good place to go. You can fondle them on the display, but even better they have a very lenient 90 day return policy on electronics. Buy both, try them out a bit and return the one you don't want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxguitarist Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Could one of the experts educate me on lenses a bit?If I bought a cheap D70 and a nice lens, would that lens be compatible with other Nikons if I decided to upgrade the camera? Any lens that works with the D70 will work with the D80/D90 and higher end Nikons, though not all will work with the little ones like the D40. First thing to think about on lenses is how long of a focal length you want (how much zoom) next is the aperture F/ number... lower # is "faster" and better. $$ goes up quick with this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJFluff Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 I love my Canon 40D. I took my avatar with it- my son Noah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBee Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 Your choice could be based on quality versus price. I personnally would not go for a third party other than Nikon or Canon. You need to evaluate your requirement vs your budget. Recommandations: - 70-200mm lens on a crop body is a very good choice for actions shot ( 1,6X crop factor on Canon = 112-320mm or 1,5X crop factor on Nikon = 105-300mm ). I wouldn't consider bigger since you may miss close range actions. - 70-200mm f/2,8 aperture give you great pics and allows more light in and greater range of ajustment. - Vibration Reduction / Image Stabilizer is not recommended for action shot like snowboarding, car racing, etc. It freezes the background and doesn't produce an action-motion effect. So, if equipped, you will have to turn off for sport photo. Then compare your need. I personnally went on Ebay and bought NIB lens from renowned dealer, so you can check between Nikon & Canon vs budget. PS: I'm a happy owner of a Canon 50D w/70-200mm f/2,8 non-IS. But Nikon 300D would have been my second choice: budget decided. http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=24187 Pics from Le Relais Noram, 2 weeks ago Superbee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedzilla Posted February 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 Thanks for all the tips everyone! I ended up scoring a great deal on a lightly used Canon XT with a 28-135mm IS lens. Photos from my first outing with the camera are here: http://www.buckhill.com/winter/tpgallery.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.