40D or D70s?

[Spock]

(I posted this also on another forum so im just copying that post)

Canon 40D or a Nikon D70s.

Now I am more familiar with the D70s body and I spent the majority of my senior year in high school shooting one, and frankly I love the results i obtained out of it (pic is one of the 2800-3000 I took over the six months i used the camera), and a quick look over ebay prices them at the $250-500 range (with a 18-70 3.5-4.5 lens, same thing im used to shooting it with), which that price works for me, since I know how the camera will perform.

However, I spend 5/6 days a week selling, you guessed it, cameras at a major electronics store. The majority of the sales I make are of the Canon 40D, unless someone is dead set on a XT/XTi/d40/d40x/d80, I never even talk about those cameras. Which in the time I've had the 40D out showing it off, and sometimes just passing the time, I am by far more impressed with the speed and response of the 40D.

Thing is its a bit out of my price range, and with major hour cutbacks at work (35-40 hours a week down to maybe 12-20), Its hard to save up when most of my check now goes to bills, and gas.

So is it worth saving up and waiting till possibly next summer for a 40D or should I take chances and buy myself a D70s so I have something to do outside of sitting on my ass playing CS?


(one of the many pics from the D70s)

 

[niky]

D80! The D70 is just way too noisy in the dark... but then, I'm not familiar with the D70s. I prefer Nikons for the quality of image detail, but sometimes dealing with the noise in post-processing can be a b*tch.

 

[Spock]

But, If I Had the money for a D80 i would just buy a 40D, What im asking Is Should I go for a Camera I have used, familiar with the controls, spent a lot of time working with the camera it self , and have the money to pick one up off eBay right now, Or should i just wait and get a far superior 40D (either way I will eventually get a 40D). Like I said i sell them every day ( and all by myself I have earned my Department 2 district and territorial banners for literally being the best damn camera salesmen in the Montana/Utah/Seattle Area). The D80 is also way over priced for what it can do,its way more comparable to the canon rebel XTi, Than the 40D.

 

[F1GTR]

Get the D70 and spend the rest of your 40D fund on some nice glass. Once you feel you've outgrown the D70 you can pick up a D300.

 

[tait]

Get the D70 and spend the rest of your 40D fund on some nice glass. Once you feel you've outgrown the D70 you can pick up a D300.

This gets my vote.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Whatever you do, don't change brand. If you want a camera NOW, by all means buy one, but make sure it's the same brand as the end-goal camera. You can buy a 350d for peanuts on eBay, and all the lenses would be compatible with your desired 40d. Similarly, if you bought a D70, plus some lenses, you would then move to the 40d-equivalient in the Nikon range.

Bodies depreciate like anything, whereas lenses tend to hold their value. Also, lenses make up the bulk of the investment in the long run: my lens/flash/accessory collection is worth approximately 7x my 5d.

PS: I'm a Canon shooter, so I would recommend a used 350d followed by a 40d!

 

[Spock]

Whatever you do, don't change brand. If you want a camera NOW, by all means buy one, but make sure it's the same brand as the end-goal camera. You can buy a 350d for peanuts on eBay, and all the lenses would be compatible with your desired 40d. Similarly, if you bought a D70, plus some lenses, you would then move to the 40d-equivalient in the Nikon range.

For all of my shooting I shoot in only, and I mean only, Full Manual. The main reason I love the D70s so much is that it had the split command dials so i could very quickly change , unlike on both the 350d/XT and 400d/XTi which you have one command dial and that only changes shutter speed unless you hold down the +/- exposure, which on both cameras is in an awkward position to me.

Bodies depreciate like anything, whereas lenses tend to hold their value. Also, lenses make up the bulk of the investment in the long run: my lens/flash/accessory collection is worth approximately 7x my 5d.

PS: I'm a Canon shooter, so I would recommend a used 350d followed by a 40d!

Oh I know lens make the picture way more than a body, and they last a lot longer. I'm mainly looking at the D70s as an SLR for now since I need something to do on the 4-5 days i don't have work, sitting on my ass playing counterstrike source gets really boring really fast. Also Im not planning on making any investment whatsoever in the D70s if i get it, ( the D70s body, 18-70mm 3.5-4.5 lens, and a 4gb, maybe 8gb CF card which will work in both cameras either way). And when I do get the 40D the only lens im looking to get any time soon after is the 70-200mm L IS f/4 (~$799 retail) (maybe the f/2.8 if i magically find $2g)

Like i said I'm asking is it a worthwhile thing to by a D70s for now even though I will no matter what end up with a 40D; and unlike most photographers Im not partial to any brand Canon/Nikon/Sony/Pentax/etc... Its just that those two cameras are the only one I feel will work for what I need them to do. Im only looking at them, not anything else. ever. (well maybe the 5D mark II when its released)

 

[GilesGuthrie]

If you want to end up with 40d, you could pick up a 20d now. They're going reasonably cheap on eBay. If that's not an option, I would recommend you just save for the 40d.

I thought Nikon dSLRs used SD cards, not CF? But anyway, memory cards are silly cheap now.

I hear very good things about the Canon 70-200 F/4 L IS. It's meant to be crazy sharp, and the four-stop IS is awesome. I have the 70-200 F/2.8 L IS, and it's the lens that gives me the most pleasure to use.

 

[niky]

Much as I'd like to say D70 (I'm still biased), it would suck just buying a camera and sticking with a limited lens selection... I agree with G.G... if you're lusting after the 40D, just get a cheaper used Canon now so the lenses will be forward compatible...

Because you're going to get the D70... then you're going to get sick of the lens (it'll happen, quickly), and decide to upgrade... then you need a smaller lens for indoor work... then a good "prime" for other stuff... etcetera... then, when you can get the 40D, you've got a collection of lenses you can't use on your new body.

Don't knock the D80! I use one! J/K... it's all good...

 

[Derrict]

Used 30D and put the money saved towards good glass.

 

[Spock]

I thought Nikon dSLRs used SD cards, not CF? But anyway, memory cards are silly cheap now.

Not older systems like the D200/D100/D2Hs/D2H/D1H/D1X/D1/D70s/D70

I hear very good things about the Canon 70-200 F/4 L IS. It's meant to be crazy sharp, and the four-stop IS is awesome. I have the 70-200 F/2.8 L IS, and it's the lens that gives me the most pleasure to use.

Ooh I hate you, the only way I could justify the f/2.8 version is if I ever sold my work to make up for dropping $2g on a lens, but at this point in my photography I doubt I have anything sell able quite yet.

Much as I'd like to say D70 (I'm still biased), it would suck just buying a camera and sticking with a limited lens selection... I agree with G.G... if you're lusting after the 40D, just get a cheaper used Canon now so the lenses will be forward compatible...

Because you're going to get the D70... then you're going to get sick of the lens (it'll happen, quickly), and decide to upgrade... then you need a smaller lens for indoor work... then a good "prime" for other stuff... etcetera... then, when you can get the 40D, you've got a collection of lenses you can't use on your new body.

Used 30D and put the money saved towards good glass.

Actually after some talking (e.g. yelling at the rest of my band to pay me back some (alot of) money they owe me) I think I have just enough to pick one up (40D) after my Saturday morning meeting from work.

 

[freeonlineFFF]

I always think canon is the way to go