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Nikon d70s?

S

sl33t

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 12, 2011
139
0
Cleveland, Ohio
I am a beginner photographer currently shooting with a Nikon l110 p&s. I'm looking to make the jump into dslr. I primarily shoot action sports, mostly skateboarding, but I also enjoy shooting skylines and really anything that catches my eye. I am currently bidding on a Nikon d70s on eBay. I have a budget of $250. I'd like some info: Is this a good camera for me to learn on? ...Is the picture quality fairly decent? Any other suggestions?.......Here are some of my favorite photos I've taken: http://connormcfarland.artistswanted.org/atts2012 .....it would also be great if you guys could help me out and "collect me" on there.....if enough people do it, i could get my work shown in times square.......sorry for such a long post, any feedback would be great.
Thanks-
SL33T
 
Although it isn't up to snuff by today's standards it is still a good camera. My first DSLR was the D70 (not the D70s) when it was brand new. It isn't going to have the resolution or noise handling of a modern camera but still nothing to sneeze at. Learning to get the most out of your camera will serve you better than the latest megapixel monster.

One nice thing is that any lenses you buy today will be useful if/when you upgrade the body. If that bid includes a lens then it isn't a bad place to start.

I have two D70s, one is converted for infrared use and the other I recently used underwater.

565036
 
I also used one for years. A hint -- shoot RAW, not JPEG. JPEG processing wasn't very sophisticated then and processed RAW shots tend to look much better.
 
mulo said:
you won't win it, read this, I followed his advice and went from never having won an auction, to winning 5/5 this week
Click to expand...
thanks, this was very helpful....the d70s went over my budget and i'm now looking at others d70's.....and i'll wait till the last second to bid
 
sl33t said:
thanks, this was very helpful....the d70s went over my budget and i'm now looking at others d70's.....and i'll wait till the last second to bid
Click to expand...

make sure to read the entire article set, there is more to it then just bidding at the last second, you must understand the automated bidding system, because this technique relies heavily upon it.
 
Haha good ol KR. But like a few other of his articles, I agree with this one.

I typically assume the following on ebay:
1) unless there are many large, clear, and detailed photos of the actual item offered from multiple angles, you may safely assume the seller is trying to hide some shortfall or defect about the item condition and lying about it in the item description.

2) if you see it for $X on ebay, chances are you will be able to find it cheaper elsewhere. Only buy off ebay in times of extreme circumstance (need a hard to find item RIGHT NOW) or if an exhaustive and thorough web search (including specific forum classifieds such as those found here or FM, etc) has determined that ebay is the only possible source.

3) If you have not been monitoring the status of auctions on ebay for two weeks or more, you're going to overpay for the item (see #2 above about needing it RIGHT NOW).

4) If you've resorted to looking on ebay for an item, and are actually considering purchasing, stop for a moment and think about how badly you really need it. Often times better value may be found in purchasing an alternative, more widely available item (such as a slightly newer camera model than the "ebay special" that costs a little more money, but will have much greater overall value)

Basically, 99% of the time you're going to get ripped off (in the sense that you got suckered to overpay, not in that you got scammed of your money) whenever you buy from ebay. As long as you're okay with this fact in exchange for a little bit of convenience, then it can be used as a purchasing resource. But if you're actually looking to save money and/or hassle, don't count on ebay anymore.
 
Ruahrc said:
Haha good ol KR. But like a few other of his articles, I agree with this one.

I typically assume the following on ebay:
1) unless there are many large, clear, and detailed photos of the actual item offered from multiple angles, you may safely assume the seller is trying to hide some shortfall or defect about the item condition and lying about it in the item description.

2) if you see it for $X on ebay, chances are you will be able to find it cheaper elsewhere. Only buy off ebay in times of extreme circumstance (need a hard to find item RIGHT NOW) or if an exhaustive and thorough web search (including specific forum classifieds such as those found here or FM, etc) has determined that ebay is the only possible source.

3) If you have not been monitoring the status of auctions on ebay for two weeks or more, you're going to overpay for the item (see #2 above about needing it RIGHT NOW).

4) If you've resorted to looking on ebay for an item, and are actually considering purchasing, stop for a moment and think about how badly you really need it. Often times better value may be found in purchasing an alternative, more widely available item (such as a slightly newer camera model than the "ebay special" that costs a little more money, but will have much greater overall value)

Basically, 99% of the time you're going to get ripped off (in the sense that you got suckered to overpay, not in that you got scammed of your money) whenever you buy from ebay. As long as you're okay with this fact in exchange for a little bit of convenience, then it can be used as a purchasing resource. But if you're actually looking to save money and/or hassle, don't count on ebay anymore.
Click to expand...

This is real good advice .... I use eBay all the time to hunt down parts for some vintage wood and metalworking machines I'm restoring . For much of the stuff I require , its the only place where I've got a shot at finding what I need . Having said that , I'd be real cautious about buying something as mechanically/electronically sophisticated as a digital SLR from someone I don't know . If you're in the USA , B&H ,and Adorama both have used departments and are reputable , also KEH.com . These places have been around for some time and have reputations to maintain .
 
someoldguy said:
If you're in the USA , B&H ,and Adorama both have used departments and are reputable , also KEH.com . These places have been around for some time and have reputations to maintain .
Click to expand...

Yes I do agree with that being good advice, and I have checked out Adorama, Keh, and B&H (i've even purchased from b&h before) however, most of their items are out of my price range so i'm trying to find something better on eBay...however, if eBay doesn't work out, i'll buy from one of them.
 
Honestly, a $250 all-inclusive budget is really scraping the bottom of the barrel for a DSLR. Don't forget lenses, batteries, filters, memory cards, bags, etc you could easily blow well over $250 just on accessories alone.

Aside from a viewfinder and interchangeable lenses, frankly a modern $250 P&S is going to produce results on par with a D70s. I'd give some serious thought to saving up more money and revisiting this when you have a bigger budget to work with.
 
I bought my D70 new. It's a fantastic camera. It's still compatible with all lenses from Nikon. It takes great pictures. I don't think the average amateur photographer needs much more. I have the stock lens and a 18-200 Zoom with NR and it still keeps up with the best of 'em.
I doubt very much you'll find one for $250.00 but if you do grab it. You won't regret it.
 
Yes, I do realize I have a very small budget. Right now I'm just trying to get a body and lens (preferably a 50mm). I will increase my budget to about $350 soon.....I have 2 iTouch 2nd gens to sell.
 
I had a D70s which I traded in, to offset my purchase of the Olympus OMD.

I will say that the D70s was and is a great camera. Given its age, it lacks a lot of features that the current crop of DSLRs and I echo the comments that the technology has moved well beyond what the D70s is and may non DSLRs out perform this camera this point.
 
There is a used D70s at Adorama right now for $225.

http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=itemlist&cat1=Used&cat2=Nikon Digital&cat3=Cameras

I believe Adorama's 14-day no questions return policy still works for used gear but call and find out.

Get it now. Adorama is one of the most reputable dealers in the country along with B&H Photo/Video. They both carry used gear.

There is also a used D50 for $174. I used a D50 for years and love it. Took some great pictures with that camera. It has the same sensor as the D70S.

EDIT: sort those results by price. There is a very good selection of D200, D70s, D70, and D50's there with and with out lenses.
 
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Sorry..ha. I keep thinking of more things to add..

There are some used D5000's at Adorama as well that would be a stretch for your budget. Just know that the lower end Nikon DSLR's (D40, D60, D3000, 3100, 3200, 5000, 5100) will not Auto-Focus with all Nikon lenses.

Some older lenses require a screw drive in the camera body to drive the focus on the lens. Those bodies I just noted do NOT have that screw drive. They will only work with "G" and AF-S type Nikkor lenses.

The D50, D70(s), D100, D200, etc and up DO have that screw drive and will work with all AF Nikkor lenses.

So that 50/1.8D lens you are after will not Auto-focus with camera's I just listed.

You can also call Adorama or BH Photo and ask about a specific item and they can likely tell you how many shutter clicks are on the camera. You might get lucky and find something with a really low count.
 
You might want to be wary about a 50mm. 50mm is actually a bit on the long side for a 1.5 crop. I know everybody loves the nifty fifty, but it looks like most of your photos are a bit wider.

If you're a long way from the action, the 50mm can be great. But if you are closer, or want to take a distorted perspective, you need a much wider lens. Don't let the snobs fool you - a kit lens can actually do the job (if you are on a budget). There's some things a kit lens can't do, but you still have a sensor that's about 4X the quality of a P&S. If you really need a fast lens, though (for action shots) a 50mm is the cheapest.

On the other hand, a good P&S is much more portable.
 
There's a fellow at my workplace who is very handy fixing things. He bought non-operating D50's and lenses at Goodwill and on EBAY and ended up with two working D50 bodies, an 18-55 and 55-200 zoom for about $200.
 
Find a local camera shop and buy from them. They usually have some great benefits for new DSLR owners. I bought my first camera from one (D50) and they taught me how to use it, answered any random questions I had, and cleaned it anytime I asked. Plus you can tell them what your looking for and a lot of time they know pros that have old used gear sitting around that they want to get rid of. I picked up a D200 last year from them for $400, 8K clicks, and no body damage to speak of. And plus if you have problems you can take it back to them and they usually will fix it for free/small fee. Its always good to have someone you can go and talk to about photography questions, forums are good and all but someone showing you how to do it is one of the best ways.
 
My very first DSLR was the Nikon D70. It's a great camera to learn on. I owned for well over a year or so, and it very much served it's purpose. I never owned the D70S, but it is very similar to the D70. I would highly endorse it as a camera to "learn" on.
 
Absolutely go for D70s if your budget is low - that combined with a 50/1.8 or 35/1.8 will be great. I started out with a D70s myself. D70s sync speed is 1/500 compared to 1/250 for many or all other cameras. D70s has dual command dial and bunch of other dedicated buttons which D3100 and D5100 lack - this will make your life much easier when it comes to changing setting. Sure its old technology however that does not mean its bad now. I was waiting for D800 but then decided to buy D700 that many say is old technology - why buy. I have had it for about 2 months and it just awesome. Here is a D70s studio shots I did a while back http://www.chatautphotography.com/Portraits/Pooja-Sharma/8269611_rhnNGT#!i=541230018&k=PdoAm
 
Wow! I had some intermittent issues with my D70 and decided to spring for a newer D7000 last summer to shoot photos of my son and view a little easier on the screen. Plus, I had figured on upgrading in the next 1-2 years anyway.

That said, it is making me wonder if I should dig up and look over the D70 to see about a possible sale for it. I have all original parts, and boxes and kit lens (was a decent one). I'd probably keep 1-2 CF cards as my brother and I share an Infrared D70.

Key Camera was only going to give me $90-100 for selling it to them. I figured that was the bottom barrel pricing and just held on to it. The past several times I used it is was fine though.

And the D70 I used has taken some great shots and I blew one up to a 30 or 40" wide shot. Easily blows up to 18x24 type of shot and looks wonderful at 16x20 too. it was a great camera to have!
 
My Nikon D70S has worked great for several years and all of a sudden all images are coming out with as vertical blurs. I've searched the forum here as well as other sites and can't find anyone else who's had a problem like this. I've reset the camera and no improvement. Does anyone have any ideas on things I should be trying?
 
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