SLR Digital cameras

I'm considering moving from my trusty Canon G2 to an SLR digital. The Nikon D70 sounds like a deal at $1K but I don't know a lot about them. I'd like to stay aroung $2K total. What are youse guys thoughts?

[arcsine]

I have the Nikon D100. I think it is great but if you need to buy lenses, I am not sure you could stay under $2K. There is the Canon EOS-Rebel that has been given great reviews and is very affordable. For researching I recommend www.dpreview.com.

[Eric Coffey]

The D70 is nice, and I believe it has the same sensor/CCD as the D100, you just don't get a few of the bells & whistles. With Nikon, the lenses and extras are what really kills your wallet. You will pay a hefty premium for a nice, fast (f2.8) Nikon AF lens, especially if you want anything at either end of the focal-length range. The Nikon lenses can't be beat though. I sold all my Nikon 35mm gear a few years back to "go digital" and have regretted doing so. I should have kept my lenses, and just bought a Nikon digi body, but I was too impatient at the time. I ended up compromising with an Olympus E-20N. It is a fixed-lens SLR (true TTL finder/metering), and is a very good camera for the money. My only complaint is that the write times are somewhat slow.

[cegerer]

Try a Fuji S1 or S2. I've been using my S1 professionally for 2 years now. It's based upon a Nikon 'chassis'. Very pleased other than having to clean the CCD every 3-4 months. I work in very dusty conditions though. -- Curt

[techweenie]

I got a Canon Digital Rebel based on all the online reviews.

Not impressed at all. I replaced an Oympus E-100RS with it and got much better picture quality from the Olympus. I suspect the E-20N would be a good choice to check out.

[island911]

Originally posted by cegerer
. . . Very pleased other than having to clean the CCD every 3-4 months. . ..

Yeah, swbsam said something about that being a problem with some of the SLR's. . .the ones with the removable lenses. I imagine the CCD's are fragile little dust magnets.

One thing is for certain; change/progress is happening fast in the digital photography world.

[cegerer]

And if you read the manufacturer's literature, they'd leave you to believe that you ought not DARE to open the camera up and try to clean the CCD yourself!! Well, I got the proper cleaning solution and swabs and it's only about a 10 minute job.

Which reminds of eFilm. This product was supposed to come to market a few years ago. It was a 35mm film-cannister-shaped device with a CCD. You just popped it into any 35mm film camera and it was instantly converted to digital. Sounded like a great idea but I haven't heard anything about it recently. I know the image size was a problem because the lense to 'film' distance was too short.

Thanks for the opines, guys. Looks like I have some research to do. The new Nikon gets kudos from all the online reviewers, but I have to wonder if there is a brand bias. Thanks again.

[911ctS]

Originally posted by techweenie
I got a Canon Digital Rebel based on all the online reviews.

Not impressed at all. I replaced an Oympus E-100RS with it and got much better picture quality from the Olympus. I suspect the E-20N would be a good choice to check out.

Dang, I was convinced that this was a pretty good setup for the $$ but I guess its not all that.

[bob tilton]

i just dropped off R Gruppe Monterey weekend film today at a local "prefessional" film shop. i found it strange when none of their staff have gone digital. i have to admit that i have been on the fence as well about going digital but hesitate due to costs. i have a nikon fe2 and everytime i get freshly developed pictures back i forget about the digital route.

also, on a professional note, i work at a commercial printer as the "photoshop guy" which means i convert reg pic/transparencies to digital and whatever else the client requests after that (can you make this sky bluer or can we remove the transient from the background). i have learned that when the shot counts people are still shooting film. i just got done with a working on The North Face catalog and it was all 35mm slide. we also handle several high end galleries in San Francisco and it all 4x5 transparencies.

i also don't like the fact that digital images originate as RGB rather than CMYK but that may be due to my background in printing. RGB images converted to CMYK can do strange things in the shadows. it builds shadows that are the ideal opposite in CMYK. of course most home printers are CMYK but there are exceptions.

i also don't like the strange artifacts that are introduced in digital images. i'm not exactly how high of a quality camera reproduces like film. inspect individual channels in photoshop to see these artifacts.

you can always take a film camera and produce a 24" x 36" poster but i'm not sure the same can be said about digital.

i think i just talked myself out of the D70. oh well, my case is different. i have access to a drum scanner and contract proofing devices. until i get fired or move on from my job i think i will stick with film. the only thing i would gain from digital would be conveinence and an empty wallet. better to save that money for a brushed talbot mirror and having my deep 6s refinished RSR style.

[Eric Coffey]

I'm not sure about the empty wallet part. Fuji Velvia/Provia and pro processing can get very expensive, and is what finally convinced me to make the switch. Not to mention, with transparency film there is not a lot of room for error (narrow latitude). Also, you just can't beat the "instant gratification" factor that digital gives you, unless you want to spend even more $$ and pack around a Polaroid set-up.

[jyl]

I am planning to switch to a digital SLR as soon as the price becomes affordable for the features I want. The expense of developing and printing, and the hassle involved, is really significant for me. Also the instant feedback of digital, and the ability to take many shots and keep only the good ones, makes it a lot more likely that I'll actually get an image I like, especially with moving subjects.

It certainly makes sense that professional photographers will stick with film for many uses. They are experts and don't need the crutch of trial-and-error shooting. If they shoot stationary subjects and need high-quality output, I don't see any advantage to digital.

As for what I'm waiting for, I want a SLR with:
- an image sensor the size of a 35'' negative, so that I can use a "20mm lens" in 35mm format and get the same field of view on the DSLR (I like my non-fisheye 16mm wide-angle, and as a practical matter I can't get that field-of-view using most DLSRs)
- at least 6 MP resolution
- virtually no lag from shutter button press to focus to image capture
- a lot of exposure and focus flexibility, including manual capability. Ideally I'd like some form of "multi-spot metering" (set camera to spot, meter on various parts of the image, have the camera show the relative EVs of each spot, and manually set the overall exposure)
- <$2,000 for the body
- preferably Canon or Nikon

[Eric Coffey]

Originally posted by jyl
As for what I'm waiting for, I want a SLR with:
- an image sensor the size of a 35'' negative, so that I can use a "20mm lens" in 35mm format and get the same field of view on the DSLR (I like my non-fisheye 16mm wide-angle, and as a practical matter I can't get that field-of-view using most DLSRs)
- at least 6 MP resolution
- virtually no lag from shutter button press to focus to image capture
- a lot of exposure and focus flexibility, including manual capability. Ideally I'd like some form of "multi-spot metering" (set camera to spot, meter on various parts of the image, have the camera show the relative EVs of each spot, and manually set the overall exposure)
- <$2,000 for the body
- preferably Canon or Nikon

The Contax N Digital meets all but the last two of your requirements. The body alone is $6k+ and it's obviously not Canon or Nikon (uses high-$$ Carl Zeiss lenses).

[Embs]

I am bashing the Sony dsc-f828 in another thread. I tried out the Nikon D70 for 1 hour yesterday at a local shop. It was very impressive for the money . The back is around 1K (retail) and the selection of Nikkor lenses is good.


I think this camera easily takes pictures that are in the same ballpark as my Canon EOS 10D. The D70 was very fast to auto focus and the burst capability was awesome. It does have a Sony sensor. Some people won't like the polycarb body. From what I witnessed yesterday the D70 is well worth the cash.

Todd

[Jeremy Cottrell]

Todd, how do you like the 10D? I have an EOS A2E system right now, and am interested in a 10D for the obvious advantage of retaining my lenses. After Techweenies comments about the Rebel, it may be a good idea to go upmarket. I got the bug after seeing those amazing shots on the tech board of the Classis LeMans, shot with a Rebel Digital.

[928ram]

The 10D is due to be replaced very soon, within weeks or maybe days (Sept?)

I don't think the resolution is going to be boosted by much, but expect improvements in performance across the board as new tech will make it the "best" in class until the next new body.

[nostatic]

Here is the 10D replacement:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/canoneos20d/

I'm about to jump on the bandwagon too. I've been shooting with various small digital cameras and have run into the usual limitations, so I'm going to go digital SLR. I'd be starting from scratch, so body and lens would be the first step (ie I don't have lenses that I need to mate to a new body). At this point I'm thinking D70 or the 20D as my budget would be under $2500.

http://www.ritzcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&productId=13176802&topCategory=1134

http://www.ritzcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&popup=true&productId=13129501

(yes I know the D70 is with lense).

Thoughts?

Since this thread started, I've decided to go with the D70. Birthday is in a few weeks, so I should have it in hand mid Sept. I'll get the kit lens and have just picked up a Nikkor 70-210 4-5.6D to ride along til I find the right deal on a 2.8 zoom. Mongo very happy!