ZoomBoy,
I appreciate all the detail and time you took to write this.
I have a few problems with your comments as far as the Dreble
lacking colour saturation (especially with Parameter1 which is
amazing to me), and about Nikons Matrix metering which gave
me far too many "white skies" also, but I overall agree with your post.
The CMOS sensor alone has sold me. The lack of noise at long
exposures without the need for in camera "hokus-pokus" says
alot. I'm not pro Canon or pro Nikon, but since owning the Dreble
and a user of Nikon digital cameras, I will be first in line to get the
Dreble/D10 upgrade dSLR. I like the Dreble so much, I've been
contemplating getting the D10 lately. This thing is amazing,
the more I use it. I'm approaching 7,000 pics now. No problems.
I said it before, and will say it again.... Canon nailed the overall
layout of this camera and it is a joy to use. It just needs some
refining. I have never run out battery power too. I have taken
photos recently with the Sigma APO 70-300 II, Canon 50mm 1.8,
and the kit lens of birds and general scenery that no other camera
either film or digital I've owned have come close to in colour accuracy
or just nailing the scene (tho some Pshop work makes them better
often too).
Canon should be paying me for this plug, but they got it pretty
much right with the Dreble and made alot of dSLR users of their
stuff. Nikons D70 is obviously a fine camera, but they missed the
boat here by waiting too long to bring it out. That battery grip
on the Dreble is great too. As far as I know, the D70 has no
battery grip option (could be wrong?).
Mbarque.
===========================
Guys,
Before starting trowing stones, let me say that this is not a troll
post, I was one of the first in this forum to own the DRebel the
day it was released last year and I am a fervent visitor of the
forum. I do not post too much due mainly to time constraints and I
don't think my photographic skills are good enough for public
display, but I try to learn and progress.
There have been a lot of posts blaming and bashing both the DRebel
and the D70 and a lot of dicussions regarding which camera is
better. In my opinion, none.
I had the opportunity to play with the D70 a cousin of mine just
got and here are some of my observations, aimed mainly at those who
spend some time in these forums trying to decide which camera to
buy. I hope this helps.
1. The camera looks of better build quality than the Canon, is more
bulky and heavy and the black color is nice (I hate to say that,
but it is nice!).
2. The controls are more complicated and you'll have to deal with a
complexity of dials and buttons. I like the simplicity of the
DRebel and the more intuitive use of buttons, dials and even the
software menus.
3. More settings are available for the D70 compared to the DRebel
and you are able to fine-tune color curves and other parameters
from the computer - this is a neat feature.
4. Color rendering and exposure were just crappy out of the box,
but you can fine-tune them to achieve the desired results. The
colors tend to be more saturated than Canons' (especially the reds)
but are pleasant to the eye.
5. Matrix metering is a major plus - remember those Canon "white
skies"? No more.
6. The auto-focus mechanism is by far more accurate on the DRebel
compared to the D70, and the 7 points focus instead of 5 (D70) are
a certain plus. The D70 seems to require more contrast that the
DRebel to achieve a good focus.
7. I've missed the ability to save various custom profiles - only
one at the time can be saved with the D70.
8. I know DRebel play and zoom are not state of the art, but wait
to see the D70. Even if the LCD has a higher resolution, there is
no zoom (only like 50%) to check for sharpness or artifacts. A
feature I really miss.
9. FEC is there, but since I only use manual settings when taking
indoor pictures I will not comment on it.
10. The lens kit is of higher speed than the DRebel lens kit and
seems better built. And it has a metal mount. Looks a little
sharper too.
11. Noise. Nikon has done an excellent job on keeping the noise
levels down. I was always complaining to friends that the D70 has
only ISO 200 compared to the DRebel's ISO 100 setting. Well,
according to my observations, there is no noticeable difference
between the noise levels of the outputs of both cameras at the
above ISO setting. I was really impressed. At ISO 200, the DRebel
is even a little noisier than the D70.
12. If you like to take action photos, you'll love the buffer speed
of the D70. The consecutive shots are not limited to 4 by the
buffer size. You can keep the shuttes pressed down and it will take
consecutive pictures till the flash card is full.
Conclusion: There is more to say about both cameras, but I think
the above points are essential for someone that is a prospective
buyer of any of them. Overall, even if I really liked the D70 I
will not change the DRebel for it, mainly because of the focus
accuracy and the simplicity of the menus.
For those who like to play with buttons and settings, and if taking
action pictures, the D70 is an excellent camera with more features
than the DRebel.
If you like to "think" and take time to compose and study your
pictures, both cameras do an excellent job, the DRebel being more
focus accurate and more real-life colors compared to the D70.
The D70 is clearly a more advanced camera and more closer to the
"pro" side than the DRebel. But again, it all depends on its usage
and what you want to achieve. And do not forget that is the eye of
the photographer that counts!
All the best,
ZoomBoy
"All pixels are not created equal"
