D70 Faults

[Old Ed]

I have about 12 mint, pro-grade MF Nikkors
that will mount, but are impractical on the D70
or D100 (no metering). And of my 5 AF Nikkors,
I only see 2 as useful complements to the kit lens--
my 70-210, and my 50/1.8. My 85/1.8 might
be marginally useful. Time marches on...
So sad... 8-( 8-( 8-(

But just wait until I win the Lotto, and get my D2X!
So happy!

Ed

Hi TMc -

The MAIN reason for the kit lens is that it gives
you wide angle coverage (28-105 equivalent).
With your 28-85 you'd be stuck with a low
end of 42 equivalent.

The secondary reason is that the kit lens has
the latest bells and whistles (e.g., "D" metering).

Your 70-210 would be a very nice complement
to the 18-70 kit lens. The 28-85, while a nice
lens, would be redundant if you had the kit lens.
(I would like to sell my 8008, with the 28-85,
if I could find someone who wanted that outfit.)

Happy shooting, Ed

-------------------------------------------------
You hit everything right on the head.
The 28-85 becomes redundant to the kit lens and can't get very much
on resale. I was also thinking about keeping these and getting a
20mm f2.8 (which gets me to 30mm).
Either way, I'm out $300. to $500. and the advantage of the
existing Nikkors is not as much as I was hoping.
Thanks for your perspective.
TMc

 

[Robert Cohen]

Nice looking dogs -- looks like a very friendly breed. Cute to see
them taking thier owners on walks in the grass/woods. I see they
keep the tails long unlike Springers. What's your reaction to the
D70 versus the coolpix?

The dogs are really very friendly. They were developed in France to hunt rabbits, usually in packs, and the idea of the Hunting Instrinct Test was to let the dogs out in a large fenced area with some rabbits and see if these (mostly couch potato) dogs would know instinctively how to detect and flush game. None of the dogs came close to catching a rabbit, though!

I have enjoyed using the CP4500 for about a year and a half, and I've learned something about digital photography from using that camera, but its slow response, even in bright sunlight, was endlessly frustrating. There have been so many shots I saw clearly in my mind's eye that were missed because of the slow response time of the 4500. I knew I would have had the shots if I was using my film SLR. The D70 has that quick response time. It feels good in my hands and I think I'll be able to get a lot of shots I would have missed if I was using the smaller camera. On the other hand I expect to keep using the 4500 for shots for which it is particularly well suited. For example I can use its twist body to get photos down at the level of my dogs and get angles I couldn't easily get with an SLR.
--
--Bob

 

[Bruce M.]

I also have been a pro for 35 years, exclusively. I have shot literally millions of exposures, from Nikon F (not a single plastic exterior item) to Nikon FTn to F2 to FE's, Hasselblads, Mamiya RB's, four 4x5 Cambo's and three 8x10's. I have had thousands of photographs published world-wide, including two books for the Smithsonian. I give yearly invitational lectures to senior students at RIT on photography. I sort of know how to take a good photograph and know a thing or two about the subject, I guess.

I bought a D70 outfit today. It's an incredible camera. Fast. Responsive. Logically and intuitively setup in the true Nikon tradition. Lens is sharp, flare well-controlled. Test exposures so far are amazing. Especially the high ISO's, even to 1600. Capture direct to computer works great. Unbelievable for $1300. That's my take so far. I haven't even looked at the manual yet.

Two years ago I bought my first digital to get my feet wet. The Nikon 5000. At the time there was the same hand-wringing and hysteria about "flaws" with it at this very forum. Hundreds and hundreds. Month after month. Drove me away and many other knowledgeable's who were willing to offer help, but never to battle the foolish nonsense endlessly. Ironically, my 5000 produced dozens of published images, including full-page reproductions. Never a hint of the supposed "focus problems" or dreaded "CA" the 5000 was discussed repeatedly about for almost that entire year here.

The "examples" being offered up now here are typically exactly what we used to literally throw on the floor to get swept up later during marathon 30 hour-straight 100 roll shoot sessions. During shoots, "stuff" happens. Apparent "flaws" from the finest optics and cameras ever made. Its incredibly easy to make the very best equipment look to be "faulted" yet produce stunning results in the very same photo session. I know all too well. So does any other "photographer" worthy of the title.

Just go ahead and buy a D70 and enjoy an amazing landmark in digital's evolution. You will be moving on in 2-3 years anyways.

 

[Robert Cohen]

It's funny, I got rid of my drakroom equipment about 20 years ago, and today there have been several messages bringing back the memories, including the lovely smells!

Maybe some of these messages make the younger observers think of an old fogey bragging about the days when he was in school and had to walk twenty miles each way, in the snow, uphill each way. But the advances in equipment that we now take for granted are truly remarkable and I really wouldn't want to trade for the days that I shot B&W film at a basketball game or other event, developed it and printed it that same night so I could make a deadline. (For the college paper; though I've sold photos, I've never made my living taking photos.)

I expect that the D70 will be a terrific tool, giving me pleasure for my personal photos and giving me good shots for a couple of clubs I belong to, where the photos are used for publication in print and on the web.
--
--Bob

 

[davexl]

I also have been a pro for 35 years, exclusively. I have shot
literally millions of exposures, from Nikon F (not a single plastic
exterior item) to Nikon FTn to F2 to FE's, Hasselblads, Mamiya
RB's, four 4x5 Cambo's and three 8x10's. I have had thousands of
photographs published world-wide, including two books for the
Smithsonian. I give yearly invitational lectures to senior
students at RIT on photography. I sort of know how to take a good
photograph and know a thing or two about the subject, I guess.

I bought a D70 outfit today. It's an incredible camera. Fast.
Responsive. Logically and intuitively setup in the true Nikon
tradition. Lens is sharp, flare well-controlled. Test exposures
so far are amazing. Especially the high ISO's, even to 1600.
Capture direct to computer works great. Unbelievable for $1300.
That's my take so far. I haven't even looked at the manual yet.

Two years ago I bought my first digital to get my feet wet. The
Nikon 5000. At the time there was the same hand-wringing and
hysteria about "flaws" with it at this very forum. Hundreds and
hundreds. Month after month. Drove me away and many other
knowledgeable's who were willing to offer help, but never to battle
the foolish nonsense endlessly. Ironically, my 5000 produced
dozens of published images, including full-page reproductions.
Never a hint of the supposed "focus problems" or dreaded "CA" the
5000 was discussed repeatedly about for almost that entire year
here.

The "examples" being offered up now here are typically exactly what
we used to literally throw on the floor to get swept up later
during marathon 30 hour-straight 100 roll shoot sessions. During
shoots, "stuff" happens. Apparent "flaws" from the finest optics
and cameras ever made. Its incredibly easy to make the very best
equipment look to be "faulted" yet produce stunning results in the
very same photo session. I know all too well. So does any other
"photographer" worthy of the title.

Just go ahead and buy a D70 and enjoy an amazing landmark in
digital's evolution. You will be moving on in 2-3 years anyways.

--
Regards,

David F.
Melbourne, Australia.
http://www.pbase.com/davexl/

 

[stratcat55]

Hello Again!

I just wanted to thank everyone who participated in this thread. It's nice to hear from the people who have a clue about the art AND mechanics of photography. Old ED, I am from the old school. I used to process Ilford HP5 when they offered a short lived 72 exposure roll. I still have the reel. I still have a real darkroom with film and paper processors and all the smells. I still love it.

Hi Everyone,

I am a professional photographer in PA. --

GT Hervey
The more I learn, the less I know.

 

[AllanB]

I got my D70 yesterday evening and I must say that it is an extremely pleasant camera. Except for the relatively small viewfinder, I like it a lot. My old AF glass works even better (and is thus indirectly "upgraded"). Just like putting a new CPU in your old computer system. The focusing and metering are superb.

Very pleasant indeed. At $1000, absolutely remarkable. Can't ask for more.

AllanB

... here:
http://www.pbase.com/dlcmh/dslr_links
3rd link from the bottom.

stratcat55 wrote:

--
Regards, David
Dee70 - Kindly contribute your Dee70 link here:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=8104743
CP.4.5.0.0. http://www.pbase.com/dlcmh/

--
AllanB

 

[BigH]

Sanity at last!!!!

Many thanks for your time and effort.

I never doubted the D70 would be superb but it is really great to hear from a pro!

thanks again.

H

Hi Everyone,

I am a professional photographer in PA...

 

[gthervey]

Wow! I forgot all about HP5, but I used it, too.
Thanks for starting this sanity check thread.

I just wanted to thank everyone who participated in this thread.
It's nice to hear from the people who have a clue about the art
AND mechanics of photography. Old ED, I am from the old school. I
used to process Ilford HP5 when they offered a short lived 72
exposure roll. I still have the reel. I still have a real darkroom
with film and paper processors and all the smells. I still love it.

Hi Everyone,

I am a professional photographer in PA. --

GT Hervey
The more I learn, the less I know.

--
GT Hervey
The more I learn, the less I know.

 

[Bram Bos]

No kidding. I don't think I've ever shot anything above 1/1000.
Of course, I remember when cameras with that setting were
cutting-edge fast, too...

Heh.. exactly.. my current DSLR, the Olympus E-10 doesn't
go over 1/640.. and it has NEVER been a limitation for me.
In bright sunlight I use a polarizer most of the time anyway..

One less flaw to put me off the D70

Cheers,

Bram

--------------------------------------------------------------------
My Travel Galleries (asia, middle east, latin america)
http://www.pbase.com/brambos

 

[GreggWeir]

stratcat 55, thanks for posting this. I've been lurking here for a year and a half and it it the best post and follow-up threads I've seen.

Coming from manual-focus Nikons (FA, F3) and a Cambo 4x5 from my photo school days, this post and replies bought the focus back to the art that I care about, and what should be discussed more. Any photographer with vision, skill and passion can produce great images from the oldest, most obsolete equipment. Only a poor photographer will blame the equipment as lacking, instead of striving to improve their knowledge of possible limitions and working within those boundries. I feel some people should look through some photo history books (my goodness! another ANALOG concept!), or look at the works of the past greats and see what they produced with "archaic and obsolete equipment".

Hi Everyone,

I am a professional photographer in PA. and have been reading about
all the problems with the D70. It seems the biggest problem with it
is people don't read the instruction manual. Most of the shots
taken are poorly exposed to begin with, shot directly into the sun
at 8,000 sec etc. and not paying even the slighest attention to
whats going on in the viewfinder as far as metering goes.Oh but the
way, it looks like the meter comes from the Nikon F5 and the
focusing system from the N90 film cameras. Two of some of the best
Nikon has to offer. Then cry because because you loose one in 150
photos. In the 25 years I've been shooting, i've NEVER needed to
shoot at 1/8000 sec. Way back most cameras only went to
1/500-1/1000 sec. I have also shot sports from time to time. As
with the morie pattern i've gotten it on film (Kodak Portra 400)
and had to re-shoot with the people wearing different clothing
because I got morie and a magenta shift. That's with a Mamiya RB 67
Pro S medium format camera! I've even seen it on rare instances on
$12,000 digital medium format backs. Color fringing? Buy better
glass. Don't expect to get wonderfull results with slow $200.00
glass blow it up on your monitor to 150-200% and not see color
fringing and blooming in the highlights. Remember you are not
buying a $4500.00 professional camera but a consumer machine. I
think half of the doom sayers are Canon guys having buyers remorse
or sour grapes or something. A camera is just a tool nothing more.
Remember not that long ago people were buying 1-2 MP cameras for
what the D70 and Drebel cost just to make low quality 4x6 prints. I
manually meter and focus with everything from 35mm to large format
4x5 to high end digital. I even have a slow Olympus E20 that I get
stunning product photos with. I am planning on getting a D70 in a
few weeks for some of my quicky stuff.
My point is don't sweat the small stuff that is easily correctable.
I have much more expensive gear that will give me trouble from time
to time.
Sorry about the ramble. I would like to see and here from peolpe
who have a clue as to how to make a photograph for a change.

--
Gregg
'Define yourself through your art, not your equipment'

 

[Gregg Humphrey]

Right On! Thanks for the post stratcat55

Hi Everyone,

I am a professional photographer in PA. and have been reading about
all the problems with the D70. It seems the biggest problem with it
is people don't read the instruction manual. Most of the shots
taken are poorly exposed to begin with, shot directly into the sun
at 8,000 sec etc. and not paying even the slighest attention to
whats going on in the viewfinder as far as metering goes.Oh but the
way, it looks like the meter comes from the Nikon F5 and the
focusing system from the N90 film cameras. Two of some of the best
Nikon has to offer. Then cry because because you loose one in 150
photos. In the 25 years I've been shooting, i've NEVER needed to
shoot at 1/8000 sec. Way back most cameras only went to
1/500-1/1000 sec. I have also shot sports from time to time. As
with the morie pattern i've gotten it on film (Kodak Portra 400)
and had to re-shoot with the people wearing different clothing
because I got morie and a magenta shift. That's with a Mamiya RB 67
Pro S medium format camera! I've even seen it on rare instances on
$12,000 digital medium format backs. Color fringing? Buy better
glass. Don't expect to get wonderfull results with slow $200.00
glass blow it up on your monitor to 150-200% and not see color
fringing and blooming in the highlights. Remember you are not
buying a $4500.00 professional camera but a consumer machine. I
think half of the doom sayers are Canon guys having buyers remorse
or sour grapes or something. A camera is just a tool nothing more.
Remember not that long ago people were buying 1-2 MP cameras for
what the D70 and Drebel cost just to make low quality 4x6 prints. I
manually meter and focus with everything from 35mm to large format
4x5 to high end digital. I even have a slow Olympus E20 that I get
stunning product photos with. I am planning on getting a D70 in a
few weeks for some of my quicky stuff.
My point is don't sweat the small stuff that is easily correctable.
I have much more expensive gear that will give me trouble from time
to time.
Sorry about the ramble. I would like to see and here from peolpe
who have a clue as to how to make a photograph for a change.