ohh, my new toy (Nikon D70) just arrived

been using a Nikon CP 4500 for the past couple of years. Always taking pics of stuff, but the limitations were starting to annoy, so I decided to step up to a D-SLP. Too bad it came so late in the day, sun is down so I can't test it outside today. Hmm, maybe I can try and get some of my cat.

I'm just about ready to switch to digital...

Digital is cool for most things. Especially high-contrast areas where the naked eye can't see the comparatively lower quality to film. But there are certain disadvantages, qualitywise. Shadow detail is one. How the sensor deals with light is another. Try that waterfall effect and you're FAR more likely to be overexposed. Once you mentally figure out how to do it in film (or even with external meters), it's easy to do.

Worse, it's a throwaway commodity. Right now, an expensive one.

ANd if you like moire, you'll love the D70's one tiny drawback: Anything with a fine crosshatch pattern (some dresses, backpacks, distant buildings, et al) have a moire artifact generated by the camera.

And yet I prefer the Nikon D70 over Canon's Digital Rebel and its next higher-up model, as those two have other problems (crap body, worse problems with long exposures apart from the typical ones you'll get with digital)

And the D-SLR sensor is harder to clean too - on any D-SLR model. Easier to break. Better get an extended warranty.

in the studio. They came out great. Most of them have been between 30 secs and 1 minute. I do agree with you about the moire, though.
The only way that we can shoot with these cameras in with RAW, otherwise the shadow detail stinks and they have a little too much contrast.

for my Minolta A1 (nice camera but not an SLR, so I'm stuck with the one lense).

I'm still in the contemplation stage. So far the D70 and the Maxxum 7D are at the top of my list. I don't own any lenses already, so I'm not locked into anything. I have been a Minolta guy for years though.

The thing I love about digital is you can shoot all day, delete the shots you don't like, shoot more, and never worry about having to spend your lifes savings on film :)

I have a Maxxum 5 and lenses, but the present $1599 price tag is a bit steep for me.

I know someone who just got it and is pretty happy with it.

The new Fuji S3 Pro is worse, it's between $2000 - $2500

Fun fun. I have to laugh about reviews saying how bulky and heavy the camera is. Jesus,I have a Nikon F2 and several lens including a 500mm mirror lens. Talk about heavy. This 8700 feels like a feather.

BTW,have any of you long time digital users had a CF card go bad?? Damn 1gig Sandisk Ultra worked fine through about 160 shots then all of a sudden would lock up the camera when I went back and reviewed shots already taken. It would hold it in a locked up state for maybe 45 seconds--couldn't even turn the camera off,then it would work once again.

I popped in a 512mb card and the camera works fine. Don't get it....

probably a defective card. I was using a 128MB Sansdisk with my Coolpix 4500, no problems for the 2+ years that I was using it.

I have heard that for some reason, some cards work best for specific cameras. Like for Nikon's, a Lexar card is the best. Not sure how true it is.

I got a 512mb 40x Lexar to go with my D70

I did notice in the Nikon manual is that 1 gig card isn't on the "approved memory cards" listing.

The only Ultra II approved is the 256mb,their are many Lexars but the only approved 1 gig card is made by Microdrive. Don't know if that would have anything to do with it or not,guess I'll contact Nikon.

Of course I didn't see this info before my CF card purchase because the 8700 comes without a CF card so I bought in advance.

I've never had it happen (I've even shot with a 1 gig hard drive for several years, cross my fingers), but I have heard of it happening.

The camera manual may be pre the 1 gig "ultra".

I loaded the 1 gig CF card back in,deleted all pics,reformatted and then made a new folder. So far no lockups,if it happens again I'll contact Sandisk for a replacement.