Nikon D70s or Canon EOS 30D?

triplejoy

After reading many reviews, I find myself more confused about which DSLR to get :dunno . I think I have narrowed it down between the Nikon D70s and the Canon EOS 30D. I was hoping someone here would have some helpful input about which one is better overall. I am interested in improving my photography skills and hopefully taking some "professional" quality photographs of my children.

I prefer to make a purchase that will serve me for several years so that I don't need to invest in upgrades.

I would also appreciate any feedback about types of lenses and which you would recommend as a primary and secondary.

Thanks :

Kirsten

Bob Bell

triplejoy wrote:

After reading many reviews, I find myself more confused about which DSLR to get . I think I have narrowed it down between the Nikon D70s and the Canon EOS 30D. I was hoping someone here would have some helpful input about which one is better overall. I am interested in improving my photography skills and hopefully taking some "professional" quality photographs of my children.

I prefer to make a purchase that will serve me for several years so that I don't need to invest in upgrades.

I would also appreciate any feedback about types of lenses and which you would recommend as a primary and secondary.

Thanks :



Kirsten

Professional quality images are usually due to technique and the optics used. Either of the bodies that you have listed will allow you to capture great images. I favor Canon because I've used their products for years.

As for lenses, a 50mm or a 24-70L would be ideal for lenses. If you do not feel like paying for L priced Canon lenses. Tamron makes a quality lens. I think it is 28-75/2.8. So that would be a good starting point.

The upgrade point is interesting. Lenses will last years with good care. They can take a bit of abuse and work for years. I expect any lens I buy to hold up for 10 years. I have many around that age and one that was made in 1987. Digital camera technology is not a mature technology. I expect many very important advances in the next few years. Until then, you almost have to treat a DSLR as a commodity and get a new one every 2-3 years because of the technological advances.

To that end, the consumer end of DSRL's are pretty good. The Canon Digital Rebel XT should be able to meet your needs. I understand the rebate reduces them to $600 for an 8 MP camera with a digic II chipset, which is the same used in the 20D, 1DmkII.

Sorry if I am adding confusion to your decision

MarkM6

Canon 30D.
30D! It also is the newest DSLR model. At the very least, the Spot Metering will keep you more interested in photography...

As far as the review goes, it is compared to the D200...:uhoh

Harryb

Hi Kirsten,

If the choice is between the 30D and the D70 I would go with the D30. Now if the choice was between the D30 and the D200 I would go with the D200.

A good lens choice for your stated purpose would be a fast prime like the 50mm 1.8 or 1.4 and a good nedium range zoom such as the 17-55 2.8 or the 17-55 2.8

NHBubba

triplejoy wrote:

I prefer to make a purchase that will serve me for several years so that I don't need to invest in upgrades.

If the 30D is anything like the 20D (and by all accounts it is!) then it should easily last a medium to advanced amateur for quite some time. In my experience the lesser cameras (Rebels, D50, etc) are stop-gaps and will leave you wanting more sooner or later. But not so w/ the 20D..

juliejules

I just went through this decision process myself, although I decided early on Canon. I went with a 20D, because I couldn't wait for the 30D and I didn't think the incremental advances were going to be worth the extra money. I'm basically an amatuer with expensive tastes . I want to take high quality photos of my kids playing sports (ice hockey being the hardest), theater, family vacations, etc, and I dabble in artistic photography. I'm fairly technical, and was a darkroom rat in the really old days.

As for lenses, my first lens is a 24-105mm F4L IS, which got good reviews as a general purpose walk around lens. The lens to have if you're having only one.

Once the UPS guy gets here today , I will add a 16-35mm F2.8L to fill the Super Wide Zoom category and a 70-200mm F2.8L IS for the Telephoto Zoom category, a 1.4x extender, and a flash. :wow

So far, I've found the 20D very easy to use, although I have a lot to learn. For example, I keep forgetting that I've changed the ISO, so the next time I pick up the camera it's like 1600.

Buy everything from B&H. Ask questions on Dgrin, everybody's helpful.

MrBook2

Harryb wrote:

Hi Kirsten,

If the choice is between the 30D and the D70 I would go with the D30. Now if the choice was between the D30 and the D200 I would go with the D200.

I have to agree with Harry here. I have a D70 and I love it, but the 30D and the D200 are a step up from the D70/D70S.

Now, with that said, if you are new to the DSLR game, you might be better served getting a less expensive camera (like the D70 or the Digital Rebel XT) and buying some really good lenses. There is about an $800 price difference between the Canon 30D and the Digital Rebel XT (also called the 350D) and close to the same amount between the Canon 30D and the Nikon D70S. $800 can really beef up your lens budget. You may end up wanting to upgrade your camera body in a couple of years, but once you start down the slippery slope that is a DSLR, you will soon have far more money invested in glass than in your body. And once you have decided on the Canon vs. Nikon, you should be able to move glass from one body to the next.

Disclaimer, I am a Nikon shooter, but I always suggest that people handle the cameras before they make up their mind. I just like the way that Nikons feel. You can get great results from eithor camp, regardless of what those mean Canon guys say! (Just kidding guys...)

--Aaron

Back Window

MrBook2 wrote:

I have to agree with Harry here. I have a D70 and I love it, but the 30D and the D200 are a step up from the D70/D70S.

Now, with that said, if you are new to the DSLR game, you might be better served getting a less expensive camera (like the D70 or the Digital Rebel XT) and buying some really good lenses. There is about an $800 price difference between the Canon 30D and the Digital Rebel XT (also called the 350D) and close to the same amount between the Canon 30D and the Nikon D70S. $800 can really beef up your lens budget. You may end up wanting to upgrade your camera body in a couple of years, but once you start down the slippery slope that is a DSLR, you will soon have far more money invested in glass than in your body. And once you have decided on the Canon vs. Nikon, you should be able to move glass from one body to the next.

Disclaimer, I am a Nikon shooter, but I always suggest that people handle the cameras before they make up their mind. I just like the way that Nikons feel. You can get great results from eithor camp, regardless of what those mean Canon guys say! (Just kidding guys...)

--Aaron

I agree, thats what i did, i was going for the 20D but i figured the 350D was good enough for me, so with the money i saved I bought me some nice glass for it, but soon im planning to upgrade to either the 30D or one of the Nikon DSLR's.

JCDoss

The basic answer is to go to a photo store, handle both cameras, and take home the one that fits you best.

pathfinder

The better answer is neither the 30D or the D70 should make your decision.

Study Canon and Nikon's line up of lenses and accessories, chose which brand suits your needs the best, and then purchase the camera body that fits the lenses you want to own and use.

There is not going to be critical difference between the 30D and the D70. But once you start buying lenses, you are not going to be able to change systems without some pain. SO think carefully from the beginning, whether you will prefer Nikon or Canon glass and flashes.

I owned Nikon SLRs in the manual focusing era, but decided to finally switch to Canon in the auto-focus digital world. But I could have lived happily in the Nikon world also. They both make fine pro gear.

Either way, you will be pleased - both offer excellent choices that are far better tools than most of us are photographers.

foreign-exposure

I would agree that "feel" comes first. Go to a Wolf or equivalent of a camera store and play with it for a while.

When I picked up my DSLR, I was deciding between a D70, 20D, and 350D. The 350D was the cheapest, but it was also too small and flimsy for me. Just didn't sit right, so that got crossed off the list immediately.

Then next came the 20D and D70... tougher choice. The cameras (to me) were comparable. A friend of mine had some good Canon glass that I could use, but the Nikon (body) was cheaper. At the end, I liked the feel of the D70 better (both body and interface). Plus, I saved quite a bit of cash on the body. With the difference, I picked up the other VERY NECESSRAY gear... tripods, flash, wireless remote, flash bounce (omni and softbox), and filters.

it's important to remember that the accessories make a big difference. getting more MPs aren't (unless your print ridiculously large prints like Andy). Having the right accessories will help you make better pics faster and easier than spending time in Photoshop doing post-production. Personally, I prefer to spend my time behind the light box than behind the tube... I also shoot a lot of portraits and have come to appreciate the accessories such as a good fill-flash (very important).

Also remember that you will shoot a lot of pics for portraits (to catch people being more natural instead of posing, to avoid the blinks, to try out different focal lengths, etc). I probably shoot 10-20 pics to get a good portrait pic that I like. Since my computer isn't very fast, sorting through them takes a while. So I kind of enjoy the fact that my D70 is only a 6mp instead of an 8... helps me work a little faster.

Lastly, keep in mind that the body is the part that depreciate the most in the DSLR world. The D70 was sold for $800 a year ago, but it's only worth about $500-600 now. The lenses on the other hand will keep in value. So don't fuss too much over what body to get. Whatever body you pick, the body will still be good and will still make good pics, but it'll be worth much less in $ value later. You'll know when you'll need to / worth it to upgrade.



I would also recommend you read Ken Rockwell's "Why your Camera Does Not Matter."


happy shooting!
p.s. I forgot... you can also spend the extra money (and time saved) on things like a SmugMug account, and Star*Explorer. they'll help you get your photos out to your fan/family/friends. It's really worth the investment... bu you probably know that already. :-)

TOF guy

If it is between the Canon 30D and the Nikon D70s, then I would pick myself the 30D.

(as a side-note: I'd pick the D70s against the 20D, as the 20D does not have spot metering, unlike the D70s. A feature that Canon has finally added to the 30D).

Other features that the 30D has and the D70s does not (I would know because these features are present in the Nikon D200 which I have) and which are very useful:
- a better viewfinder
- more AF focus points, with a better layout
- RGB histograms (very important !)
- better fps
- better dynamic range

This being said, saving money by purchasing a D70 and investing the difference in a better lens is a very smart move too ... maybe even smarter. And the suggestion to try and see which camera works better in your hands is also a very good suggestion.