Returned the D70

SteveLongPhoto · March 29, 2005

I returned the D70 I just bought. I shot one high-school gym event with it and I was pretty disappointed with the 1600 iso performance. I had my son shooting with my S1 Pro at the same time with pretty much identical settings and the S1 shots were a lot less noisy. I was very happy with the focus speed, the handling and the capture rate, in fact everything besides the final image quality. I was shooting 1600 iso with my 105 2.8 lens, shutter speed around 1/125. Flash was not allowed.

My exposures were pretty close to right on by the histograms. Noise Ninja cleaned up the lighter color noise and some of the dark tones, but I just wasn't satisfied. I did sell about 20 prints, so maybe the customers are less picky than me.

Now I'm back to the same dilemma, do I start over with Canon gear or do I keep shooting my S1's and hope Fuji or Nikon comes out with something new that's fast and less noisy? How's a D2H at 1600?

wxwax · March 29, 2005

Steve, really sorry to hear you weren't satisfied. You wouldn't happen to have any examples you can post for us, would you?

As for low noise at high ISO, well, that's one of the 20D's strengths.

Steve Cavigliano · March 29, 2005

Steve,

I agree with Sid, sorry it didn't work out

I would also be interested in seeing what your images looked like. In turn, I could link you to some 20D ISO1600 originals, taken in dark gyms, for you to compare your results with.

FWIW, if you were shooting wide open and at ISO1600 and you still only got 1/125 speeds, the lighting must have been horrible :uhoh

Steve

Andy · March 29, 2005

my nikonian friends know that i'm not a canon bigot - i like 'em, sure. to each his own, i say. but even the die hard nikon guys would tell you that at 1600, it's hard to beat canon in the high iso department.

good luck in your decision, look at steve's gallery on smugmug, he's done a fine job in the basketball gyms

Red Bull · March 29, 2005

I'm guessing that the D70 has about the same high ISO results as the DIgital Rebel. My uncle just bought a D70 and said that if he could do it over again, he would get a 20D. Glad I picked the 20D.

I would also like to see some of the images that you took with ISO 1600.

jthomas · March 29, 2005

andy wrote:

good luck in your decision, look at steve's gallery on smugmug, he's done a fine job in the basketball gyms

I agree that his basketball pictures are very sharp with spectacular stopped action. However, they are rather dark. I can't make out any details in the black jersies in some of the pictures - at least with my monitor.

Just out of curiosity - why is the exposure time in these pictures reported as 20.003s (42108/2105) ? Doesn't make sense.

SteveLongPhoto · March 29, 2005

Here's one of the shots, look at the black uniform and the gray stage prop. Big time banding:

Here's one my son took with the S1 Pro:

Both are straight from the camera. And yes, the light was crappy.

luckyrwe · March 30, 2005

Sounds like you needed a much faster lens. I hate it when lighting is that bad. Sometimes programs lie Noise Ninja can help, but they have their trade offs. I think the D70 is MUCH better than the D2H though!

swilner · March 30, 2005

Answer from a Nikonian
I agree with Andy on the fact that Canon is supposed to give better results at the higher ISO's. Also, nobody here or anywhere else can tell you whether you are right or wrong on this point as it is totally subjective. To my eye, your photos at screen res look pretty good. My reaction is that you may be being a bit hasty in getting rid of the D70 after one shoot, but again, I am not passing judgment. Every camera I have (Mamiya 7II, Leica M7, M6TTL, Nikon F5, Sony 828 and D70 alike) has strengths and weaknesses. You gotta know what they are and accept them. If you do a lot of low light work and don't like the D70 results, 86 it and move on. I like it for for almost everything, but not super low light work.

Steve

SteveLongPhoto · March 30, 2005

I was shooting with my 105 f2.8 Micro. It's been a money lens for me, very sharp and as fast as any lens out there in that range. The full-res files are much more grainy that the resized web-files.

I may have been a little hasty, but I do shoot a lot of low-light.

Steve's indoor basketball shots are awesome. I bought the D70 from my local camera store, they want my business and they're more than willing to get me a 20D to try. I may have to give it a go.

luckyrwe · April 2, 2005

Amy could not wait until daylight to open her presents! We had her birthday at 9pm, logicaly midnight in NC since she is from there. Final present was the D70.

She is in heaven! We shot about 60 pics with no banding or issues, and she loves the camera. It is SO FAR beyond the D100! There is so much to learn about the camera. Amy was surprised that this "Canon man" would ger her a Nikon. Well, we won't argue over lenses.

:D:D

Returned the D70

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