D50 or D70s for a beginner?

[lms6241]

I thought I had my mind made up and I was getting the D50. I stumbled upon a new D70s. I was planning on getting the 18-70mm lens already. The D70s kit would save me about $200 which would be nice to put towards some more lenses. I am just a point and shooter right now. I have no idea what "noise" is or what it looks like. I have never post processed a picture, just used it as it is. My photos are for capturing family memories.

How much bigger is the D70s compared to the D50?

 

[Czechman01]

The best advice you'll get is to go to a camera dealer and compare them side by side. Both are excellent choices with some different features that won't mean much to someone in your situation.

 

[laawaaris]

They are both basically the same and you can't go wrong with either.

If cost is the concern, there is almost no way you can go wrong with the D70 option - so you have extra cash for your future lenses.

That being said, I have a D50 myself and am very happy. I have shot with a D70 a few times however and have seen that it has some very useful features that are "lacking" in my D50.

 

[epicfish]

They are both basically the same and you can't go wrong with either.

If cost is the concern, there is almost no way you can go wrong with the D70 option - so you have extra cash for your future lenses.

That being said, I have a D50 myself and am very happy. I have shot with a D70 a few times however and have seen that it has some very useful features that are "lacking" in my D50.

Which features are those?

Sorry for threadjacking, but I was deciding between a D40 and a D70 and I'll be following this thread to see that advantages of the D70 over either the D40 or the D50!

 

[Bill N]

You might want to pull up the specs on cameras to compare. Something might be important to me, but you would care less about it.

D70 I like the dof preview button, some don't care about it. I like that it has a light in the top screen, again you might not care. The D50 does not have these features as I recall.
D40 you can only use the type of lenses that have the auto focus motor in the lens. As I have some older af lenses, this means something to me.

They are all very capable cameras. Just like a vehicle, some people need or want differant accessories.

 

[epicfish]

Thanks for the reply. And apologies for the hijack again.

Yep, I'm leaning towards the D70 because I won't be limited to AFS lenses.

 

[phecksel]

D50 does better high iso (low light)
D50 has better straight out of the camera jpg (although D70 can be configured to duplicate
D70 has lighted top panel (nice in auditoriums)
D70 has the ability to quickly adjust aperature and shutter speed
D70 has the ability to remote control flashes (one feature I thought I would never use and wish I had)

I'm going to take a stab at being a snob, but wouldn't consider a D40.

 

[Markb]

Ims,

For a good feature comparsion, you might wish to visit Thom Hogan's site www.bythom.com. He has a comparison of all features for each Nikon DSLR.

He also has some very good comments on each one of the camera's you are interested in.

Ultimately, Woody is right, you need to hold and handle each one to help you decide. But either the D50 or D70 (or D40 etc) will allow you to capture family memories.

 

[Candidcameraman]

High ISO the D50 is better - I took 30,000 pictures with a D70s last year and very few at high ISO so... D70s is what I would recommend. Just felt right to me in my hand, like others said try both but ... Try finding a store which has both in stock :wink: (Both cameras are out of production)

 

[cajun angel]

I have a D50 and I'm quite happy with it. Before I bought my camera, I did a lot of comparisons, talked to several people about their cameras, and ultimately went to Wolf Camera and they helped me with my final decision. I shoot a lot of dirtbikers and atv's, events at school and church. I can't be happier! At this point, my only upgrade would probably be a D200 but that's another year down the road. Take your time and compare, research, and ask all the questions you want! Then if making a decision is still hard, then take a break from it.

 

[eekjem]

Nikon D50

I have both but use my D50 more because its smaller,easier & lighter to use!
Good Luck
Jeff

 

[lexiticus]

I have both aswell, And I prefer the D50 for everything BUT the Wireless Commander mode of its flash,
thats the selling point of the D70 over the D50 to me, (And why I wanted it as a backup rather than another D50)
So except for the fact that I broke my D50 and sent it away to get fixed by Nikon, I would use the D50 over the D70s 90% of the time (Especially since Auto ISO unlocks the 1/3rd ISO steps, The D50 is amazing for low noise)

 

[laawaaris]

I could be wrong, but I believe the D70 also has the gridlines in the viewfinder - which would be a lifesaver for me when I am trying to take pictures of objects and so forth.

 

[NitRam Den Gale]

I can confirm that. The D70s has on demand grid lines. It also offers faster shutter speeds than the D50 and even the D80, namely up to 1/8000, which can come in handy when shooting sport events and so forth... I wouldn't say that any of these cameras are any easier to use than the other but for "family photos" I'm sure you can't go wrong as all the cameras have excellent automatic features...

 

[headstand]

I thought I had my mind made up and I was getting the D50. I stumbled upon a new D70s. I was planning on getting the 18-70mm lens already. The D70s kit would save me about $200 which would be nice to put towards some more lenses. I am just a point and shooter right now. I have no idea what "noise" is or what it looks like. I have never post processed a picture, just used it as it is. My photos are for capturing family memories.

How much bigger is the D70s compared to the D50?

Your lucky, in my case it's the opposite, D70s cost 70 euro more then the d50 and you get it with a worthless lens, (28-80) so that would cost me 200 euro more just to go for the D70s because the missing of a 18mm lens and the extra in price, just a bit to much for me...

 

[pitythefool]

At the risk of hijacking this thread and/or resurrecting it from the dead, a couple of questions that fit snugly into the D70s vs. D50 debate...

I'm also currently weighing up buying one or the other. There's a shop here in Paris which has new D70s (with the 18-70 AFS-DX lens) for 649€, or there are a few 2nd hand D50s out there (can't find anywhere with new ones)...

I prefer the bulk (read: slightly more 'pro') feel of the D70, but I am drawn to the better high ISO performance of the D50. I will probably use it for a fair bit of concert photography, so that's a bonus.
How much real difference is there between the ISO performance of them? I know that 'on paper' they both go to 1600, but how usable is the D70 1600? (I've already tried it out on a friend's D50...)

However, if I really need better ISO, I can whack a roll of Delta 3600 in my film camera

Also, is there any real difference in the focusing etc between the two? The D70 is a tad older, but then a slightly higher-level piece of gear... I certainly like the fact that the D70 has the DoF preview etc.

In terms of my 'level' of photography - as I said, it's my first DSLR, but I have a fair idea of photography in general (coming from a film/darkroom background) and am pretty computer savvy for working with the images afterwards.

Thanks very much, and apologies for dragging it up again!

 

[jcovert]

I prefer the bulk (read: slightly more 'pro') feel of the D70, but I am drawn to the better high ISO performance of the D50. I will probably use it for a fair bit of concert photography, so that's a bonus.

I own a D70 myself (not D70s), and I'll tell you I'm always impressed with the High ISO pics coming from the D50. The ability to shoot so well in low-light is significant imho.

How much real difference is there between the ISO performance of them? I know that 'on paper' they both go to 1600, but how usable is the D70 1600? (I've already tried it out on a friend's D50...)

Again, I have a D70 not D70s, but I find the ISO 1600 to be horrible. I try to never go above 800 because I just don't like the noise. There are programs out there (Noise Ninja etc.), but i don't use them, so my ISO1600 shots are awful for noise.

However, if I really need better ISO, I can whack a roll of Delta 3600 in my film camera

I was shooting film while my cam was away recently. At first I loved it. Then after a few weeks, reality set in and I realized I never want to see film again. :biggrin:

In terms of my 'level' of photography - as I said, it's my first DSLR, but I have a fair idea of photography in general (coming from a film/darkroom background) and am pretty computer savvy for working with the images afterwards.

I've just seen a lot of people have success with the D50, it's an easy camera to like. And I think the low-noise from the High ISO is an important advantage for my type of shooting.

 

[pitythefool]

Thanks for the info.

However, in the end, I stumped up the cash over the weekend to buy a D80...

Looking forward to lots of playing!

 

[jcovert]

Thanks for the info.

However..

No worries, you got an even better camera than the ones you mentioned!
:wink: I believe the D80 has even less noise than the D50. (as per a thread comparing noise among 10 nikon models over at dp).

I don't really think the Nikon bodies are that different once you get into Nikon world. Different price points and features, but same basic great functionality, and the models are complimentary imho. I'd take one of each body if I could! (just sayin'...any Nikon is still a Nikon!)

 

[Removed User 3]

My penny worth is that the D50 is a Rock for begineers.

Easy to use and the quality of the pics straight from the camera are stellar.

Great buy and newer model than D70S.:smile: