What would you do and why?

NEVER. NEVER. NEVRE wait!

Waiting is killing your life! I bought myself last summer a demo D2h for 1200 dollars and it looks like new! Just a few hundreds shots on the shutter.

Read my comment on the D2H on
https://www.nikoncafe.com/vforums/showthread.php?t=109516

 

I think you would be very pleased with a D200 and a 70-300 VR..
Right there in your budget
Go the
B&H site.

I think I saw a D200 in the for sale forum.

I don't plan on buyin no more new stuff. Lose to much money

 

I agree. Waiting is a losers game as there is always something coming round the corner. Decise on what you eactly want and get it. I mountain bike, and I have a friend who always is looking at what's coming up and what's going to be better. Long story short, his bike isn't built up. Hasn't been on a trail with me for 2 years. Whose missing out? Surely not me.

 

Yep exactly. Think about all the shots you'll miss while you wait ...  

 

Waiting is no fun. I waited till PMA then bought a D200 upgraded from D70s. What a difference. A D200 with 300 f4 and a 1.4 converter and a monopod. you will have a lot of fun. Even if they came out with something new next month I could not get back the time I already have had With the D200.

 

hi jeff-

the AF on my D200 is a little better than that on my old D100 and isn't as good as my D1 or D2H. i'll recommend a D2X or D2Hs over the D200.

ricky

 

Well I agree with most, but, your lens lineup seems to fit you needs and the D70 seems to be OK for now.
So the D200 is selling at B&H for 1339.99 as time goes on and a replacement comes out it will go lower by how much who knows. As for waiting for a replacement and getting that what could it offer that the D200 can't; Wether sealed, got it, More FPS don't need it, More resolution 6 or 8 would have been fine, lower high ISO noise I don't shot birds at night. I don't see anything to tempt me away from the D200.
Looking at the single digit line I can't see a D2X dropping into your budget.
So get a D200 now or wait for it to drop a few hundred dollars or sell all your not used much glass and wait another year or two and get a $6K lens for great birding  
Rich

 

Hm, I guess you're missing enough shots to upgrade to the d200 now. How many more keepers are you going to get with the d200? If the opportunity-cost is more than the cost of the d200, then get the d200. If not, wait it out.

 

Based on past performance, a D200 replacement is likely over a year away. A D3 is likely to be first, but I don't think it will drop a D2x into your price range. The D200 has very good image quality but the extra MP do take some getting used to. You'll find the same thing with the D2x.

 

get you a D200 and have fun!! why wait, you could get hit by a bus tomorrow....

 

I am new to Nikon

and just got my D200 from B&H. I asked around last week, and no one tried to steer me to any other Nikon, in fact, a Canon 5D owner told me that he had used one for a couple of weeks and liked it as well as his 5D. he said if Canon made it, he would sell the 5D and buy it.

 

If your $1800 is expendable (meaning it's set aside and won't hurt you anywhere else) I would go ahead and get the D200 but skip the 70-300mm VR... you already have that range covered with some great lenses. I'd either put the differenc ($400 - $600) towards something outside photography or a better/faster normal zoom... maybe something like an inexpensive Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8... or something fun like a Tokina 10-17mm fisheye zoom. I really don't see the 70-300mm VR offering you much you don't already have covered well.

Also, eCost has the D200 for $1280... so around $1300 shipped... they're pretty fast and reliable from my own experience.

 

I know this is late, but............... I must have missed something here. You have no complaints about the D70, you havent out grown it? Why do anything. I'm not sure I buy into the 'buy the newest shiny toy' philosophy. If you need a different camera wonderful, go to it. On the other hand. What if you took the same money and used it for travel OR maybe spend it on some nice seminars that would bump your skills up some?

 

Roosevelt makes a very good point... this was the main reason I prefaced my comment w/ "If your $1800 is expendable"... I too often find myself becoming more interested in the gear than the images... this something I'm trying to get away from, but I'm an engineer so the technology is always going to grab my interest.