Nikon D70 or Canon Rebel 300D

[hmssusan]

Anyone with experience of Nikon D70 and Canon Rebel 300D? Please give me some advice on how to choose. Thanks in advance.

[wilfredmrand]

Based on some threads in the dpreview forum, the D70 may (or may not) have a moire problem. If the D70 is a contender for your purchase, you should wait for publication of some independent tests to confirm whether this is true. Certainly many user posts hint this may be a valid concern....on the other hand, consider the source. The dpreview forums seem a bit like an asylum from time to time, and is unparalleled as a rumor mill.

[castledude]

If your primary shooting is outdoors or non-flash then both are very close to equil. Canon makes better glass and the cheap kit lens is pretty good.

If you want to use flash, the Nikon has a lot more flexability and appears to have better results. It's much more comparable to the 10D in that aspect.

I have not played with a D70 (yet) but did play with the 300D it was great outdoors but I did not like it with flash (except as fill for macro shots). Using the flash for focus assist was really annoying even if it does give you more range.

I advise you go over to the camera database and click on the two cameras send personal emails to people that shoot pictures of the type you do and see what advise they give you for lenses and settings.

The dpreview forums seem a bit like an asylum from time to time, and is unparalleled as a rumor mill

Ain't it true, I wonder sometimes if any of them actully shoot pictures instead of trying to figure out problems. One guy recently had a post with an elaborate sequence of events to go through to cause the D70 software to go into a strange mode. The guy must have spent hours figuring out and documenting the sequence it was like finding a hidden code for a video game.

[hmssusan]

Thanks. I have been checking comments on magazines and website. Seems different cameras has its pros and cons. In the SLR days, I am a Nikon fan.

Actually, I have been comparing prices as well. The Canon 300D comes with a lens, but the Nikon D70 does not. The Nikon D70 may ends up to be much more expensive.

[george_iii]

Lets not forget the most important test of all (assuming similar camera capabilities), the hands on test.

The more comfortable you feel with a given camera, the more likely you will be to shoot with it.

I believe each camera has it's set of flaws, nothing is perfect (how would 'they' sell us the next 'better' model otherwise).

Overall, it seems as though the nikon has an edge for features, but does cost a bit more.

[romansphotos]

I have used both cameras. I have borrow my friends Canon before buying the D70. Both are wonderful cameras.....that use 2 diffrent approaches to photography.

Simply put, youd be hard pressed to go wrong with either...but these are the diffrences I found.

The Canon is more geared to the person who just wants to take pictures and let the camera do most of the thinking for you. (not a bad thing for those who dont want to get a PHD in photography..lol)

The Nikon....while working quite well in program mode as well.....is a little more appealing to the gadget freaks out there. For people who DO have (or at least should have) a PHD in photography...this is much closer to their liking as they know how their camera works....and what to expect from every little peramiter.

Both cameras come with very nice lenses. The nikon is a little better build....and a little more usable range....but the quality between them is very comparable. That little 100.00 lens on the canon is supprisingly sharp....but I would give a slight edge to the Nikon...(but you pay for it).

Do you like gadgets?...get the nikon....

Are you more of a point and shooter?....get the canon

Hope this helps a bit.....

Oh...and here are a few shots from this weekend with my D70

http://www.pbase.com/romansphotos/d70_gallery

Roman

[romansphotos]

Actually, I have been comparing prices as well. The Canon 300D comes with a lens, but the Nikon D70 does not.

Actually the Nikon (just like the Canon) comes with or without a lens.

Canon body only = 800.00US
Canon with lens = 900.00 US
Nikon body only = 900.00 US
Nikon with lens = 1300.00US

Roman

[wilfredmrand]

The Canon is more geared to the person who just wants to take pictures and let the camera do most of the thinking for you.

My camera (300D) is in Av, Tv or M (full manual) mode 99% of the time. I do my own thinking, thank you very much. Since my purchase in October, I have made $5000 with this camera - a totally unexpected bonus. It has also saved my design business about that much in overpriced stock photography or mundane product shots that would normally cost me $1300/day.

In other words, I use it professionally. And as a businessman who has to turn a profit, I consider it a source of pride that I was able to buy the camera for $724 (body), saving $775 on features I absolutely did not need.

The fact that I can print these images large enough to bleed a 22x28 crop - about half of my business is point-of-purchase posters of this size - is a surprise bonus that I haven't even cashed in on yet.

It's not about the 'features.' It's about having the photographer.

[blathrop]

Anyone with experience of Nikon D70 and Canon Rebel 300D? Please give me some advice on how to choose. Thanks in advance.

I researched various digital cameras until I narrowed the contenders down to the D70 and the Rebel. From what I've seen, the image quality between the two is comparable.

I offer one very useful piece of advice I got when trying to decide which camera to purchase was to "get to a store and see how they feel in your hands." Actually, I did this early on, when I was still considering the Nikon CoolPix 8700, the Sony F828 Cybershot, the Rebel and the D70.

This made a HUGE and immediate impact on my decision. thus killing the notion that buying a digicam was a possibility and solidifying my leanings toward a digital SLR. Even though I still hadn't had the chance to get my hands on the Nikon, I wasn't thrilled with the feel of the Canon, and took a chance by preordering the Nikon based on previews (and a positive experience as a Nikon customer). I haven't been disappointed at all.

With these two cameras, if price is not a major obstacle, it is likely to come down to your comfort with the camera, in addition to some of the valid points made in this thread.

[brennan]

I made the switch from Nikon film to Canon Digital last September. If the d70 was around then I might not have switched over, but I have no regrets. I find the heated arguments a bit like the battles in Ireland between Catholics and Prodestants, that is they seem afully similar if you are outside both groups, and they seem to fight alot.

From what I can gather the Nikon has a better feature set, particularly a better built in flash and a larger buffer so you can fire off more than the 3 continuous frames that the 300D offers. On the other side the Canon may have a better sensor, but mostly they are more comperable than any two other DSLRs out there.

The notion that one is a point and shoot and the other is for serious photographers is a bit silly, both can be used in atuo mode, both will mosly be used in manual for any serious work. I have heard the white balance on the 300D ripped from time to time, but in my experience both the automatic white balance and auto focus (except in very low light when not using an IR external flash) are spot on and make fewer errors than I do when I'm in control.

I made my choice based on the lenses in the Canon line, I have already spent more money on lenses than I did on the body, and expect to replace the body some day, and use the lenses on that body. The glass is more important than the camera.

The reverse argument is the Canon screwed their customer base when it went from FD to FE lenses and all the new bodies would not fit the old lenses, Nikon never pulled this stunt and one has to wonder will Canon do it again?
Tough choice but which ever you choose you can't go far wrong.

[chad_gladstone]

I have had both bodies and both kits. The D70's feature set is far more robust and the image quality is better in terms of contrast, exposure, flash exposure, white balance and sharpness. It tends to underexpose 1/2 stop in the midtones I loaded a custom curve to correct this deficiency. The DRebel is lower noise at low iso and can shoot at iso 100. The noise is equal by iso 400 and the D70 noise is more indicative of film at higher iso where as the DRebel is more digital looking. The moire problem is real on the D70 but rare and not irreparable mostly due to poor Nikon raw conversion algorithms that appear to be mitigated by bibble's raw conversion software/moire reduction ps plugin. The D70's i-ttl preflash tends to make subjects blink in low light whereas the DRebel's focus assist is blinding. All in all both are very capable cameras with some necessary workarounds for each. I hated the lack of features and the aggressive noise reduction on the DRebel but the pricepoint is unmatched and the images silky smooth.
It is rather silly but I much prefer the black body and matching black 70-200 f2.8 VR. I really miss the Canon EF USM L primes because Nikon's wide/normal/tele primes lack fast focusing and full time manual focusing rings.

[wheelerdealer]

I've had mine a week, over a thousand images so far. Not much to complain about. (Kind of lacklauster pictures in "Auto" but since I usually shoot shutter priority, this really isn't an issue. The other problem may well be a glitch with my camera, but not a serious one. You can choose whether or not you want to automatically review each shot in the monitor. Sometimes, not often, an image is not "reviewable" automatically. I can review the picture rather quickly manually [by pushing the button] but that's not the way it's supposed to happen.)

If you really want the straight scoop on the D70 vs. the Canon 300, visit Ken Rockwell's excellent site at
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d70.htm

BTW, Sigma has just announced a new 18-125 lens for digital SLRs (only). Not available yet but you can be sure that once it is I'll have one. (I'm also waiting for Nikon to release the new SB600 SpeedLight for this [and other] Nikon digital SLRs. The D70 would shine even more with a dedicated flash. Note: The SB800 will do the job, but I want to compare features between the 600 and 800 before making a final decision.)

Aloha from Maui!

[wilfredmrand]

Given that I now make income with the camera, the moire in the D70 would be unacceptable. I would buy the 300D again based on the choices available today (while I await an 8mp sub-$2000 model) because it captures an image I can use professionally - even on 22x28 prints. Another thing I really like about the 300D is that it's NOT black.

[ssmithx]

Anyone with experience of Nikon D70 and Canon Rebel 300D? Please give me some advice on how to choose. Thanks in advance.

I'm as schizophrenic as anyone when it comes to buying photo equipment and I struggled with this decision. I researched them both a great deal, however I think you have to actually get your hands on them to make an informed decision that you feel comfortable with.

I've had both and I think both are suitable for most applications. My opinion is that the Canon takes excellent images, but the Nikon seems to provide more substance. I certainly appreciate the larger feature set, which translates to more control for me. Again, this is my opinion.

I also learned to place incremental value on information from sources where sample images were provided. After all, if you don't find someone's work to be adequate (technically or otherwise), you're unlikely to value their opinion as you might someone whose work you admire.

That said, here is a link to a gallery of mine that has images from both cameras. Please recognize that I've not been able to travel with the D70 yet, having it only for 4 days prior to this posting. I will post images on a regular basis, however.

Good luck.

http://www.pbase.com/ssmithx/galleries

[typicalsloan]

The review of the d70 just got posted at http://www.dpreview.com .