My Nikon D70 is Here!

[Balin64]

Hello Everyone:

I startred a thread last week at first commenting about a great price I found for a Nikon D70... well that turned sour as some helpful members pointed me to the fact that the store I ordered from was a fraud! That was a close one!

Anyway, I took another chance and ordered from Abe's of Maine for a great price: 897 after a 100 rebate.

Well, the camera arrived today and I am glad to report that all is Perfect! No iffy warranties or manuals, every single accessorie accounted for and brand new: spectacular! Full USA Warranty, Manuals and documenattion, rebate form from Nikon as promised, perfect, pristine camera. I'm so pumped right now.

To those of you wary of low prices you see on the net, be brave: not all are shady. At least this retailer was not!

I attached some photos... showing the D70, all documentation, etc.

 

[Balin64]

The other (not so good) thread is here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/120330/

 

[superfunkomatic]

congrats. i just bought one a month ago. they are fantastic cameras. and really easy to use. if you have photoshop you'll be amazed at the resolution and clarity even up really close - like dogs whiskers.

http://www.toolbarmedia.com/blogs/images/blog_images/march_2005/skater_dude_DSC_0056.jpg

 

[James Philp]

I bought one of these about 8 months ago - they are GREAT!

BUT!!- When changing lenses do so as quickly as possible, and with the camera pointed down.
DO NOT take the lens off and look into the mechanism.
This introduces dust onto the CCD (actually a thin glass filter in front of the CCD), which turns up on the images!
Q-tips will introduce more dust, and people have sent the cameras back to Nikon to remove it and have got them back with MORE dust turning up on their images.
To test for dust:
On a clear day, turn your camera to the sky, max the F-number (apature)
to F-22 or so, manual focus (it it won't do it on auto) and take a picture.
Inspect it on your computer and if you see dark spots that is dust

THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE WITH Digital SLRs!!

Look here for the only real cure. I haven't built up the courage to swab mine yet though!


I hope you read this before you do any of the things above! (Or i hope you already knew this stuff!)

 

[iGary]

I bought one of these about 8 months ago - they are GREAT!

BUT!!- When changing lenses do so as quickly as possible, and with the camera pointed down.
DO NOT take the lens off and look into the mechanism.
This introduces dust onto the CCD (actually a thin glass filter in front of the CCD), which turns up on the images!
Q-tips will introduce more dust, and people have sent the cameras back to Nikon to remove it and have got them back with MORE dust turning up on their images.
To test for dust:
On a clear day, turn your camera to the sky, max the F-number (apature)
to F-22 or so, manual focus (it it won't do it on auto) and take a picture.
Inspect it on your computer and if you see dark spots that is dust

THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE WITH Digital SLRs!!

Look here for the only real cure. I haven't built up the courage to swab mine yet though!


I hope you read this before you do any of the things above! (Or i hope you already knew this stuff!)

I swab my CMOS once a week. Easy as pie.

Congrats on the Nikon. I had several Nikons before switching to Canon. Fine cameras.

 

[James Philp]

I swab my CMOS once a week. Easy as pie.

Congrats on the Nikon. I had several Nikons before switching to Canon. Fine cameras.

I wish I was you

 

[Balin64]

Thanks for the Reminder

I plan on keeping the lens on the Nikon at all times. I won't be getting another lens for about two weeks...

I'm confident the dust won't be a problem. But we'll see! I can't wait for the weekend to go shooting!

 

[iGary]

I wish I was you

It is really like the Copperhill site says; once you get used to it, you don't een think about it.

 

[James Philp]

I plan on keeping the lens on the Nikon at all times. I won't be getting another lens for about two weeks...

I'm confident the dust won't be a problem. But we'll see! I can't wait for the weekend to go shooting!

Good good. Just remember that the action of the zoom alone will eventually draw dust into the CCD chamber (add to that is is a highly electrostatic component).
But as we can see from above, it's not the end of the world with a bit of regular maintenance, and at regular apertures, all but the worst of dust is all but invisible.
Have fun with it, it's an amazingly well built and well featured camera!

 

[bousozoku]

I bought one of these about 8 months ago - they are GREAT!

BUT!!- When changing lenses do so as quickly as possible, and with the camera pointed down.
DO NOT take the lens off and look into the mechanism.
This introduces dust onto the CCD (actually a thin glass filter in front of the CCD), which turns up on the images!
Q-tips will introduce more dust, and people have sent the cameras back to Nikon to remove it and have got them back with MORE dust turning up on their images.
To test for dust:
On a clear day, turn your camera to the sky, max the F-number (apature)
to F-22 or so, manual focus (it it won't do it on auto) and take a picture.
Inspect it on your computer and if you see dark spots that is dust

THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE WITH Digital SLRs!!

Look here for the only real cure. I haven't built up the courage to swab mine yet though!


I hope you read this before you do any of the things above! (Or i hope you already knew this stuff!)

Wow...that's so sad. I'm glad I have an Olympus with a dust removal system.

Balin64: Congratulations! Hope it does everything you've dreamed it would and glad you got out of the other deal.

 

[Balin64]

Strobes

Can you guys recommend a flash unit with relatively good punch, integration with the D70's TTL metering at a good price? It does not have to be a Nikon. I know that's a lot to ask for, but is there one out there?

 

[javabear90]

I think you should have waited unitl the end of april, nikon is realesing the nikon d50 and d70s.

check out dpreview news
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0503/05033105nikond50real.asp and http://www.dpreview.com/news/0504/05040802nikondslrs.asp

and that one

 

[aamiic]

I swab my CMOS once a week. Easy as pie.

Congrats on the Nikon. I had several Nikons before switching to Canon. Fine cameras.

Wow really? That seems to be pretty often.

I've cleaned by D70 once since I picked it up 3500 shots ago.

 

[sturges]

Nikon D70

I bought my Nikon D70 a couple of months ago just before I went to South East Asia for a month long holiday. The camera is superb. I had full confidence in its ability and it delivered the goods. It's a solid, reliable piece of kt that won't let you down. Enjoy

Si
http://www.simonsturges.com

 

[James Philp]

Wow...that's so sad. I'm glad I have an Olympus with a dust removal system.

Balin64: Congratulations! Hope it does everything you've dreamed it would and glad you got out of the other deal.

I've heard they dont work that great
Anyway, you probably paid $1000 more!

They do work well and yes, when I bought, I paid a premium. Now, the thing comes even in the economy camera. Nothing but Olympus for me. Nikon is a nice 2nd choice though.

 

[Balin64]

I think you should have waited unitl the end of april, nikon is realesing the nikon d50 and d70s.

check out dpreview news
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0503/05033105nikond50real.asp and http://www.dpreview.com/news/0504/05040802nikondslrs.asp

and that one

Yep. I actually leaned about this after a guy who runs a pretty good website at kenrockwell.com (fellow San Diegan) posted it: apparently Nikon Japan leaked the new SLR's. But, after reading preliminary reports, the new D70 does not offer all that much over this one.. and I am sure I would not have been able to pick it up for the price I got it for.

 

[goodwill]

Hey - Congratulations. I am so glad it worked out for you. Enjoy your new camera. Mine has been nothing short of brilliant.

 

[iGary]

Wow really? That seems to be pretty often.

I've cleaned by D70 once since I picked it up 3500 shots ago.

I use a Canon 100-400 f4.5/5.6L IS USM for about 500 shots a week. It is a known dust sucker.

 

[ThomasJefferson]

Nice camera that Nikon is.

Still avoiding the digital plunge here and happily shooting film with a canon 7n. Just ordered $400 worth of velvia and AandI mailers for this summer. No waterfall or forest will be safe.

 

[Deus]

I just bought mine 2 weeks ago and am very happy with it.


Specially after a stint with a compact olympus.

 

[Jo-Kun]

I have my Nikon D100 allready a while (+12000 shots to be exact ;-) ) I cleaned once (after 4000 shots) and found two spots that don't go away... so each time I have a shot ready for a customer... I check if its visible & photoshop it away

there is allways some dust in the viewfinder, but what the hell I know what I shoot & where they really are on the ccd ;-)

I've got no real dustprobems until I started to make pictures for a friend when he is racing on circuits, then the real problem began... but as stated: allways the viewfinder, not much inside... & I do change lenses ferquently...

 

[d.adro]

A question to other d70 owners

Well, since quite a few have the nikon d70 here, let me ask you a question:

When i download the pictures to my computer (fully updated), i use iPhoto 05. And when i drag a picture to the desktop from the library, to work on or whatever, the finder does not report correctly the width and height of the picture. Opening it with preview and checking the picture info, i get the right width and height, but the wrong DPI (it always reports it as 72DPI).

Can you verify this? Can anyone offer some kind of explanation?

Of course using photoshop gives me all the right info (DPI and w&h), but it shore bothers me not being able to rely on preview to open pictures and check what i want.

And still on the subject, can you all verify that iPhoto changes your pics to 72 DPI whenever you edit something? I understand its not a professional editing app, but still, i don't think it is asking too much to hope it retains the correct DPI, specially if i want to print the picture after!

Thanks!

P.S.: my camera is also fully updated. A new firmware will be released in mid-May to give the camera some of the same functions (menus, etc) of the new D70s:

Nikon is rolling out an upgraded version of their D70 DSLR, the D70s. The image quality should be identical, as the new unit has the same CCD sensor and imaging pipelining as the original. The major changes introduced include improved auto focus accuracy, wider flash coverage, larger capacity battery, a 2-inch LCD monitor, and re-designed menu interfaces. Interestingly, Nikon isn’t leaving D70 owners totally out in the cold, and will be introducing a firmware update in mid-May that will bring some of the feature set of the D70s to the D70, as well.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Can you guys recommend a flash unit with relatively good punch, integration with the D70's TTL metering at a good price? It does not have to be a Nikon. I know that's a lot to ask for, but is there one out there?

Congrats on the camera. Glad everything worked out.

As to a flash the best deal IMO is the SB800. It has a rebate, and for the final difference of $100 over the SB600 - it is a flash that you'll never out grow.

 

[Deus]

Well, since quite a few have the nikon d70 here, let me ask you a question:

When i download the pictures to my computer (fully updated), i use iPhoto 05. And when i drag a picture to the desktop from the library, to work on or whatever, the finder does not report correctly the width and height of the picture. Opening it with preview and checking the picture info, i get the right width and height, but the wrong DPI (it always reports it as 72DPI).

Can you verify this? Can anyone offer some kind of explanation?

Of course using photoshop gives me all the right info (DPI and w&h), but it shore bothers me not being able to rely on preview to open pictures and check what i want.

And still on the subject, can you all verify that iPhoto changes your pics to 72 DPI whenever you edit something? I understand its not a professional editing app, but still, i don't think it is asking too much to hope it retains the correct DPI, specially if i want to print the picture after!

Thanks!

P.S.: my camera is also fully updated. A new firmware will be released in mid-May to give the camera some of the same functions (menus, etc) of the new D70s:

Can't help. I use iView Media or Photoshop CS, sorry.

 

[Jo-Kun]

sorry I'm only using Nikon Capture & Photoshop CS...so can't help you on that... I even didn't install iLife 04 wich came with my G5... no need for iPhoto, Garageband or iDVD
the only i-app I use is iTunes ;-)
Nikon View is allso quite good for viewing you pictures... but that's all up to you to decide off course...