used canon 10D or new nikon D70s

foxtail

hello all. am looking to upgrade to my first DSLR from compact. a friend is selling used (don't know how much use...looks in great condition) 10D with grip and canon 24-85 ultrasonic lens. he's asking for euro800. for around the same price i can get new D70s with Nikkor AF-S 18-70DX lens and remote.

not sure which one to get and how to make sure that used canon still has life in it. ANY advice would be appreciated!

thanks

qwertz

They are both old cameras. That doesn't mean that they aren't any good, I use an "old" D70 myself. Why don't you have a look at the current entry-level models?

BrookieD

i have the D70 with updated d70s firmawae and love it to bits, saying that i will be upgrading this year to a d200

foxtail

thanks for the replies.

qwertz: i meant the 10D is second (or 3rd)-hand and the D70s is new, unopened. that's the choice i have at the moment. do you think 400D or D40 would be better options?

BrookieD: what's your main reason for upgrading?

rymus

I reckon the 400D would possibly be a better option. I wouldnt be bothered about a D40

melekalikimaka

i can't adise on canon but a d40 is a bad call its like a 'my first slr' for kidsa, you'll out grow it as you unwrap it. it also has a lot of limitations with what lens it can use. a d50/d70 is great to begin with, or the canon equivelent (hiss)

BrookieD

well the D70 has been great but i am looking to move in photography in a very serious way. natural progession would be the main reaon, the D70 would be a good way to start IMHO. D200 offers slighty better features, better ISO better control of manual lenses.

while the d200 offers 10mp over the d70 6mp the screen output does not differ that much. i need to convince my other half that the price difference is worth it ;-)

Roen

If it's your only choice, then the D70s is the one to go for, but I'd look for something a bit newer, 400D, second hand 30D, second hand D80. Something like that.

elven

BrookieD wrote:

well the D70 has been great but i am looking to move in photography in a very serious way. natural progession would be the main reaon, the D70 would be a good way to start IMHO. D200 offers slighty better features, better ISO better control of manual lenses.

while the d200 offers 10mp over the d70 6mp the screen output does not differ that much. i need to convince my other half that the price difference is worth it ;-)

I'm not familiar with the nikon series, and I'm not too up on the technical details, but wouldn't a newer sensor simply perform better than an older one because of the ongoing technological development? It's all very well looking at a well exposed picture of an evenly lit subject in bright conditions - but what happens when you start to push it? I'm continuously devastated at the low light, high ISO performance with the 350D - not sure the 400D is any better but that's one reason I'd go to a something like 5D one day, never mind the sturdiness/build quality issue.

Oh, and features are something that marketing departments think are important... and not photographers. Ask 10 people what 'features' they regularly use and I bet 8 or 9 tell you they don't... Aperture Priority mode, Shutter Priority mode and manual, with DoF preview is about the extent of it...

DaireQuinlan

If I were to go digital (and at some point I probably will) I'd get the Nikon d200. Reason being that its built like a tank and is the entry level camera in the nikon digital range if you want to use all those Nikon MF lenses, of which I have a few. I'd view that extra mega-pixellage giving a couple of benefits, extra scope for cropping would probably be a big plus for example, better enlargement opportunities and so on (having said that, I've had absolutely great A3 prints made from 6MP images). All that said, If you have no investment in either system then both offer plusses and minuses. I think most of the board here are big Canon heads ? So you might just as well be better off going with canon, if only because the guys here would be more familiar with them and more able to offer technical advice.

wasper

foxtail wrote:

hello all. am looking to upgrade to my first DSLR from compact. a friend is selling used (don't know how much use...looks in great condition) 10D with grip and canon 24-85 ultrasonic lens. he's asking for euro800. for around the same price i can get new D70s with Nikkor AF-S 18-70DX lens and remote.

not sure which one to get and how to make sure that used canon still has life in it. ANY advice would be appreciated!

thanks

Please visit my site all the photos are taken in d70s
http://www.ephotozine.com/user.cfm?user=40908

JMcL

I'd look at the newer entry level SLRs as well.

Points against the 10D - You don't really know how heavily it's been used, it's a 4+year old design, and you won't be able to use EF-S lenses (on the 10D they back of the lens will obstuct the mirror), and possibly not the Sigma/Tamron crop sensor lenses (not sure about this). The last will limit your wide angle options

Against the D70s, the thing that swung me away from the original D70 towards the 300D was the fact that the lowest ISO on the Nikon was 200, as opposed to 100 for the Canon. If you're looking to do long exposures, this is a very important point.

If you're really stuck with a choice between the two, then go for the Nikon, but at the end of the day you'd be better off with a Canon 400D (though the small size of this may be offputting), or the Nikon D80, which now has ISO 100. Both are very fine camera

foxtail

thanks for all the comments - very helpful. have decided NOT to go with the 10D...bit worried about not knowing exactly how much use the camera's been through and on another forum someone said that the lens was old.
also, for the same price or less there are really good kits of ebay (i'm lucky enough to have friends visiting from the US soon!) such as this one

i did try the 400D and it did feel small. the D80 would be fractionally beyond my budget, more so when i add good set of lens. wasper thanks for the pics.

thanks again

melekalikimaka

that tele photo isnt great,the 18-55 isnt even the kit lens and its reconditioned and the 'wide angle'...i dunno what that even is. 'd be warey

davmigil

I think you are right to discount the 10D. If you could get a second hand Canon 20D that would be a good option. 400D with battery grip if the price was right for you might get around the size (try in shop before)

I'd rule out the Nikon D40 too, but I would consider the D50. Image quality wise compares well with the D70s. Doesn't have Depth of Field preview though - if that is something you use. Also the 18-70 with the D70s is a better lens than the 18-55 D50 kit lens.