Nikon officially announces D70 SLR

[torsten]

It may not be in stores until March, but they publicly released the specs and pics of it today (wed 1/28). &nbsp This seems like a very significant move in the digital SLR world. It's a 6.1mp CCD with 1.5 crop factor. Price is $999 (US) for the body, $1299 with 18-70 lens included. I think the lens is like the 18-55 Canon EF-S in that it's optimized for the smaller sensor size instead of 35mm film.

After a quick look at the features/specs, it seems to hit pretty close to the Canon 10D, but at about $500 less. Probably more important is that it appears to be a step ahead of the 300D/Rebel -- and it's black :). The PMA is only about 2 weeks from now, so I'm really anxious to see what Canon does in response.

I've been thinking about going to an SLR and had thought the Rebel was the only affordable solution, but this changes things. Now I can't see how Canon keeps the Rebel at $900 and the 10D at $1500. My guess is price cuts for both and/or an updated 10D with a lower price. Either way, I can't see buying anything now. It's gotta be worth the wait.

Here's an preview (http://www.dpreview.com/articles/nikond70/) with pics and info.
And a comparison (http://www.digitalreview.ca/cams/NikonD70_page5.shtml) with the D100 and Rebel

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/NikonD70/Images/d70_02-001.jpg

[nepenthe]

For most amateurs, the new Coolpix 8700 with its 8MP sensor, magnesium body and sub 1K price tag is also looking mighty festive.

http://steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/nikon8700.html

[torsten]

Originally posted by nepenthe
For most amateurs, the new Coolpix 8700 with its 8MP sensor, magnesium body and sub 1K price tag is also looking mighty festive.

http://steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/nikon8700.html I'm looking forward to seeing how the 8700 performs. In some ways I'd rather have a compact digital than an SLR. The depth of field at wider apertures is MUCH better because of the smaller sensors. Also the pop-out LCDs and smaller overall size are great conveniences. But I find myself disappointed with image noise issues, especially at higher ISOs. Unfortunately the problem seems to be getting worse with the compacts as they pack more megapixels into the same size sensors. This is especially evident with the new Sony F828 (see noise test) (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscf828/page14.asp). In going from the F717 to the F828 they added 3 million more pixels onto the same 8.8 x 6.6mm sensor. I talked to some people at a local camera shop about this (after complaining that the Canon G5 had more noise and CA than the G3) and they all agreed it was a marketing decision by the camera companies. They're being forced to push the megapixels at the expense of image quality because the numbers move sales. They treat the SLR market very differently because they know the customers are more knowledgeble and care more about image quality. That leaves people like me in a difficult situation. I want the images that come from the larger (15.1 x 22.7) sensors, but don't have the $ to afford the better SLRs and lenses. I had hoped they'd merge the better image technology into the compacts, but it seems the market demands otherwise. :(

[nepenthe]

I concur. Aside from my need for macro features the new Nikon would seem an ideal replacement for my venerable G1. I heard the same regarding the Sony 828 and its noise issues, however this is always a problem whenever gain is increased. If Nikon has it managed, the money is there and the wife gives the blessing for me to snap it up.

Digital SLRs are a different animal. Much like component audio equipment, you can pick an choose your parts, often at a higher quality level.... with a commensurate price. Luckily, what was unattainable quality in the past has reached the hands of the novice and budget conscious....

Let me know what else you might find on the Coolpix 8700 and what you decide upon.

david

[mountainman]

I was checking the Canon Digital Rebel out online and it looks quite sweet.

Thoughts? Opinions? Reviews?

[nepenthe]

Originally posted by mountainman
I was checking the Canon Digital Rebel out online and it looks quite sweet.

Thoughts? Opinions? Reviews?

http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html

http://www.dcresource.com/

[torsten]

Originally posted by mountainman
I was checking the Canon Digital Rebel out online and it looks quite sweet.

Thoughts? Opinions? Reviews? The Rebel gets really good reviews for the most part. I've seen full size images from it that are pretty amazing. It's sort of like a 10D with some features disabled, a silver polycarbonate body (instead of the black magnesium alloy), a smaller buffer, and a pentamirror instead of a pentaprism for the viewfinder. It does hold one small advantage over the 10D in that Canon has released one lens specifically designed for it (i.e. for its sensor, as opposed to the size of 35mm film like all of Canon's other lenses are). This allows them to give a wider angle on the zoom at a lower price. It's an 18-55, but with the 1.6x crop factor it's actually equivalent to 29-88 on a 35mm film camera.

Apart from the price, the big selling point for the Rebel is the image sensor -- Canon's 6.3mp CMOS (as opposed to CCD) that's been so highly praised in the 10D. There's potential for great image quality with very little noise, even at ISO 800. Complaints about the Rebel have been: 1) underexposure of flash images, 2) silver color, 3) some autofocus issues (that apply to the 10D as well), and 4) a somewhat loud mirror slap. Given the Rebel's price and sensor quality, many people consider these complaints to be relatively minor.

To be honest, they do give me some concern, especially with newer models coming soon. I was thinking about going with the Rebel whenever I could get the money for it, but now I've decided to wait and see what happens. The new $999 Nikon should provide enough pressure on both the 10D and the Rebel for Canon to lower the price -- or they could replace either with a new model. And, of course, the D70 itself is a consideration. If you have to have a camera right now, the Rebel is still the best SLR deal for the $, but that could change in the next month or so. PMA is February 12-15 in Las Vegas -- usually there are some big anouncements of new models there. Who knows when they will hit the market though.

[poptom]

I'm on the verge of buying the Rebel and a couple of lenses. It has a shorter back focus than the 10D which would give me a greater chance of being able to adapt my existing lenses.

I may hold off a bit and see what else comes up soon. Maybe they'll make it in black.

I would guess that the "pentamirror" is sort of an inside out prism, possibly cast in plastic using a pentaprism as the mold.
Does anybody have any experience with these? Are they bright and sharp?

torsten, the only way to increase depth of field at any aperture is to forego sharpness at the point of focus so it is not a desirable characteristic.

--Tom