nikon D70 or nikon D40?

Question

i want advice from professionals or users of both please.

many thanks.

Answer 1

what a mess of answers... =P

I don't get myself in these type of discussions but here I go...



my opinion:

D70, D40, D40x, D60, D80 have all your pro and cons!



all these cameras work with almost any Nikon lenses produced since the 1970's, some in manual mode only, some in manual focus only, it doesn't matter, you'll understand one day.



D40 6mp ISO 200 vs D40x 10mp ISO100 = D40 wins, better camera for all around photography + low light



D60, D80 = not good value for money, I've got the D80 and it's not worth it, the D200 is good camera.



Back to the D70 vs D40 question it's a very difficult decision to make, try to get your hands in both of them and try it before buy.



don't listen to other people advice so much and try to decide it for yourself, research, research, research again.



http://www.flickr.com/groups/51903796@N00/discuss/72157606285132287/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikondigitallearningcenter/discuss/72157609863275997/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/d200/discuss/72157594400302787/

Answer 2

I think they only sell refurbished D70 now. The new ones are D80, D60, D40. I don't have one yet but planning to get D60 when I can afford it but I've been doing a lot research on it. I also went to the camera store to try them out (you should too, highly recommended).



Nikon D80 - For the Serious Hobbyist the needs the heft and bulk of the D80.



Nikon D60 - For the new kid on the block (going with new technology and features)



Nikon D40x - For the Budget and Quality conscious newbie that wants good quality photos.



Both D60 and D40 wont Autofocus with non AF-S Lenses... The D80 can focus on none AFS lenses but all units can still use Manual lenses.



The D80 is a mini D200 and the D60 seems like an upgraded D40..



For the Budget conscious the D40 wins hands down.



The Low light, high ISO winners are the D40 and the D60.



The D80 has 11 focusing points while both D40 and D60 just have 3.



The D60 is the only one that has the dust removal feature.



Only the D80 and The D60 have white balance bracketing.



The D60 has an improved LCD



The D60 has auto LCD rotation



The D60 has stop motion movie (frame rate and image size can be selected)



The D60 has active D-lighting

Answer 3

The D70 was the predecessor to the D80 and was considered a more "advanced" camera than the entry level. It has the advantage of having the autofocus motor built in to the body, so it will focus with older lenses. Of course the D70 was superseded by the D70s, then the D80 and is no longer produced, but if you find a good deal on a good condition D70 or D70S it would be a reasonable investment for someone planning on actually getting in to photography (as opposed to someone who just wants to snap pictures).

Answer 4

Both are wonderful professional cameras in which you can tie up a lot of money into auxiliary lenses and the like. If you are merely in the learning stages or planning to use these cameras for a particular assignment, why not consider "renting" rather than "outright purchasing" from a reputable professional camera store. An additional benefit of "renting," is you don't have to continue to worry about changing camera technology and end up with a closet full of old Nikon equipment.



Are there better alternatives with more features? Yes, in P&S digital cameras you have added value features such as: (i) built-in image stabilization vs. expensive Nikon VR auxiliary lenses; (ii) video capability with sound vs. no such feature in a Nikon DSLR; (iii) greater initial focal length range of zoom lense in an all-in-one vs. separate auxiliary SLR lenses; (iv) faster burst fps, i.e., 15 fps vs. 5 fps in Nikon DSLRs.



Eventually, you have to choose what brand and model of DSLR is most suitable to your needs.



If you are really on a budget and want the best quality for the money, check out the P&S Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 which has more features than most pro DSLRs that require auxiliary lenses not even equal to the single initial full-range lense that comes with the FZ28. It is reviewed at:



http://www.steves-digicams.com/2008_reviews/panasonic_fz28.html



It just came out on November 4, 2008.



It's an all-in-one 10.1 megapixel DSLR camera which includes (i) built-in image stabilization; (ii) HDTV quality video [Quicktime]; (iii) a 18x zoom [27 - 486 mm (35mm equiv.)] "Leica" lense for nature photography; (iv) up to 0.39 inch macro option; (v) up to 6400 ASA; (vi) takes up to 380 pictures per 120 min. battery charge; (vii) has a "burst speed" of 13 fps; and sells new for $270 at amazon.com.



Here's an actual handheld picture of the moon:



http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/bf/1b/a83ac060ada0881604bad110.L.jpg



Good luck!