# Deal Or No Deal? Nikon D70



## pinkwindmill (Aug 17, 2006)

Hi guys,

Need your help - I want an SLR and have seen the following being sold by a reputable person (despite it being a law firm







) at work.

My question is - deal or no deal???

Package 1: 350 pounds--

‧ Nikon D70 kit set for sale (bought in June 2004)

- D70 Body is over 90% new; some cruff marks on the plastic LCD screen protector

- 6.1 effective megapixels

- 7 Digital Vari-Program modes for easy and quick shooting

- 3 fps motordrive

- Buffer allows 9 JPEG FINE and 4 RAWs (NEFs) to be shot consecutively before lockout

- 5-Area Dynamic autofocus

- 1.5x lens crop (effective 1.5x lens focal length increase)

- Compact and lightweight (595g)

- Built-in Speedlight (GN11) with i-TTL flash

- Maximum shutter speed 1/8000th sec.

- Maximum flash synchronisation speed 1/500th sec.

- ISO range 200 â€" 1600

- Custom functions â€" 10 simple and 25 detailed contained in easy to navigate menus with large letter font.

- complete with *like-new box

‧ Nikon AF-S DX 18-70 mm lens f/3.5-4.5G IF ED kit lens over 90% new

‧ *Hood HB-32 for kit lens(unused)

‧ *Nikon lens bag for kit lens (unused)

‧ *Nikon view finder cover (unused)

‧ Original Nikon strap (used only once)

‧ *Nikon MS-D70 CR2 battery converter (unused)

‧ One original Nikon EN-EL3 battery

‧ Nikon Battery charger with AC cable

‧ *Camera to USB cable

‧ English manual

‧ *Picture Project CD and Reference Manual CD

‧ *International warranty card but warranty is expired

EXTRAS --

‧ One extra Nikon EN-EL3 battery

‧ *One 95% new EN-EL3a battery (i.e. three batteries in all)

‧ Hoya 67 mm UV filter (now used on the kit lens)

‧ 512MB SanDisk CF card

The above package is all for 350 pounds.

***********************

Package 2: 40 pounds --

‧ Hoya Super HMC Pro 1 67 mm filter (spare, mounted once for trial only)

‧ *Kenko Circular Polariser 67 mm filter (seldom used)

‧ Nikon ML-L3 wireless remote

Help me please!!!

Cheers,

Guy


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## dowsing (Sep 21, 2006)

pinkwindmill said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Need your help - I want an SLR and have seen the following being sold by a reputable person (despite it being a law firm
> 
> ...


I'd say definitely a deal, just the body alone would fetch around that new.


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## nursegladys (Aug 4, 2006)

Go for it Guy snap their fingers off, do it now, great price.


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## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

Take both packages - i find the wireless remote very useful for tripod mounted shots of watches


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## pinkwindmill (Aug 17, 2006)

Thanks guys - I'm just finding out a bit more about condition, usage, etc.

My friend has also offered me his 1 year old D50, but no price has been discussed. Would that be a preferable body to have?

Cheers,

Guy


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## seikology (Dec 4, 2006)

pinkwindmill said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Need your help - I want an SLR and have seen the following being sold by a reputable person (despite it being a law firm
> 
> ...


package 1 sounds like a good deal depending on how much use has it had. check the number of recorded exposures. cameras like this are good for around 100,000. after that the sensor starts to decay.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

That sounds like a Bargin Guy....

Go for it!


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## pinkwindmill (Aug 17, 2006)

jasonm said:


> That sounds like a Bargin Guy....
> 
> Go for it!


I'm just finding out the exposures answer (she's looking tonight) and then I may well just do that!

Cheers,

Guy


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

I agree Pink I'd snap his hand off, the new D80 will mean the D70 price will no doubt fall soon but that price is very good!

A mate of mine has just bought a D80 got a great deal on a 2 zoom kit although he won't tell me how great.







Looks a very good camera, were planing to go head to head with my rebel soon! He should win being 2 years newer but I have hope for the Canon!


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## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

pinkwindmill said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Need your help - I want an SLR and have seen the following being sold by a reputable person (despite it being a law firm
> 
> ...


Have alook at Grays of Westminster - second hand digital cameras for ideas on value - price etc.


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

Good cost. new here that lens/body kit is $999 Canadian


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## Barryboy (Mar 21, 2006)

I've got the D70S, which is quite truthfully not much different to the D70.

It is, without doubt, a very highly specced camera that is capable of doing absolutely anything that you could possibly want. The price is about right, but not what I would call cheap. If yu can get both the packages from him for 350 cash, then you've done rather well.

One word of warning - you will have problems doing close ups of your watches. The minimum focussing distance of that lens is about 1 metre, and if you are used to a digital compact then you will find that very restricting. The ideal answer is a dedicated macro lens, and good examples can be got from Tamron and Sigma for about GBP 250 or so. Or if the price puts you off that idea (it would for me!!!) you could buy a close up filter set for your kit lens for GBP 20 to 30 although I couldn't comment on the image quality you would get as we all have different ideas about what level of sharpness and quality is acceptable. I plan to go down this road myself in the near future. Alternatively you might try to hunt down a 50mm standard lens and get a reversing ring - I used this method back in the late 1960's with an elderly Exacta and got surprisingly good results, once I had sorted out the exposure problems.....

Perhaps others have tried these methods and they could comment?

Rob


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## pinkwindmill (Aug 17, 2006)

Thanks everyone, I will keep you posted! It's done about 19500 shutter presses so far, by the way.

Interesting note about the close-ups Barryboy...may have to think about that.

Cheers,

Guy


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## nursegladys (Aug 4, 2006)

pg tips said:


> I agree Pink I'd snap his hand off, the new D80 will mean the D70 price will no doubt fall soon but that price is very good!
> 
> A mate of mine has just bought a D80 got a great deal on a 2 zoom kit although he won't tell me how great.
> 
> ...


Paul I too have the 350D (rebel), its a great camera for the budget end of the market.



pinkwindmill said:


> Thanks everyone, I will keep you posted! It's done about 19500 shutter presses so far, by the way.
> 
> Interesting note about the close-ups Barryboy...may have to think about that.
> 
> ...


Guy, I bought the Sigma 70-300mm APO DG Macro lens for Â£159, its a great all rounder and the macro facility is also great.


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## pinkwindmill (Aug 17, 2006)

nursegladys said:


> Guy, I bought the Sigma 70-300mm APO DG Macro lens for Â£159, its a great all rounder and the macro facility is also great.


Cool, thanks for the recommendation.


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

A bit late here, but I hope you tore his arm off for that price.....its agreat little camera and you will love it I am sure, one of my collegues I worked with retired recently and he bought himself a D70 about a year before he went (we are both professional photographers) and he cannot sing its praises enough, always says its got plenty enough features for him and feels very well put together, and this from a guy who used Hasselblads and Nikon all his career.......

Best regards David


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## pinkwindmill (Aug 17, 2006)

Boxbrownie said:


> A bit late here, but I hope you tore his arm off for that price.....its agreat little camera and you will love it I am sure, one of my collegues I worked with retired recently and he bought himself a D70 about a year before he went (we are both professional photographers) and he cannot sing its praises enough, always says its got plenty enough features for him and feels very well put together, and this from a guy who used Hasselblads and Nikon all his career.......
> 
> Best regards David


Not too late! I've had a manic day at work (still working...) so haven't managed to really consider it properly.

Cheers for the recommendation.

Guy


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## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

Boxbrownie said:


> A bit late here, but I hope you tore his arm off for that price.....its agreat little camera and you will love it I am sure, one of my collegues I worked with retired recently and he bought himself a D70 about a year before he went (we are both professional photographers) and he cannot sing its praises enough, always says its got plenty enough features for him and feels very well put together, and this from a guy who used Hasselblads and Nikon all his career.......
> 
> Best regards David


David,

I'm glad to read your comment having recently added (via Grays of Westminster) a secondhand [Mint - ] Nikon D70 to the collection. I really like my other SLRs but they don't get the use that they should so I thought I would pick up a digital Nikon body so that at least existing Nikon autofocus lenses get some airtime.

I haven't had time to learn my way around the D70 yet so it is gratifying to know that, in a professional's opinion, I have bought a winner!!


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## knuteols (Feb 22, 2006)

I have had my D70S for about 3 weeks now, and I'm very happy with it. It came with the AF-S DX 18-70 lens ( I guess you could call it an "universal" lens; nothing spectacular, but nothing bad either







). I originally was getting the Canon 350D, which I rate as at least just as good, with a higher pixel than the Nikon. The reason I went for the Nikon D70S was that I felt it gave a better grip - it's slightly larger than the 350D. I can only recommend that you "test" the various cameras you're looking at by holding them in your own hand. Pick the one that's most comfortabel for your hands - usually both Canon and Nikon are great cameras where the differences are so small that it really does not have any affect on your daily use. Mind you, prices on the D70S will likely drop even more as it is an "old" camera no longer produced. I paid $900 for mine here in Norway, including the kit - the Canon was another $300. Good luck!


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## pinkwindmill (Aug 17, 2006)

OK guys, thanks for all the advice.

I ended up getting the whole lot for Â£350. It has done about 19500 actuations and I checked the image sensor using the "no lens/white wall" shot method which came up clean.

As was mentioned, it's a good deal rather than a great deal I think, but I'm happy. I know the provenance of it too which can be important.

Now to use the thing!

Any recommendations on a macro lens to allow me to shoot decent watch close-ups?

Cheers,

Guy


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

pinkwindmill said:


> OK guys, thanks for all the advice.
> 
> I ended up getting the whole lot for Â£350. It has done about 19500 actuations and I checked the image sensor using the "no lens/white wall" shot method which came up clean.
> 
> ...


You'll be happy to hear today I just passed 99,999 exposures on my D100.....for the second time







so I do not think you will have any problems with 19,500 so far!

Macro lens? Nikon of course







but how deep are your pockets BTW?

I understand the Sigma Macro and I read somewhere the Tamron I think it was come highly recommended.....but I have no personal experience of either, just the sublime Nikon macros









I would suggest a focal length of around 100mm for watch piccies, this will make the lens effectively a 150mm Macro just perfect for putting a little light space between you and the subject.......

Best regards David


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## pinkwindmill (Aug 17, 2006)

Boxbrownie said:


> pinkwindmill said:
> 
> 
> > OK guys, thanks for all the advice.
> ...


Thanks. I have been recommended the Nikon 60mm F2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor lens - would you agree that's a good option (price aside)?

Cheers,

Guy


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## seiko6139 (Aug 25, 2003)

Well,I repair Nikon SLRs for a living. I'd find a good used D100 or D1x and an 18-70mm F3.5-4.5 Nikkor.


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## seiko6139 (Aug 25, 2003)

pinkwindmill said:


> Boxbrownie said:
> 
> 
> > pinkwindmill said:
> ...


It's an excellent lens, I have one









You may find a 105mm better though as it allows you to get further away from your subject.


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

seiko6139 said:


> pinkwindmill said:
> 
> 
> > Boxbrownie said:
> ...


Yes I agree.....the 105 would be a far better bet, I have both...actually three.....there is a longer one too, and the 105 gets yused virtually all the time.

Best regards David


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## pinkwindmill (Aug 17, 2006)

Boxbrownie said:


> seiko6139 said:
> 
> 
> > pinkwindmill said:
> ...


Thanks guys.

Since last night I've bagged a 60mm, so will run with that for a while and se how I get on. Unless I see a bargain 105mm come up of course!

Cheers,

Guy


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