Thanks to the IRS, I will be getting a refund.
Was thinking of getting a digital slr.
With the criteria, this model came up.
If any one has it, would like to hear from you.
( criteria, obviously, being price,under 1000:D )
I have but a fleeting second, recently read (means sometime int the last 3 months) an excellent review of the d70 vs canon and some others in same, …canon (which model they tested this old brain can’t remember at this exact moment) won the shootout. will try to find it this weekend for you.
on another side note…had the choice some time ago of a canon elan 7ne or a nikon d70 and chose to go with the oldfashioned control over everything because of speed, storage and resolution issues at the time. am sure much has changed…specially after reading the comparisons…will send soon as I find it…if it’s not to late. 
on a side note…I researched alot on it which means…i read every online gripe about them which was another factor…some of the complaints were a deciding factor for me…they may not be for you. check out online buying sources for each…and note complaints or goodies about each…specially from pros…they are the ones who will speak of those attributes you wish to buy it for.
it would have been my choice back then had it not been faster, with better auto stuff etc…am sure that has changed. am very picky about the control my camera lets me have so if that is not a problem…I would buy it…but let me find that article first…if I still have it…if you are interested.
ok back to work I go.
ciao
nuts
Many thanks, fortunately the store is closed over the weekend.
Will reopen Sunday.
The purchase ( great deal with two lenses) has not been made.
Had decided to go ahead, but will wait for you.
Basically the final deciding factor has been Nikons great technical
phone service.
Will answer any question, any time.
Found out the local camera guy ( J &R Music World) had been wrong
about an important feature. The ability of the camera to sync with
some lights I have.
Many thanks, I await your pleasure.
First while I have a chance, thank you and great holiday!!!
Link to whatI will probabaly end up with.
Nikon D70s w/Continental Package
Note: in addition to what you see there the “kit” is
also included.
Check out t w o lenses
Hope they aren’t one of these types of online camera stores.
http://thomashawk.com/2005/11/priceritephoto-abusive-bait-and-switch.html
For exactly THAT reason I only buy at B&H. They are not THAT much more expensive, specially since I moved to NJ 8-)))))). I always post on a forum and ask if that source is alright. Usually you get instant feedback. I got my small Canon S45 including underwater housing for a really great price from Canada after the source was recommended by 5 emails I recied after asking in a forum. I would have never dared to buy there on my own. And yes, buying stuff in Brooklyn is tough, regardless what. And don’t shake hands there without counting your fingers afterwards.
Cheers
Lemo
My wifes an award winning pro and I’m not far behind. We have had both Nikon and Canon. We sold the Canon stuff. Nikon Rocks 
Beware of Gray Market stuff. Call the company and ask them point blank “does this come with the US waranty”. If it does not you are buying into something you may not want. No matter what they tell you if it is not a US model it is not warantied. They also do things like leave out extras that should be included and then charge you way to much for things you should have been given in the first place. Most dealers are honest but caution is important. If the salesperson gets rude when you ask, look out. Some will give you two prices, one for gray market and one for the US model with the later being about a third higher in price.
Ask yourself what you really need. If you can go $1,000 you may want to consider scraping up around three hundred extra for the D200. Nikon is offering deals right now on bundles with lenses. If its just for casual shooting the D70 is an excellent choice. Beyond most peoples needs.
Another thing to be aware of is that these eat up space on flash cards when you are shooting in RAW. You will want 1 gig and over cards and the high speed ones. The prices have dropped dramaticaly on compact flash cards and you can find high speed 1 gig cards for around $100 to $120 each. Microdrives are cheaper but they are fragile and should be treated with great care in the field. Compact Flash cards are nearly indestructable. I never shoot in anything but RAW because of the control it gives in post. Support for Nikon is built right in to CS and CS2.
Either way, you can not go wrong with NIKON. They are backing out of the film market and going full guns into the digital market. With the advent of the D2x and its resolution, film is about to become a dinosaur.
Mucho thanks guys, lots to check out.
Blaine that appears to be what you have described.
Have talked to them on the phone to make sure the “kit”
was included.
Stores here want 899.00 for camera and lens alone.
Here is an additional lens for basically free.
Understand what you mean about warranty, but experience I
have had if you buy a bummer you usually know it right away.
Problem years ago was you bought a camera took some shots
sent the film out to be developed and by the time the film came
back the store return policy had expired.
In everything you wrote ( and it is some great advice which I thank
you for) you are 100% correct. However in this as in many large purchases
you pay your money and take your chances.
The great part is because it is digital I won’t have to wait a long
time to find out I got beat, I will know immediately:D
Store does offer a 7 day return policy.
In 7 days I will film “Ben Hur”
Again many thanks to all for some great advice.
If I buy it and it is a bummer, I will 'fess up.
IMHO you can’t go wrong with neither, Nikon or Canon. The quality of their high end cameras is so splendid that it takes mega expensive lenses and a real passion to really get the most out of them. I just do not want to buy anything else than a CMOS full size sensor. The rest is secondary. Screw CCD and it’s noise. I would not sink a lot of money into a CCD based camera as the noise in anything but good lighting is ruining your day sooner or later. For me anyhting else is secondary. A nice thing to have is an auto bracketing with more than 3 shots. I think I can recall the Nikon having 9. I don’t know about the Canon of the bat. Why? HDRI!. Unfortunately my expensive digital taste nails me down to the 3 Grand class. I have Canon equipment already and thus do not want to switch all lenses and flashes and the macro gear. And having had the oportunity to shoot with either film version… I must admit… there has not been the slightest difference in my results… The pictures from each tasted the same. Burps…
Lemo
PS:However, Canon is longer in the CMOS sensor business 8-). Ooooppss there we go again…
PPS:Blaine’s dead on with the memory. Only thing I like to add from experience… If you choose the micro drives, then you better have a spare battery with you as those do pull more power. Not a gigantic but noticeable difference.
BLaine, got a guy out of bed, comes with usa warranty.
Also for additional 100. go from 256 to 512 card. 899.00
Have to admit, question of warranty that you raised
caused additional research.
Was not aware. Will be first camera bought online.
Last camera ( digital) about 7 years ago when 3mb was a
big deal.
Ignorance is not necessarily bliss:D
Many thanks again to everyone.
Looks like a go.
Good luck! I’m looking forward to the first texture. Did you warn your neighbourhood that you will be procuring a new weapon of mass depiction?
Lemo
PS:Mandatory warranty in Germany is 2 Years. Consumer in the US are not treated very well by comparison. I’d buy mine there… when they would not have 19% VAT…
You will love this!!!
Today ( Easter Sunday) call up the camera store, ready to buy.
Only question I really had was ability to obtain macro lens ( not
now unfortuately).
On the phone for about 20 minutes, warranty, accessories, focusing.
I even mentioned Blaine and Lemonnado’s names, no reaction.
Finally make decision, take out the credit card.
Salesman puts me on hold.
Out of stock, call back Tuesday!!!
…to be continued
( in the meantime thank you all again,because of you , I sounded
more impressive on the phone )
DOHHH…:evil: I know how that is. Like a cold washcloth…
But better than taking the order and then letting you wait.
Cheers
Lemo
lemonnado,s right about Canon. Both brands share the title of the best. Hope I was helpful. I get realy nervous myself when spending that much over the web but I have saved a lot of money. These salespersons do tend to be more helpful and honest if you sound experienced in buying. I usually just fake it . It used to embarass my wife when I dickered for a deal. Now she’s better at it than me:lol: This is such an expensive hobby that a guy has to save a buck when you can.
Lemo - We Americans are soooo picked on:lol:
I used to use all leica m (M2, M3, M4-P, MD) Nikon F2, and Hasselblads. Since moving to digital I’ve gotten rid of all my analogue stuff as I just wasn’t using it.
For me a camera must not get in the way. I have a D70s and have been using it for over 1 year. Like most, I tossed up getting the canon 350 but just picking up the canon was enough to reject it. Waaaay too dinky.
The D70s is perfect in all the little details. It gets out of the way. One button press to get to ISO or Quality, for example. Unlike the canon whose button takes you to a menu!
The most fantastic aspect of the D70s is that it has 3D matrix metering which means that it is aware of the location in 3D space of objects, couple this with the iTTL flash and you can do the most remarkable fill flash work.
I used to use a minolta meter IV which could measure ambient and flash and display both in relation to each other, coupled with a metz CT60=4 with 27 1/3 stops of manual flash control to get the flash/ambient balance right. The D70s can do it all automatically and just as well.
The D70 feels great in the hand and is rock solid. Also nikon is the only camera manufacturer on earth who can claim that all their lenses from the 1950’s to the present day will fit onto all their latest digital cameras! and vice versa. You mentioned macro, Nikon does some pretty remarkable macro lenses but if you’re strapped for cash as I was you can pick up an old analogue Nikon 55mm macro 3.4 or 2.8. (make sure it’s an AI lens) No auto focus but you don’t really need that for macro.
The battery life is unbelievable, two weeks on average.
If you can afford it get the D200 otherwise it’s a no brainer.
Db.,many thanks
I’m familliar with the dates in the IT field but which time in the year are the fair’s/exhibitions/tradeshows in the photo world where new products are announced? The current rebates of Canon and Nikon make me nervous… Always points towards a new set of merchandise and the attempt to ‘dump’ the previous line. But I might be wrong about that as I don’t know the camera market… Any ideas regarding the camera cycle?
Lemo
It pays to ask.
In J&R Music World ( in NYC) camera goes for 899.00
If you follow the link I mentioned earlier ( which I will delete
when completing this email you will see camera with lens(s) listed
a lot cheaper. Blaine had suggest maybe link items were without usa
warranty. They have one.
What they don’t have is the following.
If you buy a camera from J&R there is a kit included in the price from Nikon
The kit contains.
Strap, Body cap, Lcd monitor cover, Video cable, usb cable. Battery charger
Rechargable Li on Battery, Rubber Eyecup, Picture Project cd
quick start guide, instruction manual.
The place I mentioned the link for doesn’t include this, you have to purchase
it separately for an additional 300 dollars which would make the links price.more that J&R price.
Things get more complicated as you grow older.
Will still buy the camera but must rearrange strategy:D
edit: after posting this called J&R their price does not include the memory card.:evil: 
Back to place with link.
I bought the camera finally, all that work and I saved about
one hundred dollars…but what an education!!!
Also immense sense of gratitude to all of you for your help and advice.
Bait and switch bastards! Body only… pretty much useless without the kit. And if you take a look at the regular charger prices you think they are made out of gold. Not to mentioon the other plastic bits… Tough to get a real deal. But they are out there. You know http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ right?! Huge shop, no risk, prices are alright. You could also go there and try everything out. They drag everything out and let you check it out.
Cheers and good luck
Lemo