Twacaptain From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 12 posts, RR: 4 Posted (6 years 9 months 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1575 times:
I'm getting ready to move up to the 6-8mp digital arena from my trusty old Nikon 5700. I've read the never ending spiels from the photographic magazines however I'd like some real world opinions. Of particular interest are the following: Nikon D70S and Canon EOS-20D. I'm leaning towards the Canon, especially since I have over two decades worth of favorable experience with my Canon A-1 and numerous Canon FD lenses. I want something that is extremely reliable and built like a tank.
It has been a while since I've used independent manufacturer lenses however I might be tempted to look at the Sigma 18-200mm or Tamron AF18-200mm. Any comments as well?
Q330 From Australia, joined Dec 2003, 1460 posts, RR: 30 Reply 2, posted (6 years 9 months 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1551 times:
If you're prepared to pay more, go with the 20D. You won't regret it for a second. Excellent quality (especially at high ISO), very fast focus, faster continuous drive with a bigger buffer memory, and more megapixels than the D70. It also has a metal body so it's very durable. From my own experience, it's pretty reliable but it does come up with various errors every once in a while.
OD720 From Lebanon, joined Feb 2003, 1903 posts, RR: 45 Reply 3, posted (6 years 9 months 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1532 times:
Those lenses are a little on the poor side. Both Sigma and Tamron have better products than those two. But again, everyone has an approach and somehow unique style.
Philhyde From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 667 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (6 years 9 months 4 days ago) and read 1463 times:
You might do well to follow your instincts and go with Canon. However, to be fair, you should give the Nikon a fair shake. The D70 is no slouch, and many here produce good results. I think spec-wise, the 20D will easily edge past the D70, but specs aren't everything. If you haven't looked at DSLR's, you should at least go and look at both cameras in-person. A few years back, I really had my sights set on the Coolpix 5700. However, when I looked at it in person, it just didn't feel right.
Many on the list, including myself, would urge you to consider paring the 20D with a Canon 'L' lens. As an entry point, I would look no further than the EF 70-200 f/4L USM. I use this lens with my 10D for aviation photography, and I've been extremely pleased with the results all around. When I first got the 10D, I tried out a 75-300 and found it was soft on the high-end. The bottom line is that the 20D is a high-grade DSLR, and you won't realize it's potential with a sub-par lens.
LuckyEddie From Zimbabwe, joined Apr 2005, 63 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (6 years 9 months 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 1361 times:
Quoting Twacaptain (Thread starter): I want something that is extremely reliable and built like a tank.
As I understand it the D70 has a plastic frame but the 20D is a metal frame so the 20D is really in a slightly different league here. The metal framed Nikon which should compete directly with the 20D is the D100 but this is outdated now and Nikon users are waiting impatiently for a replacement.
Now don't get me wrong, the D70 feels very robust and has a great feel in the hand. However if you used to use Canon before then all the arrows are pointing that way... You certainly will not regret upgrading to a D-SLR. Enjoy!
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