HELP?! My head is spinning...

[Jiddru]

I need your help...

I am new to the D-SLR arena, as I want to replace my old 35mm Nikon N2000 and upgrade from my point&shoot digital. I think I want a Nikon D70s with the 18-70mm AF Nikon lens and possibly the 70-300mm Nikon AF lens. My problem is this - I don't know where to buy it. After reading many of the posts in this forum, I am now more confused than ever. I originally tried to order the camera from geniuscameras.com, but quick realized that scam, and cancelled my order. Then I found this site and realized the following places were scams:

Royalcameras.com
Geniuscameras.com
Infinitiphoto.com
bestpricecameras.com

I guess that BHphotovideo.com is good, but what about some others? (B&H wants $1200 for the kit with shipping)

How about hotbuyselectronics.com? ($1000 for the kit+ shipping)

What about eBay retialers, such as Roberts photo and video - they have a good feedback rating? ($1100 + 20 shipping)

Is there something I am missing in this whole thing????

[Jiddru]

Also, what about Adorama?

[Photo-John]

Adorama and B&H are both solid. They've been around forever and have impeccable reputations. And for what it's worth, they're also both partners of this site. You can buy from them right through the reviews.

Roberts is also excellent. They have a store in Indianapolis that I've shopped at before.

You have to be careful buying cameras online. There are a lot of scumbags out there trying to hustle you out of your money. That's why we have this forum.

[mjs1973]

Welcome to the Forum Jiddru. It's nice to see another Wisconsinite. What part of the state are you in?

I have attempted to purchase some gear from some of the less scrupulous dealers out there. Don't let their low prices fool you. I was lucky when I was dealing with them, and ended up canceling my order before it passed the point of no return. There are a lot of bait & switch companies out there praying on the unsuspecting and uneducated consumer. Stick with a company that you know you can trust like B&H and Adorama. I haven't dealt with Roberts, but if PJ says they're solid, I would be willing to try them out.

As for the packages on ebay... well, that's where I bought my DSLR and if I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't. Don't get me wrong, I love my camera, but the rest of the stuff that came with the package, is next to junk, with the exception of the memory card. Sure, you can get a lot of "extras" in those packages, but most of it is crap.

[Jiddru]

Welcome to the Forum Jiddru. It's nice to see another Wisconsinite. What part of the state are you in?

I have attempted to purchase some gear from some of the less scrupulous dealers out there. Don't let their low prices fool you. I was lucky when I was dealing with them, and ended up canceling my order before it passed the point of no return. There are a lot of bait & switch companies out there praying on the unsuspecting and uneducated consumer. Stick with a company that you know you can trust like B&H and Adorama. I haven't dealt with Roberts, but if PJ says they're solid, I would be willing to try them out.

As for the packages on ebay... well, that's where I bought my DSLR and if I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't. Don't get me wrong, I love my camera, but the rest of the stuff that came with the package, is next to junk, with the exception of the memory card. Sure, you can get a lot of "extras" in those packages, but most of it is crap.

I live in Mukwonago, SW of Milwaukee. I appreciate the help! What do you guys think of the Nikon D70s? Is there something else in that price range that is really somethig to look at? Perhaps the Canon Rbel XT or the Olympus e500?

Thanks!

[mjs1973]

I have some friends from college that moved to Mukwanago after graduation. Not sure if they're still in that area or not...

As for your camera choices... Well, I'm a Canon shooter myself and I love what they have to offer. That being said, I have NO experiance with any of the other brands that you have mentioned. My suggestion for you is to go to the reviews section of this site and see what people who have actually used the models that you are looking at have to say. Only you can decide what camera is the best for you. One you get your search narrowed down to a select fiew models, go to a camera store, and pick them up, and take a few pics with each to get feel for the camera. You can pick the top of the line camera with the best specs, but if it doesn't feel right, and you can't access the controls you want easily, is it really the best camera for you?

Bottom line, there is a ton of great info on the web that will help you narrow down your choices, and you should try to get your hands on them before you drop your hard earned cash. Good luck!

[swmdrayfan]

Also don't forget to check out your local camera store. Not Best Buy, Circuit City or one of those places--a bonafied camera store, where the sales people KNOW what they sell.

[RayFromAlaska]

You can read side-by-side reviews at this link:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

The Nikon D70 is a well built 6MP camera that's comparable the the Rebel XT. The Rebel XT is not as solid, but the 8MP Rebel is more modern than the D70. I imagine that Nikon will replace the D70 with a newer version in the near future (?). The D70 is a little more expensive than the Rebel, and I believe that in the burst mode it's a little faster then the Rebel. Now, a Canon D20 is superior to both, but much more expensive. I forgot to mention that Nikon has the D70s, which is a newer D70 version.