D70 or *istDS

[maddawg]

Stuck in a bit of a fix here - I have a Pentax SF1 film SLR - I am not a huge photographer but do enjoy it - I also have a Nikon 995 digital camera of which I am wanting to upgrade - I have being looking extensivyl at the D70 till today when I got my hands on the *istDS - nice feel, nice size, nice features - I have one lens for my SF1 whcih is compatible - giving me the kits lens and my old one - or I could get body only i guess. However I really like the D70 - shoudl I stay or should I go? any thoughts yay or nay for either one?

[peted56]

Having one or two lenses one one or the other should not sway you either way unless they are exceptional lenses. Personally I have the the *ist DS and am extremely happy with it, I want for nothing.

I was very surprised when I did a side by side comparison of the features with the two cameras ( www.dpreview.com will let you do this ), there really is not as much as some would tell you between them (or the 20D for that matter), they even use the same sensor. It really comes down to what camera "feels" good to you. I prefer the smaller size and the larger screen and the fact that Pentax accesories are lots cheaper (a friend paid AU$200 for his cable release for his Nikon, mine was AU$80).

Look at the features that are important to you.

[tijean]

I also did the dpreview side by side, as well has having handled both cameras. I own an *istDS and have a close friend whose D70 I've played with. I can say that there are four important differences:

1. Feel & size. This is not just a "DS is smaller, it wins, period" thing. Some like having more to grab on to. I carry my camera with me everywhere, but so does the friend with the D70. The feel of the camera will often decide whether a camera comes with you or stays home, so it is really important.

2. Lens availability. This, too, can go both ways. The Pentax can meter through any lens ever made for a Pentax camera. Ever. Okay, I'm not including the Asahiflex (first SLR offered to the public, I believe). 40 year old lenses can be used with limited functionality. 20 year old lenses can be thrown on the camera, set to A, and used with every single mode of the camera without any special considerations.

While the D70 has limited backwards compatability (so fewer over all lenses can be used with less fuctionality), they can be found at any local camera shop. They're everywhere. They are, however, almost about 30% more expensive than similar Pentax glass.

3. Mirror lock up. For some people it, it is something they will never use. For me, it was a big deal. The DS has it, the D70 doesn't. If you would never use it (a lot of people won't), then don't even consider it.

4. Default coloration. By default, the D70's contrast, color saturation, and sharpening are greater. The DS has "natural" and "vivid" mode, so that you can crank the color and sharpening without going through all of the menus. I, personally, find the DS' colors more natural and better at handling hightlights. That is the main reason I bought it, but it is completely a matter of preferance and a lot of D70 users adore the color in their photos.

[peted56]

Have you looked into the availability of replacement focus screens, on my KM (bought new a long time ago) I had a split focus screen and really liked it, the matt screen I don't like as much.