Nikon D70s vs. Pentax *istDS

[ybechar]

I am thinking about buying my first Digital SRL camera. I have read a lot of reviews, opinions, etc,etc. I have narrow my selection and I'm now between the Nikon D70s and the Pentax *istDS. I would appreciate any input about this two cameras and how the compare to each other. Which one do you see as superior, etc, etc. I know it is gray area an personal preferences play a big role on deciding which one to buy. But I would like to hear what people have to say.

Thank you,

[markcoleman]

I had a similiar dilemma, between the Nikon D70s and the Canon 350D / Rebel XT. What is your reason for the Pentax istDS? Is it due to the size? If so you will find that the Canon and Pentax are very similiar. I spent 6 months doing research and the same two kept coming out namely Nikon D70s and Canon 350D / Rebel XT, didn't find that the Pentax came out that favourable.

My only recommendation is go into a camera shop and try them both. Because they are quite a bit different in size and feel. And even small things like the view finder on the Nikon is great and very bright in comparison to the Canon.

Hope this helps

[ybechar]

Thanks for your recommendation.
I already went to two camera shops (Ritz & a local store). I didn't like the Rebel XT because it was too small on my hands and eventhough it was very light it felt cheap on my hands.

The sales guy at Ritz talk to me into the Pentax *ist DS. I tried it and I like the feel of it. I reviewed the opnions of the users of that camera and it seems to me like Pentax users are more happy with their camera than the users of Nikon D70s.
The guy at the other camera shop did like the Nikon D70s very much and recommended that one. Saying that the format in which the Pentax save the information is not the best one. BTW, I haven't seen any metion to this issue on the web.

Given the amount of money that I'm going to put into it I want to make the most informed decision and try to cover all the angels.

Thank you.

[Michael Fanelli]

Thanks for your recommendation.
I already went to two camera shops (Ritz & a local store). I didn't like the Rebel XT because it was too small on my hands and eventhough it was very light it felt cheap on my hands.

The sales guy at Ritz talk to me into the Pentax *ist DS. I tried it and I like the feel of it. I reviewed the opnions of the users of that camera and it seems to me like Pentax users are more happy with their camera than the users of Nikon D70s.
The guy at the other camera shop did like the Nikon D70s very much and recommended that one. Saying that the format in which the Pentax save the information is not the best one. BTW, I haven't seen any metion to this issue on the web.

Guys at photo shops are trying to sell you something that makes them the most money. The nonsense about Pentax formats not being the best is pure bull, they save in RAW and jpg just like all the others. Stay far away from that shop.

Either camera will serve you well. Pentax has a much larger compatible lens base than Nikon but that won't matter much if you are buying all new. Pentax has the best ergonomics in the business, but that is my opinion. Both Nikon and Pentax have better metering systems than Canon. Choose the camera that fits you best, its close to impossible to make a mistake among the major brands.
.

[tijean]

What is your reason for the Pentax istDS? Is it due to the size?

Hmm... maybe because it's an incredibly capable camera? Do you have any reason to dismiss it?



Anyway, I narrowed down my search last fall to the Nikon D70 and the Pentax *istDS and went with the Pentax *istDS for the following reasons:

Spot metering. This is invaluable when shooting performances or in any type of situation where you are concerned with properly exposing a subject in a darker environment or with odd lighting.

Less tendancy of blown highlights.

"Natural mode" - this allows you to get pictures that have color, sharpness, and contrast closer to slide film than mode digicams without going through the menus and changing settings.

Mirror Lockup - this is really important to me as I do a lot of macro and landscape work.

MUCH better, brighter, larger viewfinder. I couldn't imagine trying to use the D70 with manual focus lenses. When I used it, I felt like I was at the mercy of autofocus.

Vastly superior backwards compatability that gives you 25 years of lenses to use with auto modes and serveral more decades of lenses to use in manual mode. One of my favorite lenses is a A 50/2.0 that goes for $20 on eBay and $40 in perfect condition at KEH.

You can put a 31mm Limited on it ;)

While I did not consider size while I was shopping, it is a very nice perk and the ergonomic are fabulous. It just feels so good to hold.

Lastly, I just liked how the pictures looked.




Reasons the D70 was so tempting:

More dedicated buttons.

Custom curves.

More current production zooms and telephotos.

Better low light autofocus.




Of course, I went with the camera that is better for me, so the things that the Pentax *istDS has over the D70 (or D70s in yoru case) are going to seem more important than the things the D70 (or D70s) has over the Pentax *istDS.

[Norfindel]

Here is a very long review of the camera:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxistds/page24.asp

(that's only the conclusion page).

[BrianFoster]

I just got back from 2 weeks in the mountains using my new d70s with the 18-70 lens (with a b+w circular polarizer). I am a total amateur who just wants great pics, and I occassionally like some flexibility to play with shutter, aperture, and ISO.

I love this camera and the lens. I took nearly 500 pictures and all were sharp, bright, great colors, everything I expected. I did very little, if anything, to the shots in Photoshop to adjust for color, contrast, etc. A couple pics I brightened, but I expected this when I shot them (very cloudy day, for example, and I forgot to adjust white balance). I used the flash a lot, also, and those pics came out great (lots of people wearing baseball hats and I want to see faces!).

I also love the Nikon build, it feels great, it was very fast. It's also not that heavy -- I had it attached to my belt in a Lowe Pro top-load bag every day for 2 weeks.

I'm sure the Canon and Pentax dSLRs are great cameras, and I'm not saying the d70s is "better", but I love this camera and I'm very happy with my purchase. I'm looking forward to my next lens. Good luck with your choice, I know it's tough.

[Lionheart]

Both Nikon and Pentax have better metering systems than Canon. .

I hate to agree with you, but you're absolutely right. I never had to second guess the metering on my Canon EOS models until I went digital. All (or pretty close to all) my slides shot on the 630, 10S, A2, and 1V were always spot on, but 1 out of 5 shots on every eos dslr I've owned has been way off the mark. I've played with the Nikon and Pentax models at conventions, and the metering seemed more consistent than the Canon dslr's shooting indoors under flourescent lighting. Bummer that I have so many EF lenses, otherwise my next camera would probably be a Nikon.

[mdmc]

I own a D70. I am not a camera brand fanatic, however I have read the reviews and gather that the istDs jpeg images arent that good.
Since I always shoot jpeg, i would lean toward Nikon.
Mark.

[Bodryn]

I own a D70. I am not a camera brand fanatic, however I have read the reviews and gather that the istDs jpeg images arent that good.
Since I always shoot jpeg, i would lean toward Nikon.
Mark.

I have an *istDS as well as two Canon cameras and I think the jpeg images are really excellent. Furthermore, the *istDS noise control has been excellent at ISO 800 showing virtually no noise at all in night sky photos and very little at ISO 1600. My Canon A70 and S1 cameras don't compare with that. If you don't mind some noise you can shoot at ISO 3200 - hopefully this may be reduced if I go to a really dark sky site because at that level the sky here gets too bright. Also with the *istDS you have a lot of convenient control over contrast, saturation and other settings.

[tijean]

Owning the *istDS is one of the main things that has taught me to take reviews with a grain of salt. The only review that I have ever seen take a shot at the *istDS' jpg quality was Dpreview. One guy on one site testing one camera for one day didn't think that the jpg quality was up to snuff. I have heard dozens of DS owners, who have spent months with and shot thousands of pictures with, the camera disagree. Anyway, I don't see the point of owning a DSLR and never using the incredible flexibility and quality advantage that RAW has over jpg, regardless of the camera. I'm not saying that the *istDS is the camera to end all cameras, but it seems that all of the complaints I hear about it are from people who have never so much as held it.