Quote Originally Posted by Liz
And I quote:
I could try to justify getting a D70 with "think how much we'll save on developing".

First I'd like to say these are great images. I love your moon images. The sky/moon/clouds image is awesome. Thanks for sharing with us.

I'd also like to comment on digital purchases from my personal experience.
I didn't "go digital" for quite a while mostly because I was afraid of what it would cost me.
Finally I caved and bought a G2. I fell in love with digital so I ended up purchasing the Rebel 300D which I have to admit is the best investment I've ever made.

With that history, let me get to the point. What I found was very surprising to me. Although the upfront cost was high for my budget, digital photography immediately began to save me a LOT of money. The biggest savings I've ever known in photography has been the ability to shoot as many images as I want over & over again without paying for the ones I delete. Plus the fact that you don't have to wait. The learning experience is amazing - I have found my skills have grown a lot, and my love of photography even increased. Each time I use the Rebel, it's like taking it out for the first time!

I'm not trying to "convert" you Speed (or your lovely wife), but you have excellent photography skills, and it is obvious that you love what you're doing. I just wanted to share from personal experience how I have personally saved a LOT of money using the Rebel 300D, which continues to amaze me. I firmly believe that in the long run digital is much less expensive - at least it has been for me. I don't print my own images, so I save there. Initially I have them printed at Walmart which is 24 cents a print for a 4x6 and they do a decent job. When I want something enlarged or framed, I go somewhere else .

Have a great weekend!

PS - I still use the Rebel 2000 for Ilford Delta b&w film mostly.

Liz
I appreciate your comments. I know for most folks on this forum, digital would be very advantageous in that they could use the instant feedback to improve their photography. That, to me, is the biggest advantage to digital. The cost savings, and hence the ability to shoot more, are definitely a consideration as well.

The down side is the up front costs. DSLR's start at $1000. Then you've GOT to have more memory. More $$$$. Of course, I'd need a new computer ($$$$$) as our laptop is five years old. It's a Pentium II, 333 MHz. I'd also have to have a photo quality printer ($$$$), with archival inks, of course. All adds up to big bucks. Which is part of why I see a DSLR augmenting - not replacing - my film cameras. And having said all that, I am considering that D70. Who knows what the future may bring. Next year this time I may be shooting digital as much or more than film.

In the meantime, I'm still shooting film, and I'm still trying to come up with images that wow this crowd - which is a tough order. You guys are NOT easy to impress. Guess that means I've got to dig deep and really put forth some extra effort. :-)