BoatBanter.com - Ladies and Gents....

Thank golly for "reviews" to guide you through the process, right
Mooron??!!

Remember this when next you quote us another "review" Bob!

Tell ya what, Mooron...here's my review for the D70 vs. the Nikon 8800.

Apples and Oranges? Nikon Coolpix 8800 takes on the Nikon D70

After a disappointing experience with the coolpix 8800 from Nikon I decided to
return the 8800 in favor of the D70 DSLR from Nikon with the Nikkor 18-70mm
lens kit. Like some people, I was under the (okay, silly!) impression that the
8800 could deliver near DSLR like shooting in a more compact camera. Not even
closeâ€¦especially if you shoot with challenging lighting conditions (low
contrast).

(More on the 8800 later on)The D70 Kit lens (Nikkor 18-70mm) camera comes
packed in a single box with the lens. There is also: Camera strap, eyepiece
cap, body and lens caps, lens hood, LCD protective cover, battery & Charger,
batter tray for spare store-bought batteries. I added a UV filter of course.
The difference in price after rebate was approximately 250.00.

I charged the battery and read the manual, not a careful read, but enough to
get started. On the VERY FIRST SHOT, the D70 was able to photograph by
13-week-old son against a background that gave the 8800 fits. In fact, the 8800
often missed these shots entirely. The D70 focused SO FAST, I was shocked.
There was no hunting. I zoomed in fully and tried again. Another tack sharp
shot. Wonderful. Back at the computer those shots showed an image sharper and
more balanced than the 8800 ever managed and this was on the D70â€™s supposedly
poor AUTO mode.

Encouraged, I switched the camera to manual focus mode and fired off a group of
shots. Again, tack sharp results. The camera will even tell you when it thinks
focus is correct, though you can defeat this if you wish. It's very reliable
and consistent.
After my first few moments with the camera I noticed something else. As my
sonâ€™s expressions changed I was able to get those fleeting moments because
the camera had no lag! My wife wonâ€™t let me open the SB600 until Xmas, but
Iâ€™m very excited about how it will expand the flash and focus abilities of
the D70. I love the manual focus. In itself it places the D70 in another
league, making for a truly manual camera. Image quality is superior across the
board. Unless the size of the D70 is too much for you, the D70 is the camera to
buy. And letâ€™s face facts here, the 8800 is no lightweight. I simply canâ€™t
recommend the 8800 for indoor shooting. The 8800 is also a dead end. When the
D70 grows old, you can sell the body and still be ready with lenses!

So far the D70 has addressed all of the 8800â€™s weaknesses and then some.
Itâ€™s focus is nothing short of amazing. With three poor contrast objects (a
bouncer, gray sneakers on gray carpet, silver tripod folded on gray carpet),
the camera shifted focus instantly and perfectly as I nudged the lens from one
item to the next under poor indirect lighting. The 8800 was a disaster in these
areas, and all combinations of settings were tried.

On the D70 ISO goes up to 1600â€¦and itâ€™s usable through much of the range.

It feels like a real camera and is easier to hold as well. If the Nikkor
18-70mm was the ONLY lens you ever had, it would stand head and shoulders above
the 8800. Some folks will chatter on about comparing apples and oranges. But
these are both expensive cameras (quite close in price really), both fairly
heavy and both for the more advanced shooter. Quite a few folks will look at
the D70 and wonder if the 8800 will keep them just as happy. It probably won't.
If you have ANY doubts, please test the 8800 before buying. If the D70 is a
possible alternative, go for it! You wonâ€™t be sorry. Itâ€™s the real deal.
And so....I had the 8800 and now I have the D70. The 8800 is a fancy toy and
for many folks it's "good enough." They are willing to "work around" the focus
issues and shutter lag. It's the "nature of the beast" as if other cameras
don't have better focus and workable manual focus. They insist that a 10X zoom
and VR somehow makes up for the other problems. "Every camera has flaws" they
say. I say, "No Thanks."
When I spend a grand on a camera (8800, extra battery, case, UV Filter) I just
expect more than 10X and a VR. It's a nice feature, but it's no good TO ME at
the expence of low-light focusing, manual focus and other issues that lesser
cameras do better. The manual focus issue alone is a deal breaker for me and
will be for others. Without manual focus it isn't a fully manual
camera...period. In various forums, 8800 owners complaining about focus were
handed a lot of abuse, much of it from Nikon fans who don't even own the
camera. Still worse, people who did have the 8800 were defending it with no
idea of what the D70 did better. They just read "10X, VR and 8MP" wowee! Here's
my credit card! And guess what? I did the same thing. Luckily, a good store
allowed the swap. Live and learn...when you can!
Is the D70 a solution??? Well, I think that the D70 with 18-70 lens ALONE is
better than the 8800 by a mile. The D70 is larger, but it's in the SAME BAG
(Lowepro Ex160) that held the 8800. Also in the bag is a second lens, lens hood
and other doo-dads. Around my neck the D70 is certainly larger and heavier. But
guess what? I'm a grown man and I can carry an extra pound or even two! If I'm
trudging up a mountain side, the D70 will be in a bag no bigger than the one
that held the 8800. It's not like the D70 with lens weighs 10 lbs and is
hanging from your eyelashes! This "weight" issue is just plain silly. The D70
handles like a real camera because that's what it is. Is it much more
expensive? No, no way. The kits lens is excellent and gives 4X zoom. That's
plenty for most folks and I've been using a 50mm 1.8 prime outdoors with great
results as well. The most common FL used sure isn't 350mm! So the price
difference between the D70/8800 is around 230 bucks. The D70 has a better
faster lens, faster EVERYTHING, filters that fit, and wowee, even a lens hood.
You can spend more money to make the D70 have the same type of lens as the
8800, but you can NEVER make the 8800 do what the D70 can do for any price.
Should you decide to grow a bit, you don't have to dump the whole camera. You
can add better ($$$$) lenses that can provide pro results (if you're up to
it!). When the 12MP Nikon body comes out, you can sell the D70 and KEEP the
rest! That makes financial sense. And you'll have better pics in the meantime.
If you want a very portable camera, don't be silly claiming the 8800 is
anything close. It weighs the same as the D70 body and isn't fitting in many
pockets. That's why I have a tiny Pentax 5MP camera smaller than a credit card.

The Pentax locked focus better and without an assist light as did the Minolta
Z1 and greater FL. The Pentax is a far better camera if I want to travel light.
By the way, my wife used the D70 for the first time today and took great shots.
She really liked it. She didn't understand why the 8800 wouldn't take a pic
when she hit the button. Shutter lag, I explained after she missed a shot of a
friend waving from a boat.
Now I know the 8800 fans (and those who complain about apples and oranges) will
not take kindly to this review. I only ask that anyone wondering about the 8800
to TRY it first. Try it in low light. Test the lag. And if you were considering
the D70 AT ALL, run (don't walk) from the 8800. It's flaws outweigh it's
strengths FOR ME. That's the bottom line, folks. I think the 8800 is a toy,
while the D70 isn't. If you have the 8800 and don't have the D70, you really
don't know the whole story. You're welcome to judge for yourselves as we all
must. If this review angers anyone...remember, they are JUST CAMERAS.
Here's a TYPICAL shot from the D70. It has to be since I just got it and most
of my shots look this good.

http://members.aol.com/bobsprit/images/50tom2.jpg

Capt RB