I'm currently using a Minolta 7i. Good camera, but I have some problems with work photography (crime loss adjusting). 28mm just isn't wide enough, autofocus is dodgy in poor light and manual focus is impossible because of the EVF. A DSLR would probably solve these issues, and the D70 is tempting, but I don't know anyone who owns one and our dealers won't let you "buy and return if it's not suitable". Can anyone give me some feedback here? I'm particularly interested in whether the small/dim viewfinder is usable in poor light, the manual focus capability - no pentaprism or proper focussing screen, and if the autofocus (OK, I know this depends on the lens, but let's assume the 18 - 70 kit lens) can cope with shots at around 18" under similar conditions. Can't afford to make a mistake. All DSLRs are expensive in SA, and the D70 is about 1,200 - 1,300 pounds with the kit lens. I'd prefer to stick with Nikon because I've got some glass left from my film SLR days. Thanks.

[mr jones]

Originally Posted by martynk

I'm currently using a Minolta 7i. Good camera, but I have some problems with work photography (crime loss adjusting). 28mm just isn't wide enough, autofocus is dodgy in poor light and manual focus is impossible because of the EVF. A DSLR would probably solve these issues, and the D70 is tempting, but I don't know anyone who owns one and our dealers won't let you "buy and return if it's not suitable". Can anyone give me some feedback here? I'm particularly interested in whether the small/dim viewfinder is usable in poor light, the manual focus capability - no pentaprism or proper focussing screen, and if the autofocus (OK, I know this depends on the lens, but let's assume the 18 - 70 kit lens) can cope with shots at around 18" under similar conditions. Can't afford to make a mistake. All DSLRs are expensive in SA, and the D70 is about 1,200 - 1,300 pounds with the kit lens. I'd prefer to stick with Nikon because I've got some glass left from my film SLR days. Thanks.

sorry i missed where you mentioned south africa (saff afrika), there must be cheaper prices available somewhere surely

Not locally, no. All the dealers charge pretty much the same. Not sure why they are so expensive, but I suspect that the manufacturers charge the agents much higher prices because this is such a small market (Microsoft and others do exactly the same thing). We can buy from the USA etc via the internet but there are all sorts of issues with warranties, duties/taxes and so on, and I'm not sure I want to go there. The local agents are pretty coy about the warranties, for obvious reasons. Concensus seems to be that you're OK if you buy the camera from an authorised dealer on an overseas trip, with the international warranty, and keep the customs receipt, but internet deals seem to be a different story. I can just about manage retail, but I have to make the right decision, because I'm not in the same position as our US friends who seem to think the camera is so cheap that the risk is negligible!

[dejongj]

It's a bit late, but where do you get it from that the D70 viewfinder is dim? That probably comes from people looking through it when there are no batteries in the camera and thus it cannot be switched on...
The reason for it to be dim in such an event is that there is an LCD overlay to provide the viewfinder information...Now power means no light through the LCD which results in a dim picture...Switch the camera on and it is great...