Very happy I bought the Nikon D70, not the Nikon EOS 300D

So a few days ago I finally made up my mind and bought a Nikon D70 digital SLR camera. This is a 6.1MP, interchangeable-lens digital SLR that allows for all kinds of manual adjustments. I bought the kit version which costs $300 more than the body-only version because the kit-bundled 18-70mm AF-S DX IF-ED lens (27-105mm in 35mm equivalent) is just awesome and retails for much more than $300.

I had been debating between the Nikon D70 and the very popular (and cheaper) Canon EOS Digital Rebel for a few months. I also considered the small Pentax *ist DS. All three digital SLRs take great pictures. But what won me over in the end was the Nikon D70's vast flexibility and solid build (vs. the Canon) and the great lens bundled in the D70 kit (vs. both the Canon and the Pentax). Indeed, the lens is MUCH better than the one bundled in the Canon EOS Digital Rebel [300D] kit or the Pentax *ist DS kit.

I've been busy shooting the last few days and have absolutely no regret about paying much more than the Canon Digital Rebel (which is a fine camera, but does not have all the manual exposure possibilities I needed). I also bought a good photo technique book "Understanding Exposure" which has a lot of helpful tips about creative exposure for better photos. I love my D70! I hope to be able to finally break out of the "advanced beginner" level I've been cursed to stay at for the last 20 years.

(If I had bought the Digital Rebel instead, I would not have been able to do most of the excellent exposure exercises Peterson gives in his book.)

Anyone wishing to get a below-pro-level digital SLR should definitely go for the D70. The Pentax *ist DS would have been my second choice; besides the lens, I also didn't like its small, stiff "feel" in my big hands.

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