Dillema... what should I do

jbf

jbf

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So.. I'm going to France for eight weeks. My question is should I sell my Nikon D70s and pay an extra 600-700 dollars to purcahase a used RD-1S?

I'm a pretty poor student and I only have around 2,000 dollars of cash available to me (period... its all i got)... but if I sell my D70s with kit lens and 50mm lens, I figure I could at least buy the RD-1S and have some cash left over to save and hold onto.

This is my logic so far:


If I buy the RD-1S... I'll guarantee that I will use it, and take photos with it along side my ZI. I can share the same glass as my zeiss ikon, and can use it for not only photo work for my classes i'm taking in france, but also for reference photographs and texture photos for my visual effects work/portfolio.

Not to mention the ability to even find a used RD-1S in good condition...

Or

I keep the D70s... I can save money, but have to carry the huge body (in comparison), with its 18-70 kit lens and 50mm lens... chances are I wont use this camera except for reference shots and texture work. I dont like to shoot with the camera as its big and bulky and somewhat unweildy.

I figure i'd get much more use out of the RD-1S. however the main problem is that these camears have their reliability issues. If anything goes wrong im SOL. Esp if i buy it used. I imagine there wouldnt be any warranty, and I dunno if epson will repair the camera.

Also gotta tke into account that in what... two years? epson wont be servicing them anymore... so...

I dont know.
 
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Never thought I should recommend this

Never thought I should recommend this

jbf said:
So.. I'm going to France for eight weeks. My question is should I sell my Nikon D70s and pay an extra 600-700 dollars to purcahase a used RD-1S?

I'm a pretty poor student and I only have around 2,000 dollars of cash available to me (period... its all i got)...
Click to expand...
Having owned the D70 stacking up some 7000 pictures in a year (it now lives happily with my brother) I think I can make a fair comparison.

Based on your budget I would stick with the D70, buy a portable storage device for backup and spend 98% of the remainder during the 8 weeks on fun and 2% on dog biscuits for your avatar.

The body of the D70 is not that heavy or big! Forget the 50mm and bring the 18-70mm. You will value the built-in flash.

Just my opinion.

[if money was no object I would definitely buy an R-D1s (or 2)]

Whatever you decide - have a wonderful time in France!

Cheers, Karspoul
 
The RD1 is a great camera. If you want RF and you want digital then go for it.

The D70 is also a great camera. As the previous poster said, its not that heavy with the 18-70 and it will give some options that you might not have with the RD1. I used to own a D70 and I do own an RD1.

Regarding the RD1's longevity. Mine is over 3 years old and apart from the odd tweaking of the RF/VF it has been faultless. About a year ago someone noted that Epson would support the RD1 for 6 years, so 5 years left.

If money is really tight, stick with what you have - you've got the RF side covered with film and a relatively light DSLR that can produce very good images.

Good luck with your choice.
 
The D70 is "huge?" Are you a teeny, tiny little girl? : )
Seriously — it sounds like you just want to buy/take/use a different camera. If that's the case, fine. Sometimes a gear change is inspiring. Sometimes even the romanticism of THINKING you're going to do something different will result in better/different images. But, really, a D70 is a pretty small camera. And, whatever size differences between the two aren't so significant that they make the difference between taking a camera to a particular place or not taking one. It's not like we're talking about the difference between an SLR and a P&S.

As for the above suggestion to get a portable storage device.... If you're away for 8 weeks, will you have a laptop with you, or regular access to a computer? I would prefer to take multiple CF cards, and back up to a computer HD and DVD....

Keep the D70 and get a small prime to equate with whatever you would be using with the RD-1. That would keep the size/weight down.
 
Hmm....

I guess my feeling is that its extremely hard for me to ever use the slr for more than a reference tool. I know it can be used for street work but I prefer something smaller...


things to think about...


honestly I think i would buy the RD1 if i could just fine one used at a good price... thats the main issue right now i guess.
 
Hi,

R-D1 or a digital rangefinder in general is tempting. No doubt. But expensive. And it has crop.
So i would keep the D70 and try to do most photographic work with the ZI.

Regards, Axel
 
Keep the D70, it is not that big, c'mon. I say buy a fast wide angle to take on your trip to shoot street stuff with. Set your aperture to F8, manually focus to 7 feet, and shoot away.
 
achman said:
Keep the D70, it is not that big, c'mon. I say buy a fast wide angle to take on your trip to shoot street stuff with. Set your aperture to F8, manually focus to 7 feet, and shoot away.
Click to expand...
WHen your having to carry the thing around along with your two other cameras, it gets heavy and big.

Would much rather have two rangefinder bodies and a TLR than a rangefinder, dsl, and tlr. 🙂

But the fast wide angle isnt such a bad idea.



As far as pc, etc. Yes I'll have my laptop as well as storage readily available to me.
 
get the RD-1

get the RD-1

For travel, the RD-1 and ZI make a great combination. I used them as a pair on three weeks through France, Italy and the US. Two bodies and two lenses. The 28-50 you already have is great!
(eventually you may want a lens wider than the 28 you already have. 25-50 or 21-50 seems a good combo, but not necessary).
Going through airport security multiple times makes digital storage a desirable option. But it is always nice to have film.
Are you budgeting for film costs, too? Processing in Europe is more expensive...
 
I'll be processing all of my film myself. 🙂

We have a darkroom here, so that is not an issue.

Already figured in all the film costs, etc so Im ok with that.

Im basing this possible purchase, etc soly on the RD-1s compared to the D70s...

So yeah... such a hard decision.

I know I would use the RD-1 so much more... but its just hard for me to part with my cash. (being a student and all)

Hmm..
 
You are a student, but you behave like an old man/woman - what's the big deal of carrying a D70 and a rangefinder? I am 50 and I regularly carry a 4x5 in a backpack with 6 lenses and my 5D with at least 2 lenses.

If you just want to spend the money and find an excuse to buy the RD-1, then just do it, but your excuses for it, frankly are lame.
 
jbf said:
I'll be processing all of my film myself. 🙂

We have a darkroom here, so that is not an issue.

Already figured in all the film costs, etc so Im ok with that.

Im basing this possible purchase, etc soly on the RD-1s compared to the D70s...

So yeah... such a hard decision.

I know I would use the RD-1 so much more... but its just hard for me to part with my cash. (being a student and all)

Hmm..
Click to expand...

I dunno, but going through the x-ray machines multiple times freaks me out with film. I am assuming that it is a problem.
Are you bringing a tank, or bringing all the film home for processing?
(Might want to bring a bulk loader along - ? I dunno)

It gets hot too, so I would save some money for an esky (icebox) and bag of ice and a 6 pack... Put the film in there on top in a zip lock baggy.

The ZI and RD-1 would make a good combo. On the otherhand, the dSLR does thing that the FI might not do well, like zoom in on riders in the tour deFrance or macro shots.
Hard decision - but you are choosing between two good choices, so either way would be a good choice.

Here are some other choices:
1) Vacations always cost more than I plan on, I would probably bring the dSLR and sell it when you need the cash towards the end. if you tried that with the RD-1 no one would buy it, or you wold feel rotten selling it.
2) Sell the d70 now, and just bring the ZI

What is a reference photo anyhow? Are you using the d70 for exposure chimping before the film shot?
 
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Buy a cheap digital compact , keep the Nikon - if you are a fine photographer , you will get great pictures - I often use a Canon G 2 , 4 meg , and I have an M 8 !
 
Thanks Vic. 🙂 That is what I wanted to see. 😀


As to answer the question of reference images. I take photographs with my digital really only for photographs of buildings, architectural structures and landscapes, scenery for reference images to use when creating CG (computer generated) landscapes, and other environmental creations.

I'm a visual effects student. You can view some of my older work here:

http://studentpages.scad.edu/~jmoore26/folio/gallery.html

All the work I create is a CG model that has been lit, textured, etc all in a virtual workspace on a computer.
 
jbf, i use and like both D70 and R-D1 bodies.
Only you can tell if you need a digital rangefinder.
If so, you have no choice but to find out a R-D1/R-D1s... or an M8. 😉
But if you don't need really a DRF, the D70 is a great camera in spite of its tiny viewfinder. It is not that big at all and your combo 50/1.8 (i guess) and 18-70 is very good indeed if distorsion of the latter is compatible with your architectural works, which i doubt at first glance. Or you might wish to buy a second hand 20, 24 or 28 Nikkor to complement your 50 at a reasonable cost.
Otherwise AFAIK most if not all R-D1 and R-D1s bought in Europe are repaired in France at Créteil, near Paris, at the address below. They repaired my R-D1s in 15 days under warranty:
Epson Engineering Europe SA
60, rue August Perret
Europarc
94000 Créteil
Phone: +33(0)156715700
Fax: +33(0)156715726
I can also recommend a good photo shop in Paris supporting the R-D1 and R-D1s: http://www.photosuffren.com/
 
Wow awesome LCT. Thanks for the info.


The main thing about the DSLR is that its not that it is not a good enough camera, quite the contrary. I think it's a great camera. Its just that now after having switched from a digital SLR to a rangefinder, I have an extremely hard time wanting to go back to the DSLR. Its just not the style of shooting i really like anymore. Plus I feel that the camera is big compared to the RFs. Sure, its a small SLR compared to a Nikon D3H or whatever, but to me its large. 🙂

Anyway thanks so much for the info to all. I've got some decisions to make. 🙂
 
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