Dear list members; I've been reading these digests for some time now and have learned a lot form the experience and knowledge of list members. I've received the digest long enough to see that certain topics seem to reappear on a regular basis. Sometimes the debates can become quite heated. I've also noticed that this list is at it's best when the discussions are based on reason rather than emotion. This business of "slamming" a particular piece of Nikon gear because you had trouble with it, or it did not fit your needs seems to me to be counterproductive. Several posters have expressed strong feelings in regard to the N70. I would argue that there is nothing wrong with the camera. It just did not fit their needs or tate. The camera -does- fit the needs of many other photographers, myself included. You've heard several people tell you why they dislike the N70. For anyone considering the purchase of a new Nikon body let me tell you why I chose the N70 over a year ago and have not regretted it: Along with using my N70 throughout the year to photograph family gatherings, sports, wildlife, and landscapes in my home area, I also take week long backpacking trips several times a year. One of the primary reasons I go backpacking is to photograph landscapes and wildlife. I require a body which is more sophisticated than a point and shoot. -For me- the criteria for choosing a body were: Features, weight, and price. The cost and weight of an F5 eliminated that body for me. The N50 was ruled out because of the lack of all mode exposure bracketing, and no spot meter, among other things. This left me to decide between the N70 and N90s. Both wonderful cameras. The problem -for me- with the N90s is that in order for it to have the features of the N70 I would also have to carry an external flash (and extra batteries for the flash), purchase the multi -control back (for exposure and flash bracketing), and carry heavier AA batteries. All this adds up to more weight and cost. Of course exposure bracketing dose not require fancy electronics but I'm comparing features here. With the N70 I have all this with less weight at a lower price. The only thing I envy in the N90s is the 250th flash sync. Many people have discussed the battery consumption issue in regards to the N70. This to me is a legitimate complaint because Nikon advertises a certain number of rolls per set of batteries and in actual use the N70 falls quite short of the Nikon estimate. -For me- this is an annoyance only. I happen to live in a part of the world where CR123 batteries are abundant and relatively inexpensive. For other people this would be a major problem. Again, it's all relative to your particular need. The dreaded interface; It's simply not been a problem -for me-. After a few hours with the manual and camera in hand it all made sense to me. We're all different. Some people adapt to the interface easily, some do not. No one is right or wrong here. Just different. Expressing concern over the interface is a good idea. People should be aware that some photographers have found the interface difficult to adapt to. This is quite different from using disparaging and emotional remarks about the model. There is no reason for anyone to be "flamed" on this topic, but by the same token I see no reason to "slam" a Nikon model when it simply wasn't the right body -for you-. Carl Keller.
