I did a photo shoot last week with my new D70 and was blown away by the accuracy of the color, especially in the skintones. It really surprised me.

Im having some issues with my camera, long story short, I'm buying a new one.

After reading these threads it seems the Canon eos and the Nikon d70 are the two highly recommended ones at the moment in the $1k price range. If anyone wants to throw another in the mix please do. What about the coolpix camera's, I know that some people like these too.

Do either have a steep learning curve? Our local camera dealer sells only Canons, so you know what he is recommending. But his prices are much higher than what I am finding on the interenet. Do any of you recommend online dealers?

Mary,

I am very partial to the SLR type digitals. Without going into all the particulars that have been discussed before, these camera will produce a much superior image mostly because the actual pixel is much larger that the pixel on the non SLR types. Also, your ability to shoot in low light conditions (an ability that I prize) is vastly improved with these cameras.

As far as learning curve -- I wouldn't worry much about that. Which ever camera you buy there will be some amount of this. I found that my Nikon D70 operated in a very intuitive way. I have glanced at the manual a few times, but haven't really needed it much.

As far as on-line stores -- the link below, B&H, is considered to be a reliable source. When deciding between a local retailer and an on-line store you should consider how much hand holding you require. The one thing the locals will do is give you some hands on help if you need it. I found that when I was buying my camera the prices for what I wanted were not that different at my local retailer so I bought from them. I say buy it locally if there is not much difference. They will be more likely to help you out of a jam if you purchased the camera from them.

I have heard some random minor squealing from a couple of Canon digital rebel owners. I've heard nothing but praise from D70 owners.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?

There are a ton of professional photographers in this area and B&H is highly recommended by all my photographer friends. One particular note from a camera retailer though, is B&H warranties for the Nikon D70 are based in China. I haven't checked this out but thought that if you were to buy a Nikon from them you should inquire about the warranty, if it is from China (which means you'd have to send the camera to China for warranty work) or the USA.

I agree with Mike. A local retailer would be a good source. You can go to www.nikonusa.com to find a store near you.

http://www.calumetphoto.com/pr.jsp?p=hm&t=e295&US=1

Mary,

Calumet has always been good to deal with for me. I bought my Nikon D100 from them.

Garth
Nikon D100: 77,000 photos on the odometer, and counting.

Making the switch
 

Just back from a photo safahi to Arizona with the new D70. I was reluctant to take it on such trips because of the size, investment and unfamiliarity compared to my old Finepix 3800. After this I'll use it all the time. What a pleasure. And it holds all the pictures from four days on the flash card...no need to take the laptop. While it is bigger it is still very light. I hiked up hills with it hanging on my neck no problem. At one point there was another fella with a film SLR shooting pictures, too. Apparently he'd been watching me because after sixty exposures he came over and said, "Aren't you out of film yet?" Another advantage that hadn't really occurred to me. The menus are a little confusing because you must learn which button to push to navigate through them. Might consider DSLR Nikon D70 ebook by Peter iNova.

Reviews
 

On some of the camera review sites you can directly compare what you get with each and every camera. Then it becomes a factual, side-by side thing and not a personal preference.

If you are set up with a ton of lens already for one brand that might be factor.

D70 vs. SLR-like
 

I've had the D70 for about a year and a half now. Takes great pictures, good battery life, a pleasure to use. But when we went to Italy last spring I bought a used S1 IS on eBay for a couple hundred. Why? Small, 10x zoom (very handy), takes tv quality video. If I were in the market today I'd seriously consider one of the new SLR-like models. In good light they will take pictures equal to a DSLR for all but the most demanding photographer. FinePix S6000, S9100, or Lumix FX50. Anybody have SLR-like experience they can share?