Question about Nikon D70

[Kashchei]

I'm currently in Basel, Switzerland and I ran across a used (the owner says it is "like new") D70 for 550 Swiss Francs. I don't have a digital camera at all and I have been thinking of getting one. I just wanted know if this was a good price for a good camera. I have a nice (Minolta 110) 35 mm camera that I've used for years, but I'd love to make the switch to the digital world. I've observed that many people use the D80, and so my first question would be the difference between the two models. I know you all are experts, so I'd love to know what you think. Let me know and I'll check in when I return to Cafe Fumare Non Fumare, the only place in town I've found that has free wifi access.

 

[cube]

They have 3 D70 at 498 CHF in PhotoVision (in Bern and La-Chaux-de-Fonds).
Call them to see which one has all the accessories and the box, if they haven't sold it already, and if it has been sent to Nikon for revision (I don't know if they send everything). Also ask about the warranty, because I think Bern gives you 4 weeks while I think the other gives you 3 months.
There are others in other cities, but they cost 100 CHF more.
You can see the listtings, contact info, maps, shop photo at http://www.photovision.ch

You can get additional maps at http://map.search.ch/

 

[Westside guy]

The D70 is a very nice digital camera. The main difference between the D70 and the D80 is the sensor's pixel count - the D70 is 6 megapixels, while the D80 is 10 megapixels. People tend to assume more=better, but the opposite is often true (fewer diffraction issues, relatively better noise performance, etc.). 6MP is plenty of resolution for pretty much anything you'll want to do. The D80 does have a larger, brighter viewfinder than the D70; and it may have better autofocus tracking for moving objects (although the D70 does just fine).

While I said that a smaller pixel count on the sensor provides better noise performance, technically speaking this would be most accurate if you were comparing two different density sensors of the same generation. The D80's sensor is newer - and the technology is advancing - so its noise performance is probably a bit better than the D70. I have no qualms about shooting my D70 at ISO 400, and in most instances at ISO 800.

Edit: Sorry to keep adding stuff on. The D70 (and the D80) are pretty much instant-on in terms of the interface - it's quite nice. If someone tries to get you sidetracked with the original Canon Digital Rebel (300D), just try it out and compare - its interface is dog slow. The newer Canons don't have that issue, but they are of course more expensive.

 

[cube]

Be warned about the possibility of BGLOD with the D70 (not with the D70s).
In USA and Switzerland at least, Nikon will repair this for free even if out of Nikon warranty, but I don't know if Nikon USA will exceptionally touch a non-USA camera in this case.