I am wanting to photograph distance shots using the wireless kits on the market.
I have a D70 with all sorts of lenses, and really love the unit but it doesnt allow the switching gear to be plugged in.

The D70s which according to kenrockwell.com is the same apart from the larger lcd screen and it has this plug which I require.

I am loathed to go and buy a new camera, because I really like the D70.

Any tips would be very helpful or if someone wants to swap.

My tip would be to get a D80 instead. You’ll probably get one for not very much more and the viewfinder is considerably better.

Talk Photography has a busy forum with a sale/for trade section.

Take anything Ken Rockwell says with a very very large pinch of salt. He is a smart guy, with a very dry sense of humour, and also often wrong.

You might like to try this trick.

Or this

I’d have a word with Greys of Westminster:
Nikon specialists, renowned for the quality of their second hand stock.

And I’d avoid the D80, the metering is all over the place.
I wish I’d bought a D70s or D200 instead.

avoid the D80, the metering is all over the place

It is? Seems fine to my untrained eye.

cheers chaps, I have got the wireless kit which gives you the range. The nikon M button is IR so its line of sight and isnt as flexible as the other kit available.

I have looked at a D80 but the budget is tight this winter, and its only as an experiment, so do not really want to spend heaps.

Ill have a look on the talk photo forum and see.

Thanks

@Rusty – never had any trouble with my D80 either. What was the metering issue?

My D80’s fine. Have it for sale soon too 😉

The D80’s metering algorithm is different to that of the D70s and the D200.

It was appantly intended to give more immediately impressive results for first time SLR users, but for me it’s always unpredictable and almost unusable in matrix mode.
Far too many blown highlights and massively inconsistant.

Better in c/w or spot modes, much more consistant.

I borrowed a D70s and a D200 to compare and find both to be more cautious with metering, leading to fewer blown highlights.

Many, many people complained and the firmware was updated, making things slightly better.

If you have a spare few months there is a huge thread on the ‘Nikonians’ site and Thom Hogan has mentioned it a few times.

I still love the camera, but it may take a bit to get used to if coming from another Nikon.

Thom Hogan has mentioned it a few times.

Hmmm. his D80 review said

“the matrix meter is more sensitive to what’s going on in the central area…

… The center-weighted and spot meters are their usual excellent selves, and the matrix meter, while a bit different than those that came before it, is predictable once you know what it’s doing.”

Which pretty much sums up my feelings. I typically have the exposure compensation cranked back two-thirds anyway, sometimes more if I’m trying to expose to the right Michael Reichmann style.

I did do the firmware update though – so maybe that made a difference.

Graham, the difference I could cope with, it’s the inconsistancy that drives me mad.
I just don’t find it consistant or reliable in matrix mode.

I thought it was an isolated incident until I started talking to other owners.

I don’t tend to read Ken Rockwell much, but he noticed it as well.
Mr Hogan knows who his friends are: If he mentions ANY issues with Nikon gear, you can be sure it’s something worth taking note of.

Do have a search on ‘Nikonians’ as well, lots of info there.

As I say, I just use c/w for regular shooting, but it is something to be aware of.

Yeah fair point about Thom, though I generally find him more credible than Rockwell. I gave up on Nikonians when they started trying to make me pay to use the forums.

Matrix Metering is always a guesstimate anyway innit, as it depends what “correct” images they’ve loaded into the metering database and how they compare to your own.

Seems good enough to me, but I’m distinctly amateur. I suspect someone more accomplished (as I know you are from your photos here) might be more annoyed by it, but then you use CW anyway so no issue.

Never had a problem with the metering on my D80 (since sold the body for £150 as I got a D7000).

NB I have to say I really rate Ken Rockwell’s site – honest advice with very little BS.

Hmmm. I’ve updated my firmware, but shoot 90% of the time in Matrix and have never had a problem with it. Dunno whether that’s me, the camera, our the subject and places I normally shoot though…

Thing with Ken is I look at his gallery and I don’t find any of his pictures particularly compelling.

They are technically competent and probably better than anything I take, but I’d rather get my advice from someone who takes the pictures I aspire to take.

That and I don’t think his stance on several issues is particularly credible (he was once very anti-RAW for example, claiming it offered no benefits despite several really quite good photographers showing examples that suggested otherwise).

Graham, thanks for the that, but I’ve only ever taken about half a dozen decent shots.
I just keep reposting the same ones 😀

I like Ken Rockwell’s site – he’s full of good advice, but there are always different ways to approach anything.
Love his BS free buyers guide!

I agree re Ken’s Gallery – but I’m on there looking for advice re hardware choices rather than photographic inspiration. He does have a point re RAW and the longevity of files; and like him I just can’t be arsed with RAW and only use jpegs..

Thing with Ken is I look at his gallery and I don’t find any of his pictures particularly compelling.

They are technically competent and probably better than anything I take, but I’d rather get my advice from someone who takes the pictures I aspire to take.

I don’t like his pictures either. And I do think mine are better. 😀

That and I don’t think his stance on several issues is particularly credible

Hasn’t he admitted somewhere that he takes controversial stances (that he doesn’t necessarily agree with) on subjects deliberately in order to drive traffic to his site?

He is quite entertaining to read and makes some good points imo, just don’t trust him as a source of information.

spoke to the chaps in westminster. They didnt actually know about the d70 not having the remote option, so they have learned something today. They have quite alot of options in stock, but not cheap, so I will have to see what comes up.

I’d agree Grums are better, Rockwell is pretty awful and a bit full of poo too.

NB I have to say I really rate Ken Rockwell’s site – honest advice with very little BS.

You’re kidding right? Please say you’re kidding?

Ken Rockwell says that with high ISO capable DSLRs there is no need for fast lenses. Really? So how does one get very shallow depth of field?

I’d agree Grums are better

😀

Ken Rockwell says that with high ISO capable DSLRs there is no need for fast lenses.

I reckon that’s probably one of his deliberately controversial stances. He’s like the Jeremy Clarkson of the photography world. 😉

another thread hijack here (i’m good at this)

any hardware recommendations for a complete novice to get started with a DSLR? I’d definitely want something second hand to start learning with and cheap is always good, but something that would allow me to learn and develop.

Cheers

Dave