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Where's the best place to get a D70s?

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:30 pm
by Andoru
Hi everyone - found this forum a few days ago and have been browsing since.

I'm a film shooter (F5*) thinking about getting a D70s body to get me started (gently) in digital photography. I'd looked at different places (shops, ebay etc) but I'm not sure which is the best place to get one? There appears to be warranty implication if bought overseas as well.

Any advice?


*not selling the F5 ever!!

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:34 pm
by sirhc55
Welcome Andoru - the F5 - a classic.

As to buying a D70s there are, and will be, many suggestions to choose from. Buy locally and get the warranty, buy from HK or Singapore and get it cheaper but warranty will be a problem.

Place 30 posts on this forum plus at least one pic and you will be able to enter the bargains section where prices are most certainly very attractive from our Patron - Birddog.

Welcome again :D

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:52 pm
by Andoru
Thanks for the prompt reply! I've seen the bargain section and it's very tempting indeed! ^_^

Lens lust is ALWAYS there! And NAS...sigh....my poor wallet.

It's amazing that I could resist digital photography for so long!

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 1:42 pm
by paulvdb1
In my case, since I visited Singapore anyway, I decided to buy overseas as I saved around $AU600-ish. I think that Maxwell have made it rather hard for the local resellers to be competitive.

I'll live with the warranty risk - at the end of the day Nikon still have to legally provide some sort of warranty, even if I have to pay some money to make it happen.

One local company that seemed to have a decent starting price is http://www.europeancameras.com/ - they look fairly decent as a business.

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:39 pm
by Andoru
Thanks! According to pros, European Camera Specialists offers the most competitive prices for Nikon gear. They're selling the D70s body for about AUD$1400.

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 5:19 pm
by gstark
Andoru wrote:Thanks! According to pros, European Camera Specialists offers the most competitive prices for Nikon gear. They're selling the D70s body for about AUD$1400.


They're second, actually.

Vanbar are the cheapest of the retail outlets, and they're generally pretty good to deal with.

But my best advice is to become an active member of our community - post some meaningful stuff, and before you know it, you'll be buying lenses with the savings you made on your camera purchase.

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 5:51 pm
by Andoru
I'm on my way - thanks mate!

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:29 pm
by gMaster
http://www.camerafarm.com.au/camera/cus ... hp?cat=273

This is the best Kit price (not sure if they have body only) in sydney that i can find, although not a full retailer but they do have an office in the city near Circular Quay.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:47 pm
by Nnnnsic
Geeze... Maxwell / Nikon really need to rethink that pricing strategy for the D50 because, with only a 400 buck difference between both kits, the D50 isn't such a value.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:55 pm
by gstark
Those prices are strongly suggestive that it's Maxwell stock, but their location and the way they're doing business is suggestive that these are coming from HK.

While I'm not smelling a rat, it just seems a tad unconventional.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:08 pm
by Onyx
Nnnnsic wrote:Geeze... Maxwell / Nikon really need to rethink that pricing strategy for the D50 because, with only a 400 buck difference between both kits, the D50 isn't such a value.


Don't forget, the D50 comes with a crappy 18-55 lens, which is an unknown performer at this point; while the D70s (hopefully) comes with a proven to be versatile 18-70 lens - further widening the gap.

I suspect the D50 pricing strategy needs to accomodate their Coolpix line too, for which the camera would be sitting next to on the retailer's shelf. eg. CP8800: VR, 10x zoom, 8MP, magnesium build - why would anyone want anything else? ;)

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:12 pm
by gstark
Good point Chi. What's the current pricing of the CP8800?

I expect that the glass that 8800 wears will certainly be better than the 18-55, but the D50 kit offers performance capabilities that the 8800 can only dream about.

There's certainly going to be some interesting feature overlap there.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:13 pm
by sirhc55
The other point to consider is the differential between dslr and P&S. There are many people who would prefer a P&S with advanced features to a dslr, so as a consequence, there will be a problem with pricing on the lower end dslr’s :D

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:20 pm
by Nnnnsic
And to think that people are still selling the 8800 at the price of a D70.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 2:20 pm
by gMaster
gstark wrote:Those prices are strongly suggestive that it's Maxwell stock, but their location and the way they're doing business is suggestive that these are coming from HK.

While I'm not smelling a rat, it just seems a tad unconventional.


If you are talking about the camerafarm places, I actually checked their stock out while i'm purchasing my D70s, they camera they sell are maxwell stock, with Maxwell waranty slip.

But I end up buying at DigitalCity which I get an extra battery and an extra 80-300 G lense all for $1999.