Nikon D70 & Old accessories question

[Netskipper]

Hi there,

A friend of mine is planning on buying a Nikon D70. I'm gently persuading him to buy the Canon 300D because thats what I have and we can share lenses and other accessories in the future. The only things stopping him from switching is that he has this Nikon Film SLR (don't know what model) and he has some accessories he thinks he can still use particularly the flash (SB50-DX). I read in some sites that the flash does work with the D70 but only in manual and rear-synch (dont know what this means). He has some lenses already but they are tamron.

My question is whether he will be able to use his tamron lenses (nikon mount) and flash in the Nikon D70 or will he still have to buy these items anyway. In the case of the flash, the question is more like do you think the SB50-DX is enough for a serious amateurs needs?

Thanks in advance for your helpful answers

[mgd]

You're friend can still use his SB50, but will not be able to take advantage of the D70's iTTL metering and commander mode. This is personally a big drawback since I find iTTL to be very reliable and the wireless trigger of the commander mode is very useful when you want to get creative with your flash work. Unfortunately, these can only be used with either an SB800 or SB600. He may be able to use the SB50 as a slave to an SB800 should he choose to invest in one in the future.

His existing lenses will work on the D70 assuming they're not that old (non AF). If they are, the lens will still mount and will be usable sans TTL metering. If in doubt, I'd recommend he try out the lenses on a D70 before purchasing. The shop he's buying from should be able to allow him to do so.

If your friend is open to second hand units, I noticed several used Nikon D100's being sold either here or on phphoto. I believe these will work in TTL mode with an SB50.

Good luck!

[Netskipper]

Thanks for the tip, Migs. Much appreciated. Looks like he will be spending more than he is planning. On a separate note, he bought his flash 3-4 years ago and it cost him 12K. Nowadays, its enough to buy an SB600.

Does this mean that flashes are less likely to be "useable" with newer bodies than lenses? Phrased differently, does this also mean that flashes get obsolete more quickly than lenses?

[mgd]

In my experience, no. Flashes do not become obsolete more quickly than lenses. Technically, you can still use the SB50, just not in TTL mode. I've been able to use an SB80DX and a much older SB16 on my D70 in manual mode. You just have to make more manual adjustments as you shoot.

AFAIK, the Canon 20D will be able to shoot with a Speedlite 420EX in TTL mode, even if it's a flash that's several years old. ditoy_eagle uses this setup and produces stunning flash aided images.

I think the inability to use TTL with pre-SB800/600 flashes is unique to the D70 and was, personally, a sore spot for me. It's like Nikon forces you purchase either a SB600 or SB800 to make the most out of the camera. There might, of course, be a techinical explanation for this that I don't know of. I believe the higher end bodies (D2H) can use these older flashes in TTL mode as well as older Nikon AI lenses.

Regardless, I don't regret getting an SB800 for reasons stated in my earlier post. It also worked for me since I didn't have an external flash yet. You're friend can try to unload his SB50 to shore up funds for an SB800 or SB600. Or just usethe SB50 in manual mode, TTL can spoil you .

[Netskipper]

Thanks again Migs will forward your posts to my friend.

Makes me think I shouldve gotten the D70 for the great flash system......nah