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[emma_g]

I've been using a Nikon Coolpix 950 the past five years. I want to get a digital SLR to shoot portraits and nature. Buget constraits are in the $2000 to $3000 range. I have been looking at the Nikon D70 and the Canon EOS 20D. Any Suggestions, comments etc would be appreciated.

[Sheldon N]

I've been using a Nikon Coolpix 950 the past five years. I want to get a digital SLR to shoot portraits and nature. Buget constraits are in the $2000 to $3000 range. I have been looking at the Nikon D70 and the Canon EOS 20D. Any Suggestions, comments etc would be appreciated.
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Do a lot of reading, search internet forums for varying viewpoints, etc. Next, go to a store and handle both of them, decide which you like better. Both Canon and Nikon are excellent, and will do well for you. All you're likely to get in a forum by asking this question is everyone espousing brand loyalty.

Sheldon - Canon user... if that matters.  

[francois]

I've been using a Nikon Coolpix 950 the past five years. I want to get a digital SLR to shoot portraits and nature. Buget constraits are in the $2000 to $3000 range. I have been looking at the Nikon D70 and the Canon EOS 20D. Any Suggestions, comments etc would be appreciated.
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I addition to Sheldon's comments I'd suggest that you visit a local camera store to see and try different models and brands.

[Tim Gray]

DPReview has excellent reviews.

[situgrrl]

Second hand pro gear - the stuff is designed to last unlike comsumer stuff where built in obsolence seems to be the key to mfr profits.   Then go for the camera that feels easiest to use in your hands - the brand loyalty thing comes down to this - I can't stand AF Nikon's - just can't get my head around them in a hurry.  Others will say the same about Canon, Olympus yadda

My brother breaks digicams every 18 mths-2yrs - he doesn't treat them badly but he does use them a lot.  I stuck with film until I could afford a DSLR because of this.  Maybe he's an anomoly but 5 yrs is good going in my book.

My friend who works at Jessops tells me that D70s are hard to get hold of at the mo and need to be pre ordered.  Whether this problem affects America I don't know.

Charly

[boku]

No matter what camera you get, I would suggest that you invest in a decent kit lens, at least one better than the very minimum. To my mind, you need at least some glass of at least $300 value to get what these cameras are capable of. This is well within your budget, just avoid the $100 kit lenses.

I used to own a 995. I can tell you you are in for an incredible improvement in quality. Either camera you are loking at will have far better noise characteristics (the 995 was so bad on noise I could puke, I imagine the 990 is even worse).

If you get lens(es) at least as good as I advised you will be miles ahead of the 990/995 built-in lens. It was known for severe distortion and fringing.

So you get both, superior image capture and optics.

Then, of course, there's the whole concept of getting skilled using a DSLR. But you will have a real camera that returns results as good as your skill level will permit. No compromises.

[Lisa Nikodym]

I currently use a D70 (though probably will upgrade to a D200 when it comes out  ), mostly with the 18-70mm lens that comes with the kit version.  It's an excellent camera for the money, and that lens is truly excellent for a non-professional-priced lens, and covers a very useful zoom range for landscape photography (the equivalent of 27-105mm for a full-frame or film camera).  I found it easy to learn to use well.  You can't go wrong with one.

Before the D70, I had a Canon film camera, so I'm not particularly biased toward either manufacturer.  I haven't used a 20D, though, so I can't compare the cameras for you.  Why I chose the Nikon is that Canon didn't have a lightweight zoom lens that covers roughly that focal range that was good enough quality for me; I used to use the 28-135mm IS lens with the Canon, but it was badly soft in the corners compared with the Nikon lens.  Instead of looking at the D70 vs. the 20D, I'd recommend looking at what lens (or lenses) you like the best and let that drive the camera decision, as the lens probably has a bigger impact on image quality than the camera itself.

Of course, Canon just came out with a 24-105mm lens that wasn't available when I was looking, but it sounds like it has some serious weaknesses in addition to its strengths (and is quite expensive).

Lisa