Anyway, im happy but my only concern with the whole deal is..its 6 MP -while my second close call is Olympus E500 is an 8 MP -and i wanted to be able to print huge photos for my apartment..around 2.5 feet by 4 feet. Is that going to be possible with a Nikon D70 or for that matter an 8MP? i know theoritically, u cant:

6MP: 11 * 14 print
8MP: 12 * 16

But maybe u guys have some idea?

Digital Camera Poster Creator

http://www.yaodownload.com/video-design/miscimagingtools/camera-poster-creator_miscimagingtools.htm

If money were no object I'd definitely go for Canon's latest, the 1DmkII - it seems as though it's probably the best all-rounder at the moment. In terms of budget DSLR's I think that the Nikon's D70 has a definite edge over Canon's D300, but you'll already know that if you've been perusing dpreview.

If you're going for a compact digital I'd go for either the Canon G5 or the new Pro1, but there are many other good compact digitals currently available.

Hope that helps.

Here are two for you, kind of related, and I bet that if you answer them it will help people answer your first question.

1. Are you unhappy with your current photos (and if so, why)?
2. Why do you want to upgrade?

(BTW, I'm still using an Olympus C3000 -- so I can't help you with describing DSLRs and so on.)

The D70 is always on (though you can turn it off if you won't use it for a day or two). That means it's *always* ready to shoot. There's no delay when you press the shutter release -- it's instantaneous like film SLRs. Pop pop pop. Fewer misssed shots. The auto-focus is really fast -- almost instantaneous -- and silent and smooth. Fewer missed shots.

The bundled lens goes from wider than the add-on lens with my old Coolpix 4500 (D70=18mm) to longer than the 4500 (D70=70). No lens swapping because it's all one zoom lens! And the zoom is a real SLR lens so you can twist the ring to zoom in and out to frame a shot instantly -- just like the old cameras we grew up with! Fewer missed shots. And the lens gives a real SLR depth of field. That makes it outstanding for portraits.

The battery lasts and lasts -- I've read that it lasts for 1000 shots, but I've never gotten it down to where the icon changes. I shoot for days without thinking about a battery.

Way better in low light. I can set it for auto-ISO/ASA and even at a kinda noisy 1600 ASA, I can get great, usable shots at 1/30 of a second. More controls are on dedicated buttons on the back, rather than buried in menus. Tons of settings are accessible without menus. All in all, this means I'm now catching shots I would have missed before I'm guessing that fully half the shots I come home with I would have missed.

But the big big downside is that it's a great big fat SLR. And that's a deal-killer for most people. I just sling the strap over my shoulder and carry it around, plus I picked up a good Domke canvas shoulder bag that does NOT look or feel like a camera bag. That replaces my usual backpack.

I thought I'd miss the LCD screen for framing shots (the LCD is only for menus and reviewing your pix), but I actually much prefer putting the thing up to my eye. Anybody who grew up with an SLR will love going back to that.

I upgraded from a Powershot A75 to a Canon Digital Rebel, and I love it. Even though my photos may not be any better, it *feels* better to me. I know some people don't like the size of an SLR, but that's not even an issue for me. It fits in my shoulder bag, or I'm happy with it just around my neck.

Being able to look through the lens just makes me feel like I'm really understanding what I'm shooting. It's hard to explain. For the first time I really felt as though I was connecting with the subject. Which I never felt before using an LCD or a parallax viewfinder. Sounds flakey, but that's the only way I can think of to describe it.

=)