Alright, now you've done it.  I'm probably going to receive a bill for
publicity, but in return you're going to get a bill for my new
hat.<:-))

But seriously, when the NEFs are on an average of the mid 5 megabyte
range (they do vary from close to 5 to just over 6 with the vast
majority being in the mid 5s) I see little need for shooting in a
lesser mode.

In the D-70 as well as the Canons you have control over white balance,
sharpening, contrast, saturation...It may not be quite as simple to
get at as in a P&S, but once you learn the menus they are relatively
easy to navigate.

I have nothing against using JPGs, but when using a camera and lens
combination that cost near $1500 USD (My F4S body cost more than that)
I can't see a reason for economizing on memory when it cost me less
than $100 per Gig.  I think it's still around the $100 USD mark for 1
gig and about $170 for 2 Gig.

I've mentioned before I do use jpg mode at the highest quality in my
E-20N, but that is mainly because the thing is so darn slow.  It takes
10 seconds to write an image from the buffer to memory. The D-70 can
empty a full buffer in 3 seconds or less.

So, I could double the number of photos from around 190 to near 400 by
going to jpg and losing some quality (not much)or I can do the same
for another $100 and keep the full quality.

400 is a lot of images, but I have come close to that at AirVenture
(the big fly-in at Oshkosh Wisconsin every summer with which CJ is
well familiar<G>)

As a comparison, in 35mm it costs me over $100 for a single 100 foot
roll of ASA 400 E6, and the last ASA 100 of E6 ran near $65.  I get
roughly 20, 36 exposure rolls out of that including leaders.  It costs
me about $2 a roll to develop the stuff not counting time, or mounts.
That's $7 USD a roll or 20 cents per shot.  Double, or triple that if
you are purchasing by the roll and using a commercial lab.

Now the CF cost basically $100 for 200 shots or 50 cents each for the
one day, two days makes that 25 cents and three days makes that 17
cents and at 5 days I'm down to 10 cents per shot.  Sure I have to
store those on something long term, but CDs are almost free and in
some instances are.  Figure 25 cents each.  That's 50 cents to store a
days worth of shooting.  DVDs are now about $1 USD and that'd be good
for over 4 days shooting.  At these prices make two. Its good
insurance.

No, I haven't printed many, but I hadn't with the film either.

But again the advantages of full resolution, lossless storage gives
you more power when it does come to post processing.  You can enlarge
cropped areas without artifacts from the compression.  It gives the
ability to make big prints.

As to quality, I shot 6,883 images in 2004 (not counting a few rolls
of film). I have gone through 1000s of feet of 35 mm film over the
years.   If you shoot that many a few are bound to turn out good
<:-)), but thanks CJ<G>

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com