Nikon D700 12.1MP FX-Format CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only) by Nikon
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Digital camera reviews of Nikon D700 12.1MP FX-Format CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)
Digital camera Review: A good full-frame DSLR
Summary: 5 Stars
The Nikon D700 is a fantastic entry-level full-frame DSLR. Heck, it can be a professional full-frame DSLR.
I stepped down from a Nikon D3 after it was stolen in 2009, and needed a replacement DSLR fast. After comparing the feature set of the D700 with the D3, it was a no-brainer*. The main feature sets that most professionals will use and care about are the same. It contains the same processor, sensor and ISO range as its larger cousin.
The differences are fairly minute, such as one CF slot versus two in the D3, which can be an issue if you shoot events or weddings. There is also no microphone, but in the years that I used the D3, I only made audio memos a handful of times. A pen and paper was easier and I could actually remember to look at that versus finding that obscure audio file on the hard drive. It also contains the EN-EL3e battery, which isn't as hefty or long-lasting as the EN-EL4a, but you could always buy additional EL3e batteries. Another issue is the shutter; it is of the cheaper variant on the D700 and the "click" is noticeably different and slower. Pack on the optional MB-D10 battery pack and you can boost the FPS to 8 -- nearly matching the base 9 FPS on the D3.
I primarily shoot landscapes, architectural details and portraits. There is no noticeable difference in quality or handling of the D700 versus the D3. If you want action, step up to the D3S. If you want bigger enlargements, pay up for the D3X.
*Note: The Nikon D3X and D3S were not released at the time of my D700 purchase.
Digital camera Review: A review of D700 by a previously D200 owner.
Summary: 5 Stars
I couldn't be more happy with the purchase of Nikon D700 Digital SLR camera. It replaced my 3-year old and retiring Nikon D200, which I have put well over 100,000 images through (and it's still going strong.)
I'm an actual photographer, not a camera-aholic who buys camera equipment and lenses as "collection". So a camera that "feels right in my hand" is very important to assist my creative productivity flow.
The camera have a very solid construction, it is said to use a thicker magnesium body than the D300 and D200, and is very water-resistant (one reviewer used the camera for 4+ hours in the rain with absolutely no problem).
For the first time, I have absolutely no worry about setting my ISO at 6400 and know for a fact the images will come out far superior than that would produce on my old D200 with iso of just 640, sharpness and resolution wise. The High ISO performance is astonishing on D700, thanks to Nikon's full frame 12mp sensor (the exact same sensor that's been used in Nikon's top of the line D3). The sensor's default setting produces neutral, film like results, with the ability to fully customize color/contrast/sharpness.
The ability to produce 14bit raw files would put some of the most critical photographer on the ease, knowing that they will not compromise on the shadow and highlight details while shooting in 14bit raw. However, in my field test the difference is impossible to distinguish with human eye, it can only be detected with the aid of a histogram.
I love the cameras ability to customize at least 3 different function keys for various tasks (the DOF button, Function button and AE/AF-Lock button). The ability to use the en-el4a battery with the MB-D10 grip is a huge plus (although the grip, adapter, the battery itself and the charger for battery costs well over $500 dollars), it enables the ability to shoot well over 2,000 images on a single battery charge, and amazing 8.1fps frame rate (16 raws continues shooting, or unlimited jpgs)
The LCD screen is truely a joy to stare at, it offers 3x more pixels than the old 320x240pixel screen. With 178 degree viewing angle, and anti-glare coating all help ensure accurate color rendition. (mine comes with 1 stuck pixel however that's not noticeable unless screen is displaying complete black)
If you've used Nikon's DSLR before, you'll be at home with D700's menu system, very intuitive with a help function which explains every setting on the fly. Some really useful features include: Self sensor cleaning, Mirror lockup, Multiple exposure, Intravelmeter, Visual horizon and much much more.
Nikon's Speedlight flash system is the best in the industry, and Canon's offerings are all far behind. This camera's build-in flash can remotely control SB-900/800/600 flashes to be fired at distance. Nikon's i-TTL metering is spot on every time during most normal shooting situations.
Some little detail that I really appreciate is the build in rubber caps for the accessory socket and the pc flash sync socket, now I would never have to worry about losing those little caps anymore.
Rival Canon 5D Mark II have the pixel count advantage and the ability to record videos, which would attract a lot of photographers who's also doing motion film works, or landscape photographers who want the absolute highest resolution at lowest iso settings, downside of the 5d mk ii is the increased noise pass iso 1600, lower frame rate, cheaper build, and lower quality lens offerings. Oh wait, did I mention about the ultra tiny buttons that's impossible to press when wearing gloves during winter time?
I would highly recommend Nikon D700 for it's serious high iso performance and incredible usability.
Digital camera Review: A review of the Nikon D700 by a Nikon D300 owner
Summary: 5 Stars
I am making this review of the Nikon D700 from the perspective of someone who also owns a Nikon D300.
Without qualification, the Nikon D300 is a superb camera. So many superlatives have been used with the D300 that I will not repeat them here. All the superlatives used with the D300 applies equally well to the D700. I will add however that as good as the superlatives may have been with the D300, the D700 deserves a bit more.
Let me explain.
The Nikon D700 is equipped with a full frame FX sensor (36.00mm x 23.90mm). This is the same sensor used by the Nikon D3. Nikon D3 12.1MP FX Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) The D300 on the other hand uses the APS-C sensor (23.60mm x 15.80mm). Both the D700 and the D300 have about the same 12 megapixel rating (with the D300 actually slightly higher).
The D700 having a bigger sensor than the D300 but with about the same megapixel rating means that the size/pixel density of the D700 is much lower than the D300. The ratio is 1.4MP/cm2 vs 3.3MP/cm2 for the D700 and the D300 respectively. A lower ratio means lower noise and this ratio favors the D700. For the D700, this translates to lower noise in capturing the same image than when using using the D300.
The D700 lower noise level in turn translates to the D700 being able to operate at a higher ISO level than the D300. The D700 can operate as high as ISO 25,600 while the D300 can go up to ISO 6,400. It is of course quite rare to shoot at such high ISO as it will always be better to shot at a lower ISO rating. But if both the D700 and D300 were shooting at the same ISO, the D700 will have lower noise levels. Simply put, the higher ISO capability of the D700 versus the D300 indicates the higher level of performance of the D700's sensor vs the D300.
My actual use validates this theoretical advantage. I noticed that while the noise level of the D300 is very good at ISO 1600 and even 3200, the D700 consistently showed lower noise level than the D300 shooting at the same ISO setting and light condition. This is most noticeable when shooting at night with many bright lights in the periphery of the main subject.
In terms of color rendition, I have not noticed any significant differences between the D300 and the D700 in the limited time that I have been using the D700. It may be due to the fact that I have conducted my test at dusk and at night.
When using the D700, the full frame sensor means that one will not need to convert the focal length of the lens by a factor of 1.5x. So a 50mm lens will be a 50mm lens for the D700 rather than its 75mm equivalent when used with the D300.
While this may appear to be a disadvantage on the telephoto side, its gain on the wide angle side is considerable and can only be described as an eye opener. The D700 advantage in wide angle application does not just come from its wider perspective. Rather, it is how the D700 maximizes and makes full use of such excellent lens as the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 that makes buying the D700 such an eye opener.
The resulting images taken with the Nikon D700 and the Nikon 14-24mm are clearer, sharper and crisper compared to the D300 even when the focal length in the D700 is zoomed out to its equivalent in the the D300 (21mm in D700 and 14mm in D300). Vignetting is not noticeably worse even when the D700 is used with the 14-24mm glass fully open at its widest focal length (14mm, f/2.8). This is surprising considering that the D700 is now using the full lens instead of just its sweet spot in the center (which would have been to the advantage of the D300 due to its APS-C sensor).
It is not just the wide angle lens that benefited from the D700. Even the slight vignetting I noticed with my 85mm f/1.4 shot with the D300 at f/2.8 is not considerably worse in the D700. I am very surprised at this rather unexpected results as I had expected the opposite. At any rate, vignetting is easily corrected in post-processing.
Still, I should add that for corner to corner sharpness (such as in landscape photography), the D700 with its full-frame sensors will be more demanding on the lens than the D300 with its smaller APS-C sensor.
As to the physical differences between the D700 and the D300, while these two models are roughly equal in size, the D700 is slightly heavier than the D300. This is not an issue for me at all.
What tilts the balance in favor of the D700 is its view finder which is significantly brighter and better than the D300. This difference is very noticeable when switching from the D700 to the D300 and vice versa.
This much improved viewfinder however is a mixed blessing. One disadvantage that the D700 has over the D300 is that the D700 viewfinder captures only 95% of the image while the D300 viewfinder captures 100% of the image shot. So the actual image captured is slightly bigger than what appears in the D700 viewfinder. I understand that this resulted from fitting the bigger sensor from the D3 into the body size of a D300. Given the better image quality of the D700 viewfinder and the better quality of its pictures, I am willing to work with this disadvantage and simply compensate for it during actual use. But I hope that Nikon corrects this though in its next iteration of the D700.
The D700 has an advantage over the D3 as it has an integrated flash which the D3 does not have. The integrated flash is extremely useful when used with the other components of Nikon's Creative Lightning System.
The Nikon MB-D10 Battery Pack Nikon MB-D10 Multi Power Battery Pack for Nikon D300 & D700 Digital SLR Cameras from the D300 fits the D700 perfectly well. This is very convenient as I can opt for a smaller and lighter package when I do not need the MB-D10 for high-speed shooting. This is one advantage that the D700 has over the D3 where the battery pack is integrated with the camera. But a D700 with an MB-D10 is bigger and heavier than a D3. And even when the D700 is equipped with an MB-D10, the D3 is still faster. This makes the D3 a better unit for sports photography.
Since I shoot mostly portrait, special events and landscape and seldom shoot sports, the D700 is perfect for my needs and I can do without the D3. The D700 lower price tag means that I can get the D700 with at least one of Nikon's professional lens.
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens
Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM Wide Angle Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens
Nikon 135mm f/2.0D AF DC-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
Nikon 50mm f/1.4G SIC SW Prime Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
Ideally, the D700 should not be used with the DX lenses. This said, it is possible to use the DX lenses with the D700. The D700 makes the switch to DX lens automatically without need to fiddle with any control. Because the DX lens covers only a section of the D700 sensor, the maximum resolution of using a DX lens on the D700 is only 5.1 megapixel. This smaller coverage is automatically delineated by a box in the D700 viewfinder. In addition to the lower resolution, the extreme two ends of a zoom lens is not usable. Within these limitations, the D700 can use DX lens and produces very good pictures albeit on a smaller resolution / file size.
The D700/FX (1.0x factor) and the D300/DX (1.5x factor) effectively doubles my lens option. For those planning to own both the D300 and the D700, it would be wise to choose a glass that would be usable with both bodies.
In closing, I consider the D700 a good complement to my D300. Except for my Nikon 18-200mm DX lens (which I bought for my Nikon D200), all my glasses and accessories for the D300 can be used with the D700 at its full resolution. I will use the D700 in those times when I need the best results shooting wide angle and/or at high ISO speed. In those times when I need the extra reach, the D300's 1.5x crop factor makes the best use of my telephoto lenses.
Edit: November 22, 2008
I continue to use both the Nikon D300 and the Nikon D700 and often bring both together whenever I go out to shoot. In those times when I just bring one camera body, I choose the D300 whenever range and higher pixel density is a major concern (bec. of the 1.5x crop factor effect on the field of view due to the smaller APS-C sensor but with resolution still at 12megapixel). The D300 is an excellent camera and its 1.5x factor is very handy when I need to reach out with a 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom or with my 180mm f/2.8 prime without need of using a teleconverter. For almost every other instance, including portrait, landscape and low light photography however, I find myself reaching out for the D700.
After over 3 and a half months of use, I can safely say that the color depth of the D700 is significantly much better than the D300. The range of colors, the color details, the varying shade of colors, and the dynamic range that the D700 is capable of capturing is considerably better and richer than what the D300 is capable of. This advantage is best appreciated when taking portrait and landscape photos. The difference in dynamic range is specially noticeable when shooting at higher ISO settings as noise imposes considerable limits on the dynamic range possible. The D700 is clearly better than the D300 on dynamic range at high ISO settings.
One other difference I should mention between the D300 and the D700 is the difference that the sensor size has on effective depth of field. The bigger the sensor, the shallower the depth of field while the smaller the sensor, the greater the depth of field. Point and shoot cameras with minuscule-sized sensor often have the greatest depth of field.
The D700, having a bigger full-frame sensor, has a shallower depth of field than the D300 (which has the smaller APS-C sensor) at the same aperture setting given the same equivalent lens focal length. The difference in the effective depth of field is about one stop. At the same equivalent focal length, the equivalent depth of field of a D700 at f/2.0 would be a D300 at f/1.4.
The shallower depth of field of the D700 would be an advantage to a user who would like to isolate a subject and blur the background. The deeper depth of field of the D300 would be an advantage to a user who would like to keep several subjects at difference distances in focus. I use the D700 where I need to isolate a subject, blur the background, and get the best bokeh. This effect is most noticeable when shooting at wide open apertures from f/1.4 to f/2.8. This, plus the color advantage of the D700, makes the D700 my preferred body for shooting portraits.
Finally, one difference I notice between the D700 and the D300 is that the D700 has a better damped shutter release button. I find that it is easier to release the shutter in the D700 than in the D300. This makes a big difference when shooting at low shutter speeds.
Digital camera Review: A-maz-ing!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a professional photographer and just upgraded to the D700. It's in a league of it's own and I love it!Digital camera Review: Absolutely blown away
Summary: 5 Stars
I decided some time ago, that I would like a full frame camera to complement my APS-C, crop factor, D200. I would use the full frame as my main camera and for wideangel stuff, and the D200 for telephoto work. I was, however, for quite some time undecided about which full frame camera to get. It would either be the D3 or the D700. I shant bore you with the details of my reasoning, but in the end I thought the D700 more fitting to my needs. And thus I purchased one.
Although I had read just about every single review on the internet of this particular piece of kit, and therefore were quite aware of its abilities, I was still blown away by it, when I got to see it for myself. The ability to shoot handheld in low light at ISO 2000, or indeed 3200, with very little evident noise is a boon of no small measure. It suits my style of shooting very well, and means that you can walk around tripod-less all day in basically any old situation and get away with really nice pictures. In my opinion, this makes it nigh on ideal for travel and street photography, where you more often than not, are better off not burdened with six tons of tripod and extra equipment. At low ISO it produces stunning pictures, of course. The colours, the contrast, well, just about everything, is markedly improved when compared with my D200. Also in the ergonomics and ease-of-use departments, this camera blows me away. I always thought that Nikons cameras where quite user friendly, but although the in-camera menu is the same in the D700 as in previous models, the way in which you use it is not. There is a small info-button that shortcuts to all your necessary functions in the menu, which makes changing your settings a breeze, and more importantly, the things you use a lot, viewing, deleting, magnifying pictures and so on are easy as can be. Build quality is also excellent. Perhaps it doesn't feel like a tank (but then again, tanks are quite a bit bigger, aren't they?), but you know it is a solid piece of machinery you're holding in your hands.
There are only two things, really, that I don't care for with the D700. Firstly the viewfinder, although very bright, covers only 95 percent of the frame. Why they didn't make it 100 percent I cannot fathom. They did it on the D3 and the D300, so why not with this particular model? It makes your very careful compositions look less carefully compositioned at times, which I do not care for at all. Secondly the neck strap is, to be honest, not very good. A new third party strap will not set you back an awful lot of money and will not only be more comfortable, but also get rid of that massive yellow printing saying NIKON D700 on the back of your neck.
The D700 is definitely one of the most impressive cameras I've ever come across, and can only receive the highest possible recommendation from yours truly.