D700 test diary

[the_traveler]

Bjorn Roslett is posting a diary as he goes through the testing process of a D700 at http://nikongear.com/smf/index.php?topic=10771.0;topicseen

Pardon me if this has been posted before.

 

[vinman]

YAY!

So, actual viewfinder coverage equates to 90% instead of 95%. Same as the D200 - not a huge deal to me.

PC-E lenses work UNIMPEDED! Again, not an issue for me at this point, but a good rumor to dispel since lots of architectural and landscape peeps use these lenses!

 

[the_traveler]

Bjorn makes the point that the coverage is reduced by the anti-dust mechanism - trade-off that is OK with me.

 

[JohnC]

Cool beans! :smile:

 

[pointa-b-c]

Viewfinder comparison from dcwatch Japanese website.
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/review/2008/07/07/8793.html

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D700

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D3

 

[basharar]

I have logged onto that form and begged him to test the focusing power of the D700 compared to D3 and D300, so far he seems to be more interested in tilt shift lenses and IQ... Me and my friend could save $4000 if someone with a real D700 can answer this question!

 

[Triggaaar]

Cool, will keep an eye on this. I see you started with the softly softly approach basharar - using a huge, bold, red font to get your question in. And now you've asked slightly more quietly

 

[the_traveler]

I have logged onto that form and begged him to test the focusing power of the D700 compared to D3 and D300, so far he seems to be more interested in tilt shift lenses and IQ... Me and my friend could save $4000 if someone with a real D700 can answer this question!

What do you mean by focusing power?
Bjorn has his own methodology and will get around to every part of the D700 at his own pace.

 

[basharar]

I was about to pull the trigger and get a D3 along with a friend of mine, then the D700 came along at $2000 less.....the D3 acquires focus instantly when you use the 51pt 3d tracking and is very intelligent, on the other hand, the D300 while having the same technology it simply lacks the processing speed of the D3, "most people with D300 "myself included" are happy with its focusing performance until you get the honor to touch a D3...........So, the $2000*2 question is; does the D700 perform like a D3 or a D300?
I had my friend dancing and jumping around like mad, the D3 was firing at 9 Shots per second, using a prime and the internal motor, we shot something crazy over 100 pictures, %95 where in perfect focus!!! can the D700 achieve such performance even at 5 shots per second... I am dying to know!

 

[PWPhoto]

The D3 is no longer $5,000. I recently bought another one for under $4,400, including shipping. I am certain you can get them for even less, if you try hard enough.

By the time you add an MB-D10, En-EL4 batteries, and MH-22 charger to your D700 the cost difference is so greatly narrowed that you might as well buy a D3.

AA Batts will work great for most.

 

[Nchesher]

So do ENEL3-E's.

 

[Jola]

So do ENEL3-E's.

No they don't, you do not get the high frame rates with EN-EL3's.

 

[PeterRH]

By the time you add an MB-D10, En-EL4 batteries, and MH-22 charger to your D700 the cost difference is so greatly narrowed that you might as well buy a D3.

Why?

Someone buying a D700 - even if they opt for the grip and batts etc - is getting the option to have a smaller camera without the grip, a sensor cleaning module, built-in remote flash control, and (we all hope) the same high-ISO output quality.

You can't suddenly decide to drop the weight of the motor-drive on the D3, it doesn't have a sensor cleaning module, needs an SU800 or a flashgun or remote flash triggers for lighting, and the 100% viewfinder coverage vs 95% (or 90%, whichever is the right comparison) on the D700 is not a dealbreaker (for me).

So imagine for a moment that the two cameras are pretty much the same price for a time......they both still have a market, and they will both sell.

 

[Doug]

Peter, you are exactly right, and that's why I want to get the D700 to go with my D3. I don't plan to expect from the D700 what I do my D3, and I think I'd be foolish to think that anyway. In fact, I don't even want a grip for it, I have one with my D300, and am going to sell it with the D300 unless something changes. If I want a pro camera, the D3, if I want a compact do it all full frame camera, the D700 is the tix.

 

[Nuteshack]

Peter, you are exactly right, and that's why I want to get the D700 to go with my D3. I don't plan to expect from the D700 what I do my D3, and I think I'd be foolish to think that anyway. In fact, I don't even want a grip for it, I have one with my D300, and am going to sell it with the D300 unless something changes. If I want a pro camera, the D3, if I want a compact do it all full frame camera, the D700 is the tix.

good word

 

[vinman]

Slightly off topic - I shot a party with my 200 sans the grip on Saturday. It's been so long since I've had the grip off of the camera, I had forgotten how unnatural (for me) it felt. For me, the grip essentially makes the body "fit" my hands better. Not to mention how much better it feels when shooting vertically. I guess this is a bad habit I picked up when shooting F4, and F5 bodies. I thought it would be less cumbersome, but I found myself checking and rechecking settings, chimping (more than usual), and just never being quite comfortable holding the camera - even though it was a little lighter and smaller.

Being that the D700 appears only marginally larger than the D200, I guess the grip will have to come in short order if my guy doesn't have one when mine arrives...

 

[basharar]

Vinman, you might as well consider the D3, you can get it close to $4000 now, I am in the opposite situation here? Confused to get the D3 or wait for the D700 because its lighter like my D300, I am afraid of the bulkiness

 

[nimix]

The D700 is the right companion to my D300.
I will buy one next year when the price is down a little.
I will add one MB-D10 for use on both of them.
The D300 gives me a built in 1.5x teleconverter without lightloss, the D700 gives me back my 2/28mm wideangle that is only a 2/42mm now.
The D700 + 2/28mm AI and 2.5/105mm AI will be a great light kit for travelling.
I'll sell my 17-55 and get a 24-70.
With D700 + D300 it will be a "2.8/24-105mm", the 70-200mm will be a "2.8/70-300mm" - so the D700 looks right for many users:
Professionals that look for a light 2nd body and amateurs who want an affordable D3. :smile:

nimix

 

[vinman]

Vinman, you might as well consider the D3, you can get it close to $4000 now, I am in the opposite situation here? Confused to get the D3 or wait for the D700 because its lighter like my D300, I am afraid of the bulkiness

Actually, my dealer and I have an arrangement. I'm getting a deal on the 700, so the price difference is still pretty substantial, plus he isn't eligible to order the D3. Also, I'm simultaneously ordering the 14-24, so I am SERIOUSLY pinching pennies to squeeze this out of the budget. Now it seems that I may want to try to budget in the MBD10 in the very near future. No room to budget for the D3 for a while. I'm planning to happily snap away with the 700 using the 200 as my DX backup for a while. I'm going to keep a DX body, so right now a D3 just doesn't fit my beer budget - even if it's a microbrew beer budget ;-)

 

[Johnny Yuma]

"607 exposures at -23 C"

WOW!!

My 200 gets a little better then 1/2 that at room temp!

Oh yea, 4400 exposures @22 C.