Nikon D700 Review
A full hands-on review will be coming shortly.
This is a work in progress, and will be updated regularly - so please bookmark us and keep checking back!
Introduction
On the 1st July 2008, Nikon announced something of a surprise - their second “FX” full-frame 35mm DSLR, the D700. Although there were many leaks leading up to the launch (some just rumours, some real) it was still somewhat interesting that such a well-specified camera would appear only 6 months after the introduction of the flagship D3 model.
The D700 is, to most intents and purposes, a D3 shrunk down to fit inside the body of a D300 - although with some omissions, and also some additions. This means it’s possible it’s going to take some of the D3’s market share, but it most likely is designed to go up against whatever Canon are preparing to replace their excellent but aging 5D.
The new D700 therefore sits squarely in Nikon’s professional lineup in between the D3 and the D300, with the same incredible build quality and reliability. In this review we’ll fully describe the camera, and highlight where exactly these models differ.
Key Features
- 12.1 megapixel FX-format (23.9×36mm) CMOS sensor
- Broad ISO sensitivity from 200 up to 6400, plus Lo-1 (ISO 100), Hi-1 (ISO 12,800) and Hi-2 (ISO 25,600).
- 14-bit and 12-bit shooting
- Nikon EXPEED image processing engine
- 95% viewfinder coverage
- Built-in, pop-up flash
- 5fps shooting rate, or up to 8fps when teamed with the MB-D10 battery pack.
- 3-inch, high density 928,000 dot LCD monitor.
- Live View shooting in “tripod” (contrast detect) and “handheld” (mirror up) modes.
- Rugged magnesium-alloy construction, sealed against moisture and dust, with a shutter rated up to 150,000 actuations.
- 51-point AF with 3D Tracking. (Multi-CAM 3500 FX, with 15 cross-type sensors).
- Integrated dust reduction system - ultrasonic sensor-shake cleaning mechanism.
- 1,005-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering, with Nikon’s advanced Scene Recognition System.
- Active D-Lighting (with AUTO mode) to boost shadows whilst retaining highlight detail.
- HDMI video output and UDMA CF card support.
Contents
- Photos of the D700
- The FX Sensor
- The Nikon DSLR Range
- Body & Controls
- Menus
- Menus (continued)
- Sample Photos
- Nikon D700 vs. Canon 5D
- Nikon D700 vs. Canon 5D Mark II
- Recommended Lenses - Professional
- Recommended Lenses - 3rd-Party
- Experience - Motocross
- Accessories
Read on to find out more about this exciting Digital SLR…
| Photos of the D700 ——> |
July 18th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Got this from Ritz lastnight….
Dear MARK
Good news!
We were just informed by Nikon that your new NIKON D700 FX FORMAT CAMERA BODY ONLY is en route to our warehouse.
As soon as we receive the shipment, your new NIKON D700 FX FORMAT CAMERA BODY ONLY will be on its way to you!
Sincerely,
ritzcamera.com
August 7th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
It’s proven again that Nikon is the big ‘guy’ on the photography market. With Nikon D700 it has fill every need that a pro will need. In fact it’s not far from its’ ‘brother’ D3 not to say almost the same exept that D3 has longer ‘life’.
I had or owned diffrent nikon camera bodies but this makes me more confident when I go to take pictures even though my D300 was pretty good.
The most I like is of course the ‘FX’ full frame fromat where I can use the wide angel lenses without being croped or any other film lens without being worried of ‘DX’ format anymore.
So far the best and to be honest I dreamt for D3 but now I wouldn’t think any more that now I have the D700.
I think is the best in market.
August 17th, 2008 at 11:40 am
hey, i’ve set up a website to serve as a (searchable) database for digital camera reviews.
for Nikon D700 click http://www.dprguru.com/?model=d700&mfg=Nikon.
(btw - afaik imaging-resource were first to publish the full review for this model…)
December 26th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Hey, anyone ….my D700 went blank after about 200 actuations. Is this a ‘big guy’ normal operation? Any thoughts about it?
January 15th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Mine did this a few days ago. Was shooting artwork and the LCD display would not activate to preview the image, nor would the menu. Is this a button issue or something internal? I was using the MB grip, disconnected it, also took out the body battery. It worked after that but then it did it again. Hasn’t happened since. Has anyone else experienced this?
February 25th, 2009 at 1:50 am
Heh, my brand new d700 actually went blank too the other day, but I just turned it off and on again and it was fine. I THINK (rather I hope) that I was accidentally pressing the battery grip shutter release button at the same time, which caused the preview images to skip. I’ll keep testing to make sure…