Well, I tried a D700 yesterday..

danbroad

danbroad

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,634
Name
Dan
Edit My Images
No
Hello all..

just been doing the family thing down in Devon, and whilst I was down there I paid a visit to Mifsuds [can't believe I never visited before, given that I've family in Brixham....]

...anyway, I went with a singular purpose - to get an eyeful of the D700. Let me tell you now, it's an awesome camera - nicely heavy like the D300, snappy and quick on the shutter response - some have mentioned the 'weird' shutter sound, but I didn't notice it - and with a wonderful viewfinder.

My wife sat there patiently as I tried it out, and didn't flinch when I told her the price... so now I might have to save up.... I was initially worried about the crop factor and my wildlife portraits - but I think the improved autofocus and low light capabilities would outweigh the increased angle of view...

Can you imagine - usable ISO 6400 and an 85mm 1.4? Bats flying in the moonlight, here I come! At least, the ability to handhold the longer glass at fast speeds in low light... wow...

People talk about in-body image stabilisation - but by going from ISO 200 to 6400 you effectively get 5 full stops of 'image stabilisation' - more so than any lens can provide..

So your job, folks, is to talk me out of it...;)
 
it's god † emphasising the awesome obviously :)
 
anything that good deserves to be in bold LOL
 
well if you can stop my NAS for a D3 i'll help with your D700 problem :p
 
I have deliberately avoided holding one let alone looking through the viewfinder since I have no doubt that doing so would bring on a serious bout of Nikon Aquisition Syndrome - dreaded by bank managers and wives across the land.
 
Dave, buy me a D700 and I'll gladly send you a D3 brochure...

In all seriousness, there's a number of compelling reasons to get one beyond the ISO and the build... a shutter rated to 150k, that AF module, the spare batteries for my D80 will fit, the whole FX experience.. did anyone else read the Sony A900 review on DPReview? 'An unsurpassed studio experience, otherwise stick with APS-C above ISO800' seems to have been the thick of it... makes sense with that high MP count, and the 5DII may well follow suit...

No matter what we'd like to think, FX/FF sensors still cost the earth to make. Just as 1.4 glass costs so much more than 1.8 glass, just as whole carat diamonds cost so much more than half-carat diamonds.. because there's so much more room for error, the tolerances have to be so much higher...

So I can't see a sub-£1000 FX camera in the near future, just as I can't see f/1.4's coming in below £100. People were saying 'sub-£1000' FF when the 5D came out, and in 4 years we've not seen it.

So, if the price bottoms out at, say £1200-£1500 for the next few years, and if increased MP counts mean higher noise or more convoluted software to correct it... then is a 12MP FX sensor the peak of high-ISO performance for the next few years?
 
The D700 dropped $300 over in the USA today and by a similar amount in Japan.

May or may not happen over here... but I suspect with the Canon 5D MKII and the A900 both offering good entry prices, we'll see a cut soon.
 
danbroad said:
very odd.... anyway, you're not doing such a good job here... stop me re-reading the glossy D700 brochure..... please.....
Click to expand...

You should get a D700. It'll make you an entirely happier person and your wife will love you for it. The D700 brings families together..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top