Nikon D700: Smaller, Lighter, Full-Frame Digital Slr Camera Discount Sales

Positioned between Nikon’s D300 and D3 is the Nikon D700. It uses the same 12.1-megapixel full-frame sensor as the D3 but the D700 is smaller, lighter, has a dust-removal system, and is less expensive. It lacks the D3’s shutter life, dual memory card slots, and continuous burst speed; however, the D700 has a pop-up fl ash, which is very practical to use as a fill light or to wirelessly trigger remote Nikon Speed lights. The D700 can shoot up to 5 frames per second (fps) RAW or 8 fps with a battery grip. Although packed with features and buttons, it’s designed to appease the professional photographer’s need for simplicity and allow for quick adjustments in changing light. Instead of searching the menus, pressing the new Info button brings up a comprehensive list on the LCD of frequently used features that can be highlighted and adjusted. All this attention to ease of use add up to less fumbling with buttons, labyrinthine menus, and flipping pages of the included 444-page manual.

First, what counts: The image quality of Nikon D700 is excellent. The D700 produces smooth-toned, 14-bit RAW files. The sensor is capable of capturing a wide dynamic range with lots of highlight and shadow detail, and it’s especially amazing in low light. It has an ISO range of 100–25,600 and its ability to produce quality usable files even at ISO 25,600 (with some postproduction work) is simply miraculous—I’ve never seen anything like it. The D700 has a solid, heavy (2.3 lbs) but balanced, magnesium alloy body, with a comfortable rubberized handgrip. Its compartments are sealed for moisture and dust. The control layout will look familiar to Nikon camera owners. Near the shutter release is the Mode button for changing between the standard Program, Manual, Aperture, and Shutter priority. There’s a slide door, single-slot CF memory card compartment that can use the faster UDMA cards and can record RAW, JPEG, and TIFF formats. Right below the depth-of-field preview button on the front right is a programmable function button. The 3" LCD’s 920,000-pixel resolution sharply displays type and images in Live View, even in bright light. One annoyance is Nikon’s design that requires you to simultaneously press a button to release and rotate a dial to make an adjustment. Having said that, left of the viewfinder is a convenient arrangement of three buttons for changing image quality, ISO, and white balance. Underneath these buttons is a rotating wheel that lets you simply dial in single, continuous, continuous high-speed shooting, Live View, self-timer, and mirror lock-up.

It’s not new to Nikon users but it’s brilliant, efficient, and deserves mentioning. The D700 performs quickly whether focusing, firing the shutter, or writing to a memory card; however, Live View is still too slow to focus to make it meaningful in situations other than on a tripod in a studio. The D700’s Live View now has handheld and tripod modes—the distinction is in focusing. In tripod mode, it’s achieved by using a contrast-based auto focus. This avoids interrupting the image on the LCD when pressing the AF On button and necessitating flipping up the mirror, as in the handheld mode. Still focusing in either mode is too slow. For precision focusing, Live View’s focusing rectangle can be moved and magnified to zoom in on an area. Pressing the new Info button alternately displays shooting data, a grid, and a wonderful virtual horizon feature for leveling your shots. Of all things to omit in Live View, Nikon left out a live histogram for precision exposure!

Bottom line: In a hot, digital SLR market, the D700 sizzles. It’s a well-thought-out, top-end, professional camera.

Nikon D700: Smaller, Lighter, Full-Frame Digital Slr Camera

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