D700 Experiences

[woodyspedden]

I am looking to get back into Nikon FF work. I know the D3 well having owned one and absolutely loved the files.

Many, if not most of the folks here who bought the D700 previosly owned the D3. I am wondering what the differences are (in a practical real world sense, not the marketing hype) and whether you are happy you made the switch. With a price difference of $2K I need to do the research before jumping back in. (Which is what I would normally do LOL)

Thanks in advance for your comments and help

Woody

 

[ptomsu]

Why sell the D3 and buy a D700?

I could think of buying the D700 in addition to my D3 but not replace it. I only would replace the D3 by the 24MP D3X - once it is out and available

 

[woodyspedden]

Peter

I foolishly sold my D3 a few months back and now need (want) to get another Nikon full frame body. So the issue is not replacing the D3 but getting the best value body out there. That is why I need opinions from those who have used both.

Thanks for your response

Woody

 

[Terry]

Woody,
Have you read the review at Imaging Resource?

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D700/D700A.HTM

Also, Michael Reichman also wrote up his comments....

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/d700.shtml

This is an addendum he wrote to it:
Since this review first appeared there has been some discussion and debate as to why I didn't mention the D700's autofocus performance. The reason is simple – just as with the sensor and autoexposure system, the D700's autofocus is identical to that of the D3, so there really isn't anything new to say. People seem to be looking for problems and issues where there really aren't any.

 

[ptomsu]

Peter

I foolishly sold my D3 a few months back and now need (want) to get another Nikon full frame body. So the issue is not replacing the D3 but getting the best value body out there. That is why I need opinions from those who have used both.

Thanks for your response

Woody

The answer is easy: if you do not need the higher frame rate and speed, then the D700 is the solution for you. IQ is identical.

Cheers

Peter

 

[fotografz]

Woody, I have both ... I need the D3 for the dual card capture security at weddings. I also personally like a larger camera for those sort of things because I use a 14-24, 24-70 and 70-200 which are larger lenses that balance well on the D3. And for some rare applications I need the capture speed. Otherwise, it appears the D700 produces just about the same IQ.

I also use the D700 with the Zeiss optics ... the balance and size relationaship to the body of most of the ZF lenses is better on the D700 IMHO.

 

[woodyspedden]

Thanks everyone

This has been very helpful. Since I plan to shoot with primes whether Zeiss (already have the 18 and the 35 2.0) or preferably AF Nikkors if they bring out new ones at Photokina, the D700 would be the more sensible choice I believe. However if they drop the price below $4K ( and they are getting close) I may yet change my mind.

Thanks again for the good advice. Thanks Guy and Jack for this forum

Best

Woody

 

[woodyspedden]

Hey everyone. Dr Pham Minh Son pointed out something to me that may be important to a lot of you folks. If you plan on using any of the Nikon TS lenses (and I definitely will) there is a clearance problem with the D700. Because they put in a flash, the distance from the bottom of the prism housing to the mounting flange on the body is such that you cant rotate the TS lens into place. It is very close so some bodies may work and others not. I know that I could not make my TS lens mount on my D300 so the issue is real.

Anyway, just info. Use at your peril LOL

Woody

 

[Vivek]

Hey everyone. Dr Pham Minh Son pointed out something to me that may be important to a lot of you folks. If you plan on using any of the Nikon TS lenses (and I definitely will) there is a clearance problem with the D700. Because they put in a flash, the distance from the bottom of the prism housing to the mounting flange on the body is such that you cant rotate the TS lens into place. It is very close so some bodies may work and others not. I know that I could not make my TS lens mount on my D300 so the issue is real.

Anyway, just info. Use at your peril LOL

Woody

Misinformation, Woody. Which one of the PC-E Nikkor did you try on your D300 and could not mount?!

 

[woodyspedden]

Misinformation, Woody. Which one of the PC-E Nikkor did you try on your D300 and could not mount?!

The 24 TS E.

Definitely had a clearance issue. But as i said, I don't have a D700 so I can't confirm the information I got from Dr Son. However he is usually correct in these matters so it is at least worth checking before buying if you plan on using these lenses. If Son is wrong, please post that when you can confirm because we don't want misinformation out there.

I know that Marc Williams has both a D3 and A D700 but I am not sure if he has TS lenses. If so, Marc, can you please confirm if there is a mounting problem with the TSE lenses on the D700? Thanks in advance

Woody

 

[Vivek]

That is odd.

My PC-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8 (the newer PC-E is quite similar) poses no problems on the D300.

Nikon do not say anything about "incomptibilities" between the PC-E Nikkors and the D300/D700.

Are you really, really sure?

PS- I won't comment on what Pham found or not as he is not the one who posted this.

 

[Steen]

Yesterday I shot the PC-E Nikkor 2.8/45 D ED mounted on a D700 without noticeable problems.
I was in a store with a friend who bought the camera, and it was the vendor who mounted the lens on the D700.
The vendor didn't seem nervous about doing so.

 

[jonoslack]

Hey everyone. Dr Pham Minh Son pointed out something to me that may be important to a lot of you folks. If you plan on using any of the Nikon TS lenses (and I definitely will) there is a clearance problem with the D700. Because they put in a flash, the distance from the bottom of the prism housing to the mounting flange on the body is such that you cant rotate the TS lens into place. It is very close so some bodies may work and others not. I know that I could not make my TS lens mount on my D300 so the issue is real.

Anyway, just info. Use at your peril LOL

Woody

Hi Woody
Careful here - The Nikon D700 brochure actually advertises these lenses for use with the D700 - surely they wouldn't have made such a cock-up as to advertise compatability between new lens and new body when they didn't work together (D300 is a different thing).

 

[woodyspedden]

Hi Woody
Careful here - The Nikon D700 brochure actually advertises these lenses for use with the D700 - surely they wouldn't have made such a cock-up as to advertise compatability between new lens and new body when they didn't work together (D300 is a different thing).

Hey Jono and all others

As I said earlier I have no experience with the D700. Pham Minh Son was the one who warned me about this and I wanted to alert others prior to their making a decision they may regret. If indeed this information is wrong, and many of you feel that it is, then I am glad as this will make the decision to save $1500 related to the D3 vs the D700 for me. I am sorry if I made things confusing but I tried to say from the beginning that this was data I could not personally verify but felt it was worth alerting people to in order to save bad decisions.

It would be great if someone could confirm the D700 really is O.K.. I can assure you that my personal copy of the D300 was incompatible with my personal copy of the 24 TS. A different body or a different copy of the lens may have resulted in a different outcome.

In any event, I have decided to get both a D3 and a D700 and have the luxury of a great backup with both bodies being FF. I will be selling my D300 so if anyone has an interest in that, PM me and let me know.

I really regret having sold out of the Nikon realm a few months back and can't wait to have the FF bodies back in my arsenal. At the moment, in the 35mm world Nikon really are the best.

Again sorry for any confusion. My motives were pure!

Woody

 

[Vivek]

My motives were pure!

Woody

We all know that, Woody.

 

[Cindy Flood]

I can confirm that my 85 PC (not the new one) works on my D700. I have tried the movements in all directions.

 

[PSon]

hi Woody and all,
Like Woody I tried to find out if the D700 had any problem with the new PC-E lens but little information was available. When the D700 arrived I mounted the new PC-E 24mm while the lens was rotated to allow shift and rise/fall mode and the camera built in flash unit interfered with the lens screw knob. The reason that I rotated the lens was to get shift instead of swing in landscape mode. Apparently, the lens can be redo like the Canon TS lens to give shift and rise/fall in the landscape mode instead of the original swing and rise/fall. The shift and rise/fall is much more appealing to Landscape and product applications. Unfortanely, I did not have the time to play with the 24mm PC-E lens again and traded it away immediately otherwise I can reconfirm the finding again. I hope for all D700 users that I did something that is out of the ordinary usage and thus caused the interference of the lens with the D700. Thus, my finding is either a flaw based on what I did or something that other has not found. This combination has no effect on the D3.

best regards,
Son

 

[PSon]

Correction, when I mentioned shift above I meant tilt.

best regards,
Son

 

[fotografz]

The 24 TS E.

Definitely had a clearance issue. But as i said, I don't have a D700 so I can't confirm the information I got from Dr Son. However he is usually correct in these matters so it is at least worth checking before buying if you plan on using these lenses. If Son is wrong, please post that when you can confirm because we don't want misinformation out there.

I know that Marc Williams has both a D3 and A D700 but I am not sure if he has TS lenses. If so, Marc, can you please confirm if there is a mounting problem with the TSE lenses on the D700? Thanks in advance

Woody

Sorry Woody, I don't use TS lenses on a 35mm format camera.