Nikon D700 Review

The addition of Nikon's new D700 may accept been one of the affliction kept secrets in an industry with added leaks than the Titanic, but it was still something of a abruptness advancing so hot on the heels of the D3 and D300. Essentially a D3 diminished down and awkward into a physique about the aforementioned admeasurement as a D300, the D700 is Nikon's aboriginal 'compact' able SLR, and in its articulation of the bazaar will attempt with the afresh appear Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Sony DSLR-A900.

The imaging ancillary of the D700 is appealing abundant the aforementioned as the D3; it shares the acclaimed 12.1MP abounding anatomy ('FX') sensor and has the aforementioned processing engine, so we would assume achievement to be about identical. The capital differences (aside from getting appreciably smaller) are physical; there's a altered bang (good for 150,000 exposures rather than 300,000 on the D3), altered viewfinder prism (with 95% coverage) and a slower access rate. You aswell lose the rear LCD advice console (there's no allowance for it) and one of the D3's two CF agenda slots, but you do get a brace of added appearance to abate the draft slightly; a lot of conspicuously a self-cleaning sensor and a congenital flash. We'll attending a little added all-embracing at the differences amid the D3 and D700 in a moment.

The D700 joins the D3 as a fully-fledged 'professional' model; it has the aforementioned tank-like body superior (though we're abiding the pop-up beam will could cause a few aloft eyebrows), and gets you the abounding pro account from Nikon. And the appraisement (around $2999) reflects this; anyone acquisitive for an 'affordable' semi-pro abounding anatomy Nikon SLR will accept to delay until the amount of bearing such ample sensors avalanche considerably.

Nikon D700 Key Features

• 12.1 megapixel full-frame sensor (8.45µm pixel pitch)
• Image Sensor Cleaning (vibration) *
• ISO 200 - 6400 (with boost up to ISO 25600 and down to ISO 100)
• Also supports DX lenses, viewfinder automatically masks (5.1 megapixels with DX lens)
• 14-bit A/D conversion, 12 channel readout
• Same ultra-fast startup and shutter lag as D3
• Nikon EXPEED image processor (Capture NX processing and NR algorithms, lower power)
• New Kevlar / carbon fibre composite shutter with 150,000 exposure durability *
• Multi-CAM3500FX Auto Focus sensor (51-point, 15 cross-type, more vertical coverage)
• Auto-focus tracking by color (using information from 1005-pixel AE sensor)
• 95% coverage, 0.72x magnification viewfinder *
• Auto-focus calibration (fine-tuning), fixed body or up to 20 separate lens settings
• Scene Recognition System (uses AE sensor, AF sensor)
• Picture Control image parameter presets
• 5 frames per second continuous with auto-focus tracking*
• Optional MB-D10 Battery Pack (same as D300), increases burst rate to 8 fps *
• UDMA compatible single CF card slot *
• 3.0" 922,000 pixel LCD monitor
• Live View with either phase detect (mirror up/down) or contrast detect Auto Focus
• Virtual horizon indicates if camera is level (like an aircraft cockpit display)
• HDMI HD video output
• 'Active D-Lighting' (adjusts metering as well as applying D-Lighting curve)
• Detailed 'Control Panel' type display on LCD monitor, changes color in darkness
• Magnesium alloy body with connections and buttons sealed against moisture