Nikon D700

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For those who don't need the indestructibility or built-in vertical grip of a traditional pro dSLR like the Nikon D3 or the Canon EOS-1D Mark III--and that's quite a chunk of the pro market--smaller, lighter, and cheaper full-frame models such as the Nikon D700, the Canon EOS 5D and the 5D Mark II are the real workhorses. Plus, their (relatively) lower prices put full-frame shooting in the hands of deep-pocketed amateur photographers.

Design

The D700 comes in two configurations: Body only, and a kit with the veteran AF-S VR 24-120mm F3.5-5.6G IF-ED lens. With the kit version you end up paying about US$300 to US$400 for the lens, which sells independently for about US$500, but if you're paying more than US$2,500 for a camera body, opting for the somewhat middling lens seems a bit pound foolish, penny wise. On the other hand, it's relatively compact, and replacing it with something superior would probably require multiple, larger, and more expensive lenses.

The Nikon D700 is placed between the D300 and the D3, making it a suitable backup camera for professionals.
(click for larger image)

Though one normally doesn't consider a 995g weight for the camera body an asset, the shooter comes up lightweight compared with 1.2kg-plus models like the D3 or Canon EOS-1D line. However, it's still a tad heavier than full-frame competitors such as the Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 (850g) and the Canon EOS 5D series (about 810g). The magnesium-alloy body feels like a Hummer and is better sealed than the D300. But it's not as good as the dust- and weatherproofing standards of the D3.

The body design clearly has more in common with the D300 than the D3 and is quite Nikon conventional. Almost all the settings are adjusted via combinations of buttons and the front or rear dials. On the top left, you got the quality, white balance and ISO buttons, plus a locked wheel that selects different drive modes (single shot, continuous low, and continuous high), Live View, self-timer, and mirror lockup. This makes Live View operation a bit clunkier than it needs to be. Newer models have a dedicated button for popping into Live View, which makes it faster and slightly easier to use. On the top right, the power switch surrounds the shutter release, plus there are buttons for exposure compensation and exposure mode selection (P/A/S/M). Nikon provides a traditional status LCD which displays slightly different information than the viewfinder: It doesn't show metering mode or ISO speed.

Tags: Sony Corp., Camera, compensation, Nikon Corp., LCD

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