Is the Nikon D700 still a usable camera today?

T

Tim Murphy

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Dear Board,

I realize that if the camera is still fully operational then of course it is still usable. That said I am wondering if it would be a good camera to pair with a Nikon D300 with MB-10 for use primarily for nature and landscape shots?

I like to take pictures of animals and birds and the environment in which they are found. I shoot primarily for myself and family and friends. I have a Sigma 50-500 OS lens along with a Tamron AF 300 f2.8 lens that was re-chipped for use with digital bodies. I also have a few Nikon AF-D lenses and more than a few Nikon AI and AIS lenses too.

I like the results I get from the big teles on my D300, but I find that anything over ISO 1250 on the D300 requires more PP than I wish to do. I'm hoping I can gain a stop or more with the D700 and shoot in lower light at ISO 3200 with results comparable to what I get at 1250 on the D300. I realize that I'll lose the 1.5 crop, but I'm hoping that the extra stop allows me to get a sharper picture with the Tamron so that I can crop tighter?

Hopefully there is still someone that uses a D700 that cares to comment?

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA :)
 
Of course the d700 is a viable option. However, its 12mp could make it less than optimal for landscape use, which typically puts a premium on resolution, cropping, as well as dynamic range.

If I were you, I would go for a d750 instead. New ones are going for less than $1000 now and prices likely will substantially drop further in the near future with the announcement and release of its successor. The d750 presently is among the best bang for the buck cameras out there.

The d750 has double the resolution of the d700 as well as better lowlight performance and dynamic range, along with a far better AF focusing. The difference between 12mp and 24mp is much more apparent than the difference between 24mp and 36mp or even more. I have a d750 (and d850) and still use the d750 a great deal, due to its more manageable files that are much quicker to process. While 5 years old, the d750 is still remarkably competitive performance wise in most respects. Its dynamic range is still near the top. The only area where the d750 is weak is live-view AF (only really usable for static subjects). I also don't particularly care for the square eyepiece, 1/4000 second top shutter speed, limited buffer for continuous shooting, and lack of joystick nubbin. However those are minor points and would appear to be of no consequence for your intended use.
 
The D700 is a good camera. I used a manual focus Nikkor 50/1.4.

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Well, I'm still using mine! I'm happy enough that I haven't felt the need to upgrade. Of course, the later models have more bells and whistles. But you don't need 'em unless you need 'em. I have a D300 as well. I use it every so often for its crop factor, when a 180mm lens can double as a 270mm.
 
Yes it is, for me at least. If you want a basic pro camera (I am using the term basic loosely but it does not have bells and whistles like focus peaking as its technology does not allow it) it is a fine camera. Built in the style of Nikon pro and prosumer cameras (i.e. like a brick outhouse) it functions flawlessly. I have thought about upgrading to later DSLR Nikons with bigger pixel counts or to the new Z series but do not feel it is worth it for me. As another poster points out 12 megapixel is a bit small for some landscape work where detail may be needed (eg where shooting lots of foliage and with big prints) but for anything else it is still adequate and the lower pixel count helps ensure more than enough sensitivity to handle dark shooting conditions even with its older sensor technology. Same with dynamic range. If you are shooting at or below ISO 3200 I think you will find there is not too much noise to contend with though there will be a little at ISO 1600 or ISO 3200. I find this cleans up easily without too much smearing of details as only a touch of noise reduction is needed. In short I have never been bothered by the noise from my D700 and in fact often have been surprised at how good images look.
 
I have no high ISO digital camera, so I got a D700. I have not used it so far at a high ISO!
I don't need it for that. It has a good buffer for back to back images.
 
Thanks, I pulled the trigger on one!

Thanks, I pulled the trigger on one!

Dear Board,

I bought one, thanks to you enablers!

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA :)
 
Congratulations, Tim. It is an easy to use camera. I never used the users manual for the D700.
 
You people are bad, in a good way!

You people are bad, in a good way!

Dear Board,

You never convince me hang on to my money, ever!

That's a good thing to me because the hearse doesn't stop at the bank on the way from the funeral parlor to the grave!

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA :)
 
Congratulations, Tim. I think the D700 is a great camera. I just bought mine a few weeks ago. It was listed as "Like New" and it is--less than 300 shutter clicks according to my findings. I've really loved playing with it. Image quality is pretty darn good for an 11 year old design with only 12MP. It's not the IQ camera of my D810 but it's good enough to me up to ISO 3200. But I don't shoot landscapes or nature so you'll have to judge for yourself how it works for you.
 
Nothing wrong with a D700! I took a lot of my favorite photos with that camera, and the high iso abilities are still excellent even compared to today's standards. I loved mine when I had it and recently found my girlfriend's D700 she used when shooting for the New York Daily News. I was so excited to see one again that I'm probably going to take it out and start using it.
 
Never owned one, but would like to try because D700 its one of Nikons that supports D2X color modes.

Of these old full frame SLRs, am having soft(er) spot on original Canon 5D :p
 
What's wrong with shooting landscapes with a D700? 12MP is good enough to print an 11 x 17. We don't all expect to make huge blow-ups.
 
You are right Rob

You are right Rob

Rob-F said:
What's wrong with shooting landscapes with a D700? 12MP is good enough to print an 11 x 17. We don't all expect to make huge blow-ups.
Click to expand...

Dear Rob,

Forty years ago I thought I took some good pictures on film.

Forty year later, I still like them and so do the people that see them.

For sure things can be more exacting and precise with today's latest digital cameras. But I'm not looking for that.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA :)
 
Hi Tim,

Congrats on your "new" D700! I still have (and use) mine, along with a D2x and recently D850. I especially like the 700 because it's pop-up flash can be used as a flash commander, while the 850 lacks a pop-up. Had I not begun camera-scanning my film (with the ES-2) I'd still have the 700 as my 'main' dslr.

That said, the 850 is an amazing camera.
 
Rob-F said:
What's wrong with shooting landscapes with a D700? 12MP is good enough to print an 11 x 17. We don't all expect to make huge blow-ups.
Click to expand...

M8 and 5D are from same time, sensor size. Good for anything.
12 mp is my favorite. Every camera I have, set to it, then possible.
 
Tim Murphy said:
Forty years ago I thought I took some good pictures on film. Forty years later, I still like them and so do the people that see them.

For sure things can be more exacting and precise with today's latest digital cameras. But I'm not looking for that.
Click to expand...

Tim, Obviously you value the image as more important than the camera. It's a good place to be, and with this in mind, I predict your D700 will serve you well as an ideal image-making tool.

Why ao many photographers obsess with making huge prints never ceases to amuse me.

In my 50 years of shooting film (both 35mm and 120) I usually did 4x5" prints of almost everything I shot in '35' and 4x4 in 120. Now and then I would print a 5x7" and in an occasional blue moon mood, an 8x10". I did intend to print an 11x14" once (in 1976 as I recall) and even bought a pack of Ilford Galerie paper, but gave up the idea as I didn't have big enough trays and my printing easel was too small. The Galerie is still in my fridge, unopened. It must be worth heaps by now as a photo antique...

For decades I sold many one-column and two-column (newspaper) shots as 'end fillers' for articles, until that market faded away in the early 2000s.

I now shoot almost entirely digital. A dozen architectural images taken with my Nikons - D90 and D700 - were used as two page spreads in books. They look pretty good to me but nothing like the original images - I reckon the art and production directors must have some neat tricks up their sleeves to post-process images so well for book printing.

The D700s (I have two) always produce the goods. Gorgeous mid-tones. Careful post processing can bring up the colours to as good as anything I've ever shot with Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Agfachrome or Fujichrome.

I now use a D800, which with 36 MP is overkill for all my requirements, but the price was right and the camera is an absolute gem to use.

Last year my two D700s began overexposing images, veering to over- by about a full stop. Nikon has been no help at all with either data about this (apparently it's a fairly common problem) or a repair. So after much experimenting, I've figured out a way to get around this 'situation' - I wrote a thread about it, if I can locate it again I'll update it as this could be of interest to other D700 users.

I love my D800 but my two D700s reside in a very special place in my heart. No other Nikon I've owned have given me such outstanding results. The D800 is also a gem of a camera, but as I said, it's a bit too much for me, altho I intend to use it for its lifetime, with the pair of D700s as backups.

With a little care, your D700 will likely go on shooting indefinitely. Those older Nikons were built for hard work - the D90 I bought in 2008 is now a dinosaur by digi Nikon standards, but it was passed on to a friend and is still turning out fine work.

I did think about buying a Z6, but the D800 came along (from a friend) and it suits me. At my age, it may well be my last Nikon for this lifetime - time will tell and we'll see.

Shoot and enjoy.
 
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