The Nikon D700 is child’s play: my user review | London Children Photographer

I am touching the end of my Nikon D700 test shots. This is exciting for me because I can finally make a decision and devote more time editing photos rather than pixel-peeping. If you missed the first three posts on comparison shots between the Nikon D700 and Nikon D7000, click here and follow the trail.

Now on to the creative… So I put this to the test by shooting in pretty harsh light and high contrasts. These images were taken indoors by a large window with the bright sunshine pouring through from a high angle. I got my youngest to play with her toys and I got to play with mine! Win-win! At the end of my images below is my summarised my verdict on the D700.

Below is a side by side comparison of the fancy jewellery shots taken with the Nikon 50mm 1.4 G lens on the left and the Nikon 105VR G Micro on the right. I took them as close as the lenses would let me on Auto focus.

In the context of my personal shooting style and the way I use the camera, to me these are the main differences between the D700 and D7000.

D700 Pros:
Designated buttons for ISO, WB, Image quality, Mode, Back-button focusing
Designated switches/dials for Metering {now on the back for easier access}, Focus mode, and AF-area mode
Faster focusing
Less shutter lag
It has a flash sync terminal {useful when using 2 off camera flashes for backlit situations with a trigger/receiver}
Undoubtedly much better handling of high ISO
51 focus points {it’s 39 on the D7000} to make for accurate focusing
To me there is more dynamic range {contrast ratio} compared to the D7000 even though there should be less
I actually like the fact that it’s heavier at 1074 g than the D7000 at 780g as it feels much sturdier
Last but not least, the full frame sensor – it literally is seeing more of the world through the lens, despite the 95% coverage. This is so important to me living in London where space is a premium; houses and flats are generally on the small side. The full sensor also lets in more light and makes for cleaner images. Overall basic editing is a bit quicker.

D700 Cons:
Only one memory card slot compared to the D7000’s dual slot, not great for weddings when a backup is so important for peace of mind
The shutter sound is loud, really loud and feels a bit clumsy compared to the D7000 – I’m still not used to it
The LCD screen is not as sharp and images look a little dull than they actually are. Brightening the display does not help as they make the highlights look blown
No video {although I’ve never used the video on my D7000}
Only 12.1 MP which is fine for me at the moment compared to the D7000’s 16.1 MP which suits me better

Lens combination-wise, I think the D700 and the 35mm 1.4 G combo performs amazingly, very much less so with the D700 and the 50mm 1.4 G. AF-fine tuning has been suggested to make the 50mm perform better on this lens. The 105VR 2.8 is awesome on both cameras but I will probably use the D7000 for macro shots as it allows me to get that much closer to the subject without being physically too close.

So, in summary, I think the full-frame sensor camera is worth the price. It trumps the D7000 in more ways than one, but it also has its limitations due to older technology. However, with the announcement of the Nikon D800 just made a couple of days ago and priced not much more than expected, with 5 years worth of new technology, it would probably make sense to invest in that for just a little bit more. Now if I can get my hands on one…

Up next, and the last of my test shots, photos taken in the golden hour with the Nikon D700. So stay tuned! If you found his helpful, please share it. Thank you!

You can find my first impressions review of my Nikon D7000 when I got it nearly a year ago on this link.

In case you are looking to get any of the equipment I use and mention on this review series, you can find them here Nikon D700 and Nikon D7000 Nikon 50mm 1.4 G Lens Nikon 105mm VR 2.8 G Lens Nikon 35 mm 1.4 G LensNikon D90 Nikon D800