D700 or D3 is it worth it?

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Hello people,

 

I don't really know if I should get the D700 or the D3 ......

 

I have read the about both cameras and heard comments about both and it doesn't really seem to be such a big

difference between both to make worth buying the D3.... they do mostly the same and I can save serious money on

the D700.

 

What do you people think? let me hear your comments please.

 

Thanks,

 

Aaron��

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"they do mostly the same "

 

Uh....I wouldn't agree. They share the same sensor to be sure, but there are significant differences (besides the obvious price differential) between the two. Whether the additional $1,500 or so for the D3 buys you any features that you need for your shooting is certainly the question you need to ask.

 

You can search this and many other sites (www.nikoncafe.com, dpreview.com) come to mind to read lengthy discussions of the differences between the 2 bodies.

 

What are you planning to shoot?

I will do landscapes and aerial pictures..... so should I get the D3 or the D700 would do?

"they do mostly the same "

 

I wouldn't agree either - they do exactly the same i.e. take digital photographs!

 

It's how they do it that some/many may argue they differ.....

What do you have now? What's the advantage of Full Frame for you? You have non-DX lenses, need low light performances?

I presume that it's pretty expensive to get in the air. If you are making money that way, then your costs are an important consideration. The D3 has two card slots, and can write all of its data to both cards simultaneously. I would imagine that the costs of having to go back up to shoot even <i>one</I> session over again because of data loss would quickly close the gap between the price of the two bodies.

I was in the quandry about a month ago, D700 or D3, and after spending a few hours with both in the shop I went

for the D3. Yes they use the same sensor and all that about iso, but for me it was two card slots, faster fps.

Also the overall feel of the D3 won me over, yes you can put a grip on the D700 but its just not the same, for

the past year or so ive been using a D2hs and a D2x so the body feel was something I was very used to plus all

the buttons are in the right pace so I could just pick it and carry on as normal.

Either one will suit your purpose, also bear in mind that if you have DX lenses you will not get the full benefit

of FX so your budget may well have to include a lens or two.

I was facing the same question for a couple of months. Believe it or not, the D3 and D700 are very very similar

cameras; they not only use exactly the same sensor but also the same image-processing electronics. They also

use the same AF module, but recently a Nikon rep mentioned that the D3 still auto-focuses faster. photo.net now

has another loaner D3 from Nikon, and I'll compare the two.

 

The main difference between the two is that the D3 can accept two CF cards so that you can write to both

simultaneously. That can be important for those who are concerned about memory card failures. The D3 is probably

more durable with a shutter that is rated at 300K actuations, while the D700 is 150K.

 

The D3 can go to 9 frames/sec native while the D700 is 5, and you need the MB-D10 to make it 8.

However, the D3 has that $500 option to double its memory buffer size. If you shoot a lot of action, that can make a

difference. The memory upgrade is not available on the D700.

 

The D700 has a built-in pop-up flash. It is not that useful as a flash, but it is convenient to have it around as a Nikon

CLS flash controller. That is really handy.

 

Eventually I went for the D700 because of its smaller and lighter body. I already have the MB-D10 from the D300,

which I am keeping, so that if I want a vertical grip or 8 frames/sec, it is already available.

My action camera will remain to be the D300 as I prefer the DX crop on it.

 

My guess is that the D3 will probably be superseded in 2009 and, believe it or not, it is kind of late in the production

cycle to buy one now at $4500 or so. Or you wait until the replacement is announced and then get one in deep

discount. (E.g., shortly after the D2Xs was announced, my local store was selling the remaining D2X at $3500, even

though they are almost identical cameras.)

 

If you mainly shoot landscape and aerial, IMO the D700 is more than sufficient for you.

There are numerous small, subtle features/differences in addition to those listed above that make the D3 a wise choice for many over the D700. Both are excellent cameras and you will get great results with either.

 

If you have every lost images for a paid shoot or have any concerns about this issue, the 2nd card slot is an inexpensive insurance policy.

D700 has the sensor cleaning system built-in, while D3 does not, if that matters to you ?

 

Have you ever ruined a half-day pictures to dust on the sensor ? Lerned the lesson and frequently verify ? Is you

place dusty ? Windy ? Do you have lenses that are also sealed ? Did you master technique to claen DSLR sensor

yourself ?

Guys,

 

Thank you all for your comments..... I will go for the D700, I guess it fits for my needs..... for the kind of pictures I take, I dont really need those 11fps nor even the 2 memories......

 

I used before a Mamiya RZ67 and imagine guys, I flew an hour and a half and shot 50 pictures only.... because each film on the Mamiya gives me 10 shots..... so you can imagine what I kind do with the D700 and a 16 Mega card..... wow.

 

Also the cleaning system is very important to me, I live in Cancun Mexico and there is a lot of wind and dust here, so I guess thats a good point for me. I will buy the Nikon 17-35mm lense for this camera and will be perfect for the aerial picures.

 

Thanks again for your comments guys, you are very helpful as always.

 

Aaron Said