Smaller camera recommendation please ? (D700 user)

<p>Is the D700 really that big? I am afraid that you won't find any camera that is significantly smaller and can provide similar quality.</p>

<p>The D7000 and D3200 are smaller but with lenses, they are not exactly tiny. Sony NEX cameras are small, at least some of them are small, but since they use an APS-C sensor, most lenses are big and actually look kind of weird on those small bodies. I really don't think the Nikon 1 mirrorless cameras can give you similar results and I don't particularly like their controls.</p>

<p>Maybe as Andrew points out, use a smaller lens on the D700 could be the answer. I walk around with a D700 or D800 quite a bit. I don't find them all that big, but that is just me.</p>

<p>I enthusiastically support prior mentions of the Sony RX100. I received mine in mid-July and am nearing 3,000 shots with it, mostly on vacation in upstate New York. The 220-degree sweep option is a jewel, providing a panoramic that the best stitches can't beat. Set it on any of a variety of modes and let it do the rest. My Canon DSLR and even my Leica M6 are gathering dust.</p><div></div>

<p>Sorry, the pan overflowed the space. Here's one closer in from the RX100.</p>

The Sony and Panasonic high end compacts are fine cameras but the OP already has an S95 and isn't satisfied with

it. Even if those cameras are marginal improvements over the Canon I doubt they are good enough to meet the

requirements.

 

I think the only reasonable options here are interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras. Look at the Olympus options

(which can use image stabilization even with primes and come with retractable kit zooms that are really quite good)

and the NEX cameras. The NEX 5n is going to have the least noise of the reasonably priced options, and there are

some good lenses available. There's a 50mm with VR and a Sigma 30mm that gets good reviews, and if you can score

some M39 glass and use an adapter it would be compact and you can use focus peaking.

<p>I use D700 and now the D800. I use a Sony Nex5N with an 18-200mm lens for a walk around camera. It takes great pictures and the video capabilities are really nice!</p>

<p>I went down that road. My D300 and D7000 were too big to lug so I got a D3100. It did well for a while and then even it felt too heavy. I now have a Nikon P71000 that I carry on my belt. Its response time is terrible but its IQ is great 10MP. Also I am learning to shoot with the LCD because the optical is terrible.<br>

I would look at the Fugi as well in the similar model. It has a manual zoom which is better.</p>

You may consider canon G1x it has nice IQ and low noise too.

<p>For an interchangeable lens camera either the Olympus OM-D, upcoming Panasonic G5 or Sony Nex-7 (maybe Nex-5, but Nex-7 is more capable). considering the size of the system, these are a lot smaller than what you currently use. Of course you need to check that a suitable lens is available for the system you're looking.<br>

Personally, I wasn't so excited about the Fuji X-Pro; it's noticeable larger, expensive and people have reported about the difficulty of good raw conversion and usability. But there are people who like it a lot.<br>

Going even smaller, the Sony RX-100 is a point and shoot that has a reasonably large sensor.</p>

<p>I've often thought about this, who hasn't?<br>

The way I would put the question is , is there a spray that I could use on my D800 that would reduce it in size and weight such that I could put it in my pocket or, ideally attach it to my Swiss army knife such that when I open it, it magics itself back into my D800?<br>

That's what I really want, a pocket size D800 or D700 but is there such a thing; great IQ with zillions of mega-p's, instant response, fast af, lots of lens flexibility, good available controls without too much menu mashing. Until then, everything is a compromise and I'll stick with the S95 in my pocket. I did try with the M8 and I really persevered but no af, too bulky, awful viewfinder, not that small, and lots of noise above ISO 10 - well it comes in about 640.</p>

 

<p>Sony RX100.<br>

Some months ago I sold my D700 body and all of my Nikkors. Since then I have searched for a high quality point and shoot camera. After some research I decided to buy the new Sony RX100. I can enjoy my trips now. Although the picture quality of my new camera isn't just the same as it was on my D700 combined with those heavy Nikkors, I feel like a free man now. I can carry my camera and all of my lenses in my shirt pocket. The quality of my new photos and videos is completely acceptable for me.</p>

<p>D3200 is only has heavy as the lens you put on it. I exaggerate a bit but not much. It's tiny and compact. With the kit lens it's very lightweight since the kit lens weighs next to nothing. If I'm going lightweight I'll put an old 20mm f2.8 AF on it which is close to pancake and it's great. Good luck.</p>

<p><em>Hello folks, </em><br /><em>I'm a D700 user and while the D700's images still take my breath away every time I look at it, sometimes </em><strong>I want to have a</strong> <strong>camera with me all the time</strong> <em>and the D700 is just too big to lug around. </em><br>

Sony RX100. And yes, you have to compromise, since there's no small camera to carry with you all the time and have the IQ an the noise behaviour that your D700 has.</p>

<p>Whilst I have a D800E, F6 and others when I am taking something light about I resort to either an RX100 which is remarkable for its size or a Fuji X100 whose image quality is extremely good if you can live with a fixed prime lens and don't expect to take action shots with it (good enough for children but useless for sports). I also have a Panasonic GX1 but have yet to fall in love with it relative to these two others.<br>

The X100 is notable for its excellent high ISO performance (not as good as the D700 but pretty close).</p>

<p>If you are not averse to trying a used camera, have a look at a Sony DSC-R1. It has a built in Carl Zeiss 24-120 Vario Sonnar T* lens that is very nice to work with. It has a large sensor, 10MP and can shoot raw and jpg at the same time. It would be in the middle ground in size, smaller than your D700, but much better than trying to work with most pocket cameras. It should work very well for you. It takes longer than your D700 to write the images, other than that you will enjoy the images that you make with one. Give it a try.</p>