-need help upgrading from d80

[anthony_wright]

<p>Hello all I have a slight dilemma. I'm ready to move past my d80. I have the d300 or d700 in mind. My glass is all made for f.frame. I find that I love taking people pics Ie portraits. as my main interest. Right now I see the d300 has dropped a nice amount and the d700 is not looking so bad. So with portrait taking as my main use for the camera which would do you think I should get. As for low light portraits i would like to get into it but I don't see myself doing low light right off the back or heavily. I aso have a few lens with 2.8 and the 50 1.8. Thanks for any advice. Also I like to walk the streets and take candids so I guess without the grip ( because I know nothing is inconspicious with the grip) which one would draw less attention in the streets with maybe a 50 1.8 or 70-300 thanks gals/guys</p>

[bms]

<p>If you do not have any DX lenses and enough money.....D700 is the way to go! You'll love ISO 1600 and 3200 vs the D300....</p>

[landon wright photography]

<p>You mean ISO 3200 and 6400. The D700 will let you do hand held nigh photography. I have done a portrait hand held with two candles with my D700. I love it. </p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>hi anthony, i had the d80 and got a d300 when i upgraded. it's hard to go wrong with a d300, but had the d700 been out then, i might have jumped on it, basically for the high ISO performance. but it really comes down to lenses and whether you benefit more from the 1.5 crop of DX. with an FX body, the 50/1.8 will become a 'normal' lens, but then again, it won't be a portrait lens anymore either.<br>

if you're not invested in DX glass, though, then there's less reason not to get a d700, since you wont have to buy completely new lenses and sell off your old ones.<br>

as for inconspicuousness, they're both basically the same body, so neither would be less or more obtrusive than the other. you'll be less conspicuous with a 50mm than a 70-300. if you really want to be low-key, replace the nikon strap with an aftermarket strap like the upstrap or kata reflex.</p>

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[todd_angood]

<p>Hi Anthony,<br>

I just upgraded a couple of weeks from my D80 to a D300. I can't believe the difference! High ISO performance is better and to me the camera is easier to use than my D80 was. Especially with everything being at my fingertips for making adjustments as opposed to going into the menu on the D80 to change things. My reason for purchasing the D300 was for the above reasons plus I'm invested into DX glass.</p>

[kevinwalsh]

<p>I went from the D80 to D300 and love it, but I shoot wildlife and outdoor sports. If you've mastered the D80 the learning curve is not bad and I enjoy the myriad of custom settings available. Since you don't need the reach of the D300 and your lenses are all fx it's a no brainer to go for the d700. The price is still dropping with the anticipation of a higher priced "x" upgrade. One aspect to consider for portraits, especially full length, is that the focus points on the FX cameras are grouped more toward the center. Focusing on the eyes sometimes involves recomposing.</p>

[bruce_margolis]

<p><em>"I see the d300 has dropped a nice amount and the d700 is not looking so bad."</em></p>

<p> Anthony, the D700 has dropped much more proportionately than the D300. The price gap between the two is actually narrowing. </p>

<p>A year ago I went from the D80 to the D300. Dramatic improvement in all areas, I really love the bod. If you like to shoot action and wildlife as I do, the D300 would be a great choice. </p>

<p>However, for portrait and candid work, I would say you have much more flexibility with the D700. Both are great cameras but the higher ISO with the D700 would make it a winner.</p>

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[steve_barrett]

<p>Go for the D700. I had a D80 and got my D700 in August. I love it!<br>

D700 is $2319.00 at Amazon today...$600.00 less than I paid.</p>

[wpahnelas]

<p>i've had all three, and given your interests i think the D700 is the way to go. you may not see yourself doing low-light stuff "right off the back or heavily," but up until now you haven't exactly had the freedom. if you can afford it, and don't need the reach of a crop body, the D700 is the best choice.</p>