How will Nikon improve (obsolete) the D700?

[jose_angel]

<p>How to improve, or better, how to sell more D700 after the D700? Easy: it can be called a "D700s".</p>

<p>1. Replace the built-in toy flash with a serious wireless triggering system.<br /> 2. 100% viewfinder.<br /> 3. Original, perfectly designed ground-glass options or accesories: the first could be a gritty one for manual focus users.<br /> 4. Dual card slot.<br /> 5. BKT direct button.<br /> 6. Compatibility with non-Ai lenses (removable tab like in the FE, F3, etc.).<br /> 7. More and better AFS primes (not consumer, but fast pro-level ones, I mean with <em>really</em> fast and precise AFS motors).<br /> 8. 5:4 crop mode. <br /> 9. About the sensor... the current one is good enough for me. If it <em>should be</em> upgraded (?), I`d simply change the 24x36 format to a more squared one (like 5:4).<br /> And not as important...<br /> 10. A new design for the "three kings" buttons (WB, QUAL and ISO), with better ergonomics for "blind" control. (I think many buttons can be improved for blind control, another one could be the C, S, M button).<br /> 11. Better switch-door fitting (mine opens accidentally).<br /> 12. Improved AF sensor direction selecting button (seems too small to my finger).</p>

<p>Probably I`d not buy a D3X reencarnation on a short body (what has been called a "D700X") but as a D700 user I´d certainly buy another "D700<b>s</b>" with the specs mentioned above.</p>

<p> </p>

[tallnbig68]

<p ><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=861828">Ralph Jensen</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"><img title="Frequent poster" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/1roll.gif" alt="" title="Frequent poster" /> </a> , Mar 22, 2009; 12:08 a.m.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"Forgive the pesky grammarian… but obsolete isn't a verb. You can make something obsolete, but you can’t obsolete it :)"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>True! Suspect the term was used to indicate the camera would be no longer viable.<br>

Perhaps a newer model FX will be introduced, that does more or less the<br>

same as the D700.</p>

<p>In my own world the camera was perhaps to tempt those<br>

with a stable of film-based lenses as opposed to specific lenses<br>

for the smaller than the 135 mm frame size.. Whatever.</p>

<p>Cameras "are" computers, hence given technology are<br>

already history, as the next round of cameras is designed and then produced.</p>

<p>For me the D700 is simply not viable. Here in Canada, the price<br>

is way too high for me, the causal photographer. CAN$3500?</p>

<p>A large amount of money for one retired and on a pension.<br>

However one may always dream</p>

<p> </p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Jose, the camera you described has existed even prior to the D700; it is called the D3 and, of course, is priced according to its capabilities.</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>LOL Shun, I promise that I was not thinking on the D3! But you`re right...</p>

[dariusz_konkiewicz]

<p>well, I'll wait until Nikon figure out how to make FF dslr in FA/FE2/FM3a size body with negative film dynamic range.</p>

[anand_dhupkar]

<p>I think Nikon should come up with modular approach in the digital camera bodies. I have been using D70s for over three years now. What I really want is low noise at high ISO from D700. I would like Nikon to come up with a modular replacement where I can change the sensors and related software. Is it too much to ask ?</p>

[tobycline]

<p>This thread has become to wordy and long, so forgive me if this has already been said, but as an update to the D700 that I would like to see is:<br>

<br />A smart Auto ISO system that takes into account the focal length of the lens I'm using, so that if I slip a 200mm lens on, it will bump the slowest allowable speed to, say, 1/250th.</p>

<p>Does anyone think this could this be done with a Firmware update?</p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>The spirit of this thread was never about updates or improvements you'd like to see with the D700, but instead, what would it take for its successor to to make the D700 obsolete, undesirable, out-of-favor, or whatever you want to call it.</p>

<p>It seems the prevailing thinking is a sensor with less noise, more resolution, and higher ISO performance, and nothing like that seems imminent. Putting a D3x sensor in a D700 body will not replace the D700. From here it seems that the D700 is a watershed camera that will most likely be viable for quite a long time. JMO.</p>

<p>Anyway, it seems the thread has indeed run its course. I appreciate all the great replies from everyone. Thankyou kindly so much everyone! Happy photography!</p>

[mt4x4]

<p>I'd expect to see a Fuji sensor in a D700 body before I would see a true D700 replacement (though a D700x with a D3X sensor wouldn't be a huge surprise to me, right before next holiday season).<br /> <br /> http://www.fujifilm.com/about/technology/super_ccd/index.html<br>

<br /> What I would really like to see from Nikon are some new lenses, not new cameras.<br /> <br /> 400 f/5.6 AF-S<br /> Wide angle primes (FX)! Currently you have the option of either a fisheye, or 12-24/14-24. COME ON.<br /> A telephoto prime with VR under $6k? 300 f/4 with VR maybe? Not everyone wants to pack around a beast like the 300 2.8 AF-S VR.</p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>Kent, I'm with you 100% on the lenses! This seems like the perfect time for Nikon to turn their attention to prime lenses.</p>

[hawkman]

<p>D700 is an excellent camera as is, I would like to see one improvement in D700 and that is using a weaker AA filter to give the level of pixel sharpness I can get from my Canon cameras. </p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>It's not difficult to imagine improvements: 1) remove pop-up flash, 2) make a closer-to-100% viewfinder, 3) add D-movie with full manual exposure and ISO controls, 4) double the pixel count, 5) focusing screen options, 6) a more customizable black and white mode (i.e. same options as in Capture NX2) so one can see the final image in black and white through the same filtration etc. one normally uses instead of the make-people-look-like-ghosts default, 7) mirror lockup in the traditional way (like in the F5), etc. I could go on and on. </p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>Improvements are easy to dream up, but what would it take for the D700's successor to put the D700 to bed, like the D300 did to the D200? That's the question I posed in this thread.</p>

[dan_south]

<p>The D700/D3 represents a "sweet spot" in digital camera design. You can buy small-format digital cameras with higher resolution sensors, but you're going to lose some of the high-ISO performance. In a few more years, technology will advance and push this limit a bit farther, but I suspect that we're going to see diminishing returns on noise performance going forward.</p>

<p>To borrow a music analogy, the D3/D700 is to high-ISO performance as the Fender Stratocaster is to electric guitars. The fundamental design is so "right" that it's going to be difficult to improve it significantly no matter how much time passes. I suspect that the cameras that photojournalists use five to ten years from now will not differ greatly from the D3/D700 design that we have today.</p>

<p>That said, Nikon WILL improve upon the D700 just as they eventually improve every model over time. How? That's anybody's guess. Three years ago, could you have imagined a camera like the D3? I couldn't. Who knows what new magic Nikon has in store for us?</p>

<p>If I were to **suggest** improvements on the D700, I'll echo some of the points that have been posted previously -<br>

- a better viewfinder (not necessarily 100%, but more accurately centered)<br>

- a dedicated bracketing button<br>

- a Matrix-metering mode that is less prone to overexposure in high-contrast scenes<br>

- a Live Mode that doesn't lower the mirror and re-raise it prior to making the exposure</p>

<p>Incremental improvements notwithstanding, the D700 is an amazing camera by any measure. I don't mean "amazing" as a mindless exclamation, I mean that I am literally AMAZED almost every time I shoot with my D700, especially in difficult conditions. The latitude of shadows and highlights that you can pull out of a NEF file is very wide, the images are highly detailed when good shooting technique is applied, and the high-ISO performance would have been considered science fiction a few years ago. The camera is extremely rugged, it performs well in adverse conditions, it's comfortable to hold and relatively easy to operate, and it captures nearly three times as many images per battery charge as my old D200 did. Amazing! Bottom line: the D700 and D3 make it possible to capture photos that were impossible to render cleanly (if at all) with any previous imaging technology.</p>

<p>Can Nikon improve upon the D700? Sure, and I eagerly await the next generation! But I'm in no rush. Today, I can shoot hand-held, noise-free, beautifully detailed and vividly colored images in dimly lit places with a camera that doesn't cost much more than the noise-belching, battery-gulping D200 did when I bought it new 2-and-a-half years ago. Wow!</p>

[jack flannery]

<p>D200 was my first DSLR but I used a F2 for years. I picked up a D700 for FX and "loaned" the D200 to my brother. More megapixels or greater sensitivity doesn't really interest me all that much. More dynamic range might. Anyway, this is what I would like to see (along with the many good ideas so far).<br>

- customizable ergos. Not all hands are the same and wouldn't the ability to modify the grip be nice?<br>

- customizable menus. One could do the design on a computer and then upload the new interface. There is an awful lot of menu items that I don't always need. I realize the menu banks are sort of like this but it could be taken a lot further. </p>

[captain_jack]

<p>I love my D700. But would like to see following 2 things added (wishlist):<br /> 1. Greater dynamic range (No need for 5 exposures for HDRs)<br /> 2. Continuous Auto AF-Tune (I am having hard time tuning my zooms for AF. Primes are easy)</p>

<p>Continuous will auto-tune as you change the focal length of the lens on the camera :)</p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>Dan, great post! I love the Fender Stratocaster analogy, best response I've read. Thanks! And thanks to everyone.</p>

[tri-x1]

<p>Anyone who believes the D700 is going to set the standard for more than 18 months or two years is trying desperately to justify their investment. DSLRs have created a new class of camera nut--the techno addicts. These people need to shell out several thousand dollars every couple of years to be fulfilled--to be able to brag they have a camera that is a frame per second faster and/or with reduced noise at a higher ISO than the pervious model. Probably a lot of them came over from the computer world where they had to have the fastest processor, the most memory and the largest hard drive. As long as those addicts are around, Nikon and all the other DSLR makers will continue to introduce new moels more often that the actual improvement really merit.<br>

Why in the world do we need meters more accurate than the systems currently available? Or faster focusing? Or more frames per second? Or higher ISO? Who really needs additional improvements. There aren't even that many pros who do. It's all about satisfying big egos, not photographic needs.</p>

[dan_south]

<p>Wayne, to address one of your points, sometimes I shoot in locations where tripods are forbidden. Being able to shoot at ISO 1600 or ISO 3200 instead of ISO 100 or 200 makes it possible to capture shots (handheld) that could not have been rendered sharply before.</p>

<p>Also, even when I can use a tripod, sometimes in strong winds the tripod doesn't hold the camera steadily enough. If I can force the camera to use a higher shutter speed by dialing in a higher ISO value, I might be able to capture a sharp photo even in these challenging conditions.</p>

<p>This isn't at all about "big egos." It's about dealing with the physical realities and limitations of "available light." </p>

 

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>Wayne, I think it's more about making money than it is about "egos." As far as myself, I'm a film guy from way back, and I still have a bedroom and a walk-in closet dedicated to my workspace and darkroom, but to come clean there is an element of trying to justify my investment, $2400 is a lot of money to me.</p>

<p>I received my D700 yesterday and I've been setting it up; it's a pretty complex camera. The thing that struck me first off is the weight of the camera; this camera is the proverbial brick or hockey puck. I like the weight though, especially for using it on a tripod. It seems odd not being able to use the mirror-up and self-timer at the same time. Really I'm hard-pressed at this time to find things I dislike, maybe the way the menus are set up. I'm just awed that Nikon could create a camera like this and mass produce them, talk about genuis. The most exciting thing for me is that this camera is inspiring me to be more dedicated to my photography and give it my best shot again. The transition from digital to film has basically left me in a decade-long state of limbo, now I feel I can get to work without having to worry that the techincal quality of my files/ pictures could be better. I liked my D200 but I always felt uneasy about the cropped format, like I was trying to do serious work with an APS film camera.</p>

<p>Anyway for me, the D700 is more than just another camera: it's the tool I've been waiting for to motivate me to become immersed in digital photography. I'm excited about photography again!</p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>Sorry, a sentence above should read "The transition from film to digital. . ." instead of "digital to film. . . ." FWIW.</p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>I just had a thought how Nikon could make the D700 less desirable besides creating a sensor with more resolution, less noise and higher ISO performance, and they could use the same sensor they have as in the D700; build a camera along the lines of an FM2/ FM3a with all the goodness and capability of the D700. The same philosophy that made the D700 so desirable compared to the D3 could make the "DM700" a big hit too. As with the D700 compared to the D3 there would be tradeoffs like a smaller monitor and other changes/ compromises that aren't apparent to me, but I think a no-frills version of the D700 could be well-received. What do you think? Thanks.</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p><em>It seems odd not being able to use the mirror-up and self-timer at the same time.</em><br>

<em></em><br>

Perhaps Nikon thinks that the single curtain vertical travel shutter can be burned when you point the camera to the sun with MLU active, so they make it more difficult to set the camera on fire by not allowing indefinite MLU. ;-)</p>

<p>You can use a custom function called "Exposure delay mode" together with the 2-sec self-timer. This is what I do when operating the camera on a tripod and need MLU. The exposure delay mode adds a 1-sec delay between mirror rise and shutter open. This is sufficient to avoid most significant vibrations from the mirror rise (at least on a decent tripod). Too bad activating it requires going to the menu. When I need critical timing with MLU, I use the MC-30 together with M-UP mode instead of the self-timer+exposure delay mode.</p>

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

<p>Thanks for the heads up Ilkka. I plan on using a remote with MLU, so it's not a problem for me. I hadn't discovered "Exposure delay mode" and that might come in handy, so thanks for that.</p>

<p>It's hard to believe that Nikon doesn't do everything for a reason, so I have to assume there's a good reason for the MLU/ self-timer oddity. Anyway, this nitpicking on my part just shows how difficult it is to find anything wrong with the camera. Brilliant brilliant camera! I'm amazed and awed. Thanks.</p>

[sim_m]

<p>Captain Jack, miles upwards you mentioned the wish f4 lenses which Canon have, which I'm assuming you are referring to 70-200mm.<br /> I used to think the same. I used f4 lenses, and I much prefare results from a 2.8, at least up to about 110mm as the bokeh BG is more effective and nicer.</p>