D200 Upgrade Quandry - D700/D7000/D800

[eric_arnold]

<p>i would just get a d800 and fuhgeddabout it. you shoot landscape, right? that's a no-brainer. you dont even have to sell the 12-24 since you can use it in DX mode (although down the line selling that and the 17-35 and getting either a 16-35 VR or the 14-24 would be a good move). all the rest of your lenses are FX ready and should see you through years of use. i dont see a compelling reason to get a d7000, period. the d700 is great but a newer camera is always more future-proof. other than price, there's no compelling reason to get a d700 over a d800. you can always shoot at a lower resolution if file size is an issue. if you dont buy new bodies that often, might as well go for the best one available currently.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>"<em>both the D700 and D7000 have magnesium alloy frames</em>" - nothing more wrong than comparing quality build of D700 to D7000. </p>

<p>One camera has solid metal frame carved from a piece of metal, and the other has skeleton of thin metal plates for primary purpose to shield the inner electronics from external inteferance.</p>

<p>There was a D7000 camera disassembly video shown around, and there were inner parts photos of D7000, that should put proper perspective on this subject.</p>

<p>If one wants to believe that D7000 body is made of metal, you are free to believe what you want.</p>

[dbcooper]

<p>Well, I shoot both a D7k and a D700, and I definitely recommend getting one. There's times I like the light weight of the D7k and there's times I like the bigger, brighter VF of the D700. Truthfully, for most things, it's hard for me to tell the results apart without pixel-peeping. My glass is up to all of it, but it cost a lot more for the FX glass. </p>

<p> </p>

[andylynn]

Frank, I have both the D700 and D7000 and while the D700 has the more solid feel there's nothing lacking in the

D7000 build quality. You'd have to go very hard on it and then drop it a few times to have a problem.

[ShunCheung]

<p>I have pointed this out before: a lot of people use weight to evaluate how solid a product is. Years ago, a friend's company was selling some plastic (land line) telephones, and people thought they were of poor quality because of the lack of weight. They ended up adding lead onto those phone to increase the weight, and all of a sudden their customers thought those phones were well built while in fact there was no change in quality.</p>

<p>The D7000 is clearly a smaller camera with fewer dedicated buttons, and it is also lighter. Its light weight gives people the wrong perception. That is human nature.</p>

[kitsuneya]

<p>Hi,<br>

It is very nice chance to buy D800 or D800E. You should not look back D700 or D7000. Simply should go to D800. Reason is simple. It is currently the best camera in FX format. No other can beat it at photo quality. Many used D700 are selling cheaply in Japan. No one think to buy D700 or D7000 if they have enough money to get D800/B800E. Now, D800 is the best selling camera include DX format amazingly. One large problem is unknown delivery.</p>

[marc_durand]

<blockquote>

<p>Don't they all have plastic bodies? If you mean frame, both the D700 and D7000 have magnesium alloy frames.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>@Robert<br>

True, the d7000 has a vastly improved body. It had been in my earlier pros & cons in regards to all the cameras but now I remember I borrowed a friend's d7000 and was happy with the 'robustness', but not with the lack of dedicated buttons.</p>

<p>and yes, as Mr. Nakae says, here in Japan d700's are pretty cheap. 140,000yen is the about par for a barely used one. Since I get paid in yen, it's the equivalent of $1400 for me</p>

[andylynn]

<p>If barely used D700's can be had for that little, take advantage of the situation and get one. Wait for the D800 mania to settle down, then reevaluate whether you want one. A $1400 D700 is already so depreciated I can't see losing all that much money on it if you turn around and resell it next year. Heck, sell it on the US eBay and you'll probably make money.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>It is very nice chance to buy D800 or D800E. You should not look back D700 or D7000. Simply should go to D800. Reason is simple. It is currently the best camera in FX format.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>First of all, I have been testing a D800 for two months and have a deposit on a D800E, but suggesting that the D800/D800E is somehow the "best camera in FX format" is way too much a generalization. Obviously the D800 has more pixels and if you can down sample, it has superior low-light capability than the D700. However, 4 frame/sec is a seviere limitation.</p>

<p>In the OP's situation, I can see that there are many ways he can upgrade his lenses. So unless he needs to make huge prints, getting a (lightly used) D700 may be a better option than pouring so much of his budget onto one camera body. Generally speaking, one is better off spending more money on lenses.</p>

<p>And finally, if used D700 are indeed selling so cheaply, in Japan or elsewhere, I certainly don't see Nikon making more new D700. It will be very difficult for new D700 to compete against used D700 in good condition at 60% to 70% of the new price.</p>

[warren_gleich6]

<p>Well, I pulled the trigger this weekend after much contemplation. I picked up a new D700 from my local dealer who took a couple of older AFD lenses in trade. For me, this was a perfect choice.</p>

<ul>

<li>My investment in full frame glass has paid off. I am already using the 80-200 2.8 AFS more than ever before. On DX, it was a little long for most stuff I was shooting so I left it home more often than not.</li>

<li>The D700 feels very nature to my D200 head. The layout of buttons and functions were so close I did not need to open the manual until I accidentally locked out the Aperture Control.</li>

<li>Auto-ASI is really useful whereas on the D200 it was kind of limited.</li>

<li>All my batteries and card work from the D200.</li>

<li>My travel workflow has migrated to using an iPad to load pictures for viewing. I get more pictures on the 64gb iPad I am using.</li>

<li>I am absolutely happy without video capability. I played around with D7000 and while video is kind of cool, I don't have the mind set for the shot and am better off with a simple point and shoot for grab video (I always carry a cheap Canon P&S to give to locals to take my picture).</li>

<li>I could not wrap my head around the interface of the D7000. It felt too much like the N70 I started with years ago. I learned on my Dad's '53 Leica IIIf in junior high and I like controlling the settings and not using Scenes.</li>

<li>The money saved is going towards a replacement for the 35-70 2.8 AFD at a later date (perhaps the 24-120 AFS VR).</li>

<li>Most importantly, image quality is amazing. I took an imagine at twilight in our living room and it was the first time my wife ever asked for me to send her a picture from viewing on the camera.</li>

</ul>

<p>As an aside, I am astounded by the price of used D700's, D300, D300s' and D7000 in the New England market. I have only seen one that would be considered a deal (low actuations and good price) in several months and kick myself for not jumping.</p>

<p>Thanks again,</p>

<p>Warren</p>

[georg_s1]

<p>Well done, Warren - congrats!</p>