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D600 vs D700--Purchase?


jim1169

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<p>I am considering FF. All my lenses are FF as I started out in film 20 yrs ago. Have the 20-35 f2.8, 35-70 f2.8. I currently shoot an F100 and D50. I have been looking at 2 D700's w/~20, 000 shutter clicks. Owners want $1600, I don't want to pay over $1500 since I can get a D600 for $2100 which is 5 yr newer tech, full 1 yr warranty, 24MP, and lighter.<br>

I like my F100's build quality and ergonomics better than the D50, and prefer the 10 pin cable vs remote control, but that would not be a deciding factor. Nor would SD vs CF. Mostly shoot landscapes, studio fashion/glamour.<br>

I don't want to be " Penny wise and dollar foolish". Looking for compelling reasons to go either way/the smart way.</p>

<p>Help is appreciated from those who have used both, thx,<br>

jim</p>

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<p>The D700 body is closer in feel to the F100, though honestly for me it doesn't feel as good in the hand. (I think the F100 must have been designed for somebody with exactly my hand size.) It also has a better AF system, the D600's AF points being somewhat cramped toward the center. Not so good for off center compositions. For the D600, the main advantages are a newer sensor with more resolution and dynamic range (good for a lot of use scenarios, like landscapes) and video mode (which you might or might not care about). Honestly they're both excellent cameras. The D700 is a few years older, but I wouldn't take that as a point against it, since what's important isn't when it was introduced but how it would work out for you now.</p>
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<p>Unless you do high fps shooting, off centre-screen action and need a deep buffer, the D600 is the better choice.</p>

<p>Higher DR and pixels is enough difference for <strong><em>me</em></strong>, but as Andy L said, there's nothing wrong with the D700. It depends on your rate of work. Landscapes rarely escape fast, compared to horses or motorcross. :-)</p>

<p>I guess the D700 owners' want $1600 each.....:-( Are you looking for 2 bodies?</p>

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<p>I used a D700 for some years and now I have a D600.<br>

As Mike said before, the high dynamic range of the D600 is much better (I find it incredible), than the D700. I like the presets U1 and U2, the better lifeview and so many more small improvements. If you want high speed (7-8fps), 51 focus points, go for the D700, if not, take the D600. By the way, I find the D600 rather small, when I can buy it here in Indonesia I like to add a vertical grip.<br>

Jan</p>

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<p>I use to shoot with a D700 for a bit more than four years and I loved it. Then I went for D800 and I thought that I could not be happier. Wait... recently I added to my kit a D600 and now this is my daily workhorse. The files of D600 are incredible and much easier to PP on my PC. I still love my D800 but I use it only for very serious work & landscape... everything else is done with D600. Honestly I consider that Nikon by mistake is selling this camera for a so low cost :)</p>
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<blockquote>

<p>Mostly shoot landscapes, studio fashion/glamour.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It sounds like you don't really need Nikon's best AF module or 8 frames/sec. OTOH, for landscape photography, you are better off having 24MP instead of 12. Same for fashion.</p>

<p>IMO 12MP is more than sufficient for most applications, but we are now in 2012 and 12MP is kind of low in the current norm, and the D600's AF is also very good, although I prefer Multi-CAM 3500's 51-point coverage over the FX frame.</p>

<p>It sounds like the OP can afford the $2100 D600. I would go for that, and having a 100% viewfinder, dual memory cards, improved dynamic range, HD video capability ... are all pluses. I do prefer the D700's controls and the 10-pin connection.</p>

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<blockquote>

<p>I have been looking at 2 D700's w/~20, 000 shutter clicks.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It sounds like you are looking to buy two cameras. If that's the case, and if having two different bodies doesn't bother you, how about one of each? I bought a D800 in August and moved my D300s to backup duty. Once I got used to the high ISO performance of the D800, and couldn't even take a photo with the D300s with a good conscience, I started looking for an FX backup. Since I was used to the wide focus-point spread, the mechanical body frame, and the high fps, I decided to go with a used D700. Whenever I shoot sports or concerts, I break out the D700 with the grip (which is permanently attached to my D700). In every other case I use the D800.</p>

<p>I share this experience because maybe you can go for a D600/D700 combo if your goal is to have two bodies. If you are buying just one body, I would go with the D600 based on technology alone given your current usage.</p>

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<p>D700 is still a great camera but I think the price is a little high and you should be able to get a little better deal. Look at the auction site for comparison. But the d600 is the newer technology and having warranties are nice. The d700 had wonderful high iso performance, but people are saying that the d600 is even better. In other words I would suggest that you need to balance your longer term needs against outlay of money. D700 has a very nice solid build and reminds very much of the D200 and D300 in feel, very solid. I don't know bout the D600.</p>
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