Nikon D700 is more or less the same with D300?!!
For a person who cannot afford Nikon D3, the new Nikon D700 seems to be a piece of gospel because it is just like a D3 fitting into the body of D300, with a price slightly more affordable. It seems a very good deal, isn’t it?
Nikon’s D700’s package includes a Battery Pack, a Battery Charger, a Data Cable (USB), a Cable, a Strap, CD-ROM and an LCD Protect Cover.
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The design of the D700 is more or less the same with D300, but D700’s exterior cover, rear body and mirror box are built with magnesium alloy to reduce its weight and give it rugged durability. So although D700 is packed with the functions of D3, it is only a little heavier than D300. It is easy to hold, with a carefully made ergonomic grip.
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The turn dial is especially welcomed - simply press a button with your left thumb and scroll with your right to get the settings just right.
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The CMOS 12.1 mega-pixel FX-format and the sensor‘s sensing area is 36 x 23.9 mm with sensitivity from ISO 200 to ISO 6400. It can even be pushed to HI –2 (ISO 25,600) and its noise is just as much as that of ISO 6400. Remarkable!
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D700 supports only Type I CF, whereas D300 accepts both Type I and II, it is not really a huge setback though. Its battery lasts approximately 1000 shots which is pretty satisfying.
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D700 complies with HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) that allows you to connect to HD TV. You can also find the video output, USB plug-in and DC plug-in in this slot.
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The fact that it is made in Japan ensures the product is in high quality.
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The SB-900 flashgun’s Multi-step auto zoom covers wide 17-200mm zoom range. Together with the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens, it completes the performance of D700.
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The LCD monitor is the same as D3’s 3-in., approx. 920,000-dot (VGA), 170-degree wide-viewing-angle, 100% frame coverage, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment. It definitely allows a better composition of the picture than its D300 counterpart.
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Users have to make two shots to get the picture they want. The first shot is a test shot for focusing and the resulted picture is blurred. The second shot would be the focused one.
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D700’s O-ring sealing also renders a better protection against dust and moisture than the square piece of D300. The biggest and most endearing changes is that Electronic Virtual Horizon can now be shown on Live View display, users do not have to especially enter the menu to access it. It makes taking a leveled picture even more convenient D700 has inherited most of the superior performance of D3 except D700’s Viewfinder provides merely 95% of frame coverage instead of 100%, but it would not make a really big difference. The speed of continuous high-speed shooting for D700 is 5fps, if it is upgraded with a MB-D10 handle. The Scene Recognition System allows very accurate auto exposure, auto white balance and auto focus. The FX 51-point AF can detect subject with lens aperture as small as f/5.6. The 3-D tracking enables focus to swift seamlessly to track moving subject. Not only does the Picture Control System allow advanced shooters to adjust their own image parameters, but also provides novice with four customized settings (Standard, Vivid, Monochrome and Neutral) to let beginners pick up easily. Seeing the price of Nikon D700, we are still not sure if the age of cheapen full coverage DSLR camera has come yet, but if you cannot wait till the next generation of Canon EOS 5D to come, Nikon 700 can also be a choice.