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| Category: | Digital SLRs |
| Product: | Nikon D700 |
| Price: | £1,625.00 |
| Rating: |   
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Nikon D700 long term test - The D700 has been around for nearly two years so in DSLR terms it is due for its pension. Two ePHOTOzine experts take a long, lingering look at it and wonder if now is the time to snap up a bargain
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Jargon Buster: OffGary Wolstenholme on the Nikon D700
Our original Nikon D700 review
The Nikon D700 was announced back in the summer of 2008. Two years on, with digital cameras having a rapid churn rate, you could be forgiven for thinking that it is coming to the end of its useful shelf life and will be superseded shortly. This is pure speculation on our part but it could explain why Nikon UK recently announced that if you buy a D700 before the end of the June you get a free MB-D10 grip worth £260. Moreover, this September is Photokina, a massive bi-annual show in Germany where the manufacturers launch their latest product ranges.
 An image made up of of nine 30sec exposures using the camera's multiexposure feature to merge them all. |
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| The cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral captured with a Nikon 14-24mm lens. | Seals at Donna Nook. The D700 got covered in sand and ice on this shoot. |
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| Would you shake Darth Vader's hand? Wide contrast range is well handled by the D700. | Cardiff at twilight. The D700 has exceptional noise performance throughout its ISO range. |
Exposures-wise, my default setting is -0.7EV which I find gives me images I like. I am not one who shoots with histograms to the right – and noisy shadows are not an issue on the D700. I usually know when the Matrix meter will falter – very dark, very light-toned subjects and scenes where backlighting is extreme and I usually take remedial action before I even raise the camera to my eye. Most of my pictures are shot in aperture-priority AE and Matrix light measuring mode.
Summary
My D700 is like a family member and I must admit I do feel lost if I leave the house without it. In its time ith me, it has proved reliable and I do not recall cussing it at all. It is lovely to use and simply delivers great, high resolution images that print up to A2-size with no problem at all. It has been through thick and thin with me and while I will look at the D700's successor, whenever it turns up, I would happily consider buying another D700. Coincidentally, given the D700's age and how much my camera has been used, I was thinking of investing in another body even before Nikon's MB-D10 offer came up. The offer just makes the notion even more appealling.
 Shortly after taking this shot, the guy in the Speedos landed on my head, and my camera in the mud. |
I purchased my Nikon D700 about 18 months ago to replace a very well used Nikon D200, which I had owned for about three years. The D200 had served me well, but was starting to show its age, in terms of the quality of output and in terms of wear and tear. During those three years, it had done roughly 400,000 shots before the shutter finally expired.
 Difficult lighting and fast action were no problem for the D700's AF system on this occasion. |
 David Coverdale at the Download Festival. Despite the high contrast, enough detail has been retained in the highlights. |
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 For this shot, one SB-800 was placed behind the stage to light up the background. |
 Being able to set the meter up how I want allows me to cope with harsh back lighting. |
 Taken with a Nikon 85mm F/1.8 at ISO5600, 1/60sec and f/1.8. |
Build quality and reliability-wise, the camera has stuck with me through thick and thin, coping admirably with the thunderstorms at Glastonbury and being knocked about somewhat during general use. At Les Eurockéenes festival in France, the camera was actually knocked from my hands when singer, Ami Shalev of Monotoix, crowd-surfed on top of me. I also sustained a minor concussion, but the camera was fine once I'd cleaned the mud from it. The camera handles well and poses no problems for me working a 16 hour day at a festival.
The output from the D700 is easily good enough for being printed up to full-page in magazines and newspapers plus the file sizes aren't so large that they'll slow the editing process down.
Time and time again this camera has exceeded my expectations, and proven to be a reliable workhorse. I'll keep my eyes peeled with great interest to see if this camera's successor offer's much more for me, but unless it is much better at the higher ISO settings, I can't see me needing any more than what I have. Maybe I'll be in the market for a second D700 body if the offer of a free grip is still available. For now, I'll have to wait and see.
The Nikon D700 costs £1784 body only and is available from Warehouse Express here:
Nikon D700 camera body
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Nikon D700 Digital Slr Camera Body Only | Amazon.com $ |
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Comments
Same here after almost 2 years my D700 continues to impress me, Just as it did when I first bought it.
No problems what so ever, No matter what the conditions, No matter what the light.......A truly amazing camera......
If there is a replacement due anytime soon, It has gotta be something very special, In all probability we will have to wait for the replacement of the replacement, Before anything as good as the D700 in real world terms is available......!!!
I think I'll start saving for the D900.....Now.....
Thanks for the update article. I have had a D200 for the past 3 years and have to agree with Gary’s comments
“The D200 had served me well, but was starting to show its age, in terms of the quality of output” I would add, against in peer group.
I have been mulling over a D700 or its successor for a couple of months and still undecided, the D700 looks great at this price especially with the free grip, but feel certain there is a new model just around the corner, as I’ve waited this long I think I’ll wait and see what happens over the next couple months.... 
My D700 has been an excellent camera, the only problem I ever had was something falling out of the flash card socket, when I changed cards, a year after purchase. I had a two year warranty but Nikon Uk would not have it and charged me £105 to fix it. they also did not upgrade the firmware either while it was there. I think Nikon Uk stink.
But the camera is brilliant, marvellous images!
Had mine since 2009 and it still impresses. I took my first no flash gig shots with it a couple of weeks back. The lighting was awful, so quite a few of my handheld shots were taken at ISO6400. They were amazing, although I did add a selective noise reduction to them. My only problem is the amount of dust on the sensor which is due to me changing lenses quite often. It's got to the stage now where it's too much bother using the healing brush/clone in Photoshop.
Quote: Thanks for the update article. I have had a D200 for the past 3 years and have to agree with Gary’s comments
“The D200 had served me well, but was starting to show its age, in terms of the quality of output” I would add, against in peer group.
I have been mulling over a D700 or its successor for a couple of months and still undecided, the D700 looks great at this price especially with the free grip, but feel certain there is a new model just around the corner, as I’ve waited this long I think I’ll wait and see what happens over the next couple months....
I am in the exact same position, I am umming and arring if I should buy the D700 with the great offer or should I wait.
My impatient ardour wants me to dive in now, but my common sense tells me that maybe just maybe Nikon will upgrade the D700 to include a version of the D3x chip. Omg that would be orgasmic...lol
C'mon Nikon take us out of our misery,,,,pleeease and tell us about the new D700x/800 or whatever you may wish to call it
The Nikon D700 is some sort of hybridization of the D300 and D3. The body chassis is that of the D300, the viewfinder that of the D3. Indeed, the D700 shares the MB-D10 vertical grip with the D300, which means that the camera base is essentially the same.
I bought a D700 6 months ago and I was soooo impressed with it. My first FX camera after using the D300s for over a year.
The build of the D700 is a marvel. A total tank. And with the MD-B10 (did I get that the right way round?) added on it gives you a full days shooting without any thought of battery worries.
I bought all the 'recommended' FX lenses. The Holy Trinity was the biggest layout. But then, the D4 was announced. I succumbed to it's charm, and only this last week added it's little sister, the D800.
So what happened to the D700? This marvellous camera is now winging it's way to Oz (Australia to any Troglodytes that don't know that) - with the MD-B10 battery add-on, a Nikkor 85mm F1.8G AF-S lens, extra battery, all the kit and kaboodle that came with the box, including the box. And a 32GB Panasonic SDHC card.
A new, young fashion photographer - daughter of a mate who has shown me her work and all she needs is a 'step up' - is going to get all this 'gratis' as I am a great believer in helping the 'new blood' as much as possible.
She is over the moon about it. Her mum, my old dancing mate from a company with both danced for, is a happy bunny too.
So, I could not give higher praise to a camera than to encourage someone NEW with what I believe is one of the best FX DSLR's Nikon have ever made.
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