The introduction of Nikon's new D700 may have been one of the worst kept secrets in an manufacture with more leaks than the Titanic, but it was still something of a surprise coming and so hot on the heels of the D3 and D300. Essentially a D3 shrunk downwardly and squeezed into a trunk roughly the same size every bit a D300, the D700 is Nikon'south first 'meaty' professional SLR, and in its segment of the market place will compete with the recently appear Catechism EOS 5D Marker Ii and Sony DSLR-A900.

The imaging side of the D700 is pretty much the same as the D3; it shares the acclaimed 12.1MP total frame ('FX') sensor and has the aforementioned processing engine, and so we would presume output to exist almost identical. The main differences (aside from being considerably smaller) are physical; in that location'southward a different shutter (expert for 150,000 exposures rather than 300,000 on the D3), different viewfinder prism (with 95% coverage) and a slower burst rate. You lot also lose the rear LCD info panel (there's no room for it) and one of the D3'southward two CF card slots, but you lot do get a couple of actress features to soften the accident slightly; most notably a self-cleaning sensor and a congenital-in wink. We'll await a little more in-depth at the differences between the D3 and D700 in a moment.

The D700 joins the D3 equally a fully-fledged 'professional' model; it has the aforementioned tank-like build quality (though we're sure the pop-upwards flash will cause a few raised eyebrows), and gets you the full pro service from Nikon. And the pricing (around $2999) reflects this; anyone hoping for an 'affordable' semi-pro full frame Nikon SLR will have to wait until the toll of producing such big sensors falls considerably.

Nikon D700 Key Features

  • 12.i megapixel total-frame sensor (8.45µm pixel pitch)
  • Image Sensor Cleaning (vibration) *
  • ISO 200 - 6400 (with boost upwardly to ISO 25600 and downwardly to ISO 100)
  • Likewise supports DX lenses, viewfinder automatically masks (5.one megapixels with DX lens)
  • 14-bit A/D conversion, 12 channel readout
  • Same ultra-fast startup and shutter lag equally D3
  • Nikon EXPEED epitome processor (Capture NX processing and NR algorithms, lower power)
  • New Kevlar / carbon fibre composite shutter with 150,000 exposure durability *
  • Multi-CAM3500FX Auto Focus sensor (51-point, fifteen cross-type, more vertical coverage)
  • Car-focus tracking by colour (using data from 1005-pixel AE sensor)
  • 95% coverage, 0.72x magnification viewfinder *
  • Auto-focus calibration (fine-tuning), fixed body or upward to 20 separate lens settings
  • Scene Recognition Arrangement (uses AE sensor, AF sensor)
  • Picture Control prototype parameter presets
  • 5 frames per 2d continuous with automobile-focus tracking*
  • Optional MB-D10 Battery Pack (same as D300), increases burst charge per unit to 8 fps *
  • UDMA compatible single CF card slot *
  • three.0" 922,000 pixel LCD monitor
  • Live View with either stage detect (mirror upwardly/downwards) or dissimilarity find Auto Focus
  • Virtual horizon indicates if camera is level (like an aircraft cockpit display)
  • HDMI HD video output
  • 'Active D-Lighting' (adjusts metering equally well as applying D-Lighting bend)
  • Detailed 'Control Panel' type display on LCD monitor, changes color in darkness
  • Magnesium alloy body with connections and buttons sealed confronting moisture
  • Improved Info display on main screen *

* Different to D3

Nikon D700 vs D3: Key Differences

Although the D3 and D700 are essentially the aforementioned camera in a different form gene (the D700 existence far closer to the D300 in design and command layout), there are a few important specification differences.

  • Smaller, lighter body *
  • Built-in iTTL flash (G.No 17 / ISO 200)
  • No rear information panel (new info brandish on main LCD)
  • D700 doesn't have the D3's 5:four aspect ratio pick
  • 95% coverage, 0.72x viewfinder (D3: 100% / 0.7x)
  • Focus screen DX mode now indicated with a rectangle rather than shaded expanse
  • Lower flare-up charge per unit (v.0 fps / 8.0 fps with optional MB-D10)
  • 100 frames maximum in continuous shooting mode
  • Smaller battery (EN-EL3e)
  • Optional battery grip (MB-D10, aforementioned equally D300)
  • Expanded Function push options (tin assign whatsoever camera menu item)
  • Alive View can be assigned to FUNC, AE-50 or Preview buttons (allowing LV + dissimilar bulldoze modes)
  • Virtual Horizon can exist overlaid on Live View preview image
  • Different shutter (150,000 cycle rating - aforementioned as D300)
  • Image Sensor cleaning ('sensor milk shake' dust reduction)
  • Single CF slot (D3 has two)
  • Pocket-size carte du jour and control differences (control layout is most identical to D300)

* D700 is approx 34mm (1.iii in) shorter, 13mm (0.v in) narrower and 10mm (0.4 in) shallower.
Weight (no bombardment) : D3 - 1240g, D700 - 995g

The D700 in the Nikon line-up

The table below shows how the D700 squeezes into the Nikon DSLR line-up, between the APS-C D300 and the full-frame D3.

Nikon D300

Nikon D700

Nikon D3
Price (body only) $1800 [check] $2999[cheque] $5000 [check]
Dust removal • Self-cleaning filter
• Dust-off image		 • Self-cleaning filter
• Dust-off image		 • Dust-off image
Sensor size 23.half dozen x fifteen.8 mm 36 10 23.nine mm 36 ten 23.9 mm
Effective pixels 12.3 one thousand thousand 12.1 million 12.1 1000000
FOV crop ane.5x 1x 1x
Sensitivity range (boost setting) (100), 200 - 3200, (6400) (100), 200 - 6400, (25,600) (100), 200 - 6400, (25,600)
Shutter life 150,000 exposures 150,000 exposures 300,000 exposures
Continuous charge per unit (loftier) 6.0 fps (8.0 fps with battery grip) v.0 fps (8.0 fps with battery grip) nine.0 fps (eleven fps in DX crop manner)
Continuous buffer • 100 JPEG Norm
• 17 RAW		 • 100 JPEG Norm
• 17 RAW		 • 130 JPEG Norm
• 17 RAW
Congenital-in flash • Transmission pop-up
• Guide no. 12 (ISO 100)		 • Transmission pop-upwards
• Guide no. 12 (ISO 100)		 None
Storage CF (inc. UDMA) CF (inc. UDMA) CF (inc. UDMA) x2 slots
Viewfinder • 100% coverage
• 0.94x magnification		 • 95% coverage
• 0.72x magnification		 • 100% coverage
• 0.7x magnification
Superlative panel LCD Aye Yes Yeah (plus rear info panel below screen)
Battery 11.1 Wh eleven.1 Wh 27.75 Wh
Vertical grip Aye, MB-D10 Yes, MB-D10 Built in
Dimensions 147 x 114 x 74 mm
(five.8 x 4.five x 2.9 in)		 147 x 123 x 77 mm
(5.8 10 four.8 10 3.0 in)		 160 x 157 10 88 mm
(half-dozen.three x 6.2 x iii.4 in)
Weight (no batt) 825 g 995 m 1240 g
Weight (inc batt) 903 g 1075 thousand 1420 g

Applied science under the skin

FX format sensor (Nikon design) Sensor and sensor cleaning module
RGB 1005 segment metering sensor EXPEED processor
Atmospheric condition sealing on the D700 body