Nikon Showcase Nikon D700 Image Appreciation Thread

[phigmov]

Almost 12 years old but still a fantastic full-frame camera. Post your D700 images, old & new, here.

Taken this morning, 15min after waking up & opening the door for the cat, I looked up, saw the corona around the moon and started hunting for a camera to take the pic. Settled on the D700, found my Leica mini tripod, slapped on an 18mm f3.5 Nikkor and then fumbled around in the dark for a remote shutter release and then after failing at that, I pecked through the self-timer menu which didn't do what I wanted it to do so I just set the camera & tripod on the deck and took a couple of quick shots hoping to get something that wasn't too noisey... I think I got pretty lucky (thanks in no small part to the D700 sensor) and quite like the result...

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_0007579 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

 

[phigmov]

 

[M. Valdemar]

I still have my D700. I considered it to be the first fully mature full frame DSLR.

Fantastic images, excellent high ISO performance, classic Nikon feel.

 

[rayvonn]

The rendering of the camera is well known and looks fantastic, but when do you decide to use it over your other cameras? I only ask as, reading the specs, I found out it's heavier than my D800E! Now if I'm going to use that, there has to be a reason (and if I'm leaving the house, preferably a car. All worth it though mind you).

 

[M. Valdemar]

That's an interesting question. I also have a D800e as well as the D700.

When leaving the house (or when I USED to leave the house), I now mostly use my Panasonic Micro 4/3 camera or my Leica M9.

But once in a while I want to use my Nikkor lenses, and then I alternate between the D700 or DF800e. I enjoy using both. But now that I'm 66, my ability to lug around all that weight is considerably diminished.

 

[rayvonn]

But now that I'm 66, my ability to lug around all that weight is considerably diminished.

Haha, listen to you. Let me tell you, it's most certainly not an age thing. I did the challenge last month with the featherweight 50mm F1.8D and felt alright in mind, but towards the end of the month after having the camera in the backpack every single day, my left shoulder was telling me otherwise.

 

[Bart J D]

D700 was my first full frame dSLR.
It served me very well and I kept it after I got a new Df for a bargain price.
D700 is supposed to have a better AF than the Df but when I use AF on the Df, it has never failed me.
So, the D700 isn't used anymore but I suppose the resell value is really low by now.

 

[phigmov]

but when do you decide to use it over your other cameras?

Mainly to use my Nikon lenses. M43 was a gateway-drug for adapted glass but pretty soon you want to try them the way the manufacturer intended. So, you start dabbling with film-nikons and then digital - I think the D700 may be the cheapest entry into full-frame available for most people. Looking back through my exif, the D700 is mostly used for macro & around the garden - as others have said already it is a bit of a beast to carry for prolonged periods of time. I am keeping an eye out for a D6x0 - people seem to be offloading them as they upgrade or move to mirror-less systems (ditto D800's - pro shooters seem to be life-cycling them altho' they seem to be stubbornly holding their value in NZ).

 

[Jonathan F/2]

I actually prefer my D750 when it comes to image quality. The raws can take a real pounding with less tweaking. The D700 takes more finesse, but I picked up a used D700 body mainly as a cheap 8fps camera when paired to my 300mm f/4 PF VR. For mainly daytime shooting, it works great!

 

[davidzvi]

Once I had my own they became my primary body. Great DOF control:

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[rayvonn]

My first FF, I had a pair of them. But rented one first for a wedding in October 2008. The wedding was at King's Chapel in Boston, no flash was allowed and by 5:30 it was pretty dark already.

View attachment 224662

Once I had my own they became my primary body. Great DOF control:

View attachment 224663

And usable images at ISOs I never would have used before.

View attachment 224664

That 180mm F2.8 is a huge heavy brick and I couldn’t own it. But it does render some truly sublime images as you’ve evidenced.

 

[MoonMind]

That 180mm F2.8 is a huge heavy brick and I couldn’t own it. But it does render some truly sublime images as you’ve evidenced.

Tony, it's actually smaller and lighter than the already surprisingly compact 70-200mm f/4G - that lens is better in most ways, though. But the rendering of the 180mm f/2.8D is really very pleasing, as you state.

M.

 

[M. Valdemar]

OK, I hauled out the D700 with my 17mm f2.8 Belomo Peleng lens. Here are a couple of shots:

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[davidzvi]

That 180mm F2.8 is a huge heavy brick and I couldn’t own it. But it does render some truly sublime images as you’ve evidenced.

Tony, it's actually smaller and lighter than the already surprisingly compact 70-200mm f/4G - that lens is better in most ways, though. But the rendering of the 180mm f/2.8D is really very pleasing, as you state.

M.

@MoonMind is correct. The 180mm is actually pretty small compared to other options. The only thing I've used that's really comparable was when I was shooting DX and had the original Sigma 50-150. I've owned all these at least once, 3 at least twice (I might have owned the 80-200 3 times ).

• Sigma 50-150 - Size 3.0" x 5.3” - Weight 27.5 oz
• Nikon 180mm - Size 3.1" x 5.7" - Weight 27 oz
• Nikon 80-200 - Size 7.4" x 3.4" - Weight 46 oz
• Nikon 70-200 vI - Size 3.4" x 8.5" - Weight 50 oz
• Nikon 70-200 vII - Size 3.4" x 8.2" - Weight 54.3 oz
• Nikon 70-200 f4 - Size 3.1" x 7.0" - Weight 30.0 oz

 

[phigmov]

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_0007587 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

 

[phigmov]

Majestic floof, flarey at the wind-end

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_0007590 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

 

[Harry Cutts]

Wet walk in the park by Harry Cutts, on Flickr

Clock tower by Harry Cutts, on Flickr

 

[phigmov]

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_0007602 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

 

[Harry Cutts]

D700, Tamron 28-75 f2.8

Feeding time by Harry Cutts, on Flickr

DSC_5181 by Harry Cutts, on Flickr

DSC_5174 by Harry Cutts, on Flickr

DSC_5169 by Harry Cutts, on Flickr

 

[phigmov]

Dusting off some of my DSLR's today -

Nikon D700 + 45mm AI - not a great lens but the sun-bursts are cool

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_0007610 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

Nikon D700 + 55mm f2.8 AF Micro-Nikkor (apparently not a very common lens)

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_0007628 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr