[tungch8899]

I am thinking to upgrade from D300 to full frame. D700 price seems dropping. New model D700X is coming but don't know how much better the functions are. If not a big difference but more expensive, I would rather buy the D700 today. Also, D3 is substantially more expensive than D700. Is it much better than D700? That is, is the price difference justified?

[pierokwong]

I dont' know where is the news about D700x coming from. Nikon didn't announce anything about this, right? There are prove on the web saying D700x is just some "thought" or "expectation", but not a real announcement from Nikon as of today.

By comparing D3/D3s/D3x to D700.
I am using both D3s & D700, so let me share some of my feeling here.
I think you really have to consider what you are using the camera for. If you are just taking photo for hobby, D700 is an extremely good camera and will take great photos. D700 will be capable to do at least 60 to 70% of what D3 can do.

If photography is your job and you earn your living from that, D3 series will definitely be your choice. Like D3s is soooooooooo much faster than D700. WB is more accurate, and giving a much crispier image. A much better dynamic range as well.

IF you are earning money from photos, SPEED is critical. While shooting, you want an immediate respond from the camera. I mean, when you want the camera to fire/shoot, it will respond immediately. During editing, you want absolute accuracy. Imaging you have 600 photos for an event, I mean every second count!! if it is a few minutes slow on each photos, that will be adding up to hours of difference.

So I guess D700 & D3 series are both excellent cameras but they are just serving different purposes.

D3 series can justify the price difference in every sense. It worth for what Nikon charging

Cheers,
Piero

[tungch8899]

Thanks a lot Pierokwong for your detailed and helpful explanation!

[cow_size]

D700X 只屬今日 Fans 期待, 但等得佢出...............

D3 已經無全新賣, 而二手價亦係 D700 全新之上

而有些小 function D700 有, 反之 D3 係無的

而 D700 加直倒, 重量及價錢亦跟二手 D3 唔差太遠

當兩部機加上外閃, 所拍既相分別不太大

而 ISO / Sharpness / Colour / 還原度, 心理上 D3 會好少少

餘下只係睇閣下心頭好了

[tungch8899]

Thanks cow-size!

[pierokwong]

tungch8899 Bro,

I heard about that link you've send me. That is one of a very good source on the web to confirm on the rumour

I agree with Cow_size bro as well.

I good point here about D700 as suggested by Cow-Size. For D700 to achieve a performance close to D3 series, you NEED to attached the vertical grip, and use that expensive D3 series battery. I need to emphasis again, you NEED the grip to achieve the faster shooting and focusing speed.

Considering after you buy and attached the grip and battery, the D700's size advantage (some people like small camera) and the price advantage is not that much when comparing to D3.

I think the only advantage on D700 is the internal flash. You are not using that as a main flash, but in the commander mode, you can use that to trigger remote flash.

But on the D3 series you need two flashes like SB600 or SB900 in order to do remote flash.

Trade off is a much better weather seal and solid body to a "build in remote flash trigger"

Cheers,
Piero

[wongp234]

I have D700 but I believe the picture quality for both camera is not much different. Since I use RAW to take picture, all the color and WB issue can be sloved afterward...I think if you are using the pro grade camera like D700 & D3, u may not expect the direct output Regarding the speed, even there is 5fps different, but for normal usage even wedding shooting, 5fps is more than enough because how many film per second shooting speed is the max speed, it deponds on the shutter speed. Even you have 100fps, if the shutter speed is low(say 1/30) because of the low light environment, it is useless...I believe if you take sports photo, u may need high fps. Also, there are non-Nikon vertical grip and EL4 battery in HK, you just need 1300 instead of 3500, then you can enjoy 8fps. The most important thing is you are really interested in photography or just the happy feeling which the pro body can give u! this link has much detail info for D700, D3 and D3s, and you can read the review as ref for you..http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonD700/ Enjoy the photography^^...my album...www.fotop.net/wongp234

[pierokwong]

Interesting discussion. Please keep it coming and keep it educational and constructive to others.

I partially agree with Wongp234 Bro.

I am using both D700 & D3s and as I mentioned in earlier post, these two camera are serving two different purpose. Both are GREAT camera indeed. I truely love both of them and I won't give up any one of these two cameras in any situation.

Reason being I said I only partially agree is about the speed.

When we mention speed, usually people immediately link it directly to the fps (frame per second). Speed is not that simple or just related to fps offered by the camera.

I was actually talk about the thinking and processing speed of the cameras.

Give you an example. I am shooting everyday outside, clock between 600 - 800 per each shooting sections. A very simple math question, say if it takes around 2 sec slower on D700 than D3s before it actually fire off after I press my shutter, that means I have to spend 20 to 26 mins more on the actually shooting sections. My client will not be happy about it as some of them pay by hours.

Also especially when I am shooting inside/outside of cars under sunlight, D700 is responding really quick, but still there is a "thinking speed" difference when comparing to D3s. Sometimes difference is above two second ...

After I finish all shooting with my average 700 photos each day. Image if I have to use lightening speed to correct all the WB on computer and it take around 15 sec per photo on D700, while D3s are maintaining at least 90%+ accuracy on all lighting condition ... that's another difference as well.

So here we come the speed issue. Those little "a few second" does adding up to hours of difference for professional shooter who earn their living on photography. More efficient means more shooting opportunities and more good photos and more earning power :)

Again, I am saying both D700 & D3s are GREAT and Excellent camera out in the market now. But they are just serving two different purpose and market or potential user group.

Back to the original poster question. Can D3 (D3 series) justify the price difference between D700?

Answer is a BIG YES. Only if you actually required the D3 series for working purpose. Otherwise D700 is having a MUCH BETTER money value. You are paying 1/2 the price of D3 (not sure how much HK price now), but are getting more than half of what D3 is capable can do. But at the same time, D3 series also offering something that D700 is missing.

Cheers,
Piero