It's a veritable treasure chest for the advanced photographer, in addition to a high ISO champ. Read our comprehensive Nikon D700 review here, complete with several image samples.
Review summary of the Nikon D700:
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 Regarding still image quality alone, the Nikon D700 is a prodigious force within the full-frame professional DSLR market. Its stellar high ISO performance propelled the camera above many of its competitors, including the Canon Eos 5D Mark II, and its overall image quality was some of the best we’ve seen within this class. The Nikon D700 features an excellent interface that offers some sort of external control for nearly every primary image adjustment we could ask for in the field. The Nikon D700 has a highly intuitive menu system, three-inch LCD with Live View and rugged construction that survived a surreptitious precipitation ambush on the Brooklyn Bridge. On the downside, the Nikon D700 does not have a video mode, and that’s what makes the Canon Eos 5D Mark II so enticing. We’re pretty sure the next incarnation of the D700 will feature HD video recording, but we chose the D700 over the Eos 5D Mark II when it came down to still quality. The Nikon D700 is a manual machine with several features that cater to the advanced photographer, and its compatibility with FX lenses allow the shooter to combine exceptional optics with an awesome camera body. We really didn’t have any major complaints after our expedition with the Nikon D700, and we’re almost certain you’ll feel the same. Release: July 2008. Price: $3000.
Pros: Excellent high ISO performance. Extensive interface and features. Rugged, durable body. Compatible with many accessories and all FX and DX lenses.
Cons: DX lenses bring on the crop factor. Zooming in Playback gets pixilated. Viewfinder coverage is only 95%.
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Full Nikon D700 Review:
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Design – Excellent
The Nikon D700 is a novel example of how a professional DSLR body should be crafted, and we think its overall design has a few functional advantages over the contending Canon Eos 5D Mark II. First off, the Nikon D700 is a full-bore still imaging machine, whereas the Eos 5D Mark II is a versatile 1080p/21-megapixel hybrid giant. Since the D700's bread and butter is its exceptional still image capture, Nikon funneled more practical thought into its construction as an advanced snapper, smothering the camera's body with a Whitman's Sampler of buttons and controls. Much of the Nikon D700's treasures arise within its stellar interface, which is configured very similarly to the Nikon D300's. In the realm of handling, the Nikon D700 is more like a Mustang Convertible than a Cadillac—rather than offer a plush jaunt throughout the countryside, the Nikon D700 is ready to carve corners and accelerate at great speeds. The camera requires a strong arm and a lust for photographic adventure, for this is no compact shooter.
In that respect, we advise you to take heed regarding the Nikon D700's portability factor. This is not your typical medium-weight DSLR. We're dealing with a 35mm full-frame monster that weighed close to six pounds with the included AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G ED super wide-angle lens that Nikon shipped us. It may seem odd that we tested a $3,000 full-frame DSLR body with such a peculiar lens choice, but at times it's like attempting to reach the Wizard of Oz in order to get a proper lens and body setup from Nikon, and this was the only setup they had assembled. So, we said screw it and decided to test exclusively with the lens they sent us for the conservation of time. Needless to say, the lens allowed us to stretch ourselves like saltwater taffy within the realm of creativity, so we were glad to have the opportunity. Plus, the Auto Focus and super low aperture came in handy in numerous shooting environments.
As far as the build quality of the Nikon D700, you can't really get anymore rugged than a plus-size magnesium alloy chassis with a textured, rubberized grip engulfing a sizeable portion of the camera's real estate. The Nikon D700 weathered an unanticipated blast of formidable New York rain on the Brooklyn Bridge during our shoot, and the camera was still raring to go as the water beaded up and wicked off of its solid frame. We get a metal lens mount, sturdy popup flash and well-concealed ports and enclosures that house the HDMI, Video Out, USB and DC In terminals. Like most other models in this class, the Nikon D700 is compatible with a multi power battery pack, in this case, the Nikon MB-D10. In addition, the Nikon D700 is compatible with a slew of other accessories, including flashes, eyepieces, remote trigger releases and wireless transmitters for card reader-free image transfer. Our one gripe is the fact that the included neck strap resides on the thin side and lacks comfort, but the Nikon D700 is still one of the best builds on the market, and truly one of the superior options within the professional field.
Interface – Excellent
One of the Nikon D700's best attributes is the camera's exceedingly advanced and intuitive interface, which made shooting an absolute joy, especially compared to contending models like the Canon Eos 5D Mark II. It seemed as though there was a physical external shortcut for nearly everything while we shot, and once we maintained a steady grasp on the D700's navigational steering wheel, there was no looking back. Absent is the traditional round Mode dial, and in its place lies a triforce of quick function buttons and secondary shooting Mode dial that includes options like Single, Live View and Self Timer settings for on-the-fly functionality. When we wanted a quick ISO shift, all we had to do was press the ISO button and use the Main Command dial to select our sensitivity. The same applied to the White Balance button, and we could also set the Quality in a jiff as well.
In order to toggle between shooting modes such as Manual and Shutter Priority, we just had to press a designated Mode button and scroll with the Main Command dial until we had reached our destination. We could use the top-mounted LCD screen to view our Mode status, in addition to a wealth of shooting information, such as the digital light meter, Shutter Speed, Aperture and battery life. The Exposure Compensation feature functioned the same way, via a single button press and Main Command dial combination. We grew so accustomed to shooting with the Main Command dial that by the end of our testing run we could frame and configure the settings for a shot in a matter of seconds. Furthermore, the Nikon D700's Custom modes allowed us to save our favorite setups and access them instantly.
The Nikon D700 has a 920,000-pixel 3-inch LCD that produced an excellent Live View display, and we were fans of Live View's circular Virtual Horizon meter that enabled us to level the camera with ease. However, we didn't have the same luck in Playback mode. It's not that the screen's picture quality traveled south, but after a certain magnification, images in Playback were quite pixilated. So, we were never able to attain a true reading on focus at full resolution, though the LCD should not be the sole basis for image assessment when compared to a calibrated monitor. The Canon Eos 5D Mark II allowed us to zoom in all the way without the encumbrance of blocky, stepped edges, so we know Nikon could step it up in the firmware department. Aside from our minor hang-up in Playback land, the Nikon D700's menus were easy to navigate and well laid out. We did prefer the Canon Eos 5D Mark II's Function menu to the Nikon D700's because it offered more control, but since most of the D700's controls are external, we cut it some slack.
We like the Nikon D700's round optical viewfinder filter because it is threaded, allowing the camera to support extended eye pieces with more advanced rubberized eyecups. On the downside, the viewfinder offers a 95% field of view, which could not match the Canon Eos 5D Mark II's 98% coverage. Fortunately, the LCD has a 170-degree viewing angle, which made shooting in Live View more enticing. We simply took into account the minor crop factor and framed our subjects accordingly. In front, the Nikon D700 has two buttons, one of which can be assigned to various functions, as if the extensive interface did not have enough customizable handy controls. The other button triggers a Preview function that allowed us to view the effects of the aperture within the viewfinder. For menu navigation, the Nikon D700 has an eight-way directional pad that enabled us to scroll diagonally in Playback mode, which was a great thing. Not many DSLR bodies in this price range can touch the Nikon D700 as far as interface is concerned.
Features – Very Good
The Nikon D700 certainly does not skim the surface here, but rather tunnels a hole to the core of advanced functionality and control, for the camera is armed with a professional tool belt that allowed us to capture images many other models couldn't. The spectacular ISO performance was perhaps the highlight of our testing, and the Nikon D700 proved itself worthy in every shooting environment we threw the beast into. Even the Canon Eos 5D Mark II could not match the stellar high ISO performance churned by the D700, and we'll have more on this in a bit. The Nikon D700 has several ISO settings that range from Lo 0.3 (ISO 100) and Hi 2 (25,600), but the standards are 200 – 6400. We never felt the need to shoot below ISO 200 or above ISO 6400 for our tests, thanks to the camera's exceptional noise management, which enabled us to devote more of our attention to other aspects of shooting, like exposure and White Balance. Plus, since the Nikon D700 is devoid of a video recording mode, we were able to dedicate 100% of our attention to the camera's still image capture capabilities.
From an Auto perspective, the Nikon D700's choices were usually spot on, unless our metering or focus modes were not suited for the subject matter. For instance, the D700 has three Auto Focus settings that consist of a fully selectable 51-point grid with wraparound capability, a spot focus and a multi-point auto focus. Most of the time, the camera was dead on with its focal distances, but we did get some mileage out of the Spot and Manual Focus Point modes for close-ups. We could also lock in the Focus by flipping a switch that encompasses the eight-way directional pad and the D700's AF-assist illuminator light was one of the brightest and most effective lamps we've seen on a camera. In terms of White Balance, we rarely had to fiddle with the camera's presets or Manual Kelvin adjuster since the Auto performance was dead on in nearly every shooting environment. Even in low light, adjusting the White Balance was a rarity, and we still could not believe the camera's ability in the realm of Auto control.
For exposure, the Nikon D700 has a shutter speed that ranges from 30-seconds to 1/8000-seconds and a metering mode with 3D Color Matrix II evaluative, center-weighted and spot options. There is also a Bulb mode and specialized x 250 mode that allows the camera to quickly shift to a higher shutter speed while down in the depths of the lower speeds. The Nikon D700's aperture ranges from f/2.8 – f/22, and that's courtesy of the Nikkor 14-24mm super wide-angle lens we used. We shot in Program AE mode half of the time, but the Nikon D700 offered too much high-powered functionality for us not to take advantage of the camera's extensive manual suite. Consumer-oriented features were nonexistent, and the D700's Picture Control was the closest we could get to any sort of scene-adjusting preset, though Picture Control offers an extensive grouping of slider bars that allowed us to control the Sharpening, Contrast, Saturation, Hue and Brightness. However, we didn't even bother with these modes because the D700's image performance was excellent on its own.
Hardware – Very Good
Unless you're shooting with a medium-format Hasselblad, the Nikon D700's full-frame sensor is probably the best option in its class before the step up to the Nikon D3X or Canon Eos 1Ds Mark III. The Nikon D700 has a 12-megapixel 23.9 x 36.0mm (35mm) FX format CMOS sensor, which means the camera is compatible with FX lenses. DX lenses can also be used on the Nikon D700, but you'll have to deal with the 1.5x crop factor. We recommend going with high-class glass—if you're going to drop three grand on a camera body, a professional quality lens should accompany it. Otherwise, it's like throwing a set of plastic rims on a pimped out Cadillac. The Nikon D700 does accommodate the crop factor by offering a DX Crop mode and Vignette control, just in case you happen to have a few DX lenses lying around.
The Nikon D700 does not have Image Stabilization, but it has a Mirror Up mode, which raises the mirror to reduce blur while the camera is mounted to a tripod. A camera this solid doesn't really need the aid of an Image Stabilization system, and we feel that the D700's weight alone was more effective than most systems out there. The Nikon D700 captures images in RAW and JPEG format and we could set the JPEG size and quality, which consisted of 12.1-megapixels, 6.7-megapixels and 3.0-megapixels. Images are captured to CF cards, like most higher-end models in this class, and the Nikon D700 is juiced by a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. The D700 has an HDMI output for viewing images on an HDTV, in addition to a Flash Sync terminal and Remote terminal. The camera also offers a designated DC input for stationary shoots, USB, and AV out jacks. The Nikon D700 ships with the typical NX Software Suite, but also includes a trial version of Capture NX2, Nikon's version of a scaled-down PhotoShop. We really liked the software, but in this field, PhotoShop is the standard.
Image Quality – Very Good
It was no surprise that the Nikon D700 produced exceptional images throughout our photographic jaunt, but the real kicker was the camera's excellent high ISO performance. Noise levels were very low at even ISO 6400, and the Nikon D700 exhibited a performance that was superior to the Canon Eos 5D Mark II because of its great sensitivity coupled with minimal grain. Furthermore, the Nikon D700's JPEG performance was fairly impressive, in addition to its awesome overall RAW presentation. Tonality and dynamic range were top notch with the Nikon D700, and colors were rife with natural hues. There really wasn't much to complain about, and no other full-frame DSLR can really contend with the D700 in this price range. In terms of still image quality alone, the Nikon D700 wins over the Canon Eos 5D Mark II, thanks to the superb ISO performance. For the ultimate in versatility, the Canon Eos 5D Mark II was our choice, thanks to its highly impressive HD video quality and great all around still image performance. All Nikon D700 images were captured in RAW and converted to the highest quality JPEGs using the included ViewNX software.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Japanese Maple Magic
Busy, Busy, Busy
King of the Forest
Golden Applause
House of Bonzai
Prickly Twist
Stone Jackal
Our trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden really enabled us to take advantage of the 14-24mm wide-angle lens, particularly the cavalcade of bees that required us to position the lens approximately two to three inches away from their lair in order to attain a properly focused, close-range perspective. Needless to say, this was a significantly precarious endeavor, though one that was truly rewarding when we reviewed our images and found several that were worthy of publishing. We settled on this particular image of the bees because it represents the camera's ability to capture quick action at low ISO and wide aperture. Detail is great, and that natural color tone is just what we were looking for. We would have liked to have shot with a tripod, higher ISO and faster shutter speed, but we felt the sudden urge to flee the premises in order to evade imminent attack.
That's when we sauntered over to the Japanese Maple Garden and captured the first image, which is a prime example of the Nikon D700's fantastic color representation. Highly impressive dynamic range is exhibited in this image as well, as the camera was able to balance the intensity of the fiery hues with the shadowy beams of the thatched canopy. While on our tree kick, we visited a central pillar in the park, as pictured in our third image. The variations on the green palette of the tree's leaves are rich and beautiful, and the brown and grey fusion of the trunk is rendered with near life-like accuracy. We get another taste of top-notch D700 color in the fourth image of the Black Eyed Susans, and more rich greens and stellar detail in the Bonzai image. The image of the cacti is a study in sharpness, and we did nothing to the sharpness levels to achieve such definition. The stone Jackal represents the camera's ability to capture great close-ups, and we dig the subdued bokeh effect in the background.
New York, New York
Go Forth
Lafayette
On Deck
Back in the city, we wanted to get a sense of the Nikon D700's landscape capabilities, and the results were especially intriguing with the wide-angle lens. We were able to achieve angles and perspectives that a typical 18-55mm could not produce, and this first image is an example of two excellent forces colliding to create an image that strays from the typical "I'm standing on the corner so let's take a picture of it" theme. A great camera body and a great lens, and we strongly suggest keeping a super wide-angle lens in the camera bag because of its awesome versatility in the creative realm. The sky looks beautiful in the first image, and if we look very closely, we can see someone in a very unfortunate position in the bottom right of the frame.
We went with a slower shutter speed for the motion blur on the second image, and actually shot in Continuous mode in order to select the winner. The Nikon D700 can capture up to 5 frames per second, so fast action was not an issue. We struggled with dynamic range on the third image, as the contrast was too intense for many cameras to tackle, but the Nikon D700 did an admirable job of balancing the exposure, despite the blown-out sky.
Big Green
Trash
Brooklyn Bridge Brooding
Vinnie's Attempt at Gang Symbols
Avivit and the Rex
Perspective was the key in the top image here, and Big Green looks more like a cruiser with its extended fork trail, due to the extremely close nature of our lens. In fact, we were approximately two feet away from the bike when we shot this, and it's one of our favorite images, not because it documents the greatest motorcycle ever produced (in our eyes), but because of the way the D700 handled color tones delivered exceptional detail. We get more detail in the second image of the Trash storefront, and aside from some minor blowing out within the clear trash bag, the image is yet another example of the what the Nikon D700 is capable of producing in just two takes.
We had a hell of a time on the Brooklyn Bridge, as the unpredictably tempestuous weather decided to rain lynxes and pitbulls. We're looking at color gradation here, and the Nikon D700 succeeds in exhibiting an excellent spectrum from the dark, smoky greys to the light, hazy cream puff engulfing the hopeful city skyline. Lines and edges are untouchable, and aside from the four rogue raindrops, this was one of our favorite showings from the D700. We took a couple of portrait shots, the first was Vinnie's attempt at trying to be gangster. We love the fact that his expression is caught so…in the moment, and the image looks like it belongs in a Time article on thug pizza men. Avivit is also rendered very well in regards to skin tone and definition, although she's competing with an intense background. This is when a fill flash would come in handy, but we rarely had to bust out the artificial light throughout our shoot.
Nightfall
Do Not Enter
11PM Fountain
Remnants of Oscillation
Dueling Bridges
Dueling Bridges – 3200 ISO
Dueling Bridges – 6400 ISO
We had a lot of luck at night, but by Two AM, we realized that we were not shooting with luck at all. It was the Nikon D700's exceptional ISO performance that enabled us to capture higher shutter speeds without the sacrifice of increased noise. We shot the first image at a low ISO, and noise is almost nonexistent. The color performance and exposure are great, though we lost a lot of depth with the shallow aperture. We attained an even better color performance and depth of field in the second image, which was captured at—get ready for it—3200 ISO. We'd be lucky to achieve a performance this impressive out of the Pentax K-7 at a low ISO or Canon Eos 5D MARK II at a mid-level ISO level, and this image floored us when we viewed it in RAW form. We shot the third image at ISO 3200 and stopped up to an f/22 aperture, and the noise performance was impressive as well.
The cherry at the end of the sundae was the Nikon D700's final images in this lot. We started at ISO 400 and traveled upwards, hitting ISO 3200 and then ISO 6400. Although we prefer the low noise levels of the ISO 400 image, we love the frozen action of the ISO 6400 image, thanks to the quicker shutter speed. Noise levels begin to rear their ugly little pixilated heads by this point, but this is merely a drop in the bucket compared to most other DSLRs in this class. The Nikon D700 is our mid-level professional low light champ.
Price and availability
The Nikon D700 body only is available now for $3,000.
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