D700 or D800

[evejam]

Hi Folks

Possibly impossible to decide but would be grateful for your thoughts.

I am looking to upgrade my camera in the next year year or so, I am in no rush however I do like the look of the D700 as it has an excellent reputation. At the same time the rumour mill seems to be working overtime on the replacement expected to be called the D800.

Thought I would create the pros and cons

1. I know what the D700 is, at the moment there is nothing definite about the D800
2. D700 has a good reputation and know the price. The D800 could be a disaster! who knows
3. D700 is likely to be cheaper than the D800 by a few hundred pounds
4. D700 has 12 mega pixels the D800 is rumoured to have at least 20 mega pixels
5. D700 is just a camera the D800 is rumoured to have HD video (Not sure if it a good thing to have video)
6. D800 uses newer sensors and therefore potentially better than the D700 sensors

The dilemma for me is I am in no rush to buy a new Camera however if the rumour mill is to be believed the D700 is running out of stock allegedly in Canada and Australia you can no longer buy the D700.

My preferred option is to wait until the D700 replacement is launched then decide however if the D700 stocks are fast running out I will be left with no choice but to be the replacement model which may be the D800.

My worry is the D800 may be a forward step on the sensor technological side etc but a hugh backward step in everything else which means the D700 with its established reputation would be a better buy!

So I could buy the D700 now, but what if the D800 is a better camera at a better price?

What are your thoughts? Anybody else having the same dilemmas?

[OsmosisStudios]

The "D800" rumors have been around for a year now, and they've changed countless times since then. THe general consensus is that it'll be higher resolution and have video. If those are important to you (namely the higher res), then you may be better off waiting. If you need better low-light performance then you may be better off buying now.

Keep in mind that in both cases the body is/will be full frame, which means you're going to need the appropriate lenses, and this'll be especially so if the D800 is higher resolution.

[evejam]

Thank you for your reply.

Why would the D700 work better in lowlight than the D800?

Mega pixels are not a huge issue but I do have some DX lenses.
- So for the D700 camera it would get 6mega pixel pictures
- for the D800 camera I would get approx. 10 mega pixels (at a guess)

I will be upgrading all my lenses to FX but that will take time. So the number of mega pixels are important in this respect!

Many thanks for you comments though.

[OsmosisStudios]

Lower resolution usually means better low-light capabilities because each pixel is larger. So the D700 (which is based on the D3 sensor) is very good at higher-iso situations.

If you have DX lenses, youd honestly be better off selling them to fund a FX lens collection. There's no sense in using DX lenses on a FX camera body. There are certain lenses that will cover the FX sensor, but only at certain focal lengths and they're few and far between.

Frankly, at this point, I cant really comment on the whole D700/D800 thing because the D800 doesnt exist. Until it does, there's no way for people to recommend one over the other.

For instance: if one is to believe this rumor, the D800 will have interchangeable SENSORS, one of which will be a 20MP black-and-white sensor. The camera will also allow for 1/16000th of a second shutter speed, 120fps video in 1080p and so on. Those are simply absurd.

The general consensus is that the D800 will have a higher resolution, video capable sensor in the same or a very very similar body to what it is now. Until we get an announcement (and reviews), you're better off waiting. If the D800 doesnt prove to be what you need, there will surely be many many many low-mileage D700s on the used market and likely a few new ones lying around.

[evejam]

Brilliant comment everything you say makes perfect sense

The DX Lenses I will be keeping for my Nikon D40 which I will continue to use for happy snappy shots when I go on day trips etc so I don't mind if it gets banged around.

The D800/D700 I will keep for serious stuff

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Lower resolution usually means better low-light capabilities because each pixel is larger. So the D700 (which is based on the D3 sensor) is very good at higher-iso situations.

If you have DX lenses, youd honestly be better off selling them to fund a FX lens collection. There's no sense in using DX lenses on a FX camera body. There are certain lenses that will cover the FX sensor, but only at certain focal lengths and they're few and far between.

Frankly, at this point, I cant really comment on the whole D700/D800 thing because the D800 doesnt exist. Until it does, there's no way for people to recommend one over the other.

For instance: if one is to believe this rumor, the D800 will have interchangeable SENSORS, one of which will be a 20MP black-and-white sensor. The camera will also allow for 1/16000th of a second shutter speed, 120fps video in 1080p and so on. Those are simply absurd.

The general consensus is that the D800 will have a higher resolution, video capable sensor in the same or a very very similar body to what it is now. Until we get an announcement (and reviews), you're better off waiting. If the D800 doesnt prove to be what you need, there will surely be many many many low-mileage D700s on the used market and likely a few new ones lying around.

[jdepould]

If the D800 has interchangeable sensors, I will eat my shoes. Also, I would be willing to eat my shoes for full-res 60p video ... and a grip with XLR inputs.

I can't live without my D700's ISO range. I'm one of those people desperately hoping for a D700-sized D3s.