d700 or Nikon 24-70/70-200

[khoifish714]

Hey guys, I currently have the d5000, and well I'm not really satisfied with it, It's REALLY small in my hands. With that being said, Should I sell my D5000 and invest in a D700/successor? or should I keep the D5000 and buy a 24-70 or 70-200.
If I were to buy the D700/successor, I would can use my dad's old af lense for awhile until I get a new lense. I CAN'T use the old AF lense on the D5000 because it won't focus.

Last but not least, which lense is better for general photography? the Nikon 24-70 or the Nikon 70-200 VR2. I have been hearing about the 70-200 and how it's godly, but on the other side I have been hearing about how awesome the 24-70 is also. It's so hard to choose, my friends have been telling me how I won't "really" be needing to use the 70-200. But I can beg to differ, So I'm not really sure which one too choose.

Thanks guys

[mcanseco]

Well If you kept the D5000 I'd think you could buy both of those lens and still have money left over for the price you would pay for the D700. I too am saving up for the D700 as I've been with this D80 for over 3 years now.
I have recently been tinkering with the idea of the D7000 as well. I'd be able to keep all my DX lens and be able to shoot some HD movies...decisions decisions...

As far as what lens is better for general photography...I have both those lens in the Sigma version both f2.8 and I use them both equally. I've gone on a few outings figuring I could do with bringing just the cam with one of those lens and always end up missing some good shots for not bringing the other lens.

[khoifish714]

The 24-70 is around 2k and the 70-200VR2 is like 2.4k.............. and the D700 is only like 2k........... I don't think I would have enough money for both lenses

[mcanseco]

Originally Posted by khoifish714

The 24-70 is around 2k and the 70-200VR2 is like 2.4k.............. and the D700 is only like 2k........... I don't think I would have enough money for both lenses

Yea....I wasn't thinking about the Nikkor prices when i posted that

[sk66]

IMO, unless you have a specific NEED that only FF will fix, it's not for the hobbyist.
The cost of FF is exponential. If you want it and can afford it, fine....But you can get 90+% of the shots for 50% of the money staying with DX.

[inkista]

If it's just the fit-in-your-hands/heft thing, have you considered a) adding a battery grip, or b) a D90, D7000, or D200/D300/D300s instead? The D90 and above bodies all have focus motors, not just the D700.

As sk66 mentions, going full-frame is more about needing the bigger sensor, than about the bigger grip.

Secondly, are you gripping the camera correctly? The majority of the weight from the body/lens combination should be resting on the palm of your left hand. You shouldn't need to be squeezing the life out of the grip if the majority of the weight isn't dangling from the fingers of your right hand.

As for 24-70 or 70-200, they're pretty different. Do you need/use a walkaround more? Or a telephoto? What are you shooting the most? With lenses, it's not so much about finding the best one, but finding the one that's the best fit for you and how and what you shoot.

[kirbinster]

I recently added a D700 to my gear, and deleted a D90. That said, I love the D700 - but most people will do just as well with a D90 or D300s or the new D7000. You need to keep in mind that once you go full frame not only do you need FX capable lenses, but the "behave" differently as you no longer have the 1.5 factor. On full frame the 70-200 becomes closer to a walk around lens and the 24-70 is a semi wide angle lens. I find that I use the 24-70 much more now than I used to on my DX bodies.

The FX body also lets you get much thinner depth of field and has less noise - but you pay a price for all of this and if money is a significant factor I would advice against full frame. IF you have a D5000 I have one also and love it) I would suggest that you pick up a used D90 and a grip to solve you size issue. Since the D7000 was announced the D90's have dropped in price quite a lot. I see lightly used ones going for $600 or less.