Nikon D700 Review

It's hard not to like the Nikon D700. It offers a full frame sensor, stunning photo quality, and blazing fast performance -- just like the much more expensive D3 -- all in a body not much larger than the D300. There's very little to complain about here -- the camera has a slight tendency to overexpose, it's not terribly easy to use, and the software bundle isn't the greatest. And that's about it. If you'll allow just this one baseball metaphor: Nikon has hit one out of the park with the D700.

The D700 is a midsize, heavy digital SLR that feels like it was cut from a solid block of metal. It's larger than the D300, but not nearly as bulky as the D3. The camera is exceedingly well built, with numerous weather and dust seals, though the one over the side I/O ports doesn't like to stay shut. The camera has a large, secure right hand grip. The D700 is a bit of a poster child for "button clutter" -- it's loaded with buttons, dials, and switches. In other words, it's not for the faint of heart. The camera features a full frame 12.1 Megapixel FX-format sensor, which offers superior photo quality and no focal length conversion ratio! Well, that last part isn't completely true: if you attach a DX-format lens, a 1.5X crop factor comes into play, and the resolution drops to just 5 Megapixel (though you can turn this off). The D700 features an ultrasonic dust reduction system, to minimize what can be a very annoying problem.

On the back of the camera you'll find a large 3-inch LCD with a stunning resolution of 920,000 pixels -- just like the D300 and D3. The LCD isn't just used for menus and reviewing photos, though. You can also compose your photos on it, with your choice of two focus modes. While the handheld mode focuses quickly, the tripod mode (which uses contrast detect AF) does not. Other handy tools in live view include a composition grid, virtual horizon (for keeping shots level), and the ability to zoom in and verify proper focus. One thing missing here is a live histogram. Most people will probably be using the optical viewfinder instead of the LCD for shooting, and the one on the D700 is pretty nice. It's a large viewfinder, with a magnification of 0.72X, though its 95% frame coverage is the lowest in the trio of midrange, full frame cameras that I've been mentioning throughout this review. The D700 is expandable with a capital "E": there are three ways to use an external flash (hot shoe, flash sync port, or wireless), it supports numerous remote shutter releases, and GPS connectivity is just an expensive accessory away.

Jeff Keller

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