Nikon D700: Camera Test

So what exactly is Nikon's new D700? A D300 on steroids? A D3 Lite?

The fact is, this new DSLR ($3,000, body only; $3,600 with 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF VR lens) is both.

After weeks of shooting in the field and the full battery of tests in the Pop Photo Lab, we see it as an amazing combination of the two cameras. And by combination, we don't mean compromise.

Simply put, from the D3 ($4,540, street, body only) the D700 inherits a 12.1-megapixel full-frame imaging sensor. From the D300 ($1,625, street, body only), it gets a fairly compact magnesium-alloy chassis sheathed in polycarbonate and a pop-up flash.

With both of its siblings, it shares (among other things), a 51-point autofocus system with 3D focus tracking, 1,005-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering II exposure control, and the EXPEED image-processing engine.

The result is a full-frame camera that doesn't feel like one. You don't have to think twice about carrying the D700 in your bag or on your shoulder all day.

One of the best things: You can get wide-angle shots without the field of view being eaten away by any lens factor. Since the sensor is essentially the same size as a frame of 35mm film, the wide end of Nikon's 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor makes it feel like the world is laid out before you, just waiting to be captured.

It's much like the experience with the full-frame D3, which, as our tests showed, has about the same viewfinder magnification as the D700. When it comes to viewfinder accuracy, though, the D3, with its 100-percent accuracy, lets you see exactly what you're going to get. Compare that with the D700's 95 percent (although that's still Excellent in our ratings). Interestingly, the D300, with its
DX (1.5X lens factor) sensor, actually has a higher viewfinder magnification and a near-perfect 99-percent accuracy. However, it crops that 14mm lens' field of view down to the equivalent of about 21mm.

Philip J. Ryan

more : popphoto