considering the D700...

Would love to hear from Canon users who've switched to or tried out the D700. I have the 50D now and have a wedding shoot in November. I want to go FF and shoot shallow DOF images. Also, interested in the D700 autofocus vs 5DMkII especially in low light. I know there's a million threads on this but would love to hear recent experiences since more POTN members have switched/tried out the D700 as of late...

Here ya go dude!

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=743745

Probably the best thread ever on that topic.

You should switch right now!

Mr. Clean wrote in post #8612711
Here ya go dude!

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=743745

Probably the best thread ever on that topic.

Mike, thx for the link, some good info. Ben hasn't updated the thread after he got the D700. I'm sure he's happy with it. Also, Amazon has the D700 for $2400.

I think a lot of us have thought about the switch, i know I did....But I have my Canon glass and the 5Dmk2 is a very good body so I stuck with Canon.....But the D700 looks sweet don't it? From what he's been posting...I think Ben is loving his.....

need I say more?

jacobsen1 wrote in post #8612903


need I say more?

It sounds to me that the 5d2 drowning was deliberate. j/k. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise perhaps.

jacobsen1 wrote in post #8612903


need I say more?

Yes
Does the D700 autofocus live up to your expectations vs 5D2?

jwcdds wrote in post #8612926
It sounds to me that the 5d2 drowning was deliberate. j/k. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise perhaps.

yeah, except I thought it would mean I'd end up with the 7D, but at the time (it happened 10 days before the announcement) I was thinking the 7D would have either been a XS with FF to replace the old 5D. Basically the same specs as the old version so they could reel in more FF users, OR a D700 competitor.

because it wasn't, and because I had a week to wait I rented the D700 as on paper it is the perfect camera to me so I figured what the hell. Well it's a better body for what I do so I've switched. I've officially sold off everything but the XSi, it's kit lens, the 35mm f/2 for it for low light and my beloved 24L. I'm still not sure if I'll buy a 5D (classic) for the 24L or sell it (purely sentimental reasons, the sigma 24mm is quite good).

That review has pretty much everything covered, but here's some brief points after having it for a week now:

• high ISOs are close to a draw if you get your exposures right in camera
  
• blow the exposure and a 5Dii file bands when pushed, the D700 gets grainy
  
• the D700 AWB is better under artificial light
  
• AWB outside (landscapes) is a draw, sometimes the canon is better, sometimes the nikon. Raws look VERY similar if WB the same
  
• the difference between 12mp and 21mp isn't as big as I remembered in terms of details in images/prints
  
• Nikon's file sizes are MUCH better at high ISOs (nikon only gives you RAW so 12mp, but they're ~14mb, Canon's sRAW2 [5mp] are only a mb or so smaller at 3200)
  
• the nikon layout isn't that bad if you shoot with it for a week (some things are better, some things worse, but it can be frustrating at times)
  
• the menus are worse, but once you go through them a few times and setup "my menu" they're not that bad at all
  
• double delete kicks ass
  
• 3 buttons I can assign fucntions to also kicks ass
  
• the response time/mirror blackout are SICK
  
• their grips are AMAZING
  
• the AF is better, it's NOT what I switched for as the 5Dii was "good enough" and the D700's outer points (L/R) are NOT cross types either but it IS better in low light AND OR for action
  
• once you sit down and start processing there's not a TON of difference in the files, the D700 has better/more DR and grainier noise, but it's not a MASSIVE difference
  
• the D700 feels more solid and is supposedly sealed better (hopefully I won't be testing it)
  
• their lens lineup isn't as bad as I thought, but it is confusing and this depends on what lenses you like....
  
• so far, so good.
  

jacobsen1 wrote in post #363449
http://www.benjacobsen​.com/12s/IMG_0324.CR2 14.1mb sRAW2 (5mp)

http://www.benjacobsen​.com/12s/IMG_1962.CR2 13.4mb sRAW2 (5mp)

http://www.benjacobsen​.com/12s/BBJ_0204.NEF 14.3mb RAW (12mp)

http://www.benjacobsen​.com/12s/BBJ_0214.NEF 13.7mb RAW (12mp)

notice the file sizes. The first three are all with sigma 12-24mms because it NEEDS the ISOs, the last is with the 70-300 for the same reason. And yes, there is banding in both 5Dii images when you view at 100%, but it doesn't really effect the web res images... Of course blowing the **** out of the first helped.

pnmd wrote in post #8612971
Yes
Does the D700 autofocus live up to your expectations vs 5D2?

my 5Dii AF was never a problem. I was one of it's proponents here on the board when people said it was "the same" or that it "couldn't do sports". It was fine for me but I used the center point A LOT. On the D700, it's outer points are better. They are NOT all cross types, but even the non cross types seem to work well in low light, just slower... So depending on the lens they're pretty good in low light. 2 nights ago someone was asking me this as I was sitting at my desk with ZERO lights on in the room except the monitor. The D700 and sigma 24mm could AF on the seem in the desk in both vertical and horizontal orientations with the left most point (which I know is not a cross type). It wasn't fast, but it didn't hunt and it worked.

the issue I have though is it's hard to do a heads up AF comparison because the 5Dii's lens mount is what's fried. It can actually take pictures (so I can do heads up image comparisons) but it can't AF or stop a lens down (I have to use my XSi for that)..... Having been happy with the 5Dii's AF makes me the wrong guy to ask... Also, the fact the D700 is "handicapped" with a sigma 24mm (it's a non HSM/USM lens) doesn't make it a fair comparison. I should have better indoor lenses next week to give a better assessment (14-24G and sigmalux).

thx Ben, excellent and informative posts. You're making me lean towards the D700. I've read that the D700 AF turns green when it locks focus. I've never used a Nikon, is that helpful?

btw- 6400 iso on both cameras are amazing. Can't wait to upgrade, I hate going beyond iso 800 on my 50D.

well, the dot in the bottom left of the viewfinder goes green when it's locked, NOT the AF point itself (unless I'm missing something). It's pretty similar to canon in that regard, EXCEPT Nikon has arrows on either side of the dot showing you which way the AF is off. These arrows also work in manual focus which can be VERY helpful. The one beef I have is with single shot mode, you can set it to fire on focus or shutter priority. Shutter means it'll shoot if it's focused or not. focus priority means it'll only shoot if it's locked. I like "one shot" with canon's with the beep on, but with the rear button running AF. Release the rear button and you can fire OOF shots on a 5D all day if you want BUT it will beep when it's focused. With the D700, if you set it to shutter priority you can still take OOF shots if you like, but the beep only works in focus mode meaning it WILL NOT FIRE unless it thinks it's locked.

My issue with this is there are times when I'd rather have a slightly blurry shot but get the shot than to have it not shoot because it thinks it's OOF when in fact it's only slightly OOF... But I also like the beep. WIth the nikon I can't have the beep and the ability to take OOF shots. I've been living w/o the OOF shots.

but with the nikon you CAN choose shutter AND focus. In that mode it will pop off ONE shot regardless of lock or not, then a SECOND once it's got the lock which is pretty sweet.

I purchased the D700 and two lenses to give it a try for my wedding work - I wanted to add it to my mix of bodies and while I liked it -- for me it was too much to deal with with two different systems.

stathunter wrote in post #8613252
it was too much to deal with with two different systems.

I'd agree with that. Even going back to my canon now after only a week, I can smell something burning as I figure out which button does what again. Even a 1 series and non 1 series body side by side are a PITA, but a Nikon and canon make it very challenging.

jacobsen1 wrote in post #8613287
I'd agree with that. Even going back to my canon now after only a week, I can smell something burning as I figure out which button does what again. Even a 1 series and non 1 series body side by side are a PITA, but a Nikon and canon make it very challenging.

I thought I could handle it - I typically carry two 1 series bodies in my bag with a 5D - I am used to making things work -- but had problems with doing all that and adding nikon -- I would need too much practice and weddings are not time to practice.