Nikon D700

Value (10.00)
High price and value can go hand in hand, as they clearly do with the Nikon D700. Nearly all the features of the $5000 Nikon D3, including its full-frame, low-noise image sensor, are packaged here in a more portable package for 60 percent of the price.

Comparisons

Canon EOS-1D Mark III– The Mark III performed very well in our testing, notching excellent resolution and color reproduction scores. It also shoots at a blistering 10 frames per second (the D3, which is more directly competitive at the $5000 price point, shoots 9 fps). However, the D700 offers a much wider range of ISO settings, effective Live Preview on a far superior LCD screen and sells for $2000 less

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 Canon  EOS-40D –  For Canon shooters, the 10.1-megapixel 40D offers Live View on a 3-inch LCD,  a 6.5 fps burst rate (versus 5 fps for the D700 without the  external battery pack) and picture style settings that work much like Nikon's Picture Control system along with automatic dust reduction. What's more, it turned in impressive results in dynamic range and low-light testing. At $1299 with a kit lens, it represents a very good value.

Nikon D300 – The 12.3-megapixel D300 shares many important features with the D700, including the excellent high-res LCD display, well-designed controls and a functional, if not blazing-fast Live View mode. The topnotch 51-point auto focus system is also common to both cameras, along with Nikon's active dust reduction system. Image noise in low light is good, though of course it can't match the D700 or D3 on this score. At $1800, the D300 is a camera we're pleased to recommend to serious amateurs, even if it doesn't shake conventions the way the D700 does.

Sony Alpha 200 – Why compare a $500 digital camera to equipment that is clearly in a different class? Because it's intriguing how much you can buy in today's market for so little. The A200 posted lower scores in color and resolution testing than the competition, but not by so much that a casual observer would be struck by the difference perusing a pile of snapshots. When it came to image noise, the A200 actually outperformed two out of four other cameras in the lineup, though low noise shooting was a notable problem area. The D700 is clearly a far more desirable purchase, if you have the cash, but you could outfit a family of six with A200s at the same price.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters – Yes, you could theoretically point-and-shoot with the D700, since auto settings consistently produced attractive pictures. Live View mode is too slow and clumsy to use on a regular basis, though, and seeing the image on the LCD rather than squinting through an eyepiece is a hallmark of point-and-shoot photography. A plethora of image presets is also useful for this crowd, and this camera lacks those convenient training wheels for the uninitiated. 

Budget Consumers – Not a good match on the face of it, at $3000 for the camera body plus more for a lens. Yes, we gave the D700 high marks for value based on its feature set and competitive spot in the market, but that's a long way from a recommendation for penny-pinchers.

Gadget Freaks – A great gadget lets you perform some useful trick that inspires awe and wonder among less well-equipped mortals. By that standard, the D700's ability to grab photos at ultra-challenging illumination levels gives it enormous bragging-rights allure for gadget aficionados. Still, the camera is fundamentally dedicated to photographic excellence rather than dishing up bright and shiny bells and whistles, and any gear that costs over three grand hardly seems like a 'gadget.'

Manual Control Freaks – Perfectionists and hands-on fiddlers will have a field day with the Nikon D700. You have custom control over every conceivable setting, from the programmable function of three separate buttons to the pitch of the beep when auto focus is achieved. What's more, groups of settings can be stored in four different banks (renamable, of course), to keep them easily accessible.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists – There are a handful of reasons a pro or pro wannabe might choose the D3 over the D700, most notably a faster burst mode, dual memory slots and a shutter with a 300,000 lifetime rating, double the D700. Considering the fact that the D700 incorporates the dust reduction system the D3 lacks, and the huge portability advantage of the newer camera, though, we'd be inclined to buy the D700, pocket the $2000 price difference and use it to travel somewhere photogenic.