Verdict
Nikon has played a smart card with the D700, where professional credentials meet affordability. For professionals in particular the camera is ideal as a backup body, while the enthusiast will be spoiled by both its performance in a variety of situations and the flexibility of its images under post-processing. The small issues the camera does have – such as occasional banding at high sensitivities – pale in comparison to its plusses. I defy anyone to use the D700 and not be impressed by its ability to pop out perfectly exposed images in poor lighting conditions or by the amount of detail that it’s clearly capable of recording. It’s both an engineering masterpiece and a photographer’s dream. Only the precedent it sets for future DSLRs is more exciting.
Details
Lens Mount:Nikon F
Shutter Speeds:30 - 1/8000sec, bulb
White Balance:Auto, six presets, manual
ISO:200-6400 (exp. to 100-25,600)
Memory Card:CompactFlash Type 1, UDMA
Built-in Flash:Yes, GN 12 @ ISO 100
Shutter Type:Electronically controlled, vertical-travel, focal plane shutter
Cable Release:Optional
Exposure Comp:+/- 5EV in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 steps
Compression:Three-stage JPEG
PC Socket:Yes
Viewfinder Type:Fixed eye-level pentaprism
Output Size:4,256 x 2,832 pixels
LCD:3in TFT, 920,000 dots
Field of View:95%
Colour Temp Control:Yes, 2500 - 10,000K
White Balance Bracket:Yes
AF Points:51
Sensor:FX-format CMOS type, 36.0 x 23.9mm, 12.87MP total, 12.1MP eff
Max Flash Sync:1/250sec
DoF Prview:Yes
Focal Length Mag:FX - None / DX - 1.5x
Other:-
Dust Reduction:Yes
Metering System:3D colour matrix metering II, 1,005 pixel RGB sensor
Built-in Image Stabilisation:No
Live Mode:Yes
Exposure Modes:PASM
Connectivity:USB 2.0
Weight:995g (without battery, card, acc)
Power:EN-EL3e lithium-ion
File Format:NEF, JPEG, TIFF, NEF+JPEG
Colour Space:Adobe RGB, sRGB
Drive Mode:Single, continuous low, continuous high, live view, self-timer, mirror-up
Dimensions:147 x 123 x 77mm
Focusing Modes:Single-point AF, auto area AF, dynamic Area AF