Rabid Nikon Aficionado said:

I bought this new D700 a few days back (well aware that the D800 announcement was just around the corner.)

sic.

really big corner it seems for all those waiting.

good for you to go out and buy a camera that you like, have fun shooting and learning your new camera.

capture all the images and memories that you would have missed if you had waited.

way to go rabid.............kudos

In that case mate, you should absolutely keep it. To repeat what I've said before many a time, what's missing in the D700 that you really need right now? The best camera is the one you have with you right now. Even if the D800 is announced in september, it could be some more months before it's available, and possibly even longer before you will get your hands on one. Would you want to be without a decent full frame camera for half a year? If the D7000 gives you what you need right now, then return your D700. If your D700 does better than your D7000 (and it probably does), keep it.

There's absolutely no need to always have the latest and best technology, if the 'old' technology (but how old is 4 years really, even in electronics world?) does the job just fine. I've heard some votes for spending less money on gear and more on travel. Think of where the money you save by not being the latest and most expensive gear could get you.

Dear TaoTeJared:

Hi. Thx for the speedy and sage advice.
The sad truth is that I misspoke when I originally wrote:

"...that I've grown to expect from MY D3 and..."

What I should have written was;

"that I've grown to expect from my D3 r-e-n-t-a-l-s..." My bad.

No, I unfortunately don't have a permanent D3 in my camera bag : (

Given that I've been recently desperate to keep a Full Frame sensor handy at all times....
I bought this new D700 a few days back (well aware that the D800 announcement was just around the corner.)

Eitherway, I really appreciated your "...at least you can correct that impulse before it becomes a regret..."

Conflicted : )

@Rabid Nikon Aficionado - I would say without a doubt return it.

You have a D3 and a D7000 - having another camera "just because", with a major upgrade around the corner doesn't make much since right now. It is your back up body that you have been living without for almost 4 years so there is really little reason you couldn't go without one for another 3 months.

Buying any new pro camera tech within 6 months of a major upgrade doesn't make any rational since and is just an impulse. At least you can correct that impulse before it becomes a regret.

Dear Fellow Nikonians:

I just stumbled over this thread after 2 sleepless nights.
I was thrilled to find you all here already navigating this decision for me.
My quandary is simple and not unlike the questions posed above. In short, I purchased a new D700 only a few days ago (bizarrely from BEST BUY of all places...but the price was right) and have already gotten the same spectacular results that I've grown to expect from my D3 and from previous D700 backup rentals. As a pro photographer, and as pleased as I've been with my D700 rentals since '08, I'm haunted by the fear that this 3.5 yr old technology will be upgraded exponentially (functionality/feature richness) with the release of "next month's" D800 announcement.

I've certainly appreciated the splendor of the D700's FF image quality but I find myself reaching for a few of the nifty modern features that my toy D7000 has to offer. Sadly, I've had inconsistent Auto-Focus performance from D7000....so that's more like comparing Apples & Oranges. Yes, despite all my Fine Tune Focus Adjustments that I've made for Back Focusing on my D7000 - I'll be soon parting with the D7000 as well.
But I digress.

In closing,
wouldn't you agree (objection: leading question, your Honor) that I should return the brand new D700 tomorrow morn (before the 14day Full Refund rtn policy expires) and stash that $2.5 - $3k back under the pillow for a rainy day in November when we'll all sorta maybe kinda have access to a sparkling new D800?
YES, I realize how silly this may sound and it smells a bit like latest-greatest-technolust.

Misquoting Shakespeare;

"....To return my new D700 for a full refund, shut my mouth, and wait politely for the D800?
or NOT?....that is the question..."

Thx a ton in advance.

noxin said:
Should I start the "how to glue your D700 badge on your D800 so your wife doesn't notice" thread now?

I don't think that will be a problem if my wife is anything to go by. My D700 became an 'additional' D3s, and my 24-70 became a 70-200 without being any the wiser! Ignorance is bliss.

NikoDoby said:
How about a hotshoe that doubles as a bottle opener? The D700 don't got that :^)

Mate I'm Dutch, we can open beer bottles with just about anything...I've tried newspapers, empty bottles, lighters, my phone...I'm fairly positive my D700 would withstand opening at least 1 bottle :)

Noxin, you say it exactly like it is: even if the improvements of the D800 over the D700 are huge, you still have to evaluate how much it'll cost you. Seeing as though the D700 offers pretty much everything a photographer could need, I don't see why, unless you have some excess funds somewhere, you'd want to upgrade. Except if you're a gearhead of course. In that case go buy that shiny new camera, it's people like you gearheads that make these cameras affordable to the people that use them for 100,000 clicks in the first place :)

Squamish, I admit the next gen FX cameras might be a huge advancement over the current cameras. But even if it's huge, the cost of the new cameras will be huge and the D700 does pretty much everything I need it to do. It will come down to, are the new features worth my D700 traded in plus the $2000 or so dollars it will cost. Now maybe if it allows me to go to a DX mode with 12 megapixels so I don't need a DX camera, I will consider it, but it's still a big chunk of change. It would be nice to have a D800 that is that much better and I would happily eat my words if they are. Should I start the "how to glue your D700 badge on your D800 so your wife doesn't notice" thread now?

Bram said:
I'd like to repeat my earlier statement, what do you think is lacking in the D700? Besides video of course :)

I'd be happy with a second card slot and 'native' ISO 100. That's all it would take for me.

I'll probably ditch my D300s and keep my D700 as a second body, and get the D700 replacement.

Fortunately, having a D700 means I don't have to rush out and get the replacement - I can afford the luxury of waiting on reviews and confirming the new camera is a better performer.

(Although, knowing electronics, I'd be really shocked if it isn't.)

I don't plan on selling my D700. It makes a great backup if I find that I am wanting to upgrade to a D800, of course if Nikon follows what they did last time the D4 will appear way before a D800 (I would be a bit more tempted to plunge on the D4 at that point). This is my FX theroy, and of course once something is released I will have a better clue what I will do.

For my D7000, I would sell that camera so long as they update the current D300 to say a D400. I like the pictures from the D7000 but enjoy shooting with my D200 so much more. I like the controls that much better. I could then sell both my D7000 and my D200 at that point but the D200 probalby makes a better backup that what I could get for it.

If the upgrades that come out are only marginal say like the D300 to D300s upgrade I will wait another 4 years for a major upgrade. I doubt this is the case but figure I would put it out there.

Bram said:
I'd like to repeat my earlier statement, what do you think is lacking in the D700? Besides video of course :)

How about a hotshoe that doubles as a bottle opener? The D700 don't got that :^)

Are you guys seriously drooling over specs that haven't even been announced yet? :)
I'd like to repeat my earlier statement, what do you think is lacking in the D700? Besides video of course :)

+1 SquamishPhoto the next generation of Nikons are going to be insane! People will submit just watch. I was playing around with the D7000 this summer and was really impressed. If its a sign of things to come then I will have no problem putting my D700 towards the refresh. I hear the Nikon Exceed 3 processor is going to be amazing if thats in fact its new name. Its going to be like 2007 all over again at Nikon soon :)

noxin said:
I doubt the D800 will be enough improvement for hte D700 to make me want to switch.

You may eat those words. I can't imagine that the new series of FF cameras isn't going to blow the old ones out of the water. Sounds to me like the new processor alone will be worth it.

I'm keeping my D700. Might get the D300 replacement or the D7000 for a DX camera body. I doubt the D800 will be enough improvement for hte D700 to make me want to switch. If I want video I'm sure the D7000 or D400 will do what I need.

Ill be Selling my D7000 when the D800 comes out and then once i get the D800 in hand (After several months of waiting lists). Ill sell my D3 and help fund for a D4 or another D800.

No, I wont be selling my D700 or upgrading to the newer cameras. I'll hold off for the next generation of cams.

Don't have a D700 but I WILL be keeping our two D7000's once we finally score a D4. The D7K's will be our video bodies as well as being employed for long telephoto use(best teleconverter you can buy) as well as serve as backups. I'll be interested to see what the D4's DX crop mode will be and if it will employ the use of pixel binning for low-light.

Wouldn't mind scoring a decent used D3s as well, once the D4 is released.

I plan on selling my D700. It does not get much use since my D7000 purchase. I shoot both stills and video regularly and carry each so that I can have full-frame stills and full HD video. New Nikon FX will undoubtedly have both features in same body. So, D7K becomes back up for D800, D4 or whatever and D700 goes to someone not as interested in video capture.

kanuck said:
Its up to 127,000 actuations now so heavily used in the past 2 years and has been an amazing camera both for work and personal landscape stuff.

You may now trade in your D700 :)

Yes unfortunately I will have to trade in my D700 towards the new refresh. I have been told I would recieve around $1600 off of whatever price the new body would cost. I'd love to keep it as a second body though. Its up to 127,000 actuations now so heavily used in the past 2 years and has been an amazing camera both for work and personal landscape stuff. Local shops in my area are thinking Christmas time we might wee something now. Been guessing in this regard for years now though and has become tiresome..

No. The d700 will either be my second camera or my second shooters main camera depending on what is released and what my needs are at the time. I like having a dx and fx shooting. and one on the side for a backup.

Am I planning too? NO! If it allows me to work faster/smarter/makes my customers more impressed with the results of my work etc, thereby paying for itself, YES, I'll upgrade. That goes for every piece of equipment I own, if it won't pay for itself, I'm not interested.

Bram said:
How about you guys go out and bump up your shutter count to 100,000, then come back and tell me you need a new cam because this one supposedly lacks some features... :)

Totally! Im thinking about selling my D700 and just getting an old D50 again because you know what, if I can't take superb photos in ANY situation with that camera then I really can't call myself a photographer. Hell, I can shoot 99% of photographs I take perfectly with a D50 and the kit lens it came with, so all you fancy pants out there looking to blow the wad on the new D750000, well, you guys are about to get ripped off!!! suckers!!!

I have a D700 for a year and half. I am definitely plannig to replace it unless the replacement is just marginally better. I hope I will be able to get at least $1800 for it, if not I may just keep it as a second body. That of course is conditional to a replacement hitting the market soon.

There are still chances that we may not see any replacement for a few more years so I may endup keeping my camera for a long time.