Need Advice - D7000 or D700 « Nikon Rumors Forum

Nikon Rumors Forum » Nikon DSLR

Need Advice - D7000 or D700

(53 posts) (32 voices)

Tags:

« Previous 123 Next »

JorPet

preferred member
Joined: Feb '10
Posts: 261
offline

A couple thoughts. I started with the D70s, upgraded to a D700 last year and added a D7000 a month ago.

The D700 is an amazing camera. I have been super happy with it. It takes great pictures in a lot of challenging locations that I have to shoot. It handles ISO 3200 very well and even ISO 6400 is reasonable. Both can be "fixed" in post to look like they were shot at much lower ISO. The camera is heavy and built like a tank. It is also more expensive all the way around. The body costs more, the lenses for it cost more, the filters for those lenses cost more. That said, it is my go to camera for most things.

The D7000 is also an amazing camera. If I had gone from the D70s to the D7000 I would have been just as blown away by it's capabilities. I would consider ISO to be good up to 1600 with 3200 being reasonable. Those seem to me to be about the same as 3200/6400 on the D700, so at least a stop loss there. The body, while not built like a tank is built like a Humvee. It is smaller by a bit than the D700 and seems a lot lighter. It also works with DX lenses, which tend to be smaller, lighter and less expensive. As are the filters, etc.

The D7000 shoots video. While not that important to me I am finding uses for it. Ergonomics are nearly as nice as on the D700, but some missing buttons and switches are a bit annoying if you are used to the D700. Nothing major, but there.

Images are as sharp on either, not complaints there.

Posted 2 years ago #
aetas

preferred member
Joined: Dec '09
Posts: 273
offline

If one was shooting landscape mainly why the high iso need? I'm on a tripod with as low a iso as I can get for landscape work.

Are you looking at hand holding some shots? Maybe some long exposures that you want less noise in. Or is the need for a higher iso for something else?

I know this is a older post but if your still around or anyone else I would be interested. To know what the high iso landscape would be?
~Cheers

Posted 2 years ago #
rbid

preferred member
Joined: Jan '11
Posts: 344
offline

I also thought to upgrade from the D70s to the D700 but my budget was not there (for a new camera), so after a small research, I decided to get the D7000, and I'm *very* happy with this decision.

Posted 2 years ago #
NSXType-R

preferred member
Joined: Mar '09
Posts: 2,803
offline

rbid said:
I also thought to upgrade from the D70s to the D700 but my budget was not there (for a new camera), so after a small research, I decided to get the D7000, and I'm *very* happy with this decision.

Cool!

What's your kit comprised of, lens wise?

Posted 2 years ago #
donaldejose

preferred member
Joined: Mar '11
Posts: 1,043
offline

You can compare them both here:

http://imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM

To my eye the FX sensor creates the "better" (more pleasing) image even though it has fewer pixels.

Posted 2 years ago #
PB PM

preferred member
Joined: Jan '10
Posts: 2,217
offline

I think it comes down to two things, what you can afford and what you need to get the photo shoot done. If you can get the job done with a DX camera, by all means use one. If you need an FX camera to get the job done, get one.

Posted 2 years ago #
Rx4Photo

preferred member
Joined: Oct '10
Posts: 951
offline

Here's a story.

Last year I gave my Powershot Pro1 to my niece because she was very interested in photography and couldn't afford a nicer camera than the one in her cellphone. That's when I began researching my next camera. After discovering that Nikon was about to come out with the D7000 and figuring my wifey would have an issue with its cost I planned my strategy. I came home from work and told her I wanted this camera (D7K) and that camera only for Christmas. She said "are you sure." I said "YES." She said "what a coincidence, I was going to get you a Nikon for Christmas." I said "how about that, well, this is the one I want."

We ordered it that night in September (she even paid for it herself as a gift to me) ...waited for 2 frustrating months...and I got it in November and I have enjoyed it ever since.

We were watching TV in January and someone on this home decorating show had a 3Ds. That's when I explained the difference in DX and FX to her. I asked her "by the way, what Nikon model were you looking at buying for me anyways?" (the whole time I thought she was planning to get me a high end Coolpix). She said "I'm not sure but I know it was going to cost 3 THOUSAND DOLLARS." I said "WHAT?"

We went to the B&H website and she pointed at the D700 with an attached lens. I said "YOU WERE GOING TO BUY THAT FOR ME?" She said "yeah, but you wanted that other camera and I didn't want to say anything, besides we saved a lot of money."

SO, to this very day I've been happy with my D7000 but in the back of my mind I can't help but to think "man, what IF I'd gotten that D700....."

Posted 2 years ago #
SkintBrit

preferred member
Joined: Jul '10
Posts: 1,149
offline

PB PM said:
I think it comes down to two things, what you can afford and what you need to get the photo shoot done. If you can get the job done with a DX camera, by all means use one. If you need an FX camera to get the job done, get one.

Absolutely, and the choise in my opinion, has nothing to do with how many shots you plan to or in the past have put through your old camera.

Posted 2 years ago #
Super Shooter

preferred member
Joined: Jun '10
Posts: 277
offline

@Rx4photo I think she's just playing mind games with you man. Women love to play mind games! Just show her a picture of the $3000 diamond necklace you almost bought her and call it even.

Posted 2 years ago #
Rx4Photo

preferred member
Joined: Oct '10
Posts: 951
offline

Super Shooter said:
@Rx4photo I think she's just playing mind games with you man. Women love to play mind games! Just show her a picture of the $3000 diamond necklace you almost bought her and call it even.

Yeah, I recently mentioned a future upgrade to her and now she's not too enthusiastic about the extra $$. Go figure. Personally, I'd rather get a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens now because that D7000 is an awesome camera.

Posted 2 years ago #
rbid

preferred member
Joined: Jan '11
Posts: 344
offline

@NSXType-R: Although I got the D7K with its kit lenses (AF-S Nikkor 18-105mm 1:3.5-5.6 ED),the decision on betting the D700 or D7000 was not from the lens point of view. I migrated to digital from a Film Nikon 8008s (The predecessor of the N90), and I still have it with some FF Glass that I could use on the D700.

I knew this kit lens from a different camera I got for my daughter two years ago, and I saw that you can get neat results from it (I mean cost-effective results)

--- Ricky

Spoiler: I'm not a professional photographer but an amateur one that takes photography as a serious hobby.

Posted 2 years ago #
Ade Barkah

preferred member
Joined: Apr '11
Posts: 108
offline

I shoot with both a D700 and D7000 (now professionally).

While the D700 is still my main camera, if I can only keep one body, I would keep the D7000. It has superb stills image quality (on par with the D700 under most lighting conditions) AND it can do HD/1080p video as well, which is becoming so important to the business.

What I really want is D700 + higher megapixels + HD video. My local camera store knows that they can charge my credit card the day the D700's successor is announced.

Posted 2 years ago #
casperwb

preferred member
Joined: Jan '11
Posts: 558
offline

jing7600 said:
Im selling my 2 month old d700 if you're interested...

that is a no no, read the rules

the terminator will be here soon.

or as arnold said....you've been term.....ted

Posted 2 years ago #
IndyGeoff

preferred member
Joined: Aug '10
Posts: 107
offline

Ade Barkah said:
business.

What I really want is D700 + higher megapixels + HD video. My local camera store knows that they can charge my credit card the day the D700's successor is announced.

I am also wanting to see that camera show up. My problem is I would be hard pressed to justify paying over $3k for something that is just a hobby. Even AT $3k I would probably ponder it for quite some time (and probably end up with the D300s replacement if it came out) ;- )

Posted 2 years ago #
Pierre

preferred member
Joined: Mar '10
Posts: 1,023
offline

My friend and I went shooting animals together on a bright winter day, me with a D700 & 70-200 VRII f/2.8 and him with a D7000 & 70-300 f/4.5. When comparing my photos with his, my system was significantly better on every shot to the point that I no longer consider the purchase of a D7000 as a second body, event if it is more portable. I know a better test would have been for the both of us to have a 70-200 and I cannot tell how much of the degradation is due to the lenses choice. If you care more about picture quality and you are willing to carry heavy professional lenses anyway, then I think a D700 would be a better choice.

Mind you that my friend pictures were still very good but even him saw the difference and he no longer wants to go with a head to head challenge anymore.

Posted 2 years ago #
casperwb

preferred member
Joined: Jan '11
Posts: 558
offline

Pierre said:
My friend and I went shooting animals together on a bright winter day, me with a D700 & 70-200 VRII f/2.8 and him with a D7000 & 70-300 f/4.5. When comparing my photos with his, my system was significantly better on every shot to the point that I no longer consider the purchase of a D7000 as a second body, event if it is more portable. I know a better test would have been for the both of us to have a 70-200 and I cannot tell how much of the degradation is due to the lenses choice. If you care more about picture quality and you are willing to carry heavy professional lenses anyway, then I think a D700 would be a better choice.

Mind you that my friend pictures were still very good but even him saw the difference and he no longer wants to go with a head to head challenge anymore.

yeah right, $600.00 lense against a $$2300.00 lens

why did you not switch lens and use both lenses on both cameras so you could have a good idea of the difference in the quality of photos for these cameras.

hopefully biased test and reporting like yours will not turn off prospective buyers.

Posted 2 years ago #
Rx4Photo

preferred member
Joined: Oct '10
Posts: 951
offline

casperwb said:

why did you not switch lens and use both lenses on both cameras so you could have a good idea of the difference in the quality of photos for these cameras.

This is actually what I'm curious about. I would naturally expect the D700 paired with the 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII to produce significantly better images than the D7000 paired with the 70-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR. But would love to see image comparisons of the D700 vs the D7000 both with the 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII.

The answers could determine my next major purchase-either a full frame camera or just get the 70-200mm f/2.8. I currently have the D7000 and shoot occasionally with the 70-300mm VR and am often left unhappy with the final results with shots taken with zoom beyond...say...200mm.

Posted 2 years ago #
Pierre

preferred member
Joined: Mar '10
Posts: 1,023
offline

Rx4Photo said:
This is actually what I'm curious about. I would naturally expect the D700 paired with the 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII to produce significantly better images than the D7000 paired with the 70-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR. But would love to see image comparisons of the D700 vs the D7000 both with the 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII.

You should note that the N70-200mm F2.8 VRII is not the lense I use the most. If I had to choose only one lense, I would take the N24-70mm F2.8.
If you want the best glass, you would get both, then at that price, the increment between the D7000 and the D700 is not as significant, but you would be comparing roughly a $10,000 system against a $2,000 one (and yes, at that price, one would expect to see the difference in quality).

Once you decide on the price you are willing to pay for your glasses, choosing the body becomes a no-brainer.

Posted 2 years ago #
JY

preferred member
Joined: Oct '10
Posts: 102
offline

I have access to both d700, d7000 and the 70-200vr2. what is the best way to compare them in fairnes given one is ff and one is crop i.e. shoot from the same distance, shoot at the same angle of view, etc.

Posted 2 years ago #
Segura

preferred member
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 120
offline

I am interested in what the OP bought since this is a 7 month old thread now . . .

Posted 2 years ago #
CaryTheLabelGuy

preferred member
Joined: Feb '11
Posts: 224
offline

To my eyes, I can barely tell the difference between the D7000 and the D700. The D700 has just a little less noise at ultra high ISOs and retains slightly better detail at high ISOs, but the difference is very minimal. I actually passed on the D700 and purchased another D7000(I have two D7000's) due to my experience with these bodies. Paying MSRP for a soon-to-be refreshed D700 wasn't a smart buy, especially since the D7000 comes so close.

Posted 2 years ago #
donaldejose

preferred member
Joined: Mar '11
Posts: 1,043
offline

First, do not buy the D700 now. It is expected to be replaced by the D800 in a month or in a few months. Just wait a while. In 6 months you should be able to choose between the D7000, the new D800 and a used D700 sold at a lower cost than they are sold for today because they will be "old" technology at that time.

Second, the picture quality is almost guaranteed to be D800 the best, D700 next best and D7000 last. But you will have to look at the images yourself at the ISOs you plan to use and make your own judgment as to the cost/quality ration.

Sorry to say the best answer to your question is "neither" right now. Just wait a few months until the D800 is out and add that choice onto your list.

Posted 2 years ago #
CaryTheLabelGuy

preferred member
Joined: Feb '11
Posts: 224
offline

donaldejose said:
First, do not buy the D700 now. It is expected to be replaced by the D800 in a month or in a few months. Just wait a while. In 6 months you should be able to choose between the D7000, the new D800 and a used D700 sold at a lower cost than they are sold for today because they will be "old" technology at that time.

Second, the picture quality is almost guaranteed to be D800 the best, D700 next best and D7000 last. But you will have to look at the images yourself at the ISOs you plan to use and make your own judgment as to the cost/quality ration.

Sorry to say the best answer to your question is "neither" right now. Just wait a few months until the D800 is out and add that choice onto your list.

Its going to be longer than a month for the D700 replacement. The tsunami/earthquake in Japan has causes serious delays in any pro bodies and lenses. While the D700 is still amazing, the D7000 is damn close and a great bargain until a D700 replacement is near. Even when the D800 drops, the D700 will still take amazing photos.

If the D800 was announced today, it would still be several months before stock is available and probably several more before you'll actually get one.

Posted 2 years ago #
msmoto

big gun cougar
Joined: Mar '10
Posts: 2,736
offline

Another new member, leinadbc, is asking

"Hello, I'm currently using a nikon d7000 with a 50mm 1.4 and use it for portraits mostly, I also have a 80-200 2.8 that I like to use for concerts but is too heavy for doing everyday portraits, I have a little money to spend so I was wondering if a D700 with a 85mm 1.8 would give me better pictues than my D7000 with the 50mm, I also like having the ability to take pictures in lowlight situations like local bars, thanks for your advices :)"

Posted 9 months ago #
rensuchan

senior member
Joined: Jul '12
Posts: 100
offline

In reply to leinadbc...

I wouldn't say that any camera is going to give "better" pictures but from a technical image standpoint, it really depends on the look you want with the photos.

The D700 has the bigger sensor being full frame so you'll have the advantage (or disadvantage depending on how you look at it) of a narrower depth of field when shooting wide open at 1.8. Honestly from a technical standpoint, I think that's the only advantage you're going to gain from the D700 over the D7000 as far as what the final image may look like.

If you're doing mostly outdoor or studio controlled shots, I'd just suggest buying the 85mm 1.8 for the D7000. The older 85mm 1.8D is my primary portrait lens right now on a D7000 and it's excellent. I've heard nothing but good things about the G version as well so you can't go wrong.

If you do a lot of indoor shots in random environments then the D700's ISO performance may benefit you but you already have a great camera in your hands.

My two cents... :)

Posted 9 months ago #