At first glance, the Nikon D700 shares a very similar body and size to the Nikon D300, although the D700 is fractionally larger. Matched with weather-sealing around the body, the build of this camera is extremely solid and robust, and feels rather hefty on the hands. Housing a full-frame sensor inside a considerably smaller body than the Nikon D3, the Nikon D700 body weighs 995g, 245g less than the D3 and 170g heavier than the D300. Given the lighter weight and smaller size of this camera compared to the D3, it has inevitably meant shedding away certain physical features found on the D3. Adopting a single CF card slot as opposed to two on the D3, the Nikon D700 also loses the integrated battery grip found on the bottom of the D3 in the aims of reducing size.

Not found on the D3, the D700 features a pop-up flash. While some may find it odd that a pop-up flash is built into a camera of this calibre, it serves well not only for the occasional fill-in but also when used as a commander to control other Nikon Speedlights. Among the differences, the D700 is also with a different viewfinder prism that makes the viewfinder bigger but drops frame coverage to 95% compared to 100% on the D3 and D300. The good news however is that the built-in eyepiece shutter found on the D3 is also shared on the D700. With the D300-like body, the D700 also shares the same estimate shutter life span of the D300 at 150,000 actuations in contrast to D3's 300,000 and this may well be worth noting.

The Size and Weight Advantage

Given the D700's weight advantage over the D3 and its compactness likened to the D300, this may well be the decisive factor swaying many amateurs or semi-pros towards the D700 over the D3. The size and weight differential will be especially appealing to those who prefer working with a lighter and smaller body.

For any street or candid photographer, bringing the much smaller D700 on the move will no doubt be more convenient. However, for those who require the optional MB-D10 battery grip, either for faster continuous burst speed, vertical grip or longer battery life between changes, the advantage is somewhat diminished.

During our photoshoot, when using the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED with the D700 body, we found the camera to be well balanced and very comfortable in our hands even after several hours of the shoot.

Camera Performance and Internal Features

Internally, the D700 is very much identical to the Nikon D3 with the exact same 12.1 megapixels CMOS full frame sensor. Needless to say, it very much duplicates the same success of producing the beautiful low noise images that the D3 has been known for. Like the D3 and D300, the D700 also showcases a 51 point autofocus system with 3D tracking available locking focus to moving subjects. However, we found it rather sluggish in comparison and would only place it on par with Canon's 40D. In fact, we felt that the autofocus might even be a bit slower than the Canon 5D.

Worth a special mention is of course the LCD screen which is simply stunning. Same as the D3 & D300, it is simply the best you could find on any DSLR. The superb resolution is very useful as we could tell exactly just how accurate the focus was on the model's eyes. This was not quite possible on the LCD screen of the 1Ds Mark III which we also used.

Using the same Nikon EXPEED image processor, the image quality of the D700 very much matches the D3. The colour is very accurate and we've found the colour of our photos turning out natural and without tint simply after having set the correct colour temperature in accordance with the flash we used.

The resolution remaining at 12.1 megapixels is interesting as it still remains below that of the Canon EOS 5D which delivers 12.8 megapixels and also likely that of its upcoming replacement model. However it gets the upper hand with newer technology, processing power and a wider ISO sensitivity boosting up to an extreme 25,600, which is yet to be rivalled.

Even under the most grueling conditions, the D700 shows excellent noise handling throughout. While firing off the built-in flash at a board in a dark room is not exactly a conventional way of carrying out an ISO test, it allowed us to really push the noise handling. We can see very usable results up to as far as ISO 3200, with significant noise rising only from ISO 6400 and up.

While similar, there are differences inside and the D700 has a slightly slower burst rate of 5 frames per second compared to 9 on the D3. However, the D700 can be boosted up to an 8 frames per second with the additional MB-D10 battery grip. Missing on the D3 but now appearing on the D700, the D700 becomes the first FX camera offering the Image Sensor Cleaning function which shakes dust off its sensor using high frequency vibrations and also offering a dust-off reference photo. Although some have talked down on the effectiveness of sensor cleaning, it's surely a feature to better have than be without.

Conclusion

Nikon fans have waited long for the coming of the Nikon D700 and as history have taught us many times, good things come to those who wait. The Nikon D700 is an ambitious camera loaded with features that will surely catch the appeal of both professionals and serious enthusiasts. Straddled between Nikon's D300 and D3, the D700 adopts the ruggedness and size of the D300 while housing the professional features and full-frame sensor of the D3.

Packing the FX sensor in a compact and lighter body, this will ultimately be the main attraction and success of the D700. Its arrival has finally given many users a great and sensible alternative to those that want to shoot in the FX format but without the bulk of a pro body like the D3. Tagged with a much more affordable price than the D3, the D700 is a groundbreaking camera guaranteed to be a sure fire hit. More importantly, it now opens the door for Nikon to rollout a higher megapixel pro model in the FX format and for the time being, fills a market vaccum against a technologically outdated Canon EOS 5D.

Nikon D700 Test Shot Gallery

These test shots are taken at f/18.0, 1/160, ISO 200.