subject: A Really Long Nikon D700 Review [print this page] A Really Long Nikon D700 Review A Really Long Nikon D700 Review
I had read in photography magazines and on many different websites about the sheer quality offered by these more high-end cameras. It was now just a case of deciding which one I wanted to buy. So I gave myself the task of finding out as much as I could about them, and I quickly realised that the Nikon D700 was the one I wanted.
Accurate Automatic Focus, Exposure & White Balance
With a lot of other SLR cameras, if you want to get spot-on white balance and exposure for the scene in front of you, you need to manually adjust the settings according to your experience. The Scene Recognition system on the Nikon D700 is an intelligent system which makes the same decisions that you would yourself. It does this by using color, brightness and other information from the 1005-pixel RGB image sensor to analyse the subject prior to the photo being taken, and the determines the best settings based on this. It does this by having a diffraction grating between the prism and the lens for light metering, which allows it to detect brightness and color to a higher accuracy. Also, it is also able to track the subject as it moves throughout the scene, ensuring you never lose focus.
Spot-On Focus In Fast Changing Scenes!
The Nikon D700 is great for shooting in fast changing situations like wildlife or sports, with the 3D Focus Tracking technology automatically shifting the focus point to follow the movement of the subject. Press the shutter release half way down and then look through the viewfinder and you will notice that the lens stays focussed throughout. Nonetheless, there is an issue with this. Just because the subject is in focus when you click the shutter release doesn't guarantee that your photo is going to come out sharp. This is all due to the short time difference between pressing the button and the images being captured. The D700's 3D Focus Tracking solves this problem by incorporating into it a predictive element. The 3D Focus Tracking measures the subjects movements and speed and then predicts what the subject is going to do next. The Nikon D700 has a truly revolutionary 51-point Af system. These multiple points allow the AF system to accurately track the movement of the subject.
Get Great Images Even In Difficult Lighting!
Even fi there weren't these extra image enhancement features on the D700, it would still be better at dealing with difficult lighting. The large 8.45 m pixels size of the Nikon D700 means that it has a wide dynamic range and an extremely low signal-to-noise ratio.
This camera's ISO range goes from 200 up to 6400, yet this can be expanded up as high as 25,600. You most likely know that the ISO determines how sensitive to light the image sensor is. Many lower-prices SLRs only have a maximum ISO of 1,600, so the D700's huge ISO range means you'll be sure to get the best out of any scene, no matter how difficult the lighting. There are many low-light scenarious where other digital cameras would clearly struggle, but the D700 would have no problem at all.
High Quality Large Images!
The Nikon D700 has a 12.1-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor. Okay, so what does that all mean? A CMOS sensor is also known as an active-pixel sensor, and has an array of pixels sensors that each have a photodetector and an active amplifier. When compared to older CCD image sensors, the CMOS sensors are faster and more powerful. Okay, so what do the 12.1 megapixels mean? Let's talk about how big you can print. Put simply, A2, if you don't crop your image. What does the "FX format" mean? Put simply, FX format sensors produce images that are the same dimensions as their old 35mm cameras.
Tough, Rugged and Durable!
If you want a highly durable digital SLR of a professional quality, then this is definitely the digital SLR for you. With its rugged magnesium-allow construction, extensive dust and moisture protection, and durable shutter mechanism tested to 150,000 cycles, the Nikon D700 is the digital SLR of choice for the highly professional digital photographer.
