Nikon D700

 

D700

 

Not sure what came over me. It's not my birthday, and it's not Christmas. And I'm so deep into studies at the moment that I'll only be able to use it on and off over the next few months, but... ...I bought a Nikon D700 yesterday. What an amazing camera. 12.1 Mpixels, full frame (FX), 3D Color Matrix II, 5-8 fps, and unbelievably fast and sharp in low light. I purchased the body from AV Camera, who are a very well known authorised dealer here in Bangkok. The AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED and AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED from Sunny Camera - MBK 3rd floor, 3c33 - also an authorised Nikon dealer. Ken Rockwell's site was an invaluable reference when looking at options for lenses. Most people, including Ken don't rate the 24-120mm VR that is advertised in many bundled packages for the D700. The Nikon 24-85mm is very sharp - but as Ken says, you need to be aware of the barrel and pin cushion distortions at fully wide and full zoom positions.

 

 

Here's a picture I took at Victory Monument last night. The NEF RAW version is incredibly sharp and rich in detail, with almost no discernable noise (click for a larger JPEG version).   Can't wait for my next trip - probably to Luang Prabang to put the D700 to work (albeit in my amateur hands).

Comments

Ken Rockwell should be taken with a grain of salt.

It's a great resource if you know what to take and what to leave. The reason I ever go there, is because he's commented in major detail on just about every Nikon product, and he gets a hold of things very early.

But he can go off the deep end from time to time. Like right now, every single post of his is "digital sucks. buy film." And he always recommends entry level products, saying they are way better than high-end, but HE uses high-end. AND he's obsessed with his kid.

You should definitely see what Thom Hogan has to say first. www.bythom.com

P.S. I love my D700 too... and I read every word Ken had to say.

Hi Sean - thanks for the comment.

And I agree - I've seen one or two posts on Ken's site that appear to contradict themselves - and so 'taken with a grain of salt' it is. It's a valuable resource nevertheless.

Have also read a couple of articles on Thom Hogan's site - and those are indeed excellent. You should offer to redesign his site for him. :-)