Nikon’s D700 hasn’t exactly been doing the best job staying under cover as of late, and it looks like Germany’s ProfiFoto magazine has now pulled back whatever veil of mystery remained around the camera, with its current issue prominently featuring the high-end DSLR in a two-page spread. Among details discernable via the translation is confirmation of a 12-megapixel sensor, along with a sensor cleaning system, an end of July release date, and a €2,600 price tag — or just over $4,000, although we’re guessing that’ll even out a bit with the North American release. It seems to be a direct competitor to Canon’s full frame, semi-pro 5D.

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Spy shots of what could be the Nikon D700 have been floating around for a while now, but it’s only today that we’ve gotten a full-on body shot of the DSLR. Rumored specs basically paint the unit as a D300 body with the D3’s FX sensor crammed inside, and there’s speculation that the lens pictured is an upgraded version of Nikon’s AF-S 24-120mm VR unit. We’re also hearing that it’ll be introduced in August and go on sale in December for $3300, but that’s all speculation until this thing actually hits.

Read - D700 spy shot
Read - D700 rumored specs

June is shaping up to be a hot month for DSLRs. Fresh off spotting the 24.4-megapixel D3x lurking in the D3’s firmware, whispers out of Japan are that the monolith is due by the second week of June, along with the D90, an update to Nikon’s D80. Pure rumor, but Thom Hogan is symbiotically attached to Nikon equipment, and Photography Bay has a decent BS detector. And the D3x is obviously around. So let’s call it 50-50? [via Photography Bay]

Thanks to the strong performance of new models such as the D40 and D80, Nikon edged out Canon for the top sales position in the Japanese DSLR market in 2006 according to a report by market research firm BCN. As of December 2006, Nikon had a 47% share of the Japanese DSLR market compared to Canon’s 35%. Read more.

DSLR sales percentage for Japanese market:

1. Canon EOS Kiss Digital X      27.3% (400D/Rebel XTi)
2. Nikon D80     16.3%
3. Nikon D40     15.5%
4. Nikon D200      9.1%
5. Sony A100      6.3%
6. Pentax K10D      5.3%
7. Nikon D50      4.8%
8. Canon Kiss Digital      3.3% (350D/Digital Rebel XT)
9. Pentax K100D      2.9%
10. Canon EOS 30D      2.5%

Nikon today introduced its most advanced DX-format digital SLR camera, the D300. Engineered with pro-level features and performance, the 12.3 effective megapixel D300 combines brand new technologies with advanced features inherited from Nikon’s newly announced D3 professional digital SLR camera to offer serious photographers remarkable performance combined with agility.

Eight years after Nikon’s D1 camera changed professional digital photography forever, Nikon today introduced the D3 – a new digital SLR camera that is poised to once again revolutionize photography for professionals. The 12.1 effective megapixel D3 features Nikon’s new FX-format CMOS sensor, measuring 23.9 x 36mm, which is nearly identical to the size of 35mm film. With the fastest startup time, shortest viewfinder blackout time, and shortest shutter lag of any digital SLR camera as well as the capability to shoot up to nine frames per second at full FX-format resolution, the D3 is the world’s fastest digital SLR camera in its class.