Nikon D700 does to Nikon what the 5D did to Canon at the moment it was released: puts a full frame, ‘FX’ format sensor into a more compact body and at a much lower price. Along with being smaller and lighter than the flagship D3, it’s also comfortably cheaper, making the D700 Nikon’s first ‘affordable’ full-frame DSLR. Like Canon’s EOS 5D, this puts it within reach of well-heeled enthusiasts who demand excellent performance at high sensitivities, along with pros looking for a backup body.

We were all curious, the moment it was rumored, about how it would perform when compared to the much more expensive and feature-packed D3. Cameralabs.com does the comparision for us, providing full resolution samples at high ISO speeds. Follow the read link for more.

Read: Cameralabs.com 

Nikon D700 vs Nikon D300 vs Canon EOS 5D High ISO Noise

To compare noise levels under real-life conditions we shot this scene with the Nikon D700, Nikon D300 and Canon EOS 5D within a few moments of each other using each of their ISO settings in Aperture Priority modes. The lenses on each camera were adjusted to deliver the same field of view.

The D700 and D300 were fitted with the same Nikkor AF-S 14-24mm lens, set to 24mm on the D700 and 16mm on the D300. The Canon EOS 5D was fitted with the Canon EF 17-40mm set to 24mm. The lens focal lengths were fine-tuned so the field-of-view was exactly matched.

All three bodies were set to their best quality JPEG modes with default settings for image processing and noise reduction. As such, both Nikons were set to Large Fine JPEG quality (optimised for quality), with Auto White Balance and the default Standard Picture Control, Normal High ISO NR and Active D-Lighting switched off. [...]

Read Cameralabs for more.

As we all drolled enough over the press shots on Nikon D700, it was highli expected to see it shipped and ready for action. Seeing someone unbox this full-frame beast on video is another experience entirely (bordering on spiritual, really). Video is just two minutes long and shows pretty well the content of the box, and that’s about it! No camera action yet. Still, a good reason to click through, especially is you enjoy old school, silent movies.

 Link >>> The Nikon D700 Unboxed

The Nikon D700 is now official. Dpreview.com already had an hands-on preview. The D700 and D300 are basically the same cameras, with the exception of the full frame sensor: the D700 inherits the (probably) the same sensor with D3, at a lower price and more compact body. D700 really only faces the Canon EOS 5D (and any replacement that may be in the works). Price is $2999 or €2599 body only, for sale in July.

The D700 key features after the break:

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First specifications of D700 showed up in a German magazine earlier today. A high resolution scan is available here, on DPReview forum. It looks like many specifications are similar to the much more expensive D3, for a lower price. ( €2,600 price tag — or just over $4,000).

Here are some of the key features I was able to tranlate from German:

• Sensor Size: FX
• Resolution: 12.1 megaixel
• ISO: 200-6400
• Storage: CF (1 card only as opposed to two for D3)
• Frame coverage: 95% (100% for D3…)
• Weight: 1073g
• Size: 147×123x77mm

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