Nikon D700 vs D800 ?

ekopuls

Nikon D700 vs D800 ?

http://www.nikon-tutorials.com/2014/01/nikon-d700-vs-d800/

henrik1963

Old video made before he ever got his hands on a D800. Short answer: D800 is better en every way except when it comes to frames pr second.

PB_PM

Unless of course you need trap focus...

sevencrossing

I have both but have not used the d700 for over a year ( ithe D700 in very good condition and is for sale)

PB_PM

As much as I love the D800 for the performance, primarily the dynamic range, when I checked my shutter count from the last year I ended up taking way more shots with the D700, and by that I mean several thousand more. That trend continues this year, so far, but I think it has to do with the type of shots taken.

Is the D700 a better camera? Technically no, but I do enjoy using it more. It just works and does what I think it should, more often. I repeatedly find myself fiddling with the D800 to get the results I want, even though I've had it for almost a year. It could just come down to the fact that I've had the D700 for a long time now and I understand the ins and outs of the camera better. When I get everything right the D800 produces much better files, but it sure takes more work and can leave me frustrated at times. I even took the D800 in to get the focus alignment checked, but I still trust the D700's AF more.

SquamishPhoto

Im surprised at your experience with the D800, PB_PM. I found the transition to the D800 pretty much seamless and I'd been using my D700 for two and a half years. I promptly sold the D700 a week or two after I got the D800 and the only reason I bothered buying the D3 after that was so that I could have a fast frame rate for climbing shots and have a camera that can smack into a granite wall and still keep on truckin.

Photobug

Also surprised PB_PM about favoring the D700 over the D800. I would put the D700 away for one quarter and focus on improving your techniques with the D800. Sounds like the D800 is not second nature. Just my three cents.

PB_PM

@SquamishPhoto & @Photobug

I actually pickup and take the D800 out more than the D700, so it is not due to a lack of use. It's not a problem of understanding the controls, since for all intensive purpose they are identical. I use the D800 for just about every style of photography I enjoy. I also shoot all my video with the D800 now. There are times that I take both cameras out with me, with different lenses mounted.

AF wise the D800 is snappier, it just seems less reliable. I also dislike the loss of trap focus, which I use a lot. The D800 will fire away at full speed in AF-C, with focus priority enabled, even when the green light is off. With the same settings the D700 will not fire under said conditions. I also had Nikon realign the focus of the D800 last fall, since it was back-focusing by half a foot on all but the cross type points.

I'm also not as happy with the build quality of the D800. To me the plastic outer shell feels cheaper, the 10 pin connector is mushy, the rubber is softer, and is wearing out faster, just to name a few things I've noticed. I do prefer the hand grip of the D800, and the slightly lighter body.

Another factor, when I'm using the D700 I feel freer to shoot, and experiment. Why? The smaller file size, which makes the files much faster to upload and edit. I also really like the output of the D700, the files just have a different feel to them than the D800. I also prefer the D700 in situations when I know I'm going to need the extra buffer space and speed with the grip.

henrik1963

I guess that all PB_PM is trying to say is that most of the pictures we are trying to do is well within the capability of the D700? And I agree with that. You sometimes get the feeling that most NR members take all their shots in the space between the capability of the D700 and D800 :-) I don't. Most of my D800 shots is taken at or near base ISO.

But I admit that I hardly ever use my D700 after getting the D800. I think the D800 is a fantastic all round camera.

TaoTeJared

Nikon D700 vs D800 ?

There is no debate. 6 year old discontinued camera vs 2 year old one.

Maybe I don't understand the question?

Unless of course you need trap focus...

Never heard the term, never knew it existed. I did find this that might interest you:

The Workaround
1. Activate the AF-On option (on the D600 and D7100, assign the AE-L or other customizable buttons to AF-ON. This will automatically disable the shutter's half-press autofocus).
2. Select focus priority.
3. Move the AF point to the desired area.
4. When the subject is near the target area, simultaneously hold down the AF-On button and the shutter (all the way, not just half-pressed). While the camera is still focusing, the shutter will not release. In other words, it will only release when the subject is in focus. Again, for this to work, you must be holding down AF-ON, and focus has not yet been acquired.

I keep trying and I couldn't get anything to work on either my D800 or D300 - So I guess I'm at a loss how it was a "deal" either way.

PB_PM

I guess that all PB_PM is trying to say is that most of the pictures we are trying to do is well within the capability of the D700?

Not exactly, but yes that is true for the most part. I have no hesitation to use either camera in the native ISO range, so to me the limit of both cameras is just about equal.

Unless of course you need trap focus...

Never heard the term, never knew it existed. I did find this that might interest you:

The Workaround
1. Activate the AF-On option (on the D600 and D7100, assign the AE-L or other customizable buttons to AF-ON. This will automatically disable the shutter's half-press autofocus).
2. Select focus priority.
3. Move the AF point to the desired area.
4. When the subject is near the target area, simultaneously hold down the AF-On button and the shutter (all the way, not just half-pressed). While the camera is still focusing, the shutter will not release. In other words, it will only release when the subject is in focus. Again, for this to work, you must be holding down AF-ON, and focus has not yet been acquired.

I keep trying and I couldn't get anything to work on either my D800 or D300 - So I guess I'm at a loss how it was a "deal" either way.

I always use the AF-ON, button, so that is not the issue. And yes that is how trap focus works, it's worked for me with every Nikon body I've had from the D80 to the D700. If it doesn't work for you on the D300, you must be doing something wrong, it works on my D300. The D800 just starts shooting, no matter what the focus/release settings are. Note you must be in AF-C to really see how it works.

If you cannot figure it out, I'll make a YouTube video showing it working on the D300 and D700.

TaoTeJared

I gave up after 5 minutes - doubt I'll go back to it anytime soon. With some of the new threads I'm playing with using the AF-On as the focusing only. I'm trying it, but not really liking it for most things. Adding another focusing "thing" would be too much overload for me

PB_PM

I mad a short video demonstarting the issue I have with the D800's trap focus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kalsOY77TsY&feature=youtu.be#sthash.MY3Zx65t.dpuf

spraynpray

Can't get that link to work. :-/

PB_PM

Fixed.

spraynpray

Well, it sure looks like there is a difference in the way that the older cameras worked in comparison to the new, but I personally don't see it as an issue so long as it still only fires on focus confirm even though it isn't on the back button - or am I missing something (again)? I have my back button set to focus only for the odd shot where I may have a focus and recompose situation with a difficult exposure - like if I use a grey card. I have never been a fan of the back button focus for every shot.

PB_PM

I prefer using AF-ON only, so it is a pain for me. The whole point of AF-ON is to decouple focus from the shutter button. Nikon might as well remove the AF-ON button if trap focus will not work with it.

Golf007sd

Well...well....well. Thanks for the video Robert. I just tried this on my D4 and what do you know: it does the same thing as the D800. While on the D7000 is performs like it supposed too. Hence, if the image is out of focus, pressing down on the shutter button take a shot...but it should not.

Looks like I will be calling Nikon on this on Monday and find out what is going on. Unless someone has a solution already.

spraynpray

@Golf007sd: I don't get it. You have obviously never needed it before, but now you have been told it doesn't work you need it! :-/

PB_PM

@spraynpray The camera does not function the way it is said to in the manual. If that's not a problem Nikon should address, I don't know what is.

spraynpray

Ah, I didn't realise the manual said that it should work on the back button, I thought it was just implied because if it worked on the old camera it should work on the new. ">

PB_PM

Page 92 of the D800 manual says:
"For the purpose of focusing the camera, pressing the AF-ON button has the same effect as pressing the shutter-release button half way."

Clearly that is not the case.

henrik1963

Firmware bug. Should be easy to fix. The setting PB_PM is describing should prevent you from taking an out of focus picture - but clearly the camera is more than willing to take a out of focus picture - If I understand the problem?

henrik1963

@Spraynpray: You can use the setting to preset your focus to the finish line press the shutter and wait for the runner to run in to focus - boom you get a picture of the runner as he crosses the line - trap focus.

PB_PM

@henrik1963 That is exactly what is supposed to happen, and up until the D800/D4, how it did work with previous generation Nikon bodies.

I'm not sure if it is a firmware bug. It seems as though all newer Nikon bodies, those released after the D800/D4, have the same problem. It could be that a line of code was lost, or corrupted, but surely after several updates to the D800's firmware, and several other cameras, someone at Nikon would have noticed this loss of functionality.

Golf007sd

@Golf007sd: I don't get it. You have obviously never needed it before, but now you have been told it doesn't work you need it! :-/

I have switched to used the AF-ON button, I find it a very useful way of taking a shot. But, this bug that has been pointed out by PB_PM is totally new to me and it needs to be brought to Nikon's attention so that they can fix it.

For those with a D7100, D600 & D610 could you also let us know if this is happening with your bodies as well.