• Please use real names.

    Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed

    Firstname Lastname

    Register

    We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know!
  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Nikon D300 or D700

Kevin Keller

New member
I currently have the D70 and shoot 90% soccer. I am not a professional but only and advanced beginner to intermediate photographer. I am not happy with the quality of pictures at ISO much more than 400. I have the AF-S VR Nikkor 70-200mm 1:2.8G lens and my day time pictures are fine but my night or low light indoor soccer pictures are not. I was wondering if any one could tell me the benefits of spending the extra money for the D700 over the D300. I was leaning towards the D300 because of the 1.5 factor vs. the full frame so I get that extra distance out of my 200mm lens but if the quality of pictures is a lot better from the D700 I may just have to save a little longer and go with that. Does the D300 have good quality pictures at ISO 800 to 1000? Is the D300 image quality better than the D70 at these ISO settings? Any information or feed back would be a great help.

Thanks for any help.
Kevin
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Kevin,

The D700 is perhaps the camera of the year. It provides the identical superb imaging system of Nikon the flagship D3 camera (until yesterday, that is when the Dx3 was announced). To me it's ideal for low light situations and with the lenses you have. You'll be able to do so much for years to come. With the D700 you will do well and just get a x1.4 convertor if you feel rich down the road.
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Hi Kevin,

D300 gives you an effective fov about 50% more than that of the D700. The D300 is acceptable at iso 1250, while with the D700 I can comfortably go up to 3200 ( if noise reduction sw is used upto 6400 ) and get acceptable pictures.

I believe that the D700 also has better weather sealing, is heavier. Sean Reid has a very good
evaluation of the D700 on his site www.reidreviews.comm....well worth the cost.

problems have been reported with vignetting when using the 70-200/2.8 vr Nikkon with the D700.

I fortunately have both. Use the D300 for more ' reach' and the D700 for everything else.

Hope this helps.
 

John Angulat

pro member
Save your hard earned money...

Hi Kevin,
In my opinion, your second sentence sums it up - you're not a professional (and neither am I). Although I'm not familiar with your financial status, I'd say save your money and go for the D300. Although I agree with Asher's opinion that the D700 is worthy of being referred to as a "camera of the year", for what you shoot you're best served by the D300. With the money saved, buy some nice glass, maybe a few good prime lenses.
I too worked my way up the Nikon trail starting with the D70 through the D3. A windfall allowed me to jump from the D200 to the D3. You know what? I sold the D3 and bought a D300. I'm happier than a pig-in-mud.
Hope this helps.
 

Wendy Thurman

New member
I am admittedly biased here as I have a D700. In low light environments the camera is phenomenal. If you check the Travel forum here and look for Air & Space Museum you will see a picture I couldn't have gotten with any other camera (D3 excepted, of course). I needed all the coverage I could get with the 14-24/2.8 and I had to shoot at ISO 3200. A DX camera wouldn't have given me the coverage the FX sensor did. For shooting sports I think you can get 5 fps out of the D700 and 7fps with the battery grip (I haven't shot at anything other than single frame so I am going on memory here)- that with the low-light performance would make the D700 (or D3) my choice for sports. It's a tough, rugged camera with that hefty Nikon feel, it's weather sealed, and well, I just like it :)

Good luck regardless-

Wendy
 
Top