I'm considering buying a D700, my first FX body after 15 years of digital and film Nikon use. My reservation is that maybe the successor is about to be released (say within the next few months). Not sure if I should wait or bite at the rebates currently offered. Help me decide.

Welcome to Nikonians, Michael

More information would help us to make useful suggestions - in particular, what camera (and lenses) do you currently use, and what limitations do they impose on your photography?

The D700 is an excellent camera, but it is not necessarily the best option for everyone.

Brian
Welsh Nikonian
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Hi Brian,

My Nikon DSLR set up is a D100+grip with Nikkor 24/2.8, 24-85/3.5-4.6, 50/1.8, 80-200/2.8, and a 105 Micro Nikkor. All are AF Ds, no VRs in the stable at this point (and never felt I needed VR either).

This gave me many years of great daily service, but what I cannot do is get very wide or do very well in low light as I anticipate I could with full frame, better sensitivity, and appropriate wide angle glass. I want to add an ultra wide lens for landscapes and work with available light as much as possible.

Hi Michael,

Welcome to Nikonians!
Please take a few minutes and fill in your User Profile including the Equipment tab. It will help us provide more accurate answers to your questions. Thanks in advance.
Good Luck and Enjoy your Nikons!

Best Regards,
Marty

Hi Michael,

As all of your lenses are FX compatible and you are looking for improved low light (high ISO) performance and wide angle capability which are the primary strengths of the D700 over the DX bodies.
It seems the D700 would fit your requirements quite well.
That said, the FX capable ultra wide angle lenses are considerably more expensive than their DX counterparts.
The newer DX bodies (D90/D300S) also have significantly better high ISO capability than your D100. The next generation bodies (D7000/(Replacement for the D300S)) seem to have even better high ISO performance than the current generation. Though it's capability seems to be slightly behind the high ISO capability of the D700.

With regard to the D700 replacement anything is possible. It could have even better high ISO performance or be a high MP body like the D3X with similar high ISO performance to the D3X or current D700. What it will be remains to be seen. The given is it will include 1080 HD video capability. Only you can decide if it is worth the wait for your particular needs and requirments.
Good Luck and Enjoy your Nikons!

Best Regards,
Marty

Compared to other responders so far, I'm probably over enthusiastic, less analytical / knowledgeable, and more subjective.

I love the D700 and can only say "go for it."

Seriously, I continue to subscribe to the idea that waiting / wondering about the next camera, what it will do, and how much it will cost can be self defeating. Buying the D700 when I did, I've now had a lot of pleasure and value over an extended period of time. It was and is now, the best I could afford; and something more expensive and heavier I neither needed nor wanted.

Good luck, I'm sure that whatever decision you make it will be right for you.

Dennis

Let me "pile on" to what Dennis said. Emphatically YES, buy now -- if the current D700 provides what you want TODAY. Without knowing what a future model may offer, it's impossible to know whether it will be worth waiting. For example, I would never wait for video capability because I don't currently shoot ANY video. If I wanted to do so, video cameras are available in a broad spectrum of capabilities and prices.
What do we know for SURE about the follow-on to the D700?
-- It's not available now.
-- It will NOT take a single photo today, next week or next month. NONE.
-- It will NOT make the D700 any less capable of taking the absolutely superb photos it takes now.
What do we know almost certainly about the follow-on to the D700?
-- It is not on the immediate horizon -- most likely it will appear in 2011.
-- It's going to be in short supply when it is introduced.
-- Almost inevitably it will be higher priced.
If my new business will pay for it (I just retired), you can bet another D700 will be on the UPS or FEDEX truck with my name on it. My decision will be based on the best price at the time, from a proven reputable dealer.
Does that help?

Alan
Waterloo, IL, USA
www.proimagingmidamerica.com

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Absolutely, "Buy Now". I was on the exact same boat wondering if I should upgrade my D200 now or wait for the D800 to come later. Just the fact that you are weighing those two options means that both options actually fullfill your upgrade needs. If the D700 didn't fullfill your needs then there would only be one option, and that's to wait for something that did.

Taking photos with equipment you know you're going to replace just isn't fun. I got mine a few days ago and I couldn't be happier with it.

Good luck on your decision.

Buy! Great camera.... can't go wrong unless you have to have video. Video is not why I buy a DSLR. Maybe someday.

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>Let me "pile on" to what Dennis said. Emphatically
>YES, buy now -- if the current D700 provides what you want
>TODAY. Without knowing what a future model may offer, it's
>impossible to know whether it will be worth waiting. For
>example, I would never wait for video capability because I
>don't currently shoot ANY video. If I wanted to do so, video
>cameras are available in a broad spectrum of capabilities and
>prices.
>What do we know for SURE about the follow-on to the D700?
>-- It's not available now.
>-- It will NOT take a single photo today, next week or next
>month. NONE.
>-- It will NOT make the D700 any less capable of taking the
>absolutely superb photos it takes now.
>What do we know almost certainly about the follow-on to the
>D700?
>-- It is not on the immediate horizon -- most likely it will
>appear in 2011.
>-- It's going to be in short supply when it is introduced.
>-- Almost inevitably it will be higher priced.
>If my new business will pay for it (I just retired), you can
>bet another D700 will be on the UPS or FEDEX truck with my
>name on it. My decision will be based on the best price at
>the time, from a proven reputable dealer.
>Does that help?

Thanks, all the responses do help. All your points are well taken. I think the D700 + 14-24 with the current rebate has my name on it...I think in a few days when Photokina starts if no immediate game changing D800 materializes (priced close to D700 levels!)--I realizes this is highly unlikely--I will go with the D700.

I agree with the others who said buy it now if it will help you rather than wait and see. Nikon may introduce one next week or next year. Who knows? But it almost doesn't matter. Any successor is only going to be marginally better, really, and when it comes to getting better pictures the upgrades should really be in this order:

1. Photographer knowledge/skill/development
2. Lenses
3. Tripods/Support/Lighting
4. Camera

In the end #s 1-3 will do substantially more for a photo than #4.

Even if a D800 does materialize, it will be months before it shows up in the stores, and the prices on the D700 will not go down that much.
B&H may sell their D700 stock for $100-$200 less until they get the new stock. You will be able to capitalize on the used market after some people will begin to "dump" their D700s for the new body, but that will take a bit of time after the release of the D800. Go for it now and you won't miss all those other images you want to take now. Even if the D800 shows up in 6 months, it's questionable how revolutionary it's going to be. Perhaps a D400 will show up first to prime the market - that jump will show how much better the D800 may be.

New Jersey Nikonian

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