It's not more difficult working with NEFs than JPEGs if you use the right tools, and you're going to lost a certain number of D800/e strengths if you shoot JPEGs. The difference in sharpness is trivial between the two cameras if you sharpen both correctly (and both need sharpening). As an owner of both models, I don't see the choice as particularly obvious. Don't stew over it too much.

Keep in mind that much (probably most) of photography can't be learned from reading, and it's easy to get the wrong "messages" on the internet. Some of this only comes with time - lots of it. You can easily mask any slight benefit in sharpness with the D800e through inappropriate sharpening or other post-processing steps. In fact, it wouldn't be hard to lower the quality of a D800e image below that of a correctly-processed D700 image if your sharpening and general post-processing was off.

Rick Walker

My photos:
GeoVista Photography

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