Yeah, I think I can actually figure that out myself. Point is, I expected the D800 to have better low-light improvement than it it did. I doubt I'm the only one expecting / hoping for that. It's hardly a niche requirement. And the assumption (as many are) is wrong, I'm not looking for D4 performance, I was looking for BETTER performance over the D700, not an unrealistic expectation in light of 'advancement'.

The D700 does seem the best option at the moment albeit I may wait to see if anything else comes out. The D400 has been mentioned but I'd rather go for FX this time around.