Someone can explain to me what the numbers means in the Nikon Series D700, D400, D800, etc...and which one is supposed to replace the Nikon D700 ???

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I read somewhere that Nikon said the D800 is not meant to be a replacement for the D700. My understanding is that they do not have any plans at this time to replace the D700.

The D400 will be a replacement for the D300.

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This is the basic story so far as far as I see it…

D* Professional
D1 D2 series D3 series D4

D*** Prosumer/Semi-Pro
D100 D200 D300
…After which came a jump to the D700. The fact this was FX implied a possible future (at the time) of….

D400/D500/D600 for DX & D800/D900 for FX … (along with "s" & "xs"models etc before the current numbering would run dry or overlap).

D** models have been generally lower end, however the original D50 & D70 were at the time the only affordable cameras for Joe Public. The improved D80 & D90 were relatively advanced, & then the D40 was introduced as a beginners model … this was superseded by the D60 (D50 label already taken)… thereafter next major update couldn't be called D70/D80/D90 for the same reason. Thus they jumped up to D**** with the D3000 (why they didn't start at D1000, who knows?)

The fact that D** series comprised of beginners & advanced (eg D40 & D90) when the jump to D**** was made the series was split again, with D3000 taking the baton of the beginners... & D5000 the intermediates... and the D7000 being regarded as the D90 replacement.
This leaves future models as possibly D4000(beginner) D6000(intermediate) D8000/D9000 (advanced)

Nowadays, the numbering system is very confusing. Especially as the rumours are the D600 will be FX, which spoils my original theory above Anyway, hope this helps… apologies if I got anything wrong

Iwould imagine any D700 replacement to be labelled as an "s" model(?)

Roland J

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Roland, thanks for a clear explanation of a confusing mess!

I long for my old F3, back in the day when the family tree from the F model was obvious and easy!

It started with the D70, which I still have and use as 2nd backup, and quickly lost coherence from there. . . .

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Arguably, Nikon's nomenclature lost coherence when they introduced the FM. Or the EM. Or the FG. Or with the F301/N2000. Or the F6. Or ...

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The basic formula is:
Dn = pro body
Dnn = amateur body, now Dxxxx
Dnnn = semi-pro/advanced amateur body

Ideally, you'd like to say the higher number within a given series means a newer model, but this is not always clear e.g. D40 after D50, or is it in features e.g. D60 having a newer sensor than D70 or D50, but missing important features.

Suffixes:
"s" = newer version
"h" = high speed version
"x" = high res version

On the question of whether the D800 replaces D700, it's clear Nikon is making it up as they go. The name implies that this is indeed the next in the line of semi-pro/advanced amateur FX body, and it occupies the same price bracket as well.

Those who came to believe D700 = large pixels/low pixel count/high speed FX semi-pro body, now have no upgrade path, since Nikon decided to up the pixel count dramatically and as a side-effect had to decrease the speed significantly. For those people, Nikon has said D700 continues to be produced, although this is clearly a temporary stopgap as the battery has been discontinued in the mother country by regulations, hence D700 can't be sold in Japan. I believe it was Nikon's intention for D800 to replace D700, but they didn't expect some loyal customers to cry foul on the huge jump in pixel count. Now they're making it up as they go.

Larry - a Bay Area Nikonian
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>Someone can explain to me what the numbers means in the Nikon
>Series D700, D400, D800, etc...and which one is supposed to
>replace the Nikon D700 ???

The camera supposed to replace the D700 is the choice for you to make. If the D800 'isn't' the D700 replacement and the anticipated D600 is a lower-end body then everyone's guess is as good as each others.

Personally I wouldn't be surprised if Nikon rationalized the nomenclature with the following protocol

DX = pro FX line
DXX = to be determined?
DXXX = FX line
DXXXX = DX line

It just seems extra strange that if the D600 is going to be FX that a D300 replacement would be D400 making a gap if the D500 between DX & FX bodies... just sounds off to me. What also seems out of line is that IF a D400 comes along that gives Nikon 4 DX bodies in their line up. Well maybe, but what about a D7100 replacing the D300? or D8000 following the pattern above?

But then again it is more likely that won't happen as others have mentioned, it all seems like a big mystery really. Still you can't help thinking that eventually some marketing employee is going to put their hand up and say 'if this is confusing our customers, maybe we should make it clearer'.... nawwww.

Its all so obvious ???

The D90 must be better than the D70? Which must be better than the D3 right? No? do D3 is best, so the lower number the better, which means the D3 is better than the D4? No, but the the D300 is better than the D700? I don't even know which is which there -- but I DO know that in the larger numbers, D5000 is better then the D3000 -- I GOT THAT ONE!!!

Now we know the D90 is better than the D5000, I KNOW that because those were my two choices when I got my D90. Therefore, the D90 must be WAY better than the D7000 despite all those features listed!! But is 7000 better than 800??

I think you need a degree in Nikon -- or maybe they don't WANT you to know !!!

----
Dennis Smith.

It's really not that simple. Often, Nikon doesn't directly replace one SLR with another, but comes in and brackets the old one with two new ones, and then eventually discontinues the old one. This appears to be what they're doing with the D700. The D800 comes in just above it, and rumors say the D600 is coming just below it. If this is the case, I don't think they will replace the D700 with a third SLR; they will just discontinue it. They did this same thing with the D100, using the D200 just above it and the D70 just below it (though not in that order of announcement). Basically, it's a way for Nikon to reposition an SLR in their lineup without discontinuing something outright and risking adverse reactions from buyers. They did the same thing with the N90s. The F100 came in just above it, while the N80 came in just below it. And the N90s was eventually discontinued.

In all practicality, the D800 is the closest effective replacement for the D700, just as the D200 was to the D100 and the F100 was to the N90s. Do they align perfectly? No. But the D200 was a lot closer to the D100 than the D70 was to the D100.

Edit: I'm guessing the new lineup by year's end will be:

D3200, D5100, D7000, D400, D600, D800, D3x, D4.

Compare to the current lineup:

D3100/D3200, D5100, D90, D7000, D300s, D700, D800, D3x, D4.
(Yes, all of these are currently still readily available new.)

An undeniable paradox: To think that there is any such thing as an absolute rule is at worst naïve, and at best, shortsighted. There is no such thing as an always-true, all context- or situation-salient, absolute rule that always holds true…including this one!

If you think it's confusing now, Nikon is rumored to begin using Roman numerals to designate future models.

Clyde

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>If you think it's confusing now, Nikon is rumored to begin
>using Roman numerals to designate future models.

I hope you're joking.

An undeniable paradox: To think that there is any such thing as an absolute rule is at worst naïve, and at best, shortsighted. There is no such thing as an always-true, all context- or situation-salient, absolute rule that always holds true…including this one!

I'm always joking.

Clyde

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