Hello all,

I have been reading this forum for about two weeks now and cant believe how helpful and interesting it has been. Thanks!!!

Anywho......I ordered my D700 the Monday before last....the 13th and have yet to receive it (ups says it should arrive tomorrow). By the way I have had the WORST experience I have ever had with the company that sold me my D700 (purchased on eBay). I have never been lied to so many times by one company. I would love to share their name so no one else has to go through what I have but I do not know the rules on that....let me know if I should say. This is the last time I will every purchase something this expensive on ebay, that's for sure.

Back to the question at hand

I was just wondering what kind of focus speed I can expect from my D700. I own an F5 and a D2Xs. The F5 is, to this day, the fastest auto focusing camera I have ever experienced. The D2Xs is fast but just not F5 fast. With that being said, I have messed around a little with the D300 and was pretty satisfied with the speed...but I have to imagine that the D3 is faster. So where does that leave the D700....will the F5 still reign victorious or will the D700 prevail?

Just curious Thanks for the help

-Keaton

IIRC, the D700 and the D3 (and probably the D300 but check) share the same CAM type of AF mechanism. While the F5 and F100 have the 1300, the more modern cameras have something faster, more sensitive and advanced. If you pair it with an appropriate lens, it should work wonders.

Sorry to hear about your woes in purchasing the D700. Good luck!

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Francisco
Recovering Nikonian in Illinois
My Nikon D700 Blog

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Brian
Welsh Nikonian
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Posted my rant on that forum....Thanks~!!!!

Never had my hands on an F5 but I know it was always famous for the torque the focussing motor generated (and the resulting battery drain). I do have an F4 and an F100 though and now a D200 and D700.

I'm not sure any Nikon will ever match the torque of your F5 - mainly because of the rise of AF-S lenses means the motor in the body gets used less often by a lot of users (apart from those of us who like to hold on to perfectly good older glass or like a bargin).

The newer focussing systems are far more acurate though and find focus faster. So I'd guess that your F5 may well be able to drive a screw-drive lens from front to back faster than any newer camera. But in terms of finding focus faster and more acurately in a wider range of conditions and then being able to track a focus point if it moves, the newer AF systems are way better.

The big step for the D700/D3/D300 is the 51 point system which just brings focus tracking a step up from any previous Nikon system. It may take fraction longer than a single focus point but it (seems so far to be) very reliable.

Anyway I don't think you'll be disappointed with your D700 when you get it but you might like to hang on to your F5 what you want to feel some real power in your hands!

Rob

____________
F4ever
http://www.roblambphoto.com

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Visit my Nikonians gallery.

When I upgraded to an F5 from an F4, I thought that the new camera was broke! I quickly realized that focus speed was so much improved over the F4 that it was almost imperceptible. I have never had that same experience again. It may be just a perceptual change on my part. How fast do we really need. I have no doubt that you will find the D700 or D3 more than adequate.