I'm seriously thinking about buying a D800 and I'm not sure if I should keep my 4 year old D700. I love FX and the D700, would you keep it as a backup? I just finished my son's basketball season and produced many excellent photos using the AFS 50 f/1.4G lens shot at iso 3200. I'm thinking about keeping it for sports and a FX backup. what would you do?

mVs
D2H, D2x, D300s, D700 & D800

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I kept mine, in part because I cannot afford two D800s. My D100, D200, and D300 are still with me too though. This weekend I had the D800, D700, and D300 going at a wedding. It's justifiable for me to keep three.

Scott Chapin
Powder Springs, GA, USA
Nikonians Team Member

I have a D700, it is a great camera and I've shot a lot of my oldest son's basketball games with it. With grip it provides good fps rate and I'm able to capture what I need. I use the first-generation 70-200/2.8 lens on a Feisol monopod...around ISO 2400 to 3600 like you.

I WAS thinking about replacing it with a D4 but the more I look at the D800e and the possibilities it can bring for portraits and other non-sports photography, I believe I will keep the D700 for sports and action, and get the D800e for other photography venues.

I'd keep the D700, it is still a phenomenal camera.

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I have a D800 and nothing digital FX to back it up - yet. I would keep the D700, although my guess is that you'll find you like the D800 and the images it produces so much, that you'll use it for everything, sports included. The D700 will probably become just an emergency backup, but definitely worth keeping.

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Dave Badger
Blacksburg, VA

"You don't quit playing because you grow old; you grow old because you quit playing." (And now a grandson to share my toys!)

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Mark - I am also considering strongly adding a D800 to my gear, which currently includes two D700 bodies. I truthfully don't see the D800 as a replacement for the D700s in low light sports shooting, and as a small paper phojo, I shoot in some pretty dark high school venues. I also do a decent amount of aerial photography and other exterior locaton stuff, and that is where I see the D800 as a superior performer. I really want to assess the D800 vs. D700 in low light shooting situations before I'd even consider putting the D700 bodies out to pasture.

BTW, unless you collect lenses, which it appears you may, I'd recommend taking a sledge hammer to your 43-86! I had one decades ago and it would appear to be approaching sharp focus just before it got softer going out the other side. It NEVER got sharp. The more that can be destroyed, the less likely they are to fall into inexperiencd hands! Just kidding! But not totally.

Alan
Waterloo, IL, USA
www.proimagingmidamerica.com

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I don't know if you shoot for a living, or if you are an "enthusiast (OCD)" like me.

It looks like you already have backup cameras.

I had a D700 I sold to hop to a d800.

The extra pixels are very nice in the 6 instances where I've had Costco print me their exceptional giant 20x30 or 20x60.

The crop ability is nice.

I seldom really need 36 mp. So I have a bank set to fine small for a 9mp image when I want a snapshot.

The video is nice to have.

In short it is a really cool camera.

If I had your collection I would sell the d700 and the d300 to finance the d800 and get a point and shoot for backup unless you are a pro or something. In several feature aspects, the d809 is a lot better camera than either of your other ones.

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Hi Mark,

The D800 does not have the FPS rate of theD700. More so if you have an MB-D10 on your D700.
I kept mine and continue to use it along side and sometimes instead of the D800E, D3, and D3s.
Good Luck and Enjoy your Nikons!

Best Regards,
Marty

I loved my D700 and figured I would never let it go.
So after having my D800 and D700 for about a year and never using my D700 I sold it to buy lenses.
I had no reason to use the D700 as the D800 is better in all areas that I care about. The difference in the frame rate is minimal (both are slow compared to my D2Hs at 11fps).
I used to love my D700 but the D800 is truly an even more amazing camera.

Ray Gerke

D800, D700 (sold), D2HS, D7000(sold), CP510, CP520
Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 Nikkor 50mm f/1.4, Nikkor 85mm f/1.4, Nikkor 14-24 F/2.8, Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8, Nikkor 24-120VR , Nikkor Micro 60mm f/2.8, Nikkor Micro 105mm f/2.8 VR Nikkor 10.5 DX,
Sigma 30mm f/1.4, Sigma 150-500mm OS

RG_Photographics

I recently got a D800 which I really like, but plan on keeping my D700 and my D300s ( for the good DX lenses I have ). I do freelance photography and will be able to use all three cameras. If you can swing it, keep the D700. Cheers, Bill P.

Georgia Opa

I shoot quite a few events where I provide up to 1300 photos, none of which will be printed larger than 11 x 14. The D800 is amazing but I just cannot use the DX crop to take photos, I can't seem to stay within the lines. I don't like shooting in jpeg and full sized D800 images from these events simply take too much time. So I bought another D700 and it for these events.

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I am a "hobbyist" and shoot primarily landscape and architectural/construction photos. I have had the D700 for 4 years and purchased a D800E in October. I absolutely love the 800E for the dynamic range and exceptional detail so I nowadays reach for the 800E in most cases. I still prefer the 700 for low light/high ISO conditions or for family photos where the huge file size is not warranted. I am definitely hanging on to my D700 even though it doesn't get as much of a workout any more.

I kept my D70 when I upgraded to D200.
then sold the D70 and kept the D200 when I upgraded to D300

In both cases the backup camera was seldom used because the new bodies were reliable and better.

Now I have a D800 and my D300 has not seen any action in 6 months. The D800 can do everything better.

All I have achieved is to keep decent older cameras until well past their sell-by dates. The lost depreciation in value has not been worth the security of a backup. the only time it was convenient to have a back-up was in our local game reserves where I would fit the 80-400VR on one camera and my 105 Macro on the other for sneaking out of the car to get the odd flower / spider / insect shot.

I now have a D200, D300 and D800. The plan is to sell the older DX bodies and all my DX lenses to fund a far more portable option like a MFT camera or a Nikon 1 series (V1/V2) because I think this will get me to carry a camera more often and into a wider range of situations.

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I sold mine. But then I have no need for two bodies.

Clint's got the picture. Depends on what kind of shooting you do and what the product is for. I kept my D3, and when I shoot something like a play rehearsal for web pictures I use it. Makes post-processing infinitely easier. As far as I'm concerned the D800 is a reasonable substitute for medium format, and you don't normally use MF for a high-volume shoot, say a sports event.

Russ Lewis
www.FineArtSnaps.com

>Clint's got the picture. Depends on what kind of shooting you
>do and what the product is for. I kept my D3, and when I shoot
>something like a play rehearsal for web pictures I use it.
>Makes post-processing infinitely easier. As far as I'm
>concerned the D800 is a reasonable substitute for medium
>format, and you don't normally use MF for a high-volume shoot,
>say a sports event.

That's spot on as far as I am concerned.

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I sold mine;
The main reason for that is that these days you can still get some reasonable money for it. Wait even 6-9 months and it will depreciate 50%;

12mpx is not too much these days; Even the new D3200 is 24 mpx

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I kept my D700 and most of the time it's set up as a studio camera to photograph my wife's jewelry for her website. I rarely need the resolution of the D800 for macro jewelry shots. D800 macros reveal minor flaws in gemstones and tool marks from making the jewelry and in real life, no one notices them. Also, leaving the D700 set up for studio work eliminates a lot of setup time. Finally, the D700 occasionally serves as a still-satisfactory backup camera with a long or wide angle lens, minimizing dust-inducing lens changes in the field. http://www.dianakirkpatrick.com

Gator Bob Santa Fe New Mexico
*D800E *D700 *SB800 *RRS 24L & BH-55
Nikkors: *14-24 *24-70 *70-200 VRII *T-20E III *50 f/1.8 *PC-E 85 *28-300 & Tamron 90mm Macro

I sold my D300 to get my D800 and am keeping my D700. Will be selling my DX lenses for new FX glass.

Mark

Visit www.markvsoskephotography.com.

>I'm seriously thinking about buying a D800 and I'm not sure
>if I should keep my 4 year old D700. I love FX and the D700,
>would you keep it as a backup? I just finished my son's
>basketball season and produced many excellent photos using the
>AFS 50 f/1.4G lens shot at iso 3200. I'm thinking about
>keeping it for sports and a FX backup. what would you do?

Good to see a nice detailed profile like yours. You have a lot of gear! Given that, in your place I'd be tempted to do a wholesale cleanup and get a second D800, a D4, etc.

I'm not very sentimental about camera bodies, I like to dump them for whatever residual value they hold, and get the good stuff. So in your shoes I'd sell the D700, D2H, D2X and the D300s/MB-D10 and even the film bodies. And probably a mitt full of lenses too and go out and get a D4. D4 would be great for your son's sports. Anyhow, thats just me

Edit: I misread your OP and thought you already had the D800. Even so, I'd still do some math and figure out if I could afford a D4 to supplement your D800 depending on what you'd be prepared to sell. If not then yes, I'd probably keep both the D700 and your soon to be D800.

Best regards, SteveK

'A camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.' -- Dorothea Lange
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I suggest you read Thom Hogan's current column on possible successors to the D700. I come away concluding that Hogan thinks the D700 is a "keeper" ... IF ... you have a clear use for it and can afford it. Earlier I had decided to keep my D700 as an adjunct to my D800E ... see my previous post in this thread.

Gator Bob Santa Fe New Mexico
*D800E *D700 *SB800 *RRS 24L & BH-55
Nikkors: *14-24 *24-70 *70-200 VRII *T-20E III *50 f/1.8 *PC-E 85 *28-300 & Tamron 90mm Macro