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I guess I have not been too clear about what I wanted some opinions on. Recently I have acquired a Nikon MH-21 and a few EN-EL4's (not too sure about how healthy they are) but am now wondering if I should spend a bit of money and get a BL-3 for my MB-D10 and possibly a new EN-EL4A (they are not cheap!).

Furthermore....do you think it would be wise to get a end of life D700 (or if any one wants to part with one for a good price) and ignore whatever the D800 arrives with?

From the lack of FX news I am getting a bit discouraged, and with the arrival of the EN-EL15 batteries I am starting to think that my D300 + MB-D10 + EN-EL3e's (I have a 3 genuine ones + 1 for the D80IR) will cease to be useful when a D800 arrives, so a D700 would be ideal to continue to use the same accessories. However there are a few things about the D700 that I dislike:
-95% viewfinder (yes spoilt)
-resolution, having shot a D3, I did miss the extra resolving power of the 12MP DX sensor

I guess i don't really have any answer with substance Cameron, however each time I have bought a new DSLR camera (bear in mind thats twice) I made sure i had a concrete answer to the question 'is getting this camera going to make me take better pictures than camera I currently use?'

That said, if I was gonna buy a new camera I would ask YOU.

biggerry wrote:I guess i don't really have any answer with substance Cameron, however each time I have bought a new DSLR camera (bear in mind thats twice) I made sure i had a concrete answer to the question 'is getting this camera going to make me take better pictures than camera I currently use?'

That said, if I was gonna buy a new camera I would ask YOU.

Good advice.....Will a D700 going to make me take better pictures? Probably not. Did the D80IR make me take better pictures.....not yet......did the D60 make me take better pictures....does taking pictures where I wouldnt have count? Did the D300 make me take better pictures? YES

Hmmm only 1 of the last 3 DSLR's I purchased allowed me to take better pictures....

By all reports the D700 is a great camera. The new one may be "greater" but will it greater enough to warrant the change. Since you suffer from gas, I suspect you will end up with both. Else there will be a big hole in that museum you are working towards.

I think the relevant question to ask is "Do I want to move to full frame?" If the answer is yes then the move can be started with the D700 and from photos I have seen, you will be amply rewarded. For me, the answer is no as I nearly always want to get closer to the action so I will for the foreseeable future stay with DX.

Don't wait for the D800. As you know I have been waiting for the D400 for over a year now, when I could have already improved by low light capabilities with either the D300s or D7000. I am increasingly of the opinion that I have made a mistake. I am now in that unenviable position where if I buy today, the D400 will be announced next week. If I don't buy, it will be delayed indefinitely. Its a heavy burden to carry, being responsible for the development cycle of Nikon's DX range.

Here's a way you could look at it.

Would you be satisfied with a D700 now? Does it have all the features you need?

If the D800 was announced tomorrow, what features would it need to have that you would by a D800 instead of a D700?

Each time I have bought a camera (both film and digital) I have poured over the specifications carefully to determine what features it has and what I need. With the exception of my second SLR (Pentax LX) I can say I had no regrets after making the purchase as the camera did exactly what I wanted (and then some). My only disappointment with the LX was the slow flash sync speed (1/60s) which I somehow overlooked after months of reading the specs. This was rectified with the Nikon FE2 6 months later and I have been very happy with every camera I have bought since then.

Mr Darcy wrote:By all reports the D700 is a great camera. The new one may be "greater" but will it greater enough to warrant the change. Since you suffer from gas, I suspect you will end up with both. Else there will be a big hole in that museum you are working towards.

I surely hope I dont end up with both! Will the D800 be greater than the D700, I sure hope it will be due to the gestation, but at the same time, it could not meet me needs at all as you have already pointed out.

I think the relevant question to ask is "Do I want to move to full frame?" If the answer is yes then the move can be started with the D700 and from photos I have seen, you will be amply rewarded.

Yes I want to move to FX, my lens kit was very tailored to this up until recently when I added a few more DX lenses (35mm 1.8, 16-85VR) but is still very FX orientated.

Don't wait for the D800. As you know I have been waiting for the D400 for over a year now, when I could have already improved by low light capabilities with either the D300s or D7000. I am increasingly of the opinion that I have made a mistake. I am now in that unenviable position where if I buy today, the D400 will be announced next week. If I don't buy, it will be delayed indefinitely. Its a heavy burden to carry, being responsible for the development cycle of Nikon's DX range.

I am coming to the position where you stand Greg. If I buy now, the D800 could be next week....but I do know what you mean in terms of the upgrade from D200 to D300/D300s/D7000 having already satisfied your needs, but you are also bridging a generation. A D700 will give me FX, better ISO and dynamic range but at the same time still be in the same 3rd generation, we are yet to see what the 4th gen brings.

ATJ wrote:Would you be satisfied with a D700 now? Does it have all the features you need?

If the D800 was announced tomorrow, what features would it need to have that you would by a D800 instead of a D700?

If a D800 was announced tomorrow and it was in the 16-20MP range whilst retaining the ISO and DR of the D700 and 97-100% viewfinder then I would be there. Beef up the weather sealing and add in 5:4 mode and I would pre-order!

As for the D700, from what is available on the market, I should have purchased this camera back in 2008, but at the time I had only just had the D300 for under a year and the D700 was out of my price range. Would I be satisfied with the D700 right now, yes, does it have the features I need, yes. But I still have those minor gripes about it at the same time. I still prefer the D300 for a few small things (the pac man door release, the direction pad - yes it sounds strange but the new direction pad has a huge amount of travel which I dont like).

Cameron,
You will need to take into account the Japan earth quake and it's long lasting effects on production etc .... Perhaps the newer DSLR bodies may not come out for a while.

Damn I typed a huge response and cyberspace ate it.. hmm can't be bothered to type it out again.

In short - I'd wait for the new annoucement (if u aren't in need of a new camera) and either go for the new one if the features appeal or get a every cheaper D700 when the worst GAS sufferers upgrade.

I would probably buy the BL-3 and use the batteries in the battery grip. Wait for the D800 announcement, should be 1-3 months away. The gear you have now is fine, not sure that the D700 will give you much more.

I certainly am waiting for the D800 and when it is shipping, I'll have a cheap D700 for sale There may even be some cheap D3x for sale, who knows.

One thing you will gain with the D800 is HD video, you may not need it now but you may be sorry you didn't get it.

Alpha_7 wrote:Damn I typed a huge response and cyberspace ate it.. hmm can't be bothered to type it out again.

In short - I'd wait for the new annoucement (if u aren't in need of a new camera) and either go for the new one if the features appeal or get a every cheaper D700 when the worst GAS sufferers upgrade.

I hate it when that happens! I do like your train of thought though!

radar wrote:I would probably buy the BL-3 and use the batteries in the battery grip. Wait for the D800 announcement, should be 1-3 months away. The gear you have now is fine, not sure that the D700 will give you much more.

I certainly am waiting for the D800 and when it is shipping, I'll have a cheap D700 for sale There may even be some cheap D3x for sale, who knows.

One thing you will gain with the D800 is HD video, you may not need it now but you may be sorry you didn't get it.

Finally has a view on the BL-3 issue. I would not be fussed about HD video on a D800, but if you have a D700 going cheap I think Craig's train of thought comes in nicely!