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Let me just put it out there, the D700 was never a camera I took very seriously. Don’t get me wrong, it is a fabulous camera and many of the photographers I followed and loved a few years ago shot with one. I know quite a few that still rock their D700s today. However, no video was always non-starter for me. Period.
Early last year I ended up purchasing one out of desperation rather than true affection, strictly as a backup I hoped never to need. My ultimate goal was a second D750, but Nikon had just recalled them so there were none available. The last straw was when my D750 just stopped working near the end of a hospital newborn photosession. Can you imagine??? Luckily I had my remaining Canon 6D in the camera bag as backup, but the only compatible lens I had kept was a 40mm pancake lens. I had been using it sparingly to shoot video clips, but that wasn’t a true backup solution for me. I couldn’t use my Sigma 35 Art or Nikon 24mm for that last 20 minutes of the session without a Nikon body to put them on. What if this had happened at the beginning of the session? I needed a second Nikon body, immediately. When the D700 arrived I tested it to be sure it worked, used it a handful of times to take some fisheye images, but mostly it sat in the bag unused until the shelves were restocked with the D750. When I bought a second D750 it came out the of the bag to sit on a shelf.
When my sister and niece came a few weeks ago I figured I would push myself to finally use it. I did get some lovely images but also some reminders of why I never bought one as a main body.
I realize I am harping and not everyone needs video, wifi, big files so you can crop at whim, or to shoot at insanely high ISOs in dark houses, but I do. I really do love the colors. I really really love how it feels in my hands. Much easier to shoot with one hand and the dedicated AF-On button is far superior to the D750. So if I like how it feels why didn’t I just buy a D800/810? Well I also love the flip screen on the D750. More than anything else I have stated the flipscreen is what brought me over to Nikon in the first place. Not giving that up without a fight.
While the D700 is still a magnificent camera, it’s just not the right one for me. This was just something for me to do to change things up a bit.
denver, dallas
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