D600's significant price drop and Nikon's FF policy...

The thing is that many D700's are kept by their users because there is no alternative... S/H pricing remains surprisingly high and many cameras (like mine) have seen too much use that (expensive) servicing may be the only other alternative. This simply means that a replacement would have a guarantied future... OTOH the D800 user has two alternatives (D600 & D800E) which would (depending on his requirements out of the body quality for D600) cover his requirements 100% ...there is no logic behind that policy and yet Nikon leaves a big part of the market unsatisfied by not replacing D700.

I believe that if a version of D800 with D4 sensor would hit the market, it would outsale any other FX body that is currently in production at Sendai, why don't they do it then...? IMO they are judging (correctly) that such a camera would cannibalize D4 in return, maybe even more than D700 did with D3 since it offers features that D700 lacked with respect to D3 (100% VF, dual cards, extra frame modes) and would probably beat even D700 for speed/buffer times. But I believe that the later (although true) it can be overcome able, if either a D4S would come earlier than expected or if d800 sensor would move to D4 which would provide a faster "war conditions" alternative to those that need ultrahigh Q files and don't need the insane speed of D4 or to those that combine Action with artistic photography (NGeo or similar comes immediately in mind)...

Such a line would cover all market requirements and avoid internal competition, so it should be a winner... unless if a competitor would come with an interchangeable sensor HQ body and "crash" the higher end FF market that is....

Theodoros
http://www.fotometria.gr
http://www.fotometriawedding.gr