How many leave the Big Dog (D700/D800) at home while traveling and take a smaller camera instead?

Integrated grip bodies are things of the very modern past. They are brand new and built specifically for the sports shooter. They are too big. But so is the D800/D700/D300, which are much much larger/heavier than prior SLR cameras (barring the integrated F5 sort).

Comparing Nikon's modern SLR cameras to any from the 1970's when SLR's were light and small, is embarassing. Back then, deciding on an SLR and two good lenses was never a frustration. You took them and went. They were small, light, and easy to use. Today, the SLR alone weighs almost twice and is more than twice the thickness (except at the mount) of an FM/FE style camera which took the place of the D700 style versus the integrated grip cameras of today.

To the OP:
Unfortunately, I don't have a small dog camera, only the D200/800 and a host of AiS lenses (thank god for them as they are smallish). Apart from that, I have an FE and a Canon P rangefinder. I am hoping to be able to purchase a digital camera that hearkens back to the days of compact, high quality cameras, but none exists today except the Leica M series.

The Fuji X-Pro has a horrible viewfinder that is at best on par with a high-end point-shoot film camera. The X100 is decent, but the focus system isn't natural. There simply aren't good options now for people who shot SLR's back when they were small, who shot and enjoy film rangefinders unless they spend 7000$.

It's hard to want to invest in anything now except for work. Sadly, that's it, at least for shooters like me, who value good viewfinders and compact, high quality bodies.

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