D700 2 Years on Good Bye

Hi Renato

Sounds good to me I will check the camera out when available in the UK it was on my list.
Cheers
Rob
--
Still Breathing

I have found the D700 with the 24-120mm an acceptable weight as a walkin'-'round, shootin'-stuff camera. Earlier versions of the lens had a pretty nasty reputation, but this one is adequately sharp at its sweet-spot in the f/8.0-f/11 range. However, Nikon is about to ship a "gold-ring" version, which should be good wide-open. It will be a consistent f/4.0 at all focal lengths. Since it is the lens I use most, I will pass my current version on and buy this one. With the excellent high-ISO performance of the D700, I would be delighted to have nothing faster than an f/4.0.

I do have a range of AI-S primes of great quality and the 14-24mm and 70-300mm, which I select from if I can work from a car. If I am REALLY traveling light, I drop my Fuji stereo camera in my pocket. It has the sliding cover over the lenses and is thin and flat. No RAW unfortunately.

--
larry!
http://www.larry-bolch.com/

GH2: EVF, tilt/swivel 460K LCD, 14MP, 124x90x76/609g w/ kit lens/batt, USD999

D3100: OVF, fixed 230K LCD, 16MP (variformat), 124x96x75/770g w/ kit lens/batt, USD699

Video on the GH2 is stae-of-art, AF seems to be as good as any midrange dslr's (said to be better than 5DII's).

Panyy has a very good 20 f/1.7 and now has launched a nice 14mm f/2.5 pancake, very small:

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/panasonicdmcgh2/page5.asp

and a 100-300mm (200-600 equiv !!), just 520g (1.1lb):

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/panasonicdmcgh2/page6.asp

I'm getting more and more interested.

Robert Cain said:

Hi Renato

Sounds good to me I will check the camera out when available in the UK it was on my list.
Cheers
Rob
--
Still Breathing

Click to expand...

--
Renato.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/
OnExposure member
http://www.onexposure.net/

Good shooting and good luck
(after Ed Murrow)

Hi Rob,
Like you I search for a lighter kit.
Yesterday I wife and daughter went out on a little two hour photo excursion.

I pulled out my D700/Grip and 24-70. Also took along a few other lenses. My 14-24, 70-300vr, and a 70-180 Micro just in case.

Before we left I pulled out my daughters Oly she had at school. It was an E-300 with two kit lenses. I had to find her charger and battery. Clean off her lenses, she was missing caps etc. She was going to shoot the Oly. Well let me tell you the camera worked and felt like a toy, period.

Once you shoot with a pro camera such as a Nikon 200/300 series, a D1/D2/D3 series or the D700 you will have a very difficult time going back to so so gear. Your lens stable was spectacular so you will have to get used to images that are not at the same level of quality.

I thought of a D7000. Lighter, smaller, well built with all of the bells and whistles, glass pentaprism etc. It is the glass that frustrates me. Nikon does not have a stable of compact pro glass for the DX line. You can get a 12-24, 17-55 and a 70-300vr and be well covered. But that is a big kit for someone who is liiking to downsize. I did have an 18-200vr on my D700 years ago, it was a easy package to carry, but the image quality always made me yearn for more.

I think we older shooters need lenses with a large aperture to make up for the smaller pentaprism. I am going to suggest the D7000 and the 17-55mm as your main kit. (Remember this will give you a FX field of view of 26mm to 83mm) You can always get the ultra wide angle at a later date. For tele I have no experience with any of Nikons DX tele zooms. In my case, I can use my 70-180 Micro Nikkor as my tele. However, this lenses strength is in the Macro end. As mentioned above, you are used to performance so mid level performance may not satisfy you.
--
Regards,

Jeff Morris / Homecinemaman

Adams, Gutmann, Steichen, Snoopy, Stigletz, Weston. they lead by example.

I hunt, I peck, I squint, all on a Dell M1330 13" laptop. So don't laugh, I'm happy there aren't more typo's!

Jeff Morris said:

... Once you shoot with a pro camera such as a Nikon 200/300 series, a D1/D2/D3 series or the D700 you will have a very difficult time going back to so so gear. Your lens stable was spectacular so you will have to get used to images that are not at the same level of quality ...

Click to expand...

+1

--
Vaya con Dios
imo
(c) 2010 fastglass

You should try to find a used 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF lens and keep your D700.

The 28-200mm is the lightest AF zoom lens by Nikon.

Carrying the D700 with the 28-200mm almost feels like the D700 without a lens on it. Total weight (camera+battery+lens+strap): 3 pounds, 9 ounces.

I'd keep your 20mm f/2.8 as well for wide shots.

Then you have a complete walk-around set which can be easily carried over your shoulder and slinged to the front with a Tamrac Velocity 8x, for a total weight of nearly 7 pounds, only about half of which you hold in your hands at once. The Velocity 8x is very ergonomic -- I highly recommend it for walking around with and avoiding shoulder pain from the weight of any extra equipment.

If you need shallow DOF or low-light, I'd keep the 85mm F/1.4D, even if you don't carry it around with the 28-200mm. In other words, pick one or the other to carry around on a particular trip, depending on light level, depth of field, and zoom requirements.

Know what you mean. I still have my D700, but am also happy with the P7000 (see my post). I also bought a Nikon L22 for my shirt pocket and think it is a fabulous little camera and it takes AAs.

Hi All
Thanks again for the great advise.
Some of you must think I have gone mad selling all my kit and down grading.

But lots of times recently when I should have the camera with me I just could not be bothered to carry it with me.
Missed out on some good shots for being to lazy.

I am considering new Panasonic GH2 when it comes out with 7 14mm, 20mm and a tele zoom.
Will try them out asap.
Thanks again for some great advise.
Cheers
Rob
--
Still Breathing

Jeff/Rob --

I agree with your frustrations on DX glass . . . but there is an answer: the 16-85mm. No, it doesn't have top build quality, but the optics -- particularly if you use compensating software to remove distortion and CAs -- are really top notch, even out to the corners with little degradation to open aperture. Excellent VR also, which compensates for the slowness (at least for static subjects).

That lens and a batteried up D7000 is 1265 grams; not "light", but not unreasonable, and less than a D700 and even most small primes. For that one gets a 24mm to 127mm focal range; essentially bracketing the range of practical Leica lenses.

My kit is a D80, that lens, and a 70-300mm VR in a sack clipped to the belt. The D7000 is on pre-order. I avoid using the tele past 200mm; it is excellent to that point but goes "18-200mm soft" past that it.

Was that a cheap shot?

-- gary ray

--

Semi-professional in early 1970s; just a putzer since then. interests: historical sites, virginia, motorcycle racing. A nikon user more by habit than choice; still, nikon seems to work well for me.

I may be a bit bias since I am a Sony user, but I am surprised that no one has even mentioned the new Sony SLT A33 or A55. Roughly the same size as the GH2 but with all the Sony and Minolta lenses to chose from. The A55 appears to have the same sensor as the new D700 as well as the Pentax K5. Small, light weight and very fast. Certainly worth considering. DPR did give it a 76% and a gold award after all.
--
Just for fun!

Jim

As you know, I'm checking m43 as well, and found out this 45mm (90mm equiv) f/2.8 Macro Leica-Panny design requires no software correction for distortion, likely one of the best m43 lenses available now:

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-45mm-2-8-OIS-Interchangeable/dp/B002NKM29C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1286199205&sr=8-1

It weighs only 7.9oz=224g. It's a bit expensive (896USD) but seems worth it (cheaper than my 105 Micro VR).

Robert Cain said:

Hi All
Thanks again for the great advise.
Some of you must think I have gone mad selling all my kit and down grading.

But lots of times recently when I should have the camera with me I just could not be bothered to carry it with me.
Missed out on some good shots for being to lazy.

I am considering new Panasonic GH2 when it comes out with 7 14mm, 20mm and a tele zoom.
Will try them out asap.
Thanks again for some great advise.
Cheers
Rob
--
Still Breathing

Click to expand...

--
Renato.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/
OnExposure member
http://www.onexposure.net/

Good shooting and good luck
(after Ed Murrow)

Hi Jim/Renato

All my Nikon gear should be gone by the coming weekend so shall hit the camera shops to try out the new cameras and lenses you mention.

GH-2 not for sale In UK till end of November but will just have to wait till then to try it out.

Do not want make any mistakes or rush buying a new system till I have tried them all out.
Thanks again for great response and help.
Cheers
Rob
--
Still Breathing

Rob;

... I had to chuckle a bit reading your post as it could have been me writing it! I am a couple of years from retirement and had a LOT of grand plans for photo adventures but must admit that carrying the D2/D3 and now a D700 around on vacations has been a little heavy!

Recently, I bought an Olympus EP-2 with Panasonic lenses; 20mm pancake, 17-35, and a 45-200.

On vacation recently, I pretty much carried only the camera with the 17-35 on it.

My impressions; after so many years with Nikon equip, this was hard to get used to- I missed a lot of shots as the adjustments were not a simple click away- the photos in good light were very nice, but low light, I missed my D700-

A mixed review of sorts- I am looking forward to what Nikon has up it's sleeve and in the meantime, I am thinning out my FX lenses yet keeping the core group to hedge my bets for now.

One thing I did notice is that the little 4/3 Panasonic cameras were almost exactly the same physical size of the current prosumer nikons, and the DX lenses I feel are way better than the 4/3 lenses - just an opinion. I saw no clear advantage, so went with the EP-2.

In the end, I might go back to Nikon DX camera- jury still out.....

Regards;

john

Hi John
Thanks for advise will take my time and hopefully make the right choice.
Cheers
Rob
--
Still Breathing

I'm taking delivery on a NEX5 today. Smaller still. Just for travel though.
--
Just for fun!

Jim

For me NEX is too small, it lacks the external controls that make good quality shooting possible. For me, of course.

dr jim said:

I'm taking delivery on a NEX5 today. Smaller still. Just for travel though.
--
Just for fun!

Jim

Click to expand...

--
Renato.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/
OnExposure member
http://www.onexposure.net/

Good shooting and good luck
(after Ed Murrow)

If its a smaller system you want while still keeping the pro feel and top quality image then why not look at the pentax k7 (if u want to spend less) or the new k5? (same sensor as the d7000).

With pentax there is lots of nice small primes like there FA and DA limited primes (ment to be some of the best glass you can get) that are stabilised by the body. The Build quality of the pentax body's is nothing but superb, i haven't handled the k7 or k5 (the old k10d) but from what i read its pretty close to d3 style build quality in a very small body.

With my gx10 (k10d clone) and my DA* 50-135mm i even washed it in a shower to test the weather proofing of the system and it was fine even after around a 10min wash. The K7/K5 body is meant to be improved on this again.

There zoom's are pretty good to with some people rating the 50-135 better than a similar spec L glass for image quality (like having a bunch of primes in the one lens). I find it better than my 80-200mm f2.8 nikon (non OIS version)

There are some photo's of the Silver k7 with limited lens at http://surfdoc.blogspot.com/2010/02/limtited-silver-pentax-k7.html

Something to think about if you still want a small pro feeling SLR system.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31735225@N02/

John Schulte said:

One thing I did notice is that the little 4/3 Panasonic cameras were almost exactly the same physical size of the current prosumer nikons, and the DX lenses I feel are way better than the 4/3 lenses - just an opinion. I saw no clear advantage, so went with the EP-2.

Click to expand...

This seems a common error with micro 4/3 to just look at the size of the body and decide there's no advantage to micro 4/3 which is completely overlooking the fact it's a system not just a camera body. In a small shoulder bag I can fit the GF1, GH1, 20mm, 7-14mm and 14-140mm which will barely take the smallest Olympus DSLR and the ZD 7-14mm never mind a second body, superzoom and fast prime.

John

Hi All
Thanks for your all your help.
All gear now sold,
I know have to make my choice of which camera to buy.

Will start looking this weekend but will take my time and shoot the cameras and get images to look at at home before buying.
Cheers
Rob
--
Still Breathing

Very interesting thread and dilemna to have. As far as lens quality, I doubt anyone can question leica and as far as a "do everything" camera, perhaps you shoule be looking at the V-Lux-2.

I have the V-Lux-1
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Leica/leica_vlux1.asp

and it is a wonderful alternative to my D300. I've been lusting after the 700, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Anyway, I think Photokina displayed the V-Lux-2 and thought it was being rolled out accors the pond in your neck of the woods first.