Anyone gone D300 to D700

suggs

suggs

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Harry
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I know theres loads of reviews etc but would like some real world imput..

Im a sport tog and mostly Motocross, i use a pair of D300 and have great results but im thinking to upgrade and maybe to D700's as i feel ive pushed the D300 as far as i can take it so maybe time to move on to a newer body. The better ISO of the D700 would be handy as i shoot all year round and the dark gloomy winters days added to the high shutter speeds needed for MX can at times push the low light capabilitys of the D300.

The larger and clearer view finder would also be nice but other than that and the ISO would i see any real world difference with IQ over the D300. Lens wise im almost always using a 70-200 and can afford to loose some zoom range with the FX sensor as i normally have plenty of scope to move close to the action...

Thanks
Harry
 
I did, and never regretted it. All the D300 bits fir the D700 too. Grip, batteries etc. About 95% of the layout and menu is the same. With the D300 I was happy shooting around iso 1000, but on the D700, I`ve gone to iso 4000 and been pleased with the results.
 
I'm sort of in a similar position Harry, I use a D7100 with a 300-f4 & 70-200VRII for my Karting needs and am a little tired of swapping between the two lenses on busy race days, so I need another body - would the D700 complement the D7100 well ?
While my images are great with the f4-300 , I haven't been 100% happy with the 70-200 VRII, maybe it would be better suited to the D700 ?
 
strange you not happy with the 70-200, in what way is it not performing. Mines the VR1 version and has been amazing and never herd a bad word for them. Having a second body does make things easier i have one with the 70-200 and the other with a 12-24. ill prob end up with 1 D700 and keep the other 2 D300 as a second and back up bodys
 
Another JDI!! I have 2 D700's and a D300, I still prefer the D700's for shooting cricket for example, even with my relatively short 70-200 VRII as the IQ is superior so the crops are superior and boy do I have to crop them. High ISO performance is significantly better and as already mentioned, other than DX lenses, accessories are interchangable between the two. 700's are now very cheap so if you can justify buying one and keeping the 300, I wouldn't counsel against that either, having a pair of bodies with a couple of different lenses to hand, or simply as a spare should one need to go for repair [bear in mind neither will be new bodies and could require repairs or maintenance suddenly] is not necessarily a bad thing if, like I say, you can justify it.
 
I use both side by side too, D700 as main and D300 as backup. I didn't know how much difference there would be when i bought the D700 but it was significant and worth the extra money over a second D300. IQ is better, ISO handling is vastly superior so if that's something you think you'll need then i think you'll get on with a D700. Having said that i was always happy with the D300's ISO handling before having a D700 but now it's a little bit of a let down when reviewing images and I sometimes think to myself "I should have shot that on the 700".

Handling is pretty much identical, as somebody said accessories are the same including batteries and cards etc so you should be all set :) I have such confidence in the D700 that i'm planning another body and keeping the 300 in reserve :)
 
Thanks, sounds like its the way to go. ideal as my grips and batterys will transfer over and menu and feel are very similar, as i say i currently have a pair of 300's and use them side by side and must have a back up when im working especially if im at race meetings, i do also have a d200 but not used it for some years lol

I have been very happy with the 300 bodys and have produced some very nice images with them even at 800 ISO but feel its time to move on to another body and FX with the impoved IQ and ISO is the way forward i think, and as mentioned the price of a 700 is falling very fast at the moment. I will for sure keep at least one of my d300's as a second body and because it has served me so well and would like to keep it plus i have DX lenses that i still will want for some shots..

taken sunday with the 300 at ISO 640

VE0_6735 by Harry Picturebike Lessman, on Flickr
 
It doesn't seem to like wide apertures too much leaving me with soft looking karts, I have read that the VRI is better on crop bodies , whether that is true or not I don't know ? Your images always look really crisp and sharp .
 
I went from a D300 to D700, i was amazed how similar the 2 bodies are to handle, and agree with what most people above have said

However, i have now moved back down to a crop body (D7100), the primary reason was reach as i have got quite heavily into wildlife photography and the longest fast lens i could afford (and will ever be able to afford) is the 300mm f4 and found that with FF i was having to crop far too heavily to get decent useable photos out of it, there is no way i will ever be able to afford any decent fast glass above the 300mm, so for me the only real option was to drop back down the crop, but saying that i have not noticed any sizeable difference in image quality or high ISO performance

The way i look at it, i've gone from a relatively old FF (D700 launched in 2008ish) to a brand new top of the range crop body (D7100 launched in 2013), so i think technology has moved on enough to give similar levels of performance from a new crop compared to an older FF

However, the only big disadvantage of the D7100 is the lower frame rate, which would certainly be an issue for motorsport i would suspect, not so much of a problem for the type of wildlife i take, but i would have preferred an up-to-date D300, but that seems highly unlikely to ever materialise
 
Yes my D7100 works really well with the f4 300, the frame rate is poor especially when using RAW as you mentioned, luckily on race days I use Jpgs which then isn't a hindrance. I suppose the best thing for me would be to try a D700 as my second body first and then see if it was worth splashing out £500 + for a used one.
I too would love faster glass like a f2.8 300, but would have to be earning more from my hobby than I do now to even consider owning one.
 
I've been watching those in the adds, very tempting indeed ! ;)
Would have to get a 300 f2.8 then :eek:
 
I went from a D300 to D700 a few years ago. Superb upgrade in nearly every way. The only reason I say 'nearly' is the obvious issue that all your long lenses seem a little short all of a sudden but small price to pay. The difference in noise handling is a revelation as is the larger view finder.

The D3 is nice too (I still have one). Same IQ as the D700 but another level up again in terms of control and build. Problem I have with them is that as an amateur I'm not a big fan of lugging something like that around when I just want a camera with me rather than going out specifically to take photos. The D700 strikes a very nice balance in that regard. Oh and the D3 doesn't have a built in flash so I can't use it as a flash commander without more equipment.
 
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I'v got my eye out for a low shutter count good cond copy at the moment (D700) lots about, but all have high actuations. One will come up soon.

My brother used them for a few years before upgrading his main body, but still has a D700 as backup and swears by them.
I'v used his at a few times with a Nikon 24-70 2.8 and am blown away with it compared to my old D7000.
 
happygolucky said:
I'v got my eye out for a low shutter count good cond copy at the moment (D700) lots about, but all have high actuations. One will come up soon.

My brother used them for a few years before upgrading his main body, but still has a D700 as backup and swears by them.
I'v used his at a few times with a Nikon 24-70 2.8 and am blown away with it compared to my old D7000.
Click to expand...

Funny you should say that as i really struggled to sell my D700 with only 24,000 actuations only a few weeks ago, and i considered 24K a low shutter count considering it should be good for 150K
 
Mine went for £630 in the end (less 10% eBay fees, so £567 in my pocket), but they were selling elsewhere for £750 plus with similar shutter count and in pristine condition (like mine was), but i guess the release of the D750 has massively reduced the resale value of the D700
 
yeah i too need a low shutter count as i normally take around 2000+ images per week, prices do seem to have suddenly dropped with the d700 so would seem a very good buy. I would love a D4 but i would wear it out in a few years lol :)
 
All of that generation of camera's are such good value, the D3, D700 and D300, not to mention the 's' versions, for most types of shooting you can't go wrong really.
 
suggs said:
my last 300 i got for £240 with around 25000 click on it, with all bits and bobs. what an amazing camera for the money..
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Indeed, that was why i chose a D300 as my first serious DSLR, which to point has spoilt me as you get pro level build quality, with all the nice dials and switches for far less money than an entry level consumer D3x00 type camera, i can't understand why people would chose a new entry level over a second hand Pro body

When i moved "down" to a D7100 it was a bit of a shock, i lost some buttons, loast the heft of the D300, but i feel for my needs i have gained much more than i lost......... still longing for a D400 though, if it ever materialises
 
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