Should i sell my D810 and D500 and revert back to only a D700?

Have you ever compared the DXO image quality difference between the D810 and the D700? It is 96.00 to 80.00. You will never be happy with that. The D810 has spoiled you. Going down is just fantasy and mind games. All you are seeing is the money difference. But, your eye will forever see the image quality difference. And, then you will only be kicking yourself hereafter. You can't kid yourself about this.
 
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sands said:
Have you ever compared the DXO image quality difference between the D810 and the D700? It is 96.00 to 80.00. You will never be happy with that. The D810 has spoiled you. Going down is just fantasy and mind games. All you are seeing is the money difference. But, your eye will forever see the image quality difference. And, then you will only be kicking yourself hereafter. You can't kid yourself about this.
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Thing is though, we were happy with those cameras once upon a time so provided you don't overthink it you can still be happy with them. I mean I love my D750 but if I had to sell it and a lot of my kit for financial reasons, I'd get something smaller or lower spec and would still be taking great photos. Your eye is always going to be the most important thing.
 
Stu Meech said:
Thing is though, we were happy with those cameras once upon a time so provided you don't overthink it you can still be happy with them. I mean I love my D750 but if I had to sell it and a lot of my kit for financial reasons, I'd get something smaller or lower spec and would still be taking great photos. Your eye is always going to be the most important thing.
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This!
 
That is just fine if you don't mind being a 'back bencher' at the camera club using an outdated camera surrounded by people still using CCD sensors or 1/2.3 compact cameras. Check the happiness box against the wallet. Happiness will win out every time. I think your equation forgets or overlooks that. You will soon find you are no longer a member of the 'club'.
 
sands said:
That is just fine if you don't mind being a 'back bencher' at the camera club using an outdated camera surrounded by people still using CCD sensors or 1/2.3 compact cameras. Check the happiness box against the wallet. Happiness will win out every time. I think your equation forgets or overlooks that. You will soon find you are no longer a member of the 'club'.
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:ROFLMAO:
 
sands said:
That is just fine if you don't mind being a 'back bencher' at the camera club using an outdated camera surrounded by people still using CCD sensors or 1/2.3 compact cameras. Check the happiness box against the wallet. Happiness will win out every time. I think your equation forgets or overlooks that. You will soon find you are no longer a member of the 'club'.
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I have never cared to a part of the club, I learnt the hard way at school that people who judge you on what you own, or what you can afford to own, are to be avoided at all costs. There is so much b******t in photography, we should all learn to be happy with what we've got and enjoy getting out with our cameras - that is rule number 1 at the end of the day!

Sent from my Pixel using Talk Photography Forums mobile app
 
Hear hear !!!!


So anyway is the D850 better than a MF Fuji that’s just been released? [emoji23]
 
sands said:
That is just fine if you don't mind being a 'back bencher' at the camera club using an outdated camera surrounded by people still using CCD sensors or 1/2.3 compact cameras. Check the happiness box against the wallet. Happiness will win out every time. I think your equation forgets or overlooks that. You will soon find you are no longer a member of the 'club'.
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Really?
 
Sad it is that all discussions of this sort eventually turn into attacking the one who has a different opinion or perspective. Sad that it is not different here. Good shooting, everyone.
 
sands said:
Sad it is that all discussions of this sort eventually turn into attacking the one who has a different opinion or perspective. Sad that it is not different here. Good shooting, everyone.
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I don’t think anyone is attacking you. The fact is people have differing opinions and we are able to discuss those differing opinions on here. In the UK it’s that type of statement that reinforces the sterotype of camera clubs. I get for some the camera and gear is the most important factor, for others it’s the final output- the photograph. It’s horses for courses- what works for one person doesnt necessarily work for others.

People disagreed with you because you were saying that having the latest gear is the most important thing about photography so you’re ‘in the club’. It’s slighly ironic that you mention attacks on differing opinions/perspectives when your statement attacked people using ‘inferior’ equipment.

Cameras have moved on in 10 years with better AF, sensors etc but most of the advancements haven’t moved on that far. Camera technology has plateaued where the advancements in between models have become incremental rather than ground breaking. The D700 was one of the best if not the best Nikon camera of its day. It’s not become a useless camera in the last 10 years. It would be very interesting if any one would be able to pick out the images taken by a D810 and D700 if there was a set of 10 images posted at 1024px on a website. I don’t think many photographers would be able to (I wouldn’t be able to), and let’s be honest non photographers don’t care what camera took it (or the iso value and if it’s a little too noisy). The most important thing is the OP is happy and does what’s best for him.
 
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sands said:
Sad it is that all discussions of this sort eventually turn into attacking the one who has a different opinion or perspective. Sad that it is not different here. Good shooting, everyone.
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:wave:
 
rob-nikon said:
The D700 was one of the best if not the best Nikon camera of its day. It’s not become a useless camera in the last 10 years. It would be very interesting if any one would be able to pick out the images taken by a D810 and D700 if there was a set of 10 images posted at 1024px on a website. I don’t think many photographers would be able to (I wouldn’t be able to), and let’s be honest non photographers don’t care what camera took it (or the iso value and if it’s a little too noisy).
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Whilst I entirely get your point and nothing has made the D700 a 'bad' camera, however the MP limitations might have a significant relevance depending on the type of photography it is used for.
For example, when my D500 had to go away for extended repair (thanks Nikon Service!) I used a D700 for my wildlife photography and the difference was phenominal, both in AF and final image quality.
Basically, when shooting wildlife (mainly small birds, ducks etc) most of my opportunities are at a distance from the subject and this can obviously affect image quality ... even with a 500mm and TC this can be challenging but with the D700 it was just not possible to meet the challenge in the same way that it was with the D500 (or D810) ... there was a clear loss of detail.
Now using it for a wedding, a portrait session or similar, it may well be that the output difference in cameras will be minimal or even unnoticeable but for some other types of photography it will be dramatic, it was for me.
I no longer have my D700, I have scratched my 'itch' in trying one but I would not go back, whilst engaging in my type of photography.
I could see an unacceptable difference between the two cameras but I hope the O/P doesn't find the same to be a problem for him, with his type of photography.
 
Craig Tull said:
Nah it's definitely not that Drew. Only reason I ever came 'off' was because it didn't pay the bills so was forced 'off'.
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Then it's simply a question of which camera do you like using most.

I still have a D300s, I've had 4 D700's and still use one for work occasionally but my 'go to' body is a D4.

In your shoes, I'd keep the D810 and sell the D500. If a back up was important, I'd pick up the best 'low mileage' D700 I could find.
 
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sands said:
That is just fine if you don't mind being a 'back bencher' at the camera club using an outdated camera surrounded by people still using CCD sensors or 1/2.3 compact cameras. Check the happiness box against the wallet. Happiness will win out every time. I think your equation forgets or overlooks that. You will soon find you are no longer a member of the 'club'.
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I use M43 gear (16MP) and I'm not on the "back bench" in my camera club. Far from it. WAY up front.

If that happens at your club then leave. It must be a s*** club.
 
It's a long thread and I can't read through it all, but absolutely keep the D810, it's a great camera. The D700 might still be good but didn't you say it's ten years old? I would've thought that sooner or later something will go wrong. The D810 is a maximum of four years old and I imagine has had less wear and tear. Plus you can always set the image size to 9MP if you want smaller files, and when you want bigger you still have that option.
 
"I don’t think anyone is attacking you. The fact is people have differing opinions and we are able to discuss those differing opinions on here. In the UK it’s that type of statement that reinforces the sterotype of camera clubs. I get for some the camera and gear is the most important factor, for others it’s the final output- the photograph. It’s horses for courses- what works for one person doesnt necessarily work for others."

In a discussion, any discussion, remarks are addressed to the OP not towards other participants. Several remarks were addressed to me through the copied quote just as I am doing to you. The problem inherent to these remarks towards me was that they really did not add anything to the conversation with respect to the subject the OP was addressing. Rather they were directed towards me and my opinion/perspective. No one but the Op's subject is the issue here. I and my opinions are not the issue here. This way we stay on topic rather than bang each other around. And, banging one another is not the purpose of why we are here.
 
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I will state my opinion one last time. I believe that once a photographer owns a camera that is superior in output to all the other cameras he owns then he will never let it go over the less capable cameras he owns. This is because he knows in his mind's eye that he has settled for an inferior image over what he has already been capable of producing. So, rather than sell the D810 and D500 he should be selling the D500, all its lenses, and the D700. Maybe even sell some of the lenses he no longer users with a full frame mount. There really is no point in even owning a D500 and its crop sensor lenses. The full frame D810 is far superior. This strategy will mean he can keep his better camera and the lenses he uses most often. I would bet that strategy would actually result in more money for these sales than simply selling two bodies . He should not keep the cropped sensor lenses if he is selling his cropped sensor D500. What would be the point of that? He bought the D810 originally to replace inferior cameras. Now he is going to sell the better and keep the rest? Makes no sense photographically. Once you have owned and used the better, inferior will never be a satisfying experience. That's simply a fact. And, everyone here knows it. I would bet that those who advocate the OP keeping the D700 and selling the rest have never owned and had the experience of shooting with the D810. Sure they will support the strategy of keeping the D700 because that is as far as they've gone. But, anyone who has owned and used the D810 for any amount of time will know just how much better the shooting experience is with it over any other inferior camera. I just think it is better to be true to yourself than listen to someone else's experience when you have used a better camera than they have ever used. There is only one reason to keep older, lesser cameras - sentimentality. We all love the cameras we used in years past. They are like our best friends. I too still own my film SLR even though I don't use film any longer. But, that is not to say that I would be happy giving up my digital kit and going back to my SLR. No. I love my digital kit much more for what it gives me. That's a wrap. I am out of here. See you all on the web. Good shooting. Good-bye.
 
Sorry but I think you are getting over-excited over your personal opinion.
 
sands said:
In a discussion, any discussion, remarks are addressed to the OP not towards other participants.
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Nope - we all discuss together, as you have done with others. No-one has attacked you, but some here disagree with you quite strongly for what is a personal opinion that was expressed in a way that was seemed to be a put-down. If you really are out of here then fine, but my suspicion is that's you'll be back in the thread to keep reading comments and possibly even replying.

There's no shame in apologising for saying something that's not completey sensible, but it's best not to keep defending it. There is also the ignore function if you persistently don't like what certain members say/can't agree.
 
sands said:
That is just fine if you don't mind being a 'back bencher' at the camera club using an outdated camera surrounded by people still using CCD sensors or 1/2.3 compact cameras. Check the happiness box against the wallet. Happiness will win out every time. I think your equation forgets or overlooks that. You will soon find you are no longer a member of the 'club'.
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To quote an example from a club I recently joined so I could see speakers at a venue closer to home when I wanted to: a guy put up a picture in the opening night's review session which was pulled out for praise - it was darkroom printed and not very big at all. I asked him at the break, knowing he was a wet printer, what he had used to produce it, loving its tones particularly - and, of course, the composition. It was a wooden pinhole camera that he had bought a few weeks previously for £40. And this guy is very much at the forefront of this club. Kit is not everything. There is no doubt that in certain genres eg sport it is hugely significant.

I also think that camera manufacturers are very successful at marketing new products and convincing those who have the money [and sometimes those who don't] to buy new kit because it is the biggest and best out there. But what is meant by best? What is meant by "inferior"? People change genres, get injured and can't carry the weight, change motivation and find that something else makes them happy [eg composing, capturing processing and printing . v the big bang shot for the open competition where the judge may or may not be preceptive beyond technical 'rules']. I am building a system with a much lighter camera; I love its look [on screen/ in print] but I know I can't crop it in the same way. So, I hope you find a club that works for you and doesn't judge you by the camera you use [or any other factor] and that you enjoy it. I don't see the point of photography if it gives you grief and vexation [of course, some of that - a lot of that from what I read here - can come from being a Pro but deep down I think they must love it].
 
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I read this thread the other day and it got me thinking about how much I loved my D700 so I pulled it back out of my cupboard, charged the battery and took it out with me today!

I now remember why I loved this camera! Yes I have a “better, newer” one a D810 that to be completely honest ive never really liked plus it’s not great in low light!

So atm I’m back to using my D700, not saying I won’t go back to the D810 but I’m enjoying taking photos again
 
When I get the urge to move from my D700 (I have a D300 as back up) I remind myself of what karl Taylor said in this video rant. He say's "You are not as good as you think you are..." and that really rings true with me, spending X amount of money on the latest camera will not improve my photography. I did invest in the best of lenses and I maintain that has been the best investment for me personally.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GflhBUSpdQ
 
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metroman said:
When I get the urge to move from my D700 (I have a D300 as back up) I remind myself of what karl Taylor said in this video rant. He say's "You are not as good as you think you are..." and that really rings true with me, spending X amount of money on the latest camera will not improve my photography. I did invest in the best of lenses and I maintain that has been the best investment for me personally.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GflhBUSpdQ
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Because a Canon F1 was just like 'any camera' in the early 90's?

But I guess having a rant will drive more youtube traffic, so it's all good.
 
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