Question about the nikon D700

[ann]

Recently i purchased a d700 and took it out the other day for some practice.

I have been using manual metering for over 50 years and only use the meter as the guideline, making adjustment based on the light in front of me and experience.

Low and behold the decision based on the light and experience look a lot different on the d700 than on my other cameras. The lesson is clear, one needs to work with the individual peice of equipment to determine it's "quirks". In this case things were a bit too hot, not a serious issue but would result in a lot of extra work which if this was a wedding would be a real pain.


Right after i got the camera i had a small issue with something so simple as formating the card, which i thought i knew how to do. Simple, yep, however, with my other d100 i performed that function a bit differently than i do with the d700 and in the heat of battle simple things can become very frustrating so why provide Murphy's Law with an opportunity for adding grief to the day?.

 

[Plato]

RULE 1 in any field. KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT

Excellent point. That's exactly what I told my sons when I taught them how to drive.

 

[::trainwreck::]

My personal count is now 4 photographers that I know are getting sued. 2 lost (judement of $4500 and $21,500 against them), 1 won, 1 is still pending. The brides are winning!

Yet one more reason (as if I needed another) not to do weddings.

Seconded

 

[Garbz]

Aren't the basics the same no matter what camera you use, especially one that is technically 'better'?

Tell me right now without looking up the manual, or even looking at a picture of a D700 how I can change my iso on the fly.

Because during the wedding, when you err and take your eye away from the viewfinder to find your newly repositioned controls.

Even if you think you know the controls because they are so similar, suppose this. On the D200 I have my custom button assigned to no flash override so I can take a photo without flash on a whim. Go into the D700 menu and duplicate the exact same setup.
Now tell me how to do exposure bracketing on the D700...

These subtleties a part of learning new equipment. They should not include getting sued because you missed something you were contracted to do.

 

[PhotoXopher]

All good points that make sense, thanks for clearing it up...

To the OP, the weekend is over - what did you decide and how did your decision play out?

 

[JerryPH]

Aren't the basics the same no matter what camera you use, especially one that is technically 'better'? It's not like the controls are completely different, it's still a principle of shutter speed, aperture and ISO - right?

I'm a newb so I'm just asking what the big deal is, especially if the old one is brought for backup.

It may sound stupid, but it is similar to asking a F1 driver to race a new car without getting used to it, and not just drive but to WIN a race without getting used to it.

Heck I can put that F1 car into any driver's hands and they'll be able to take that car around the block... but can they WIN at a race?

Shooting a wedding... there is NO second place. You want to use it, fine... but until you know it BACKWARDS, do NOT use it with a paying client... especially for a wedding where there are no 2nd chances!!!

 

[JerryPH]

Tell me right now without looking up the manual, or even looking at a picture of a D700 how I can change my iso on the fly.

Because during the wedding, when you err and take your eye away from the viewfinder to find your newly repositioned controls.

A good example but one not very complex. Something that I do in all weddings is I can follow a bride from the inside to the outside of the church where I use custom gelled lights inside to ambient outside lighting, as she walks down the isle after the wedding... and literally... I am changing WB settings, ISO settings, exposure compensation settings shutter settings and changing channels on the pocket wizard... *all* without taking my eye off the eyepiece and also snapping shots and I get 95% of my shots nailed down as I am walking backwards!

That is something that all wedding photographers should be able to do, matter of fact, of the 20 or so that I know, all *can* do this with ease. If you cannot... guess what... you don't know your camera well enough.

 

[itznfb]

To the OP, the weekend is over - what did you decide and how did your decision play out?

Hiding in another country.

 

[PhotoXopher]

Something that I do in all weddings is I can follow a bride from the inside to the outside of the church where I use custom gelled lights inside to ambient outside lighting, as she walks down the isle after the wedding... and literally... I am changing WB settings, ISO settings, exposure compensation settings shutter settings and changing channels on the pocket wizard... *all* without taking my eye off the eyepiece and also snapping shots and I get 95% of my shots nailed down as I am walking backwards!

Excellent example Jerry, I understand now and thank you for pointing out a sample scenario.

I wasn't arguing the fact, I just didn't understand until now... thanks!

 

[jazzodin]

Hey Everyone,
I know this is a very late response to this thread but I just read alot of responses that I haven't seen yet(I kind of forgot that I posted a question). Although I do agree I normally wouldn't have used a new camera right out of the box for a wedding but I felt I didn't have a choice. My wife and I shoot weddings together ,she uses the D200 and I used the D80.I had gone and done some test shots in the church a few weeks before hand with he D80 and realized I was going to have a big problem with low light and noise. We hadn't shot a wedding in a church up to that point and of course we were not allowed to use a flash.
It took us until the day before the wedding to get the funds to get the D700 and I was able to use it at the rehearsal.I know these are not the ideal conditions on using and learning a new camera but I'm sooo glad I did. I,ve been using Nikon cameras for years and didn't find the D700's menu that much different than the D200 so I wasn't lost on finding anything.In fact after the rehearsal I felt comfortable using the camera. Just to let you know the wedding went great and the couple loved all of the pictures. Again I know this wasn't an ideal way of using and learning a new camera but I know what my limitations are. For the record I've shot a few more wedding since then and I've yet to get lost on finding any functions or have any problems at all.
Thanks for all of the advise.