D700 or D610 or ?

[pondball]

I'm looking to upgrade my present camera... Cool pix 5700 bought when it first came out. It was the closest thing to a "real" camera that i could afford at the time.
Before that I had a couple of canon TLs and a full darkroom setup... That sadly I had to sell when we moved to the country 25 years ago!
I'm now retired and am looking at getting back into photography again and have been looking at the range of DSLRs available... Specifically at Nikon as they were exceptional when I had a sensor problem with my little 5700... Past it's warranty period even!
I still can't afford one of the biggies but have been narrowing the search recently to the 7100 or the 610... Having read up more on DX and FX I am now convinced I would like to go with an FX model and was leaning towards the 610... But have had an offer for a 700 with a bunch of lenses included that would would be a better price then any 610 kit I could get...
My photo interests are still quite broad... Love shooting nature (we live In The country and have dozens of varieties of birds visit us every year as well as other animals both large and small)... Used to take a lot of candids and would like to get back into that again... The summer will see a trip to Europe and I'd like to be equipped to take landscapes and where necessary a number of low light shots... And I still play a numbers of sports (golf, curling and lawn bowls) which all provide many photographic opportunities.
I would have liked to have a camera that included wifi but understand the D700 is too old to allow this, and a movie mode... But theses are the only two things that seem to distinguish the d700 from the d610... That and an additional 12mp...
The cost of the d700 including 3 lenses (one VR) and a flash would be less than a d610starter kit with only a 24-85mm by about $700...
Any suggestions for this DSLR newb?

 

[bribrius]

I have a Coolpix 520 point and shoot and love it. Have you considered just upgrading your Coolpix? Saves from carrying around lenses and dealing with a dslr unless you really want to deal with one.

 

[pondball]

Yup... Thought the 5700 would do the trick when I first got it... But missed not having ability to go long without distortion or short for some macro shots. I don't mind lugging and when lugging is not an option we can use my wife's smaller PaS

 

[pondball]

Is the difference in mp of about 12 between the older d700 and the newer d610 really that much of a difference?

 

[drbondod]

Just bite the bullet and go with the Nikon D4.

 

[pondball]

Home life is good and I Don't feel like getting shot for real so while I have cravings, it would not be sage!

I'm not looking to sell photos but do understand quality. Back in the 70's I used to shoot B&W for the university theatre groups during their dress rehearsal... Mostly during scene 1 and then.. Trundle off to the darkroom and be back by the end of the play... In hand with proof sheets and a few 8x10's... Did this mostly cuz I loved doing it and just made enough to cover the cost of the shots and then a few bucks more for the weekends beer and pizza. Also shot candids at various weddings and at most the couples used more of my shots than they did the professionals shots. Made the mistake of getting talked into doing the "real" wedding shots for a few friends weddings... All within the space of a month and a half... After the second wedding I put my camera away and didn't bring it our again for at least 3 or more years. Absolutely hated the experience and would never get talked into doing that again.

I love photography but am in this for the joy of it not the almighty buck. If someone wants to buy something I've shot then sobeit... However I will never again get commissioned to shoot something. Having said that I understand quality...

So my question comes back to... Given what I want to be able to shoot what is the better fit for me... The d700 or the d610? Chances are the former will be off the market by the time I figure this out but... One never knows...

 

[Derrel]

I think you might prefer the D700 and the three lenses over the D610 and just one lens. Without lenses to get the job done, a good camera is not all that useful. The D700 was always a good shooter. The D610 has a better, newer, higher-MP sensor. The D610 has a 14.2 EV dynamic range in RAW at base ISO, the D700 has a 12.2 EV DR at its base ISO.

Nikon D610 versus Nikon D700 - Side by side camera comparison - DxOMark

Compare those two cameras with what was once considered one of the best FF cameras, the original 5D from Canon.

Nikon D610 versus Nikon D700 versus Canon EOS 5D - Side by side camera comparison - DxOMark

My advice? Just get a camera.

 

[bribrius]

you could look at the 300s. somewhat outdated but everyone seems to love them. I don't know why I never had one.

 

[goodguy]

I'd go with the D610.

Newer and better camera, newer technology!!!

 

[coastalconn]

What are the 3 lenses with the D700? Another option to consider is a refurb D600, not sure on the Canadian market but they dropped to around 1300 last month, but seems to have went back up..

 

[photodude1956]

Hands down --D700. 51 focus points. All controls are easy to find on outside of camera. You don't need video. The D700 is a workhorse. Mine has 150,000+ shutter count and still rolling. (Though i now use a D4 and Df as their low light ability is boss.)

I've seen the D600 and its like a hobby toy compared to a D700. Just hold them and compare. Im assuming the D610 is similar in size to the D600, etc.

 

[vipgraphx]

Get a D3000 with kit lens that seems to be ideal right now….



















The D700 has things that the D610 does not have and vice versa. They both are great cameras! It comes down to what fits your needs more..Are going to want to print huge prints? Do you need to shoot at a higher ISO? Do you want a fast frame rate camera better bracketing for HDR? I dunno maybe the D700 with extra lenses, but wait what lenses are we talking about here?

 

[jaomul]

It's as said above. The d700 was and still is a fine camera. The newer models seem improved in many ways. You (likely) would love the d700 but the saving may not be so big depending on the lenses supplied. Many dslr users have old lenses lying around that may or may not be of high quality. The vr lens might be newer but vr does not guarantee the lens is good, just that it is stabilised.

Will you miss movie mode? Do you regularly print large? Do you know the shutter count on the d700? They are rated to 150000 which many pros exceed. If you can do research on the lenses and they are good and the d700 is in good shape it is a hard camera to not recommend if your answer is no to the movie/print large questions. If you are unsure or the lenses are poor and just thrown in to bulk up the deal the newer d610 would be a safer bet. The 24-85 lens that you can get as a kit is supposedly very good.

 

[CaptainNapalm]

Hands down --D700. 51 focus points. All controls are easy to find on outside of camera. You don't need video. The D700 is a workhorse. Mine has 150,000+ shutter count and still rolling. (Though i now use a D4 and Df as their low light ability is boss.) I've seen the D600 and its like a hobby toy compared to a D700. Just hold them and compare. Im assuming the D610 is similar in size to the D600, etc.

You say hobby camera feel. Not everyone wants a tank for a camera, especially hobbyists such as OP. The D600 had double the resolution which to me is a huge bonus, improved low light performance and many other benefits that contribute to better picture quality. I have no complaints with my D600.

 

[drbondod]

Just kidding about the D4. You have to keep a happy family life. I shoot a D4 but use my D700 as a backup. Still love it and it is a very solid camera body. I like a heavy camera in my hands. Just feels right to me. Most of the successors to the D700 are lighter and just don't feel as solid. The D700 choice would not be a bad one for you.