D700 or D610 or ?

sk66 · Jan 25, 2014

Personally, I would buy a D700 over a D610 every time. But the lenses included will really determine how much of a deal it really is. Bodies decline in value very quickly regardless.

JTStrong · Jan 27, 2014

"Hands down --D700"

Eh, not so much. The end product, i.e., photograph, is "hands down" better on the D610. D700 was a great camera in it's day, and still is, but any of the current crop of full frame cameras produce better images. Of course, the best way to make a decision is by not only reading the tech specs, but also by handling the camera. I love my D610, but could have sprung for a D800. I decided against that camera, despite it's superior "pro" specs, simply because it felt bulky and ungainly in my hands. The D610 fit like a glove. How it feels is much more important than specs these days, because it's tough to buy a bad camera.

Good luck!

pondball · Jan 27, 2014

Hi everyone... Greetings from the newest member of the dslr family!

i took a look at all your advice, spent countless hours researching all cameras (yes, even those outside the nikon family), had numerous chats with family and friends (at least with those who had some knowledge of photography), and took into consideration both the sample shots and advice sent from a retired co-worker who has the same d700 and collection of lens...

And... Decided that the lower $$$ spent on the used d700 would allow me to get back into photography without breaking the bank, or home life, and still allow me to have a little extra left over to purchase another quality lens or piece of equipment when I determine what it is I will be craving next

When I got to see the camera and the lens I was elated that it looked brand new... In fact it had a count of only just over 1,800 on it. There wasn't a scratch or sign of any marring on it, the 3 lens, the SB800 flash, and even the camera bag he put everything into looked brand new. Basically it had been purchased for family photos, which they took, but they had never used it as much as they intended. It had been used often enough to keep the battery fully charged regularly and ensure nothing had seized up (if that was possible). The only thing he couldn't find was the English manual, but I had already downloaded it on my iPad and had been through the first 150 pages so that I wouldn't appear like a complete newb when I got there to check it out

since getting it home I've done a more thorough check on all the components (I spent about 30 minutes with him at his home going over as much as I could think of when I picked it up) and everything appeared to be as it should be...

early observations... Yes it is heavier than anticipated, but I can only compare it to the coolpix5700 and iPhone I've been using the last 5-10 years... And that's not really fair... It seems a little heavier than the old canon slr's with my tamron 70-210 I used to lug around, but I am assuming this is also due to the solid glass it is sporting. In future if I get to the point of wanting a second lighter body I can always do so then but in the meantime this one has me super excited!

A quick search for online d700 training found me 20 videos produced at the Scott Kelby studio explaining every detail of the workings of the d700... Hey, I might not need the manual after all!

Again, thanks everyone for your input... And I look forward to becoming a regular member of this forum very soon!

Derrel · Jan 27, 2014

Good to hear that you were able to "pull the trigger" and get yourself a d-slr outfit!!!! The SB 800 is a very solid, reliable flash unit, and 1,800 clicks is basically "a few weekends worth of shoots" for many people, so yeah...the thing is basically LIKE-NEW!!!!!!!!

pondball · Jan 27, 2014

That's what I thought too... 1800 seemed really low... And I thought the price was reasonable as well... I priced all the components (which I would have purchased separately at some time anyway) with prices based on what I could find in both the used and new market and it would have cost me about another $k to get what I got... And no other used d700 had this low a count

DNel928 · Jan 27, 2014

Wish I could find a good used D700 with that count on it! Congratz on the purchase!

shadowlands · Jan 29, 2014

Congrats on the D700!!!
I have the SB-800 also and I love it... I came from the SB-600, so it was a wise move for me.

ekonom · Jan 31, 2014

I prefer Nikon d610

boomer · Jan 31, 2014

You will love the D700! It is a tank! I have both cameras and honesty am more than happy with either of them. Ya, IQ is better on the D610, but it doesn't make or break a shot by any means IMO.

sashbar · Jan 31, 2014

I applaud your enthusiasm. To buy such a tank for a retirement hobby shows some passion

astroNikon · Jan 31, 2014

I had the same choice a few months ago ... a d700 v a refurb'd d600. I got the d600 though as they were the same price and I wanted the MP but it could have gone either way. If only the d700 was 16mp ....

congrats on your d700

vipgraphx · Jan 31, 2014

Congradts! The D700 is an awesome camera and IMO if you do not need the extra MP it will out perform the D600 in many ways even though it older.

pondball · Feb 3, 2014

LAst year at this time I suffered (out of the blue) a torn retina... had laser eye surgery (close to 300 blasts) on my right eye to try and keep it attached... guess I was lucky to keep sight in that eye... started as vertical lightning bolts in the right side of my eye, followed by some massive lava lamp like black floaters all over the eye... anyway... the lightning has (thankfully) gone away after a second shorter (70 blast) treatment... however I still have this squished daddy long legs floating around my right eye... so... where is this going?

I used to use my right eye all the time for viewing images through the viewfinder, and at first I thought maybe I had found something wrong with my new D700 as no matter how I focussed the diaopter (or whatever its called) it was still a little fuzzy!... not sure why but I decided to peek with my left eye... so... I've already fixed the only thing wrong with my D700... apparently it cannot cure floaters! it was crystal clear viewing with my left... it will take some getting used to but wow does it ever make a difference... wish the little arachnid would go away though... doc said 4 - 6 weeks... this one certainly has staying power...

so... 12 mp or 16 mp... I don't think it will make much difference to me... I can see all the features on the new camera (unlike the tiny stuff on my old CP5700)... picked up some good books and guides, downloaded some videos and am about to join a local camera club to see what's what...

havin' fun already