I just ordered the D700

I am shocked that I did this. Paul Furman suggested it and at first I
paid no attention. Then I started hearing about all my FX lenses and
all the museums in Paris that don't allow flashes and the new baby
girl (grandchild) on the way and I started to pay a lot more
attention. Then I saw Ken Rockwell's bear at 3200 ISO on the D700
and I was blown away by the sensor.

It is only costing me about a few hundred dollars more than I paid
for the D300 that I returned. $2367 for the camera body and an
Extreme III 8 GB Compact Flash Card. The D300 was 1799 +$140 for the
card or $1940 and my wife owes me a present so she's paying $300. That
is $2240 to $2367. Not bad for a little wait. However the fact that
I can avoid the DX lenses was worth it.

Questions: 1. Where can I get the D700 manual while I wait for the
camera?

2. Can I use the SB28 (not the digital one) in a
TTL mode with the D700

3. Where can I get rid of the F5 I own?

For those of you who think I am a snap shooter, you're right but who
cares. This might be the last camera I buy and I want to take some
pictures that will last.

"Alan" wrote in message
...
I am shocked that I did this. Paul Furman suggested it and at first I
paid no attention. Then I started hearing about all my FX lenses and
all the museums in Paris that don't allow flashes and the new baby
girl (grandchild) on the way and I started to pay a lot more
attention. Then I saw Ken Rockwell's bear at 3200 ISO on the D700
and I was blown away by the sensor.

It is only costing me about a few hundred dollars more than I paid
for the D300 that I returned. $2367 for the camera body and an
Extreme III 8 GB Compact Flash Card. The D300 was 1799 +$140 for the
card or $1940 and my wife owes me a present so she's paying $300. That
is $2240 to $2367. Not bad for a little wait. However the fact that
I can avoid the DX lenses was worth it.

Questions: 1. Where can I get the D700 manual while I wait for the
camera?

2. Can I use the SB28 (not the digital one) in a
TTL mode with the D700

3. Where can I get rid of the F5 I own?

For those of you who think I am a snap shooter, you're right but who
cares. This might be the last camera I buy and I want to take some
pictures that will last.
q1: NikonUSA.com. They may require a body serial number though.
q2: Answered in the manual. Probably yes - my D70 and D90 can use an SB27.
q3: Ebay

My comment about "the last camera I will buy" is "you will get the upgrade
itch whenever Nikon releases a replacement for the D700 that has the big
sensor".
Jim

In article ,
"Jim" wrote:

"Alan" wrote in message
...
I am shocked that I did this. Paul Furman suggested it and at first I
paid no attention. Then I started hearing about all my FX lenses and
all the museums in Paris that don't allow flashes and the new baby
girl (grandchild) on the way and I started to pay a lot more
attention. Then I saw Ken Rockwell's bear at 3200 ISO on the D700
and I was blown away by the sensor.

It is only costing me about a few hundred dollars more than I paid
for the D300 that I returned. $2367 for the camera body and an
Extreme III 8 GB Compact Flash Card. The D300 was 1799 +$140 for the
card or $1940 and my wife owes me a present so she's paying $300. That
is $2240 to $2367. Not bad for a little wait. However the fact that
I can avoid the DX lenses was worth it.

Questions: 1. Where can I get the D700 manual while I wait for the
camera?

2. Can I use the SB28 (not the digital one) in a
TTL mode with the D700

3. Where can I get rid of the F5 I own?

For those of you who think I am a snap shooter, you're right but who
cares. This might be the last camera I buy and I want to take some
pictures that will last.
q1: NikonUSA.com. They may require a body serial number though.
q2: Answered in the manual. Probably yes - my D70 and D90 can use an SB27.
q3: Ebay

My comment about "the last camera I will buy" is "you will get the upgrade
itch whenever Nikon releases a replacement for the D700 that has the big
sensor".
Jim

That last depends a lot on context. I do not see replacing my D700 with
a D700x that would be to it what the D3x is to the D3. I don't yet see
any context that would make me unhappy enough with the D700 to "upgrade"
to whatever comes along, for at least 5+ years. Maybe more.

As to the manual, if Alan is willing to shell out a bit more, I suggest
getting Thom Hogan's _Guide_; well worth it in my opinion.

On 6/29/09 21:04 , Alan wrote:
I am shocked that I did this. Paul Furman suggested it and at first I
paid no attention. Then I started hearing about all my FX lenses and
all the museums in Paris that don't allow flashes and the new baby
girl (grandchild) on the way and I started to pay a lot more
attention. Then I saw Ken Rockwell's bear at 3200 ISO on the D700
and I was blown away by the sensor.


It's an impressive camera. You'll love it. Congratulations.

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:04:48 -0400, Alan wrote:

I am shocked that I did this. Paul Furman suggested it and at first I
paid no attention. Then I started hearing about all my FX lenses and
all the museums in Paris that don't allow flashes and the new baby
girl (grandchild) on the way and I started to pay a lot more
attention. Then I saw Ken Rockwell's bear at 3200 ISO on the D700
and I was blown away by the sensor.

So Ken finally put down his film cameras? Yep, I've seen many
very nice images from the D700 that were shot at ISO 1600 and 3200.


It is only costing me about a few hundred dollars more than I paid
for the D300 that I returned. $2367 for the camera body and an
Extreme III 8 GB Compact Flash Card. The D300 was 1799 +$140 for the
card or $1940 and my wife owes me a present so she's paying $300. That
is $2240 to $2367. Not bad for a little wait. However the fact that
I can avoid the DX lenses was worth it.

That's a good price, about what it was before Nikon's Feb. price
increases. B&H's current price is $2,700, which includes a $300
instant rebate. I think their price was a bit under $2,300 in
January. I'm not clear on the $300 present. Does it mean that
you'll end up paying $2,067 for the D700, or will it cost $2,367
after reducing the D700's price from $2,667?


Questions: 1. Where can I get the D700 manual while I wait for the
camera?

You can download most of Nikon's manuals here. Anyone can
download a non-printable D700 manual, but the printable manual
requires that you first register a Nikon product with its serial
number (which doesn't have to be that of the D700). I think that
another difference between the two is that the printable ones also
allow text to be copied from the PDF manual.

http://support.nikontech.com/app/ans...ail/a_id/13948


2. Can I use the SB28 (not the digital one) in a
TTL mode with the D700

According to page 381 of the D700's manual, the only compatible
with the SB-28 in these modes: A (Non-TTL Auto), M (Manual),
Repeating Flash and REAR (Rear-curtain sync).


3. Where can I get rid of the F5 I own?

I'll dispose of it for you. Well, around here (NYC) B&H,
Adorama are the main used camera dealers. Keh also has a good
reputation.


For those of you who think I am a snap shooter, you're right but who
cares. This might be the last camera I buy and I want to take some
pictures that will last.

It doesn't matter to me and it obviously doesn't matter to Rita
The Thong, whose tens of thousands of dollars worth of Nikon gear
has never been used for anything but quick snapshots.

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:04:48 -0400, Alan wrote:
: I am shocked that I did this. Paul Furman suggested it and at first I
: paid no attention. Then I started hearing about all my FX lenses and
: all the museums in Paris that don't allow flashes and the new baby
: girl (grandchild) on the way and I started to pay a lot more
: attention. Then I saw Ken Rockwell's bear at 3200 ISO on the D700
: and I was blown away by the sensor.

chuckle!

: It is only costing me about a few hundred dollars more than I paid
: for the D300 that I returned. $2367 for the camera body and an
: Extreme III 8 GB Compact Flash Card. The D300 was 1799 +$140 for the
: card or $1940 and my wife owes me a present so she's paying $300. That
: is $2240 to $2367. Not bad for a little wait. However the fact that
: I can avoid the DX lenses was worth it.

I'm gonna save this. It's probably the most tortured rationalization I ever
read. ;^) The only thing that even comes close is when I was 25 years old and
talked myself into buying a Porsche. (They cost a lot less then, but I still
spent a lonnnnng time paying for it!)

: Questions: 1. Where can I get the D700 manual while I wait for the
: camera?

Who can say? But I can tell you this: If it were a Canon, you'd just sashay
over to their Web site and download the manual. No questions asked. (And they
also give you their good photo editor free with any DSLR; I'm led to believe
that Nikon doesn't.)

: 2. Can I use the SB28 (not the digital one) in a
: TTL mode with the D700
:
: 3. Where can I get rid of the F5 I own?

I scoff at your predicament, sir. I still own an F2!

: For those of you who think I am a snap shooter, you're right but who
: cares. This might be the last camera I buy and I want to take some
: pictures that will last.

You don't have to convince us. And you already told us your wife owes you a
present.

Bob

On 06/29/09 21:04, Alan wrote:
I am shocked that I did this. Paul Furman suggested it and at first I
paid no attention. Then I started hearing about all my FX lenses and
all the museums in Paris that don't allow flashes and the new baby
girl (grandchild) on the way and I started to pay a lot more
attention. Then I saw Ken Rockwell's bear at 3200 ISO on the D700
and I was blown away by the sensor.

It is only costing me about a few hundred dollars more than I paid
for the D300 that I returned. $2367 for the camera body and an
Extreme III 8 GB Compact Flash Card. The D300 was 1799 +$140 for the
card or $1940 and my wife owes me a present so she's paying $300. That
is $2240 to $2367. Not bad for a little wait. However the fact that
I can avoid the DX lenses was worth it.



When I moved to a full frame, I seriously considerd D3. I shoot a
lot of aerials, and at 400kts, things happen quickly. The D3 burst
rate was very attractive.

That said, I found that the burst rate of D3 didn't justify the
added cost. I generally don't work in wet weather, either, or shoot
during sandstorms. The weather sealing of D3 wasn't too much of a
consideration, and during quickly developing situations, the
built-in flash was a feature I didn't want to give up. So D700 it was.

And I love it.

Now, I, too, was shooting a D300. And looked at trading it in
when I moved to full frame. But two things came to mind. With non-DX
glass, like the 70-200 f2.8 VR, on D300, I've got that extra reach I
need for aerials that it would take a teleconverter to make, MINUS
the 1 f-stop of light loss. And when I'm shooting fast on location,
I carry two bodies anyway. So I've got one long, one wide. D700 gets
me wide, D300 gets me long, both get me the same resolution. And if
I plan well, noise is never an issue. And I only need one set of
lenses. In the long vision, I've got 12 possible combinations with
only 6 lenses. A lighter bag, and about half the expense.

Worth considering, if you do serious shooting.

And not all DX glass is worth avoiding. Nikkor has released some
exceptional DX items in recent months that hold their own against
the best non-DX glass. And for many situations, like landscapes, you
don't need high dollar fast glass.

Adams shot some of his best work at f22.

You only need GOOD glass.

Even if you are only a snapshooter, you'll find that superior
hardware breeds superior ability. And superior ability breeds
superior ambition. You may be a snapshooter now. But that doesn't
speak for tomorrow.


Good choice on D700. Enjoy it.


p

Alan wrote:
This might be the last camera I buy and I want to take some
pictures that will last.

Enjoy!

--
Paul Furman
www.edgehill.net
www.baynatives.com

all google groups messages filtered due to spam

Jim,

I think for someone like me, a baby boomer, any future expenditures
would be better in the lens area than getting another camera, unless
things really change so drastically. However, the learning curve with
digital is so drastically different than it is with film that you
never know where things will take you. Learning with film is like
learning Algebra from my very sweet old 8th grade teacher who was so
boring I never learned how to solve quadratic equations.

You need 100 times more dedication because the results are not
instantaneous. When my son as taking Sequetial Math and he couldn't
understand quadratics either and he needed my help despite the tutors
he had. It is amazing how easily I learned to solve quadratic
equations, as an adult, so that I could teach it to him. And he
learned it well.

However, he took a test on quadratics and reversed the signs on two of
the 4 problems on the test. His teacher gave him no credit for
solving these long equations and he got a 50. I am not going to tell
you what happened afterwards with me and that teacher and that math
department who tried to destroy a kid who was getting 10s and 15s on
tests and with no help from them learned all this stuff well enough to
get an 84 on his math regents exam. His self esteem was flying when
he went into the test after I threw out his alleged math tutors and
tutored him myself, to the chagrin of my ex. That totally
unproductive rejection my son felt when he saw the 50 was the same
rejection I would feel when I got back a few rolls of film only to
find out something went wrong. With digital, you know right away and
it is all under your own control. If you really want it, you will fix
it and learn. Imagine how great learning would be if, as you we're
taking an interactive math test and as you made an error, the computer
would stop you and tell and explain to you what you did wrong.

Alan



On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:19:55 -0500, "Jim" wrote:


"Alan" wrote in message
.. .
I am shocked that I did this. Paul Furman suggested it and at first I
paid no attention. Then I started hearing about all my FX lenses and
all the museums in Paris that don't allow flashes and the new baby
girl (grandchild) on the way and I started to pay a lot more
attention. Then I saw Ken Rockwell's bear at 3200 ISO on the D700
and I was blown away by the sensor.

It is only costing me about a few hundred dollars more than I paid
for the D300 that I returned. $2367 for the camera body and an
Extreme III 8 GB Compact Flash Card. The D300 was 1799 +$140 for the
card or $1940 and my wife owes me a present so she's paying $300. That
is $2240 to $2367. Not bad for a little wait. However the fact that
I can avoid the DX lenses was worth it.

Questions: 1. Where can I get the D700 manual while I wait for the
camera?

2. Can I use the SB28 (not the digital one) in a
TTL mode with the D700

3. Where can I get rid of the F5 I own?

For those of you who think I am a snap shooter, you're right but who
cares. This might be the last camera I buy and I want to take some
pictures that will last.
q1: NikonUSA.com. They may require a body serial number though.
q2: Answered in the manual. Probably yes - my D70 and D90 can use an SB27.
q3: Ebay

My comment about "the last camera I will buy" is "you will get the upgrade
itch whenever Nikon releases a replacement for the D700 that has the big
sensor".
Jim

Michael, Thanks for the recomend. I just ordered it but I think it
will take a little while to get here. I like the fact that it is in
pdf format so that I can take the manual with me wherever I go.

Alan

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:35:53 -0700, Michael Siemon
wrote:

Thom Hogan's _Guide