Since the dawn of mankind, Nikon cameras have been equipped with a so called preview button. The image below shows the preview button of the D750, but I find a similar one on my old F100!
The preview button (PV) on my trusty Nikon D750The preview button (PV) on my trusty Nikon D4
Sadly, on the Nikon Z6ii that button is gone! Yep, it is no more. Replaced by two programable buttons instead.
The two programmable function buttons on the front of the Nikon Z6ii.
But luckily it is possible to assign the function of preview to a range of buttons using the settings menu. I assigned it to the joystick when pushed, but you can assign it in many different ways.
Preview button assigned to the joystick (when pushed).
The good question is of course if you no longer need this button? Is it a appendix from way back when todays grumpy old men were happy kids playing football in the yard? The boring answer is: it depends. Let me explain.
In order for the camera to receive sufficiently light to do all the complicated readings, calculations etc. associated with especially focusing, there are limits to how narrow the aperture can be. As you probably know, if you take a lens and close it down to say f/11 or even higher, it is a very small hole the aperture blades leaves to let light in. So what does your camera do? It cheats a bit. It keeps the aperture unchanged when you turn the front command dial, and waits to adjust the aperture blades until you hit the shutter. At that exact moment it moves the blades to the desired position (say f/11) takes the picture and moved the blades back out. So what you see is not what you get if you shoot with narrow apertures (above f/5.6).
The camera has no problems opening up wide, say to f/2.8 and adjusting the blades to let in a lot of light. You can see here that the blades are in the “correct” position at f/2.8 here.
Between f/1.8 and /f/5.6 the blades and the camera settings are aligned.
But when you close down the aperture to say f/11, the camera secures a minimum of light inflow by stopping the blades at f/5.6 – so when you turn the front command wheel beyond f/5.6 the blades are not moved. The “hole” in the lens remains the same.
You cannot tell that the camera setting here is f/11 as the lens is not stopped down beyond f/5.6
So from f/5.6 and upwards, what you see in the viewfinder and what the camera captures are drifting apart. More and more as you stop down.
The purpose of the preview button is to temporarily bring alignment between the camera aperture and the position of the blades in the lens. And as you have probably guessed, pushing the preview button will potentially dramatically change the depth of field.
The preview effect
The extremely poor image below shows my office captured through the electronic viewfinder. I am at f/16 camera setting wise, but the lens is at f/5.6.
Preview not pushed.
When I then push the preview button, other than the grid disappearing, the lens now moves the blades from f/5.6 to f/16 (the ISO goes ballistic as I am shooting this at night during winter, but please ignore that).
Preview button pushed.
Although the image is horrible, the legs on the chair shows the difference: Due to the increased depth of field, the red focus peaking highlights now show on the legs much more than in the first image. You will also notice the same bottom left on the computer screen.
To preview or not to preview
As a landscape photographer, I use preview a lot. I need to see that as much as possible of the landscape is in focus (I am not a fan of hyperfocal distance calculations); and the preview with focus peaking highlights is the only way to do so when shooting at small apertures.
If you seldom shoot beyond f/5.6 or the depth of field is not that important to your style of shooting, then I think you can have a great photography life without the preview function. And enjoy that what-you-see-is-what-you-get really is what-you-see-is-what-you-get.
In this post I take you through some of the observations I have made during my first weeks of shooting with the Z6ii. I come from a long line of DSLRs including the Nikon D700, D750 and the D4 – all of which are still with me, so of course many of the things I observe are relative to these cameras. I only use the Z6 for photography, so I do not go into video shooting in this post.
Build quality
There is a lot of plastic in use when it comes to the Z6ii and you can get worried by that fact alone. Also, the camera is built in Thailand, and not good old solid Japan that we were used to, at least with some of the DSLRs back in the days. But I am happy to say that it to me feels and looks like a very solid built camera.
I don’t miss any metal anywhere. Command wheel and joystick works as it should, the same applies to the buttons on the rear of the camera. The rear LCD flips out without feeling wobbly and the rubber on the grip also leaves a good impression.
The only buttons that I don’t really like are the ones on the front right (FN1 and FN2) – I will return to these. You have to push them quite deep to activate them and they are a bit wobbly – like the manual gear shifter in a French car. But overall a very convincing first impression.
Deep hand grip
One of the first things I notice when I grab a camera is the camera body grip. I have fairly big hands, and if the grip is not deep, then this alone can be a reason to ditch the camera! Yes, I walk the talk: I sold the Fuji X-T3 because the ergonomics simply did not work for me. We are deep into personal preference territory here, but ergonomics is vital for me and I find that I simply leave a camera at home if the overall ergonomics do not work for me.
Buttons and dials concentrated on the right hand size of the Nikon Z6ii.
As I am a Nikonian, I am happy to report that the grip is plenty deep and gives me lots of real estate to hold the camera comfortably for extended periods of time. Phew – glad Nikon passed that showstopper with flying colors!
The button layout around the shutter release button is classic with both ISO, exposure compensation and a video record button. I am glad that ISO got its own button, so you can control the exposure triangle with buttons sitting on the top of the camera – that allows me to keep my eye in the viewfinder while adjusting the exposure settings at the same time. Brilliant.
Top LCD
When I first unboxed the camera, the top LCD was one of the first things that struck me as a surprise: It is much smaller than what I had expected.
The top LCD is much smaller than what I expected
I think it is because I put the size of the LCD relative to the size of the Z6ii, but forgot that the Z6ii is a more compact camera than what I am used to – it takes up significantly less space than say my trusty Nikon D750.
Top down of the Z6ii to the left and the D750 to the right.
I have never considered the D750 to be a big camera, rather it is small when compared to say the D4. Yet, next to the Z6ii, it appears much bigger, both because of the built in flash and the room needed for the mirror just behind the lens mount. So the Z6ii truly is a more compact camera, and knowing this, I am even more happy to say that despite all this compactness, Nikon has managed to give us a good grip.
It feels different than a DSLR. The best way to describe it is if you have ever played guitar and moved from an acoustic guitar to an electric guitar . The Z6ii takes up less space, has less real estate and everything feels more compact (i.e. there is less room for your fingers).
So how is the top LCD? Excellent! It really is easy to read, also when shooting at night. But I really do miss my back lit buttons from the D4, so although the top LCD is easy to read, it is not always easy to find the buttons in the dark!
Buttons front right
The buttons front right don’t work for me. They are big and as such OK, but the position of the top one is so that I on a regular basis push this button without wanting to do so (brings up the white balance menu!). There is simply too little space between the hand grip and the top button for my fat fingers.
Nice big buttons by the look of it…
My second issue with these buttons is the feel. As you can see they are rather square and not round like in the good old days. I checked, and the equivalent buttons on my D4, D750 and D700 are round. The buttons on the Z6ii feels like I slightly cut my fingers on the buttons – or at least that they are simply not made for human beings. Do I dare say that it is the same feeling I get when operating the buttons on my Sony A7Rii? As you have probably guessed, I am not a big fan of these buttons.
Battery grip
One of the big changes from the Z6 to the Z6ii is the addition of contacts for the battery grip. The Z6 could take a battery grip, but there were no controls on the MB-N10 battery grip. That has now changed with the Z6ii and the updated grip MB-N11.
Contacts visible at the bottom of the battery compartment.
If you shoot a lot in portrait mode, then this is really good news and a vital update to the ergonomics. Many reviewers expressed very clearly their discontent with the lack of a battery grip with controls on the first version of the Z6, and the Z6ii clearly shows that Nikon has taken the feedback seriously and updated the camera accordingly.
USB-C charging
I am a big fan of industry standards, and hence I am a big fan of USB-C. I have so many chargers and battery types that it simply drives me nuts. Therefore I was so glad to see that Nikon with the Z6 added in camera charging. But it only works with the camera off, which will annoy some video shooters. Not me though, I am a happy camper: I can charge the camera on the go with my power bank. Wonderful!
Charging via USB-C.
Rear LCD and viewfinder
The rear LCD only flips up and down. I think most photographers are happy with this solution and won’t miss a fully articulating LCD. Only if you are a videographer I think you may sometimes miss this feature.
Not articulating. Just flipping.
The screen is a pleasure to use. It is touch sensitive, and coming from an iPhone 12 I don’t miss any speed when I pinch, zoom, swipe and scroll through menu systems. It seems very responsive to me. I have not yet tested the LCD in bright sunlight – it is wintertime and here in Denmark we don’t see to much bright sunlight this time of year. But like most other LCD’s, I expect it to struggle in bright sunlight.
Relative to the mirrorless systems I have tried from Fuji and Sony, I’d say that the viewfinder is the best I have tried. Especially shooting at night, I find the viewfinder gives a very realistic image to work with. And the wonderful thing about the electronic viewfinder is that all the good stuff you are used to when shooting in Live View on a DSLR is available in the viewfinder now, e.g.:
Preview of the image exposure when shooting in manual mode (turns dark when under exposed)
Focus peaking highlights when focusing manually
A real time updated histogram
Ability to zoom in when focusing manually
Focus mode button gone!
On all my Nikon cameras, you will front left find a focus selector button. The design varies, but the basic function of that button is to switch between auto focus and manual focus, but moving the little pin driven by the AF motor in and out of the camera body. The secondary function is to select the focus mode and the focus area. This button is gone now – take a look below:
No focus mode button in sight!
I think it makes sense not to have that button in the sense that there is no AF motor built into the Nikon Z6ii, nor the FTZ adapter, and hence the need to switch the motor in the body on and off is gone. However, the ability to change focus area and mode while keeping your eye in the viewfinder was a very pleasant side effect of that little button.
Hitting the (i) below the joystick brings up the menu where both focus mode and focus area can be selected. The FN2 button is default set-up to give access to the same items.
One way of changing focus mode is to hit the (i) button on the rear of the camera, and move the cursor to the rightmost options that gives access to the focus area and focus mode. In the image above the yellow cursor is over “MF” for manual focus, and just above that sits the focus area menu item. This is the cumbersome way. Alternatively you can hit the FN2 button, that works as the focus mode button did in the old days: you change the focus mode and focus area by turning the front and rear command dials.
When I shoot, my left hand holds the camera in the area of the now removed focus button used to be. Therefore it is super natural and easy for me to push that button with my left hand, and operate the front and rear command dials with my right hand. What I now have to do is to push FN2 with my right hand and then at the same time with my right hand operate the front and rear command dials. This feels awkward to me. It is as if Nikon has designed the camera to be right-hand operated only.
The button layout on the rear of the camera seems to confirm my suspicion – the most buttons are located to the right.
The right hand side is filled with buttons, whereas the left hand side only holds the delete and play button. The latter two for post processing.
Another button that is gone, front right on the camera, is the depth of field preview button. I never use it to be quite honest, but you may, and then you will miss it. You should see the correct out of focus areas for wider apertures, but as soon as you stop down to and above f/5.6, then you won’t. Again, strange that Nikon removed this button if you ask me.
A third button that is no more is the bracketing button. It is on the left side of my D750 and on the top of my D4. Again, it seems that Nikon has really cleaned up most buttons to the left hand side.
Format shortcut gone!
I was really surprised that I could not find 2 red “format” signs on the Z6ii. That normally signals that if you push these two buttons for a few seconds and then re-confirm when the LCD flashes “format”, then the memory card is formatted. Super convenient. I use it very often.
Ok, it is not the end of the world – I have set-up the “my menu” so that the first item is formatting the memory card. But it is not as fast as the button based shortcut on my DSLRs unfortunately.
Formatting the memory card via the menu system.
Zooming is wonderful, but…
One of the great features of a mirrorless is when you shoot with manual focus, you can zoom in, both in the electronic viewfinder and the rear LCD. The latter you have probably tried in Live View on a DSLR, but the new thing is to be able to zoom in with your eye in the viewfinder. Great!
So how do you zoom in? Well, you use the zoom buttons located next to the rear LCD, at the very bottom of the rear of the camera:
Zooming in and out is done using the + and – button on the rear of the camera. You have to move your thumb quite a distance to use these buttons.
Now, I don’t know how you work your camera, but my thumb always sits and either pushes the AF-ON button (back button focus) or operates the joystick just below it. In other words, my thumb is at the top of the camera. The zoom in and out buttons are at the very bottom.
Maybe practice will make me better, but I find it very hard to find the + and – buttons when I at the same time look in the viewfinder. I could of course re-program say the joystick so that hitting it in the center would be the same as zooming in, the only problem is that I cannot find zoom as an option. So I am stuck with these little buttons at the bottom of the camera.
Now, the world does not end because if this. But it is super annoying when you for the 30th time that day hit the menu button in attempt to find the + button while zooming to get the manual focus just right. The camera design clearly works against me, and not with me.
Summary
Thank you for making it this far, either reading or scrolling through my nerdy observations above. Bottom line here is that all the vitals are approved: the build quality, the deep hand grip, the electronic viewfinder, the rear LCD and the overall look and feel of the camera. Add to that, that the camera charges via USB-C and that a battery grip with controls is available, and the ergonomics of this camera looks like a winner.
However, there are a few things that annoys me. I am not a big fan of the “right hand operation” philosophy that is behind the button layout, nor the removal of buttons and shortcut combinations. The effect of these changes it that I cannot work as fast on the Z6ii as I can on my DSLRs. And what strikes me as even more odd is that all the buttons and shortcuts I have talked about above, as far as I can tell, are still there on the Z9. I hope future versions of the Z6ii will bring back some of the buttons and shortcuts. Please Nikon, please.
When the Z6ii came out, the world of reviewers agreed that the Z6ii was basically a Z6 with an additional processor and an additional memory slot. Probably because the cameras on the outside are almost similar. In other words, the Z6ii is not a major upgrade from the Nikon Z6, that many considered to be Nikons not-too-impressive entry into the mirrorless world. But Nikon gained some credit for actually listening to the critique raised towards the Z6, but still the Z6ii was positioned by many as a mild update of the Z6.
Nikon Z6ii with the Nikkor 50mm 1.8G lens (and the FTZ adapter in between)
I could not disagree more. I will go to the other extreme and say that the Nikon Z6ii is at a whole new league relative to the Z6. The heart of my argument is the extra EXPEED processor that Nikon added to the Z6ii. If you think about it: Why did Nikon add an additional processor? Was it just to make the spec list look better or is there a bigger picture behind this move? In a world that lacks semiconductors (November 2021), would it not be strange that Nikon added an additional CPU to their camera unless there was a compelling reason?
What many don’t realize is that a camera today is more a computer than anything else. Computing power matters. Especially when we are talking computations needed for auto focus with eye detect etc., but also for FPS and clearing the buffer of images fast. Future software logic enhancements and firmware updates may need to have some headroom CPU wise to enable new functionality or better AF to be implemented – say if some of the Z9 AF capabilities were to be trickled down to the Z6ii or Z7ii.
Is the Z6 sufficient in some cases?
November 2021 I found the Z6 over at B&H for 1600 USD and the Z6ii for 2000 USD. That is a 25% price difference, and of course you need to make sure that the added functionality of the Z6ii is worth the extra money. The Z6ii has the same sensor, same buttons and dials, same viewfinder and same rear LCD, so other than the additional card slot, more advanced AF software and more computing power, many of the hardware items that go into making the Z6 and the Z6ii are exactly the same.
I would imagine that:
if you do not to much photography where AF functionality is important,
you are not a(n event) shooter where dual card slots is vital and
you do not shoot much in low light
then the original Z6 could be sufficient for you. But I ask you to consider this carefully, as I doubt that for example future firmware updates related to AF will be done for the Z6 due to lack of computing power.
More computing power in the Z6ii
You can see from the spec list how much more computing power the Z6ii has relative to the Z6, for example:
Camera buffer 124 RAW images (vs 35 before)
Massively improved AF system
14 fps (12 fps)
Video 4K at 60fps (30fps before)
The AF system is a major step forward, and I don’t think we will see the Z6ii improvements later implemented in the Z6, simply because the Z6 does not have computing power needed. And this brings me to anther point: future improvements to firmware that require significant amounts of computing power may be possible to implement on the Z6ii, whereas the Z6 probably will have to pass. And the hardware is locked when the camera leaves the factory; you cannot add an additional CPU to the Z6 unfortunately.
The computing performance not only shows in the specs, but also in every interaction you have with the camera. I noticed this when I had both a Fuji X-T20 and a Fuji X-T3. The latter is so much faster, so much responsive and does what you ask it to do with no hesitance or delay. The X-T20 on the other hand has almost a life of its own – actually, I can turn it on, wait 1/2 a second and turn it off again and nothing happens! The camera is so slow booting that it does not find out that I momentarily had the camera turned on!
More improvements
Other than the above improvements, the Z6ii has other improvements that I believe are less related to the CPU power:
Time lapses up 15 minutes (30 seconds before)
Stronger EN-EL15c batteries (340 shots vs 315)
Charging in camera
Firmware update via Snapbridge
Connectors for the battery grip MB-N11 with controls
1 stop better low light AF sensitivity
Of course, if none or the above is important to you, and you really don’t need strong AF performance, 4K 60fps or a big buffer, then you may find that the Z6 is sufficient for you, and your wallet will thank you (unless you spend the savings on lenses or the like) as Nikon dropped the price on the Z6 when the Z6ii came out.
But my guess is that most will welcome the enhancements that the Z6ii offers over the Z6. But we are in personal preference territory here, so I leave it up to you. My hope with this post is that you gained some insight to the Z6ii improvements and see that there is more to the upgrade than a CPU and a card slot.
The Fuji X-T20 is far from the latest and greatest from Fuji – the X-T30 was released in 2019, two years after the release of the X-T20. So firmware updates apart, the X-T20 is approaching it’s 5 year birthday, and in the world of technology that is simply forever! And with the X-T40 rumored for 2022, the X-T20 falls even further behind relative to the latest and greatest, not to mention the big brothers, the X-T3 and the X-T4. And that is probably also why Fuji has stopped the production of the X-T20.
So why bother with the X-T20? Well, I have 2 principles when I buy gear: I try not to buy the latest model, and I if I can, I try to get a (slightly) used copy. It’s all about budget and price/performance ratio.
Camera manufacturers will exaggerate improvements from one version to another and make it look like a revolution that will change your photography capabilities dramatically and take you to a new level. However, this is seldom the case. Camera technology evolves in fine steps, and true ground breaking cameras are seldom, more often it is minor steps like:
a bit more frames per second,
better resolution in the electronic viewfinder
slightly improved ISO performance
improved battery life
60/120 frames per second in video to replace 30/60 frames per second, etc.
But I get it – the camera industry makes a living selling new cameras. If you buy a used copy of the X-T20 over at mpb.com then Fuji makes no money from that transaction. So of course they will market the marginal improvements as giant steps, and for many professionals these minor improvements can save time and workflow, and as the saying goes: time is money, so buying the latest camera model makes a lot of sense for hard working professionals.
The Fujifilm X-T20 close up. Here in the silver version, it also comes in black.
Here in September 2021 I found a used copy of the X-T20 over at mpb.com for around 450 EUR. Compare that to a new X-T30 that Amazon.de sells for around 900 EUR. Both prices are body only. I hope that my point about (1) buying used and (2) not the latest model, makes sense now.
Why I love this little camera…
To me the Fuji X-T20 is an excellent combination of weight, size and image quality. It often competes with my Sony RX100 when I have to decide which camera to throw in my camera bag.
The Fuji is larger and more heavy than the Sony, but still small and light (830 grams body only) and it does not bother me too much when biking or hiking. If you can, see if you can get the body in combination with a kit lens, say the 18-55 mm (27-82mm full frame equivalent), and you have a really good lightweight solution. The Fuji X-T20 is a cropped sensor camera (APS-C) and I find the lenses to be really light and compact relative to full frame.
The XF 18-55mm zoom lens is an excellent first lens for the X-T20
The image quality (IQ) is really good and I find that the RAW files are of excellent quality. The 24MP sensor gives more than enough resolution. Only if you want to crop a lot, you may lack resolution, but for most 24MP is more than plenty. My trusty old Nikon D700 has 12MP and that works fine as well, just to give a reference point.
The APS-C sensor struggles in low light however – this is not a Fuji specific observation. I have had the same issue with Nikon D5600 and D7500 that are also cropped sensor cameras. For low light photography I prefer full frame and even though modern sensors can successfully crank up the ISO to compensate for lack of light to a large extend, then full frame will always come out on top. So for low light, I would not use APS-C cameras. But for just about any other situation, I find the IQ is great!
Comparing the files that comes out of the X-T20 with the ones from the X-T3, I must admit that I cannot see the difference! I think this is more a tribute to the X-T20 than it is criticism of the X-T3, as the files look great! So in terms of IQ the little X-T20 gets top score from me!
If you really want to see the RAW files shine, then give Capture One a try. I normally use Lightroom as I find the file management to be the best, but Capture One has an edge when we are talking Fuji. Some of the images – not all, but some – turn out a sharpness and contrast that I have never seen in Lightroom. I even tried to import an image in both Lightroom and Capture One, and the difference was astonishing. So if you go for Fuji, I will strongly recommend you give Capture One a try as your post editing software. Mind you however, that it is not in all images I have noticed this difference.
The ergonomics of this little camera is not fantastic, but OK. It helps a lot that it is light and small and I like it so much more than the big brother X-T3 that I found way too heavy for my liking. The X-T20 is a 3-finger-camera and you don’t need to have all of your hand engaged to feel you have control of it.
I have added a grip to the camera to improve ergonomics.
However, in order to improve the ergonomics just a bit and give me more to hold on to, I have added a grip. I also, maybe more as a gimmick, added a little red metal button on top of the camera to make it easier to switch on/off + release the shutter. It is not a must have, but a small improvement, that once you get used to it, you don’t want to go back.
Fuji is notorious for it buttons and dials that shows you the settings directly rather than some value in an LCD. I think this works fine, but also feel that this small difference from a more traditional camera is often exaggerated to a level where I think: “Hey, take it easy, it’s just a camera…”.
Shutter speed dial to the left, exposure compensation to the right.
Contrary to Sony, the menu systems are logical and well organized. And especially the quick access menu that enables you to get to some of the most frequently used parameters really works well
The Q-button over the command wheel to the right gives access to the quick menu.
Things that could be better…
Relative to the X-T3 that I have owned and sold again, the buttons and dials of the X-T20 are not as rock solid in build quality. That is what is to be expected as the X-T20 is the little brother, but going back and forth between the two, you will notice a difference. Also, the X-T20 clearly has less computing power, and to boot the camera you will notice that the X-T20 is significantly slower here. Not a big thing when you get used to it, but if these things are important to you, then you may want to look at the X-T3 or X-T4.
The rear LCD is not fully articulating…
The LCD is not fully articulating, and if you plan to use this camera for Vlogging, this could be a showstopper. Mind you that the X-T30 albeit more resolution, also does not have a fully articulating screen.
I have never missed anything when it comes to the X-T20 and auto focus. With 325 focus points I find that is more than enough for my use, but mind you that I shoot more landscapes than portraits, and for portraits eye and face recognition is vital to secure you come home with razor sharp images solely. Also, for sports and things moving fast, I would imagine the AF system in the X-T20 would struggle as the computing power is on the low end relative to more modern cameras. They do put more and more computing power into cameras these days, and the firmware updates make sure to improve the AF capabilities and use the hardware to full extend, so this is probably an area where the X-T20 will feel dated if you compare to a more modern camera.
The viewfinder is not the best I have tried – relative to the X-T3 it leaves a lot to be desired. But you will be surprised what you can get used to. And it does get the job done, but clearly the viewfinder could be better. I suspect that Fuji deliberately makes the X-T4 viewfinder so much better to give a distinct differentiation towards the X-T20 and X-T30 (+ II), but I have no evidence to back this claim.
Being the budget version of its big brother the X-T2, there is of course a number of things that you miss when using the X-T20:
The single card slot
The lack of weather sealing
The lack of a battery grip as an option
The lack of a joystick to move the focus point
Etc
But I have learned to live with these setbacks just fine. Bring an extra battery as they run down fast, wrap the camera in a plastic bag in harsh weather, use the rear LCD to move the focus point around, etc. Of course it would be ideal to have all this solved using the X-T2 or X-T3, but I am surprised how easy I find it to live without these features.
For video, I have used the X-T20 a lot, and for its age it is impressive that it gives 4K video, albeit not at the crazy high frames per second rates that are in fashion these days. I did at some point experience that the recording of image and sound got out of sync, and as I could not figure out what was wrong, I ended up not using the X-T20 for video. Also, the fact that the LCD is not fully articulating makes video framing a bit cumbersome for my video needs. So I use other cameras for video now.
Conclusion
If you are after a small and light, easy to use all round camera and you are not into low light photography or a demanding videographer, then the X-T20 in my mind is an option that should be on your short list. Find a used copy in good condition, preferably including a kit lens, and you have a combo that will give you lots of great images. The fact that it has a vintage look and that you can get leather cases that will make it look even more cool, may also fit some of the more fashion conscious. And if you decide to invest in Capture One post processing software, the image quality may sometimes go to levels new to you.
I guess anyone can read the specification sheet for both the Nikon D700 and the Nikon D4 and come up with a list of differences. But another thing is working with both cameras side by side for an extended period of time. Then you get to know the differences from a real world experience. In this blog I want to share how it is to live and work with these two cameras, based on a few areas that I have selected that are important to me.
Introduction
The Nikon D4 is in the single digit line of Nikon cameras, meaning that Nikon calls this a flagship camera. It is a good as it gets basically. However, the camera is more than 10 years old and the original ask for 6000 USD is not dropped to a more manageable 1000 EUR on the used market. So you can get your hands on a pro level camera for a fraction of what a new one would set you back.
The D700 was made between 2008 and 2012, so it is older than the D4. It shows in many ways: the pixel count is lower, no video, etc. But the D700 is a legend, and many consider the combination of sensor and processing logic to be unique, actually so unique that Nikon never since has made a camera with color rendition and micro contrast as good as the D700. Also, the D700 can be had for a lot less than 1000 EUR, but the challenge is more to find a copy that is not too beaten up / has too many clicks on the clock, than to find an affordable copy.
Many consider the D700 a baby version of the D3, and believe that Nikon with the D700 made a mistake and produced a camera in the enthusiast lineup that came too close to their flagship cameras. Nikon learned their lesson, and subsequently made sure to have good distance between their flagship, pro-level and enthusiast level lineup.
Image quality
Especially skin tones are known to be unrivalled and unique for the D700. I leave it up to you to decide if you want to believe the magic and hype related to the D700. I have seen it periodically shine and give a 3D pop never seen with other cameras, and many of my landscape pictures look more like paintings than pictures. So yes, I can confirm there is something about the D700, but I am skeptical if all of the hype is justified.
I will say though that when it comes to B&W images, the D700 in my humble opinion has something special – the images are very clean and rich in contrast, far better than any other camera I have had the pleasure to use.
On the other side I find that the D4 makes mincemeat of the D700 when it comes to colors and color rendition – the D4 in my opinion is simply some of the best with rich saturated colors, where I find the D700 to be more pale or less saturated. This is up to personal preference and taste, but for me the D4 shines when it comes to colors.
In terms of the more technical or specs related differences, the D4 has both more pixel count and more dynamic range. I have produced large prints (100 cm times 70 cm) with the Nikon D700 with no problems, so I am a strong believer that 12MP is more than plenty also for large prints, when we are talking natural viewing distances. If you need to crop, then the D4 clearly has an advantage with its 16MP relative to the 12MP of the D700, and for wildlife I often find that I need to crop, and then the D700 clearly has an disadvantage. However, for many applications (landscape, street, products, candid), I find that 12 MP is more than plenty.
Many shy away from the D700 when they understand it “only” has 12MP. But I say: fear not, it is plenty! Unless you want to make very big prints that needs to be viewed very close up, or you want to crop your pictures heavily. If not, then 12MP is more than enough. And when you load your pictures into Lightroom or wherever you do your post processing, you will enjoy the smaller file size. And storage wise you will find that the D700 files take up less space on your hard-drive and backup storage facilities. So I will claim that the smaller pixel count makes living with the D700 somewhat easier than the D4.
Ergonomics and build quality
The D700 and D4 have significant differences in build quality. Even though the D700 is built very solid, the D4 takes it up a notch, and comes with what I call a built in battery grip. The D4 is also a very heavy camera body weighing almost 1.5 kilo, which paired with a heavy lens is a very heavy combo. If you don’t like a heavy and bulky camera, then you probably want to stay clear of both the D4 and the D700, but especially the D4.
Both cameras have great ergonomics and I am in general a fan of Nikons way to design their cameras and button layout so you do not get tired working with them for extended periods of time. One area where you will notice that these are older cameras is the rear screen, where both of them are fixed. No tilt of flip-out or anything. Fixed:
Nikon D700 to the left with a battery grip. Nikon D4 to the right. Notice the extra LCD screen on the D4 + the 2 joysticks, one top right next to the large rear LCD, another bottom right to the same LCD.
With the D700 you have the option to add a battery grip, which makes it – in terms of height and ergonomics – very similar to the D4. However, the D4 comes with 2 joysticks for moving the focus point around, with the D700 that only comes with the battery grip, in landscape mode you have to do with the command wheel. Some complaint that the joysticks on the D4 easily fall of, but I am so lucky to not have had this issue.
One area that buggers me senseless with the D700 is the lack of 100% viewfinder coverage. The D4 has 100%, but the D700 only has 95%. You may think that this is a small thing, but if you like me try to crop your images precisely when shooting only to learn that the camera added 5% more, then I think you will feel the annoyance of the additional 5%. Switching between the D4 and the D700, it always strikes me how much this little difference means to me in real life.
Auto ISO
I know it is a small thing, but with the D4 I can switch between setting the ISO myself and asking the camera to do it for me very easily. I hit the ISO button bottom left on the rear of the D4 while turning the front command dial. Then it flicks between auto-ISO and “manual” ISO. Not so on the D700 – here I have to go into the menu system to change this. I know it is a small thing and I know you can configure “my menu” to have the ISO on top of the list and have it assigned to a dedicated button, but I find that the D4 implementation is so much easier to work with and also here – like the viewfinder coverage – it always strikes me how much this little difference means to me in real life.
Card slots
One area that always causes a lot of debate is one or two card slots. The D700 to the left comes with one CF card and the D4 to the right has both a CF card slot and an XQD slot. Especially for wedding photographers but basically anybody that appreciates the philosophy of “no single point of failure”, the value of having 2 card slots cannot be exaggerated. You may be of the “I have never had a card failing on me”, but Murphy is alive and kicking and it is only a matter of time. There have been days when I came home from a shoot thinking that the content of the cards was far more valuable than the camera holding them. But of course up to you how important 2 card slots is!
Nikon D700 to the left with one CF card slot, Nikon D4 to the right with 2 card slots: One CF (1) and one QCD (2).
Live view
You may not use Live View much, but if you do, then this is one of the areas where the D4 shines relative to the D700. I think the Live View implementation on the D700 was one of the first implementations Nikon did, and it is a bit quirky. There is no dedicated Live View button and you have to select between two different Live View modes. A0nd the autofocus is slow when you opt for the “Tripod” mode, as it is called. You will quickly enjoy the Live View implementation on the D4 with a dedicated button.
What to choose?
If you are about to choose between the D4 and the D700, then you are in for a tough choice. Boiled down to one sentence? You choose the D700 with your heart and the D4 with your head. The D4 is a more modern camera, and although heavier, it is easier to work with. Personally I find that I shoot a lot more with the D4 than the D700, simply because it is a camera I find a lot easier to work with (100% view finder coverage, dedicated live-view button, easy AUTO ISO switch etc).
If you are in doubt, buying a good copy of a D700 will not set you back much – you can always get a very good price for a D700 due to its legend status, and then the price of owning it is only the difference between what you bought it for and what you sold it for. And even without being a top negotiator, I think you will find the gap to be small.
I guess anyone can read the specification sheet for both the Nikon D700 and the Nikon D750 and come up with a list of differences. But another thing is working with both cameras side by side for a long time. Then you get to know the differences from a real world experience. In this blog I want to share how it is to live and work with these two cameras, based on a few areas that I have selected as they mean a lot to me.
Nikon D750 to the left, D700 to the right. There is a reason why the Nikon D700 is mounted with a camera strap 3 times as wide as the one sitting on the D750…
The hype
The Nikon D750 is a much younger camera than the D700. It shows in many ways: the pixel count is higher, it does video, etc. But the D700 is a legend, and many consider the combination of sensor and processing logic to be unique, actually so unique that Nikon never since has made a camera with color rendition and micro contrast as good as the D700. Especially skin tones are known to be unrivalled and unique for the D700. I leave it up to you to decide if you want to believe the magic and hype related to the D700 – myself I have seen it periodically shine and have a 3D pop I have never seen with other cameras, and many of my landscape pictures look more like paintings than pictures, so yes, I can confirm there is something about the D700, but I am skeptical if all of the hype is justified.
Build quality
One of the things difficult to see from a spec sheet is the look and feel of a camera, and here the D700 and D750 are like night and day. Many say that the D700 is “built like they don’t make them anymore”, and I have to agree 100%. The D700 is – to use a cliché – built like a tank. A brick outhouse. You’ve heard the lingo. But it is. A Land Rover with a Range Rover on top. It is massive, made for endurance. If you don’t like a heavy camera and a bulky one too, then stay clear of the D700.
The D750 is more a camera like they build them today. It is more compact, lighter and has a much less solid feel to it. When you go from the D700 to the D750, you definitely feel like the D750 is more like plastic. Not that the D750 is of poor build quality – the D700 is just so much better. The grip on the D750 is deeper, but you quickly get used to the D700 if you – like me – have big hands.
Live view
You may not use Live View much, but if you do, then this is one of the areas where the D750 shines relative to the D700. I think the Live View implementation on the D700 was one of the first implementations Nikon did, and it is a bit quirky. There is no dedicated Live View button and you have to select between two different Live View modes. And the auto focus is slow when you opt for the “Tripod” mode, as it is called. Add to this that the D750 has a higher resolution rear LCD screen that tilts, and you will quickly enjoy the Live View implementation on the D750 with a dedicated button.
Nikon D750 to the left. Notice the tilt screen and the dedicated Live View button to the bottom right. The D700 has the vertical grip mounted, which of course does not make the weight difference between the two any less…
Pixel count
Many shy away from the D700 when they understand it “only” has 12MP. But I say: fear not, it is plenty! Unless you want to make very big prints that needs to be viewed very close up, or you want to crop your pictures heavily. If not, then 12MP is more than enough. And when you load your pictures into Lightroom or wherever you do your post processing, you will enjoy the smaller file size. And storage wise you will find that the D700 files take up less space on your hard-drive and backup storage facilities. So I will claim that the smaller pixel count makes living with the D700 much easier than the D750. And you will most likely never miss the 24MP resolution of the D750.
Viewfinder coverage
You may not think that the viewfinder coverage is a big thing, but to me it is, and actually one of the few areas where the D700 annoys me. I love that camera, but the fact that the frame is slightly bigger than what I see in the viewfinder is a nuisance. When I shoot, I frame very carefully according to the viewfinder and when I then get back home and open the file on my PC, I find it truly annoying to start my editing by cropping as I saw it in the viewfinder. The D750 does not have this issue.
Dynamic range
The D750 if notorious for its ability to do auto focus in low light situations – it literally sees in the dark. Truly impressive. The D700 not so much, and the dynamic range of the D700 is not as good as the D750. This may not be important to you – the ability to have both very bright and dark areas in the same frame is not important to all, and with exposure bracketing you can compensate a lot for lack of dynamic range. But I will say that in a low light situation – for example shooting in a restaurant without disturbing the guests with a big fat flash, my choice is the D750. Every time. Don’t believe the D750 has better dynamic range? Head over to DXO mark and see for yourself.
What to choose?
If you are about to choose between the D750 and the D700, then you are in for a tough choice. Boiled down to one sentence? You choose the D700 with your heart and the D750 with your head. The D750 is a more modern camera, lighter and easier to work with. But sometimes that is not what counts. Love conquers all, as they say.
Here at the brink of 2021, Nikon offers the enthusiast photographer more options than ever before. This is both wonderful and frustrating, as the obvious choice seems harder to find as the number of options increases. And there are no simple answers unfortunately, it all seems to come back to the classic counter question: “it depends…”. In this post I will try to distill the options Nikon offers in the 24MP range – typically aimed at the serious enthusiast and/or the freelance photographer.
On my YouTube channel I am a big ambassador for the Nikon D700, a classic and legendary DSLR that although “only” offering 12MP is probably one of the best DSLRs ever made for the enthusiast photographer. As it is no longer in production, it is only available used for around 400 EUR. This camera in terms of value is probably one of the best cameras for the enthusiast. However, many are not comfortable with the 12MP “only” and it seems like the camera producers center around 24MP as the sensor resolution for enthusiasts. If we go up higher to 48MP as found in the D850 or the Z7, then we are more into the professional segment, so in this post I will stick to the Z6, D750 and the D780 as they are all in the 24MP range.
The D750 is the oldest of the 3, but still today a very capable camera. The video specs are not up to what a modern hybrid camera can offer, but if you are into stills only, this can actually be an advantage as you are not paying for features you will not be using. The ergonomics of the D750 is excellent as we know it from Nikon, the menu systems are well organized and intuitive and the image quality is still today excellent. The body only price is around 1500 USD here in December 2020, but black Friday deals or other kinds of offerings can probably get the price even further down. And the camera body has a built in auto focus motor, meaning that you have access to a huge amount of used AF Nikkor glass available on e-bay and the like. In terms of value, the D750 is hard to beat when talking stills only.
The Z6 was the first mirrorless from Nikon, and they did their homework well and hit the mark pretty well with this first generation mirrorless camera. It is known to be a very good all round camera that does most things well, both stills and video. The critique of the camera was primarily that it only has one card slot and that there is no option to add a vertical grip, as the contacts are missing. This was fixed in the Z6 mark II, which in addition to fixing these shortcomings also added more computing power to the camera by adding an EXPEED processor. The introduction of the Z6 II gave rise to a price drop on the Z6, and the Z6 is around 1600 USD with an FTZ adaptor whereas the Z6 II is a 1000 USD more expensive than that. So if you are not nervous about SD cards failing and not planning to use a vertical grip, the original Z6 seems the value choice of the two. And both of them have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) to help you avoid camera shake when you need to keep the shutter open for an extended period of time.
The big disadvantage of going mirrorless is the fact that Nikon changed the lens mount system, so that is is no longer compatible with the notorious F-mount system. The motivation for this move yielding a shorter flange distance is – other than giving the IBIS room to work – that it gives new options for designing simpler and better performing lenses. It quickly gets technical, but that is the gist of it after reading Nikons explanation.
You have to buy an FTZ adapter, that can be had for around 100 USD when you buy it together with the camera body. But, there is a big but: The adapter does NOT have an AF motor, nor does the Z6 camera body, meaning that all the Nikkor AF vintage glass is now suddenly manual focus. This is where things to get complicated in terms of choosing between mirrorless or DSLR: The Z6 cuts you off from using mechanical auto focus on a lot of good vintage glass. And mind you that the glass that fits the new Z6 mount is expensive. You may be able to make a good deal if you buy a kit zoom lens together with the camera, but building your lens portfolio after that is VERY expensive relative to the DSLR options.
The Nikon D780 seems to try to bridge between the two worlds described above. It is a merger of the Z6 and the D750, so that in Live View mode, the camera is very similar to the Z6, whereas shooting via the viewfinder is very similar to the D750. So you get the best of both worlds, and maintain access to vintage glass with mechanical auto focus. And price wise the body alone is around 2300 USD, and hence significantly more expensive than the Z6, but that money could easily be saved when building (or re-using) a lens portfolio.
So what to choose as an enthusiast? “It depends…” – the most annoying answer of all, but unfortunately it is true.
The first thing I would ask myself in choosing between the 3 is: How important is video? One area where the cameras get better and better is video capability and if video is important to you, the D750 is struggling. But also think about how demanding your video requirements are – a GoPro next to your D750 could be a solution? Or maybe 1080p is all you need? Anyway, the more demanding your video requirements are, the less good and option the D750 is.
The second thing I would ask is: How important is auto focus? If you shoot things that are moving fast (sports and wildlife), then using vintage AF glass on a Z6 is a no go. You either have to buy F-mount glass with built in motors (AF-S) or go for glass that fits the new Z-mount directly. If you are on a budget and auto focus is important, your cheapest option is to go for the D750/D780 with vintage AF glass. But again, if face detection and eye recognition is important because you shoot a lot of portraits, then you have to use the D780 in Live View mode or go for the Z6. If auto focus is not important to you, then you are in luck: the Z6 will offer you the option to use cheap vintage glass via the FTZ adaptor and you will get focus peak assistance to help you obtain focus precisely and with great illustration of the focal plane.
The third thing I would ask is: How much vintage glass have I got to re-use? If you have a large portfolio of Nikkor vintage glass, and a good deal of this is with mechanical AF, then you can protect that investment with the D750 or the D780. Provided of course that you love your glass and want to continue to use if. If you are more meh-he, then the better option may be to sell your glass and go for the mirrorless Z6 or Z6 II. Your experience from building a lens portfolio then comes in handy, so you have a more focused mind when building your new portfolio.
What have I chosen to do? I am still with my D750. I shoot video on a Sony A7 RII so I have no need for better video capability currently. And the D750 with the mechanical AF motor built in, makes my collection of Nikkor vintage glass a joy to use. And as I seldom shoot anything fast moving, my auto focus requirements are all solved using single point focus. But mind you that this is what works for me given my situation and what I shoot – yours is different I am sure, so what fits me surely is no guarantee to fit you.
Thank you for reading this far! Comments are more than welcome!
Unfortunately it is not possible to charge the battery grip via USB-C. You can see the top right green LED is on when I charge the camera itself via USB-C, indicating that the internal battery is being charged:
The two green LEDs bottom left that indicate the batteries in the grip are being charged only switches on when the dedicated charge cable for the grip is plugged in (the black cable bottom left):
If you are just a little bit into the Nikon universe, you undoubtedly have heard of the legendary Nikon D700. It was released back in 2008, which today is ages ago from a technical perspective. It was the baby brother of the D3 targeted for professionals, leaving the D700 for the serious enthusiast. Since its introduction the D700 has received legendary status for its image quality and build quality, and that was what attracted me to the D700 initially.
I purchased a copy of the D700 mid 2020 for 325 EUR with a shutter count of 28.000, which is very low relative to what you can find out there and knowing that the production was stopped in mid 2012.
In this post I want to share the pros and cons of this camera that I had identified just by studying other blogs, videos, reviews, etc. before buying the camera. It is not a complete list, and I have after my purchase received lots of feedback that the list is incomplete or flawed. However, it was based upon this list that I decided to buy the D700, so I think it at least gives good insight into my process for selecting the D700.
My thinking is that by sharing this it may help you if you consider buying the D700. I have made a few amendments to the original list to reflect what I know today so you get all I know in one go.
The Nikon D700 on top of the box it came in. Still here in 2021 it is a great camera!
The first reason is image quality, of course, and if you have read just a little bit about The Nikon d700 you will know that the image quality is legendary. I don’t know exactly why that is, maybe because it was the last time Nikon used the Panasonic sensor. Maybe it has to do with the Expeed processor and the way it works on on the data. I simply don’t know. I can just see really many people report that image image quality is outstanding, especially the JPGS straight out of camera and the skin toning.
Field of red flowers
The second reason is that it is a full frame camera. I don’t want to go into a long debate with what is best: a full frame, APS-C, micro 4/3rds or medium format. If you’re in the market for full frame camera, then this is really a good option and it’s a cheap one.Third up is the price. I paid 325 Euros. Mine is a copy of with 28,000 shots fired taken and Nikon normally says there’s a hundred and fifty “rounds” in your camera. And I know that there are cameras out there there that shot more than 300,000 without any problem. So I think it is a very very cheap option to get into the full frame.
The Nikkor 24mm AF 2.8 is a great little lens. It is wide, not to heavy, sharp and the minimum focus distance allows you to go close to your subject. It is one of those lenses that I absolutely love and it has AF when mounted on the D700.Number four is the Nikon f-mount. That mount gives you access to glass that Nikon has made since 1957 and it’s probably one of the producers with the most glass out there. You can buy glass at used on eBay, Amazon, flea markets, whatever, so it’s so easy to get hold of really, really good Nikon vintage glass and you can get a nifty fifty for next to nothing and then with a camera body of 325 Euros you are in the full frame game for under 400 EUR. I really recommend the access to Nikon f-mount glass – you can build an excellent portfolio of glass without breaking the bank.
Number five is the built in autofocus motor and if you have older Nikon glass with the auto focus mechanics (screwdriver principle), there’s no motor built into the glasses such. It assumes that you have the motor in the camera body and then via a screw driver principle it connects the motor with the glass and that gives you the auto focus. This is not as fast and as silent as what you see today with AF motors built into the lenses (AF-S or G-series), but definitely you get all the comfort of the AF and in my experience, it works really well.
Number six is the autofocus system. When the 700 came out, this was probably one of the best autofocus system that was available, but this was 12 years ago and the world has moved on. I think it is fair to say that the D700 cannot compete anymore. You have all of those systems today whether the focus points are all over the frame – on the D700 they are centered and there’s not that many of them. However, it is still a good auto focus system.
Number 7 is the build quality. I guess you have heard the terms that it’s built like a brick house or like a tank. And this one is it is really solid quality. It’s the little brother of the D3 and I think much of the quality of the the D3 was inherited down to the D700. That’s probably also why you see that so many copies still in operation, twelve years after the introduction of the camera. Some report they have dropped the camera on tarmac or stone floors and it works perfect even afterwards! Don’t try this, but certainly impressive if there is some truth to these rumors.
Nikon is known for its good ergonomics, and the D700 is from the top shelf.
Number 8 is the ergonomics. There is a dedicated button for (almost) everything! If you had a Nikon camera in your hands previously this one will not disappoint you – it it just is really well-thought-out and especially the fact that there is a dedicated button for most needs, makes it possible to work fast and efficient with this camera.
Number 9 is the weather sealed body. Mind you that if you put a non weather sealed glass onto your weather sealed body, the advantage may not be that big, but the body itself is sealed which could be important if you shoot a lot outdoors.
Number 10 is perhaps not as rational as the other arguments, but if you go and read blogs and see videos you will notices that many many report how sad they are that they left or sold their Nikon D700 and many actually go back and buy and new version of the D700 to have as a backup camera because it has served him so well. This is perhaps the ultimate test of a quality that even though you move on technically to say a D810 or a D850 some of these really really good cameras with higher resolution, you still miss the D700 and want to go back to it. I am not claiming this to be rational, but I just think when you see so many people saying that the D700 is something special, then there must be be some truth to this.
Number 11: There is a built in flash. To some this is super important as they use it for optically triggering off camera flashes or they use it in a pinch. I seldom use it which is why it was not on my list originally, but to many this is important.
Number 12: Battery life is great. Relative to mirrorless, I guess that most DSLRs have a good battery life, but I think the D700 even measured against other DSLRs has a great battery. It has only dropped one bar the first week of shooting, although I have been shooting for several hours. I was afraid that when I bought a used camera, the battery would be a bit tired, but in my case this has not been a problem at all. I also enjoy that the boot time is next to nothing – the camera is ready as soon as you have switched to the ‘on’ position, and even before that, you can use the optical viewfinder.
Number 13: The viewfinder can be closed mechanically with a little button next to it. This is great news if you shoot landscapes with long exposure or stars or the like. False light will come through the viewfinder and find is way to the sensor, which is not what you want. This little mechanical shutter saves you from putting chewing gum in the viewfinder or putting your hat over the camera body or whatever ways you have found to overcome this problem.
Number 14. Many cameras has a max shutter speed at 1/4000. The D700 has 1/8000. If you shoot wide open on a bright day, this may save you from pulling out the ND filter from your camera bag to avoid your picture being over exposed. It may not sound like a big thing, but once you have tried that the light meter goes crazy and you’ve forgotten your ND filter , you will appreciate the fast shutter speed.
Number 15: Smaller files. The 12 MP means that your files will be smaller, they will load faster to your PC, the handling is faster, it will take up less space on your hard disk, you can do with smaller memory cards or store more pictures per card, etc.
The cons – where the D700 could do better
Since I bought the D700, I have come to learn that there is a large group of D700 enthusiasts that will defend any criticism of the D700, so I am a bit cautious to put up a list of cons. However, it was the below list of cons that did not stop me from buying the D700, so the headline here is that the list below is – in my case – not a showstopper at all. And you should not loose sight of the bigger picture here: this is a FF bargain! With that said, to the list:
Number 1. The sensor is “only” 12 megapixels. By today’s standard is not that much, but I think you will find that if you don’t do heavy cropping or print billboards, 12 megapixels will actually serve fine. So I don’t know why so all of a sudden we need all these megapixels, but I just want to make it very clear that it is not a 24 or 48 megapixel camera.
Number 2 is the dynamic range. I think when the camera came out the dynamic range was excellent, but I think it has been superseded by better options like the Nikon d750. This can be overcome be careful metering or bracketing, but it is of course more comfortable to have a camera with a larger dynamic range.
Number three is the lack of video. So if you were hoping for a hybrid camera that could do both video and stills, the D700 is not for you. Many in need of video have a dedicated video camera, and I also use both my smartphone and GoPro, so I think the lack of video in my case is less of an issue.
Number 4 is noise (it is LOUD!). All DSLR’s make noise because the mirror needs to flick, but the D700 is especially noisy. And if you want to shoot in situations where silent camera is important (e.g. wildlife close up) I don’t think the d700 is for you. And the quiet mode option is a joke – the camera is still noisy!
Number 5: There’s no in-body image stabilization (IBIS) and I think it would be unfair to expect that in a 12-year old camera body, and especially in a DSLR. But I’ve just wanted to mention this: you need to cut down on your coffee or buy a tripod if you want to be sure that you don’t get camera shake. Or you could invest in a lens with image stabilization if this is key to you.
Number 6 is the size and weight. It is big and heavy. If you want to travel with your camera because or climb a steep mountain, this camera may be to the heavy side. The camera body itself is 1 kilo and you have to add the weight of the glass and then the total package may be too heavy for you.
Number seven is all the modern things you’ve come like in a modern camera like Wi-Fi integration, Bluetooth integration, GPS data, operating a camera remotely via your smartphone and all of these things that that are really nice in terms of making the connectivity of the camera much better. You find none of that in the d700 and this is really where the cameras age start to show: It is a really good stills camera, but all of the technology advances around the core of the camera is not with the D700.
Number eight. The life expectancy for the Nikon d700. It’s always difficult to say how long my camera will live, but this one has moving parts and eventually they will break. Nikon says that you can expect a hundred and fifty thousand shots per camera. I’ve heard people who have shot twice as much (and more!) and the camera still works. Nikon has stopped servicing the D700 as I understand it, but I also understand that there are plenty of non-Nikon professionals who have taken over and can service the camera. The build quality of the D700 probably means it will live for a very long time, but you may find that you need to go the extra mile to find someone who can service your camera if need be.
Number 9 is all the development that has happened with LCD screen on the back side of the camera. For many modern cameras the LCD is a bit of a gymnast: You can flip it out. You can flip it up and down, maybe fully articulated. You can pinch and zoom and it is touch controlled and super high resolution. None of that with the d700. It’s just it just sits there firmly. You can’t flip it out. You can’t move it. You can can try to pinch and zoom all you like but nothing happens – you have to operate the camera via the buttons. So if you do a lot of shooting overhead, do low-level shooting or you want to do shooting where a flip-out screen is important, you will find that the D700 does not give you much support here.
Number 10. Only one card slot. To me this is not a big issue, but if you are a serious enthusiast aspiring to become a pro, and your plan is to use the D700 on that journey, the lack of a second card slot could be critical. I would not like to be the one debating with a newly wed couple why your cannot deliver pictures of the most important day of their life due to a memory card failure.
Number 11: The viewfinder only covers 95%. This means that there will be more in the frame in the picture captured than what you see in the viewfinder. If you carefully crop or frame your pictures in camera like me, this is a bit of a nuisance, as I try to get my pictures as complete as possible in camera to minimize post processing work.
Number 12: Maybe needless to say, but when you buy used you need to be sure you buy a good copy. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions for buying the camera – if you buy it online so you cannot see the camera in real life before the purchase, make sure you can return it if not in good condition. In my case, I was happy with the purchase, but the camera was so dirty I had to give it a good cleaning – some of the buttons had to be “massaged” to get moving, and the sensor was so full of dust it was a joke. So set off some budget for getting a pro to clean the sensor if you are not comfortable doing this yourself.
Number 13: The Live View mode is quirky. You can tell that this was one of the first implementations of Live View that Nikon did. There is no dedicated Live View button (sits together with the drive modes) and you have to select between two Live View options before you can get going. I am happy to report that the later implementations of Live View are much easier to work with.
Conclusion
So if I was to answer the question from the top of this blog, it would be a definite: yes! But you have to balance the pros and cons against your list or set of requirements, to see if you reach the same conclusion. The Nikon D700 is a wonderful camera, but it is not perfect, and the question is if some of the listed cons weighs in so heavy in your basket, that it is a showstopper. We are all different, and just because this shoe fits my foot, there is absolutely no guarantee it will fit yours. I hope this blog has brought you a little closer to making an informed decision to conclude if the Nikon D700 is for you or not.
Manual mode is to many an off limits discipline, but there is no need to shy away from manual mode as it is a small investment to learn, and it pays off in great dividends in terms of better control of the camera and hence the pictures you take. And the good side effect is that by knowing manual mode, you also automatically know Shutter priority and Aperture priority, as these are “sub sets” of manual mode. But I advice you to practice manual mode until you have it “under your skin” and the controls and dials are – if not second nature – then at least part of your muscle memory, so you don’t have to think too much about the controls when you start shooting in manual mode for real.
If you want more detail on the exposure triangle, this post may be of interest to you.
Manual mode selector
To initiate manual mode, you need to select mode “M” on the mode dial, located on the top left of your D750 camera. Remember to push down the center button while turning the dial, otherwise your camera is less cooperative.
The Nikon D750 set to manual mode
Aperture
The aperture is controlled via the command dial on the top right front of the camera. By turning the wheel left and right, the aperture changes accordingly. In the LCD display on the top right of the camera, you can see the selected aperture. In the picture below, the aperture is set to F/10:
f/10, 1/100th shutter speed and ISO 12800 (auto).
Shutter speed
The shutter speed is c controlled via the command dial on the top right rear of the camera. By turning the wheel left and right, the shutter speed changes accordingly. In the picture above, the shutter speed is set to 1/1000th of a second, which is pretty fast. This is shown as 1000 – the “1/” is implicit. So a quarter of a second (1/4) is shown as 4.
ISO
The ISO has a dedicated button at the bottom left if the camera, the second button from the bottom.
The ISO button on the left side of the D750
When you push and hold that button as shown below, the ISO selection menu appears. Notice that only bottom half of the screen relates to the ISO – it is boxed in by a thin frame. The front command dial now controls the ISO auto setting (on/off) and the rear command dial controls the ISO value. You can see the graphics illustrate this to the very right. The selected value here is ISO 125 and ISO Auto setting to on.
When ISO setting is on, the camera selects the ISO as it sees fit (remember, you still control the Aperture and Shutter speed). If Auto ISO is on, the selected ISO sensitivity is ignored by the camera, but as soon as you set Auto ISO to off, then the camera uses the value selected here.
ISO sensitivity settings
You can re-program the record button on the top of the camera (the one with the red dot, sitting right behind the shutter release button) to act as the ISO button. Press the menu button on the rear of the camera, top left, select the custom settings menu (aka the pencil menu), select f for controls and scroll down to F9. Here you can set the record button to act as an ISO selector:
Using the movie record button for ISO
Many find this configuration useful, as the entire exposure triangle can no be controlled with the 3 buttons/dials sitting right next to each other on the top right of the camera, with no need to move the eye away from the viewfinder.
Ok, that concludes the walk through of the controls and dials on the Nikon D750. Please don’t hesitate to drop a line in the comment section below if you have any questions or the like.
