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D300 vs D700 - discuss. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Astrokev
- Start date
Helios
Well-known member
Last time I read a professional artical about this, they weren't sure. That was the D300 vs the D3. Unfortunately I can't remember where this artical is now.
Basically it's the high ISO performance of the D700 against the pixel density and crop factor of the D300.
If you take close-ups of common birds, where you get to choose the light, then the D300 may be superior. I don't like going above ISO400 anyway, and don't try for birds in the shade.
If you are into twitching, where you don't get a choice with the light, and any shot is a good shot, then the D700 may be the one to go for. I could have done with a D700 this weekend, with the Green Heron and Red-flanked Bluetail, where I had terrible light and limited time to get a shot.
Basically it's the high ISO performance of the D700 against the pixel density and crop factor of the D300.
If you take close-ups of common birds, where you get to choose the light, then the D300 may be superior. I don't like going above ISO400 anyway, and don't try for birds in the shade.
If you are into twitching, where you don't get a choice with the light, and any shot is a good shot, then the D700 may be the one to go for. I could have done with a D700 this weekend, with the Green Heron and Red-flanked Bluetail, where I had terrible light and limited time to get a shot.
yossi
Well-known member
I have them both and use lately more the D700, even for bird shooting.
The crop factor is easily compensated with a x1.4 TC and the camera is easily forgiving the somewhat reduced optical quality.
The last experiment I did was using the Celestron C5 with a Leica DSLR adapter and a Leica Plossl adapter in series with the D700. I've used the Gitzo 1348 tripod and Wimberly Gimbal head and cable release. The calculated focal length was ~2200 mm and the image was very sharp. The only drawback was that the images are inverted (heads down). I have an inverter but it's mirror is not good enough so I didn't use it.
I shot the test at iso 1000-2000 and the results, as said, were very good.
I'm waiting for the Olympus micro 4/3 camera as the ultimate digiscoping camera (next year?).
I do not like the high noise of the Panasonic showing even at iso 200.
The crop factor is easily compensated with a x1.4 TC and the camera is easily forgiving the somewhat reduced optical quality.
The last experiment I did was using the Celestron C5 with a Leica DSLR adapter and a Leica Plossl adapter in series with the D700. I've used the Gitzo 1348 tripod and Wimberly Gimbal head and cable release. The calculated focal length was ~2200 mm and the image was very sharp. The only drawback was that the images are inverted (heads down). I have an inverter but it's mirror is not good enough so I didn't use it.
I shot the test at iso 1000-2000 and the results, as said, were very good.
I'm waiting for the Olympus micro 4/3 camera as the ultimate digiscoping camera (next year?).
I do not like the high noise of the Panasonic showing even at iso 200.
I think it is 5 MP but that is a minor point.
I wonder if you get better IQ using a lens + 1.4xTC, or using a lens and simply cropping and uprezzing the image?
Gentoo
Guest
Well if you crop your photos, that minor point becomes a major problem keeping detail.
Not come in contact with the D700 yet, but I would imagine the results would be similar to the D3...brilliant.
With the bigger lenses the D700 should be superb, the enlargement factor for reproduction as Yossi states will compensate for the crop factor of the D300.
But, price wise the D300 is tempting.
Apart from the price difference, there's not too much to choose between them, at the moment. I would plump for the D700, purely based on the fact that it has the same senor as the D3. Plus I like full frame cameras, I would like more mega pixels, but that's not part of the deal.
With the bigger lenses the D700 should be superb, the enlargement factor for reproduction as Yossi states will compensate for the crop factor of the D300.
But, price wise the D300 is tempting.
Apart from the price difference, there's not too much to choose between them, at the moment. I would plump for the D700, purely based on the fact that it has the same senor as the D3. Plus I like full frame cameras, I would like more mega pixels, but that's not part of the deal.
But that is to make an assumption about the answer to my question. Does the D700 + lens + TC show more detail than the D700 + lens cropped to DX?
pduxon
Quacked up Member
odd one this. i've seen one pro photographer say that for wildlife they'd prefer a d300 but uses a d700 for general photography.
not sure the TC idea works that well since you get a much slower lens. you 300 mm f2.8 is suddenly an f4.
Now if Nikon launch the mythical d3x.......
i'll stick with my d300.
not sure the TC idea works that well since you get a much slower lens. you 300 mm f2.8 is suddenly an f4.
Now if Nikon launch the mythical d3x.......
i'll stick with my d300.
I think it would depend on how you upres. I don't think simple interpolation in PS wouldn't match, say, a 300/2.8 vr with a TC-14e, whereas Genuine Fractals may well do.
rdspalm
Well-known member
Had a quick look at the D700 last night. First impressions:-
1) Fantastic viewfinder - so much larger than the D200
2) Wide angle view - You return to 35mm style views. My lens is a 24-120VR zoom. 24mm looks like a real wide angle lens on this camera.
3) Low light capability is excellent. Took a photo of my hallway with only 2 60w bulbs, the detail and sharpness was superb at 6400 ISO. You would have thought a flash was used.
4) Zoom function - Far bettter and easier to use than the D200
1) Fantastic viewfinder - so much larger than the D200
2) Wide angle view - You return to 35mm style views. My lens is a 24-120VR zoom. 24mm looks like a real wide angle lens on this camera.
3) Low light capability is excellent. Took a photo of my hallway with only 2 60w bulbs, the detail and sharpness was superb at 6400 ISO. You would have thought a flash was used.
4) Zoom function - Far bettter and easier to use than the D200
Fozzybear
Ich bin ein Vogelbeobachter
Do you mean when previewing photos on the LCD? If so then I certainly would agree as it's probably the same as the D300, which I found unbelievably good in comparison to my old D80... and my brother (Canon 40D owner) commented on it too.
Gentoo
Guest
No, the D700's viewfinder is bigger than the D300's as well. I've played with a D700 myself and own a D300. The D700's viewfinder looks like a movie screen! This makes sense as it's a full frame camera so the view finder will be bigger.
rdspalm
Well-known member
Yes I agree, I thought I was looking through a high-end video camera. It's great to get back to true wide angle on a 24mm lens. However, birding involves 300 - 600mm lenses so you loose out on the multiplying effect at that range. On balance though, I would prefer the D700. Its a truly professional camera.
Duke Leto
Without habitat, there is no wildlife. It's that s
curious of Suffolk, If I look through a dx DSL-r at 12mm (equiv to 18mm) I see the field of view of an 18mm lens, why would this be a different view to an 18mm lens on an fx DSL-r, not having played with either a D3 or a D700 with short focal length lenses I can't comment but am curious.
rdspalm
Well-known member
Steve,
I can't explain it very well but as I gather, the DX sensor is quite a bit smaller than the full frame. It enlarges the image by a factor of 1.3 or 1.4 so the wide angle effect is reduced. In the distant days of 35mm film cameras a really wide angle was 24mm or 20mm. In the digital era, because if the small sensors there was a need for ever wider lenses to give a decent wide angle view. The introduction of full size sensor DSLRs has restored the old currency. My son's D700 has a noticably wider view and the viewfinder is much larger than the D200 or D80 etc.
Hopefully one of the more technically mided members will give you a better explanation. It would be interesting to read actually how this works.
Richard
I can't explain it very well but as I gather, the DX sensor is quite a bit smaller than the full frame. It enlarges the image by a factor of 1.3 or 1.4 so the wide angle effect is reduced. In the distant days of 35mm film cameras a really wide angle was 24mm or 20mm. In the digital era, because if the small sensors there was a need for ever wider lenses to give a decent wide angle view. The introduction of full size sensor DSLRs has restored the old currency. My son's D700 has a noticably wider view and the viewfinder is much larger than the D200 or D80 etc.
Hopefully one of the more technically mided members will give you a better explanation. It would be interesting to read actually how this works.
Richard
pduxon
Quacked up Member
1.5 and a bit I believe.
although the viewfinder is larger you don't see all of what you shoot with a d700 only 90%. you do see 100% in a d3 and in a d300.
