Should I wait?
My D80 has been an awesome purchase. My Nikon D80 and I have been through a lot together. It is approaching 100,000 shots without missing a lick. Although it's doing it's job, I feel I could give my clients a much better product with better equipment. My business has grown 10 fold with in the last month and I feel like it will only getting bigger as time goes on. I need a camera with hi iso low noise, better focusing control/speed and long life.
Since I have a good investment in glass I want to stay with Nikon.
I'm looking toward the D300s or D700. Knowing that the "D400" may be just around the corner kills me.
I know the pros and cons of the exciting cameras and feel the "D400" would be a perfect solution.
Should I wait until Nikon gets back on their feet or should I start looking for one that's "available" now?
Since I have a good investment in glass I want to stay with Nikon.
I'm looking toward the D300s or D700. Knowing that the "D400" may be just around the corner kills me.
I know the pros and cons of the exciting cameras and feel the "D400" would be a perfect solution.
Should I wait until Nikon gets back on their feet or should I start looking for one that's "available" now?
0
Comments
The D300s and D7000 are both great cameras, the D400 WILL be an even better camera, and they certainly CAN get the job done amazingly well in the hands of an experienced pro. However, in my experience, I just find the D700 to be the most useful, versatile tool for a working professional.
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
What is the nature of your photography business? (What type of photography?)
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
If you look on my home page it will give you a better Idea. www.TonyGPhotography.com
For your applications I can easily recommend a Nikon D700, like the others have already said.
No need to wait unless you want to wait.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
http://www.youtube.com/user/NYCFilmmakersGroup
http://www.meetup.com/NYC-Filmmakers-and-Actors-Meetup-Group/
D700 it is. My friend has one and offered to sell it to me. I hope he still wants to sell it.
Thank you everyone for your responses. I just wish anyone would reply to my other post about my password problem I'm having. I AM BEGGING FOR SOME HELP ON THIS ISSUE.
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=204756
In a nutshell, if you own an older camera, you'll find it increasingly hard to find updates to the next release of Photoshop so it will support your camera. If you can't find a work around, you may just have to use older software...which may not work all that well on your new computer...or the one you've been dreaming about buying to speed up your post processing...
I own both the D700 and D300...both are exceptionally good cameras. I prefer the D700 with a 24-70 Nikkor for weddings, and other intimate settings and even landscape/cityscape shots.
So, just a little food for thought.
Educate yourself like you'll live forever and live like you'll die tomorrow.
Ed
The only thing that can happen is, in case you're using a much older version of Photoshop, not being able to open files from a new camera. Then, you'd just have to convert them to dng.
Another vote for the D700.
If you don't mind my asking, how did your business grow tenfold in a month ?
Facebook
500px
http://joves.smugmug.com/
Indeed, eventually they will no longer be able to service certain older bodies and lenses, however I don't think that time will come for the D700 any time soon. Or, even if it does come, third party service will continue nearly indefinitely.
Personally, I'll most likely be buying a 2nd D700 whenever it's replacement comes out, given the significant price drop that always occurs. And I probably won't buy a D800 (or whatever) for 1-2 years after it's release... That's juts how I roll... :-)
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
I own a couple D700's and D300s's, as well as a D7000. IMO, I'd go with the D300s if purchasing now. The current prices for the D700 are beyond ridiculous. They cost several hundred less the day it was released than it costs now. When I purchased my D700's on Amazon it was around $1,800. No way would I pay more than that today. If you can find a low mileage used D700 for around $1700-$1800 you might consider picking that up. I wouldn't consider a D7000 for my main body. Buggy new tech that will be replaced soon. I never pick up my D7000 over my D300s.
That's one of the few negative comments I've heard about the D7000 - care to expand on it?
Also, where do you live? In USD, a new D700 is still cheaper now than it was at MSRP and initial shelf price. ($2999 at release) And yep, I got my D700 used for $1900, less than a year ago.
Lastly, while I agree that the D300s has plenty of merits and reasons to be purchased as opposed to the D7000, I wouldn't go so far as to call it "buggy tech that will be replaced soon". In my experience with the three cameras in question, I would say that the D7000 is entirely capable of tackling ANY job, and is even the PREFERRED camera for some things... (namely where resolution and size / weight are relevant...)
With a grain of salt,
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
That last point is key for me - I want to be able to take my camera everywhere, including when dirt riding on my motorcycle. The D7000 seems to have plenty capability, enough weatherproofing... and if I do break it in a fall off the bike (which is about as likely with a D700 or D300s), I won't be so out of pocket
Since Nikon's new camera to be announced in Sept. will likely be mirrorless, there is no telling when a d400 or d800 will be released.
News today that "With the lack of mirrorless solutions, Canon and Nikon’s combined share in Japan has fallen by 35%, while Sony’s share has doubled." and the recent patent releases etc., a new mirrorless will likely be this September's major release, according to Nikonrumors.com.
While the D400 or D800 were being hyped, nobody knows when they will be announced much less released.
Regarding earthquake affect on Nikon they have moved some of their operations to other countries, so that may have less of an effect than the disaster that fell upon on Japan earlier this year.
I am eager to upgrade to a new model also, but need something now better too.
Phil
"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
Phil
I live in the US. I thought the D700 retailed new for $2699 at release? Either way it's hard to fine them new at all and if you do they are between $2400 and $2700. You can't really find them used for less than $2200 either. Most used are going for $2500 or more. Granted the D700 still doesn't have much competition but IMO definitely not worth that much $$ unless you NEED the ISO performance for business purposes.
The D7000 is certainly a capable camera. Personally I think $1100 will go much further with a used D300s or spend the extra to get a new D300s. It has better weather sealing and a better AF system as well as better AF motor. There are a lot of other features that exist on the D300s that don't exist on the D7000 though they are rarely touched in daily use. D7000 needed a firmware upgrade days after release and still suffers from AF issues and hot pixels. They aren't major issues or even wide spread but the D300s is a solid buy. Just my opinion.
The D300s/D700 has a full metal body. The D7000 is mostly plastic with a metal frame. The D300s/D700 has better weather sealing as well.
Good points as well. I would say even if a D300 and D700 replacement was announced this month we wouldn't see them on shelves before 2012. Remember the D7000 was announced last September.
Only way it could be improved is to have the D3s sensor and dual card slots.
But really the ISO performance is so good already.
D300s can't touch the ISO performance of the D700. Look at refurbished models if the price point is an issue.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21695902@N06/
http://500px.com/Shockey
alloutdoor.smugmug.com
http://aoboudoirboise.smugmug.com/
Are you saying that Canon's software isn't compatible with the 5D? I would be very surprised. Personally I prefer Aperture and that supports the 5D without any hitches. If you just mean that cannon no longer releases firmware updates etc, I don't think that's anything to worry about TBH.
$3000 then was a lot more than $3000 now, when you consider where the cameras and components come from. Can say the same for sterling as well of course
For those who missed it:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-07/canon-clinging-to-mirrors-means-opportunity-for-sony-cameras.html
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
The compatibility issue has been discussed here: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=186976&highlight=canon+support+issues on this forum. Just read over it and you will understand where I am coming from.
Educate yourself like you'll live forever and live like you'll die tomorrow.
Ed
Yeah, that was the 5D mk2 that debuted at $2700 new, the D700 was $3000 new. Admittedly though, the D700 price did drop down to about $2700 within 6-12 months of it's release, and it has hovered around there ever since. I think it might have gotten down to $2400 or $2500 new at one point. So, admittedly, the D700 hasn't depreciated very much. But in my opinion, that is simply because it is such a dang good camera, with such slim competition for it's intended purposes. (All-around high-performance camera)
I can totally get on board with the preferred recommendation of a D7000 or D300s, if the type of photography to be done is better suited for those cameras. The D300s is one of the best telephoto sports / wildlife cameras on the market today, for sure. And the D7000 is certainly one of the best "go-light" outdoor adventure / landscape cameras...
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
You need to stop thinking in $ and start thinking in Yen, just look how the $ has fallen:
Yen/Dollar
The price in $ would have fallen if the currency had been stable. The bad news is that assuming Nikon/Canon don't find some huge cost savings, the price of the next versions of these cameras may well start at $4k+ when they are released.
It's the same story in the UK as our currency has devalued as well.
No, I don't think they'll start at $4K.
Canon and Nikon make their price points at increments. The lower-end DSLRs (Rebels, Dx000, 60D) are about 30% different in price. For example, if you want to upgrade from a T3i to a 60D, or from a D5100 to a D7000, the new camera costs about 30% more than the old one. Once you get higher up, i.e. 5D2 D700 D3s etc., you pay about 70% more for each step up. A D3s costs about 70% more than a D700, for example.
If they make a $4K DSLR, it will upset this table, and it'll leave a huge gap in the lineup. Sales would also suffer, because many people won't think it's worth $4K, and some will just pay the extra $1K and get the 1D4.
They very well may have to raise the price, perhaps above $3K. But they can't go too far.
Not saying that...refer to my previous post. And, firmware updates...shouldn't be a problem after a camera has been on the market for six years. The Nikon D700 has only been out for a little over three years...and there won't be any more firmware updates...and haven't been for a while...I'm sure they could tweak a few things, if they wanted to...but for Nikon...like Canon and the rest...resources are to be optimized...at some point...it's move on time.
I don't want to make too much out of this...as you must have read...I was delivering a cautionary.
statement. Beware, you might be buying into obsolescence.
I hope this helps clarify my viewpoint.
Educate yourself like you'll live forever and live like you'll die tomorrow.
Ed