Nikon D700
Nikon has announced the little brother to the D3, the D700 (see the PDF brochure). With the same full-frame sensor and electronics, the D700 is sure to be a huge hit—who can argue with the stellar image quality of a Nikon D3 in a much more compact package for US$2000 less? At US $2999, the D700 is out of reach for many, but working pros and serious hobbyists will find it a dream camera at a very reasonable price for the features it offers. Get the Nikon D700 at B&H Photo.
We can only wonder what Canon will bring to the table. Will an EOS 5D Mark II will succumb to the misguided race for more megapixels? Or will it instead improve pixel quality while remaining in the 12-megapixel range? Nikon has hit the sweet spot for virtually all photography with the D3 and D700.
Nikon D700 — full-frame sensor
Various web sites have extensive information on this new offering, so I won’t repeat it here. See the hands-on preview at dpreview.com, and the feature summary at robgalbraith.com.
Nikon also announced the availability of the PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D ED, which completes the tilt/shift line of Nikkors: the 24mm f/3.5, the 45mm f/2.8D and the 85mm f/2.8D. All of these lenses offer tilt functionality, which can greatly mitigate the depth of field issue discussed below. The older 85mm f/2.8D PC-Micro-Nikkor is one of my favorites; it is with great anticipation that I await the 45mm version, with some trepidation that it might not be the performer in infrared that the existing (older) 85mm lens is. Get the Nikon tilt/shift lenses at B&H Photo.
Nikon D700 — full-frame sensor
Finally, the SB-900 is the newest addition to Nikon’s flash line. A pity that D3 users don’t have a truly compact flash to substitute for the pop-up flash found on the D700 and lacking on the D3.