Nikon upgrade dilemma

[Tommo1965]

Hi all

Im in a right old dilemma as the title says.... I've a mind to upgrade my D300s and Id love a D800 ($3600)....but do I buy a used D700 ($1800} and a imported 24-70 AFS {$1700}

as you can see the figures stack up the same, my lenses at present are a Nikon 17-35 ,70-200VrII , 60mm micro AFD and a Tamron 24-135 F3.5-F5.6....

On the D300s I use the 17-35 quite a lot and the 35mm end just scrapes in for portraits etc...I love the 70-200 but I find that a bit long for portraits on the d300s. {not enough room in my home studio}.I expect on FF body Id use it a lot more ..the tamron is a great walk about lens and good FL..but lacks the IQ of the nikon pro lenses..

so whats your advise....as I cant seem to get it straight in my head....one minute I talk myself into the D800..the next Im off looking on ebay at D700 and 24-70 AFS.....my head will explode soon Im sure

why do I want to upgrade the D300s...Id like lower noise at higher ISO..and better IQ

cheers for any advise you can offer

steve

[Blueywa]

Steve,
It's the old story when new units are put out, we all go through it.
I'm sure you would be aware that the batteries and grip (if you use one) on the D300S will suit the D700, So if it were me I'd go with the D700.

[rirakuma]

Whichever way you choose you'll want more so if you get the d700 combo you wish you had the extra pixels of the d800. If you get the d800 you wish you had the 24-70 for flexibility. Personally Id go for the d800, the 60mm micro will be a good walk around lens. If you cant afford the 24-70 the 24-120 is a also a great lens to consider in the future.

[rirakuma]

lower noise and better IQ, both ticks for d800 right :D?

[BLWNHR]

As a D700 owner, I say go the D700/24-70 route. Words cannot describe how much I love this combination. The body does everything you need it to (ISO, fps & decent resolution) and the Nikkor 24-70/2.8 is simply brilliant. It is nearly impossible to make it flare, it focusses fast and it is sharp as a tack. Perfect for a portraiture home studio.

[Lance B]

I agree with Adam, above. The D700 and 24-70 is a fantastic combination with stunning results and you will not be disappointed in this combo. I have used it for 2 years and it never let me down once. The high ISO ability of the D700 is amazing and is almost on par with the D800, as much as you'd be hard pressed telling the difference. You can easily use ISO3200 and ISO6400 with good exposure and a good noise reduction software. It's almost criminal what you can get away with with the D700, it is that foolproof and easy to use, yet with outstanding results.

You can keep your D300s for any wildlife when you need reach and you'll have all bases covered. The problem with going the D800 route is that you really don't have a standard range zoom or lens, until you can save up for a 24-70.

I know I have just obtained the D800, but a major driving force behind that was the fact that it serves me as two cameras in one, an FX camera and a DX camera, as I can crop the 36Mp back to 16Mp of my current D7000 for my birdng photography.

[Tommo1965]

thanks for the help Guys..Im certainly leaning more and more to the D700/ lens combo..if I already had my lenses in place the decision for a D800 would be easier....I certainly have a huge hole in my pro lens FL and the 24/70 would be used as a new W/A lenses to replace the tamron .....or perhaps the new 24/120F4

crikey its hard to make sure you invest your hard earn't in the right place, in the old days before kids,marriage and mortgage Id have just got both and been done with it...bugger

looking at the new D3200 with it huge jump in sensor Tech..makes me wonder what we will see to bridge the gap from there to the D800...!!...with bodies the dust certainly doesn't seem to have settled yet

[Lance B]

Steve,

The thing about the 24-70 is that it is a fabulous lens and a lens that you will keep through many body changes. You can always get a D800 at some later date, but if you get one now, what lens are you going to use as your "standard" zoom? You will not be able to use your D800 for many shots as you don't have a lens to use in the most useable area and an area where the 24-70 is superb. However, if you get the D700 and 24-70, you can happily shoot with it until you are ready for the D800, if you still actually need to get one, and then sell off the D700 and use that money to help pay for the D800 at a future date.

[Xebadir]

I am in agreeance with all of the above. My D800 is arriving today, but if I didn't already have a D700 and 24-70, and I had the choice between having a 24-70 with the D700 or the D800 I would choose the lens option - its an incredible piece of glass that will outlast any body you buy. When its on my D700 it is my goto lens - and even though I broke one at one point due to tripod failure I would still have it over a newer body (the d700 isn't really to be scoffed at, still a crazy good camera).

[Tommo1965]

after much thought and considering the changing world of camera bodies at the moment...Ive decided to hold off on getting a D700 at the moment..and go for the lens now instead...the release of the D3200 with it 24 M sensor makes me think the something is in the water for a mid level body...so Ill wait until the dust settles hopefully Ill be better informed on the newer bodies and see if the D700 still is the way to go...even if the newer bodies dont cut it for me hopefully there will be a heap more D700 on the market by then and prices may enable me to keep my D300s too

thanks for all the advise guys... truly helpful

[arthurking83]

..... makes me think the something is in the water for a mid level body...so Ill wait until the dust settles hopefully Ill be better informed on the newer bodies and see if the D700 still is the way to go...even if the newer bodies dont cut it for me hopefully there will be a heap more D700 on the market by then and prices may enable me to keep my D300s too

thanks for all the advise guys... truly helpful

If I was in this situation, I'd be inclined to do the same thing right at this point in time.
(did the same thing early last year as predictions of D700 replacement was rife).

D700 is an astounding camera, be under no illusion about that, and you will love it to bits and beyond.
If it wasn't for the fact that it didn't have video, I'd have got one myself years ago too!
But I need video, and D800's video is fine for me .. and I also want the move to Fx format, so any old video camera just won't do .. one device, many uses so to speak.

From reading the opening post tho, it seems that the D700 and 24-70 combo is going to be ideally ideal!
Only reason not to go for a D800 is for the purpose of printing! Do you print large? Have you ever captured an image and thought to yourself .. gee that'd look great in a large A2 sized print, but the intense graininess or lack of sharp detail will make it look less impressive!
If so, then you need the D800.
If you are struggling to find that perfect lens combo, then it's obvious that the 24-70 will provide the better creative spark you may be looking for.. D700 will complement that nicely... don't get another Dx body(if the D400 turns out to be Dx again).


I've been trying to conjure up ideas for a perfect camera body for my purposes:
D400 uses old D3s sensor, with proper HD video(@ 1920x1080) and up to 60fps, although 30fps is really all I'll ever use most of the time as I'm not into slow mo video.
It'd do 6fps, as you don't want it to delve too far into D4 performance levels.
I'd have two card slots, and hopefully one of which has to be either CF or XQD(not both SD!!).

The sensor exists, and has been paid for already in terms of manufacturing and hardware costs.. so it should cost Nikon nothing in terms of producing these sensors.
This could make for a low cost Sony A800 style sub $2K full frame camera body .. initial RRP would be $1999, which of course would drop over time.

A more perfect camera I can't really think of ..... in reality that is! .. we all have our 100Mp, 25fps, ISO1million, Fx sensored dream camera, but I'm exploring something that could be made based on currently known quantities.

One thing I really don't need(or even want) is 36Mp, and 50Mb raw files .. and trying to compress that much info into a file that is in keeping with AP rules!

it's hard enough now to compress a 25Mb raw file into a 250kb jpg and maintain a good level of quality.
Quality slider is going to have a hard time at the usual location of 80% ... and will have to get used to something more like 40%!!!

[Tommo1965]

LOL..ive bought a D700. :o.. couldn't help myself...

[arthurking83]

LOL..ive bought a D700. :o.. couldn't help myself...


:th3:

... Oh! And I'm sure that you'll be glad that your will isn't as strong as you'd really like it to be! :p


My problem is that my will is unfailing and more solid than Gibraltar!
I'd love to have the D700, even if I get a D800 a week later too!
My problem is that I can't seem to give in to the temptation of the D700, as I know there's a 70-200VR in that allocated slot and/or a few other goodies too.

[NoSideshow]

Last week I sold my 3 yo D700 + MBD10 for $2400 on Gumtree. I could have sold it ten times over. I'm going back to film for a while as thats where my heart is and my three film bodies are going up in value.

If I were in the market for a Nikon FX body it would have to be the D800, but not at $3600. I never print above A3 so I;ll waittwo years and the D800 will be $2k.

[Tommo1965]

after a couple of days with a D700...I now get what what all the D700 users love about this cam.....to have a FF viewfinder again is worth it alone, the extra FOV at the wide end is also great..my 17-35mm is now silly wide, i can almost see myself in the pictures its that wide:D...my 70-200 is now more usable, as I always felt it was a little too long at 70 on a crop body..very good portrait lens now
I think ill be very happy with this cam for a couple for a while..I might look at a D800 in a year or so..maybe not..perhaps the D900..now for that 24-70 lens :)


oh and I now reckon I know why Nikon released a D800 with 36 Megapixels . if it had only been a small increase to say 16M...with the same noise at high ISO that the d800 has ..I doubt many D700 users would have took the plunge...but at 36m its another world for detail


well that's now something less for me to think about { camera upgrade} ..I might actually go take some photos now !!

[Lance B]

Great to hear that you have your D700, and more importantly, that you are very happy with it. It really is a gem of a camera and I am still going to keep mine even though I have the D800. :)

Enjoy your new camera and post some pics!

[Xebadir]

Enjoy that new Steve, glad to hear it has worked out for you :).

I'd love to have the D700, even if I get a D800 a week later too!
My problem is that I can't seem to give in to the temptation of the D700, as I know there's a 70-200VR in that allocated slot and/or a few other goodies too.
Or you could cave like me - and buy a D800 and a 70-200VR to go with an existing D700 - my bank balance hates me :P.

[Blueywa]

Smart move Steve (IMO)... where did you get it?

I'm still considering the move to FX and the D700, and keeping the D300S. :th3:

[Tommo1965]

Hi Bluey

Bought it from some bloke in Cannington...it was in the Gumtree...I wish Id kept my D300s too...but at the time I needed the extra $1000 to put into the D700..Ive spent way too much on photo gear as it is !!....still miss the D300s though..and I feel its af was a tickle snapper than the D700..might be just me though ?

[MissionMan]

I just shifted to the D700 (bought it new when the D800 was released because I wanted the extra frame rate for sports). I honestly haven't looked back and I haven't missed the extra megapixels. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have them but if you can't do what you want with the D700, the D800 isn't going to do it for you so I suspect you'll be very happy with the D700. I also have the 24-70 combo with the D700 (get a 70-200 as well if you don't have one already). The noise levels on the D700 still astound me.

Congrats on the purchase. I'm sure you and your new baby with have many happy years together. BTW, I can highly recommend Thom Hogan's guide for the D700 if you haven't already got it. Great detailed info on the camera and the settings.

[Tommo1965]

yes I agree on the noise levels of the D700..so much easier to denoise a High ISO image and still have something that looks good, rather than plastic skin and soft everything.

Ive a 70-200VRII..best lens I own for sure..although the 17-35 F2.8 I have performs very well too..Ive yet to get my 24-70...had too many expensive holidays just recently..so I have to put that off for a while :(

[mongo]

The 24-70 is an excellent lens from all accounts. However, while the 24-135 is Not as good, you may be peasently surprised with its performance. Mongo's Tamron 24-135 performs remarkable well on his D800 (temporary AF issues aside for the present).

[Wayne]

I sold my D700 + MB-D10 a few weeks back after returning from Singapore with a D800 in hand. I would have kept it, but SWMBO just looked at me strangely when I suggested it, given I also have a D3s. She said "You aren't a camera collector". I still think it is a ground breaking camera, frame rate, noise performance, focus performance etc all fantastic attributes, and remembering it shared much with the flagship of the day , the D3 when it was released. Testament to how good a camera the D700 is, one only needs to see how popular it remains after 3 years on the market.

I sold it for $400 less than I paid for it almost 3 years ago...
Do I miss it? Kind of, I used to prefer shooting it more than my D3, ended up selling my D3 and keeping it as my only body for a while. It is hard to really miss it when I have the D3s now though, but if I just had the D800, I would have kept it no doubt.

The D800 is a different beast, a little slower FPS, but noise, resolution, size, weather sealing etc all point to this also being a legendary body in the DSLR timeline, a medium format killer in 35mm clothing. I'm looking forward to using the D800 alot more in coming months once I finally move home to Sydney.

[Tommo1965]

The 24-70 is an excellent lens from all accounts. However, while the 24-135 is Not as good, you may be peasently surprised with its performance. Mongo's Tamron 24-135 performs remarkable well on his D800 (temporary AF issues aside for the present).


agreed Mongo the tamron is a very good lens..even if you ignore what they are worth...but take that into account and they are extremely good...I just prefer a lens that when zoomed doesn't change my exposure and DOF {variable aperture }..but that being said the tamron is a great walk about lens

[N*A*M]

i went through a similar process as you. i had a D300, 17-55, 70-200. it was pretty sweet. the 17-55 kept me on DX for a long time, but eventually i succumbed to the D700. without the crop factor, the 70-200 becomes a different beast. you can use it in ways that are not possible with a crop body. without the D300 and 17-55, i had to replace it with the 24-70.

D700, 24-70, 70-200 was pretty much all i ever needed for event shooting. it never failed to deliver killer shots. but now that i've slowed down and stopped shooting events, i've drifted away from the heavy f/2.8 zooms. however, i'll never forget the feeling of 100% confidence and trust that i had in that combination.

enjoy this period of learning and loving the D700. get to know its meter and viewfinder, work with its raw files in a good converter. lastly, print, print, print, and marvel at what this camera can do. the files up rez very well, so don't sweat about missing pixels. just focus on killer composition, interesting subjects, and perfect exposure.

you've made the right decision.

[MissionMan]

you've made the right decision.

No he didn't. He still doesn't have the 24-70. That would have been the right decision :D

[Tommo1965]

i went through a similar process as you. i had a D300, 17-55, 70-200. it was pretty sweet. the 17-55 kept me on DX for a long time, but eventually i succumbed to the D700. without the crop factor, the 70-200 becomes a different beast. you can use it in ways that are not possible with a crop body. without the D300 and 17-55, i had to replace it with the 24-70.

D700, 24-70, 70-200 was pretty much all i ever needed for event shooting. it never failed to deliver killer shots. but now that i've slowed down and stopped shooting events, i've drifted away from the heavy f/2.8 zooms. however, i'll never forget the feeling of 100% confidence and trust that i had in that combination.

enjoy this period of learning and loving the D700. get to know its meter and viewfinder, work with its raw files in a good converter. lastly, print, print, print, and marvel at what this camera can do. the files up rez very well, so don't sweat about missing pixels. just focus on killer composition, interesting subjects, and perfect exposure.

you've made the right decision.

cheers Nam..thats a great post..and food for thought...I just purchased a black rapid strap, its great for spreading the weight of a 70-200 and gripped D700...I wish Id bought on a while back..plus Ive got rid of the damn pesky neck strap that was always in the way ..

what converter would you suggest for my raw files..currently Im using either Lightroom or Adobe bridge with camera raw

- - - Updated - - -


No he didn't. He still doesn't have the 24-70. That would have been the right decision :D

yep I feel the gap in my lens selection...UK holidays kill the old bank balance though ...Ill get one soonish..once I recover ..LOL

- - - Updated - - -

you have way too much Gear Wayne...

lucky Git..:lol:


I sold my D700 + MB-D10 a few weeks back after returning from Singapore with a D800 in hand. I would have kept it, but SWMBO just looked at me strangely when I suggested it, given I also have a D3s. She said "You aren't a camera collector". I still think it is a ground breaking camera, frame rate, noise performance, focus performance etc all fantastic attributes, and remembering it shared much with the flagship of the day , the D3 when it was released. Testament to how good a camera the D700 is, one only needs to see how popular it remains after 3 years on the market.

I sold it for $400 less than I paid for it almost 3 years ago...
Do I miss it? Kind of, I used to prefer shooting it more than my D3, ended up selling my D3 and keeping it as my only body for a while. It is hard to really miss it when I have the D3s now though, but if I just had the D800, I would have kept it no doubt.

The D800 is a different beast, a little slower FPS, but noise, resolution, size, weather sealing etc all point to this also being a legendary body in the DSLR timeline, a medium format killer in 35mm clothing. I'm looking forward to using the D800 alot more in coming months once I finally move home to Sydney.

[Warren Ackary]

LOL..ive bought a D700. :o.. couldn't help myself...

Good desicion! Combined with the 24-70 is an awesome combo & the D700 is a magic body for studio shoots also.. congrats :th3:

[Wayne]

you have way too much Gear Wayne...

lucky Git..:lol:

Is there such thing Steve? ;)
I just got a new Chubby, 200/2VR which I had before, and sold, but I missed it..

[Tommo1965]

Is there such thing Steve? ;)
I just got a new Chubby, 200/2VR which I had before, and sold, but I missed it..


I had a play with one in a store near me.. probably the nearest Ill ever get to using a 200F2...awesome piece of kit... I've got lens envy ;)

[Feg]

D700 rocks.D800 went backwards with frame rate .36mp ,whatever.

[phototyke]

congrats on the purchase.....I have the d700/d300 combo and love it.........I just knocked back the d800 wait list call since I dont need 36mp,huge files and slower fps.......I thought I did when all the hype came out!..........(do need the D4 though but thats a long way off,ha!)

[Tommo1965]

im starting to wish Id never sold my D300s ..I miss the reach for footy Taps...damn...I knew I shouldn't have sold it !!.....still love the d700 though :)

[I @ M]

im starting to wish Id never sold my D300s ..I miss the reach for footy Taps...damn...I knew I shouldn't have sold it !!.....still love the d700 though :)

1.4x converter costs less than a D300s body even new. The DX crop mode still yields useful shots.

[Blueywa]

I thought I had an 'as new' D700 on fleabay only (11,200 activations) but someone with no idea what the new ones are selling for beat me and paid toooo much for it.
Patience will pay off Im sure, ha-ha ha.
Enjoy yours Steve.

[Tommo1965]

Andrew

Ive a 1.7 TC..but to be honest I wasn't too impressed with it doing sport on my 70-200VR II....quite few missed shots due to slower AF..and the IQ was a bit off...not a patch on the naked lens...how much better is the 1.4tc ?

the 1.7 is good for static shooting or slower action


Bluey

Ive seen the prices on D700 drop in the past couple of weeks..with most selling around the $1600au mark ..mind you they were all up in the 20-30K shutter actuations....I scored a grip for mine the other day from Gumtree ..I paid the going rate ..but was happy to have no postage and see it before buying ..

[Wayne]

Steve,

On my original 70-200/2.8VR with the 1.4x, focus is of course slower, but it is marginal. I find the same on the 400/2.8VR and almost no detectable difference on the 200/2VR. I do notice a somewhat more pronounced slower focus effect when using the 1.7x and 2x.

Andrew is right though that a Nikon 1.4x is cheap compared to a D300s body, it is lighter and smaller so carrying the extra body might be a problematic option for some. I can say that the crop modes on both my D3s and D800 yield great results.

- - - Updated - - -

Steve,

On my original 70-200/2.8VR with the 1.4x, focus is of course slower, but it is marginal. I find the same on the 400/2.8VR and almost no detectable difference on the 200/2VR. I do notice a somewhat more pronounced slower focus effect when using the 1.7x and 2x.

Andrew is right though that a Nikon 1.4x is cheap compared to a D300s body, it is lighter and smaller so carrying the extra body might be a problematic option for some. I can say that the crop modes on both my D3s and D800 yield great results.

[Tommo1965]

Ill give the crop mode a burl....but up till now I thought it was just giving you a masked DX crop of the available 12 MP image ?..and so cropping later in PS would yield the same results ?

I almost bought a 1.4TC from a local seller for $250..kicking myself I never grabbed it..it was passed in cause no one took a punt

[MissionMan]

Ill give the crop mode a burl....but up till now I thought it was just giving you a masked DX crop of the available 12 MP image ?..and so cropping later in PS would yield the same results ?

I almost bought a 1.4TC from a local seller for $250..kicking myself I never grabbed it..it was passed in cause no one took a punt

I ended up with a grey market 1.4x as they are available for half the price. I don't mind going local for bodies and lenses (where there is only a limited price difference) but I couldn't justify it on the 1.4x when I don't use it as much. The difference between the 2.0x, 1.7x and 1.4x is quite large. If you have a look at some of the review comparisons by some independent photographers you'll see that most clearly state that the 1.4x is substantially better. I grabbed a mates one 2x and 1.4x and the difference there was massive. I'd see if I could try a friend's 1.4x and see how you go. I would lend you mine, but I'm in VIC.

[Lance B]

Ill give the crop mode a burl....but up till now I thought it was just giving you a masked DX crop of the available 12 MP image ?..and so cropping later in PS would yield the same results ?

Yes, better to do it in post process where you have the option to crop where and by how much. The D700 doesn't take too kindly to cropping due to the limited pixels, better to use a TC if possible.

The 1.4x TCII on the 70-200 works brilliantly. I have also used the 2x TCIII with great results, but best up to about 15-20mts after which the IQ can fall off a tad.

A few samples of the 1.4x TCII + 70-200 f2.8 on the D700:

http://www.pbase.com/lance_b/image/125159888/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lance_b/image/125008110/original.jpg

CROP
http://www.pbase.com/lance_b/image/125008111/original.jpg

Some samples from the 2x TCIII + 70-200 f2.8 on the D700:

http://www.pbase.com/lance_b/image/126211144/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lance_b/image/132886383/original.jpg

CROP

http://www.pbase.com/lance_b/image/132886384/original.jpg

WIDE OPEN AT f5.6!
http://www.pbase.com/lance_b/image/125237434/original.jpg

I do have more images from the 70-200 f2.8 + 2x TCIII combo, but they ar taken on the D7000, not the D700, but you can see the excellent sharpness from this combo. These are all at high ISO's, like ISO3200 or ISO5000 or ISO6400:

This is at distance, say about 15mts, maybe more:

ISO3200
http://www.pbase.com/lance_b/image/131876220/original.jpg

ISO5000
http://www.pbase.com/lance_b/image/142065241/original.jpg

ISO6400
http://www.pbase.com/lance_b/image/131919299/original.jpg

[Tommo1965]

thanks for the images Lance..very nice mate :)...when you say the IQ drops off as the distance to the subject increases ..is that the same for the 1.4tc..or where you referring to both TC

[Lance B]

thanks for the images Lance..very nice mate :)...when you say the IQ drops off as the distance to the subject increases ..is that the same for the 1.4tc..or where you referring to both TC

Thank you for your kind comment, Steve. :)

It happens with both, but because the 1.4x TCII has very little impact on IQ anyway, the drop off in IQ at distance is less as well. It's not a big deal and you'd be hard pressed seing any issue.

If you are shooting soccer or some sort of field sports, then you won't be disappointed. I have used it for this and it works very well. The main ting with this sort of thing is to maintain a fast shutter speed to stop blur and that may require cranking up the ISO and the D700 has such good high ISO capabilities that this won't be an issue, especially if you use a good post process noise reduction program like Noiseware Professional (which I use).

[Tommo1965]

funny you should mention High ISO..as last week was the first time I used the auto ISO to keep the shutter speed to 1/1000....crikey it was good...I don't think it went past ISO 1600 but certainly saved me a few times as the clouds where rolling by....

I shoot weekend Footy for my sons team..trouble is the ovals are so damn big..the centre Tap is miles away....soccer would be a breeze in comparison as the pitches are lot smaller...

I think in a ideal world a D300 with a 300F4 for the centre Tap and the d700 with the 70-200 for everything nearer me..Ill see if I can pick up a 1.4 at reasonable cost ..if it don't work out Ill should be able to recoup me loss..

[Tommo1965]

I thought I had an 'as new' D700 on fleabay only (11,200 activations) but someone with no idea what the new ones are selling for beat me and paid toooo much for it.
Patience will pay off Im sure, ha-ha ha.
Enjoy yours Steve.


not sure if you sorted a D700 yet..but I noticed that team digital on lord street east Perth have a D700 with grip for a good price..aint got a clue what its like though...but worth a look Id say

[knumbnutz]

I just got a D800 and am going to sell the D700 and grip and spare batt on ebags soon.

The D700 is one grouse camera, you cant go wrong with it, it does everything well, - flash system, AF, tracking, fps is ok, high iso etc.

I hope the D800 lives up to expectations !

[Warren Ackary]

Reading this with envy.. have a D300s, love it to bits but feel its time to move onto FF. Love to get a D700 (have friends with them and used one, thats enough for me).
Seen a few on Gumtree, personally they had been treated not so good, put my cam on GT with a 24-70 Sigma.. not even a bite for $1,700.
Darn they make it hard to upgrade (wife will kill me if I sell a Kidney). Very mouth-watering though to get a D700 (maybe I shouldnt have read this thread LOL

[Tommo1965]

I got $900 odd for my mint D300s on ebay..they are still selling for $800 or so....the siggy will see around $300-400 if its the older F2.8

so all up around $1200 to $1300 for the lot...

having said that, used D700 have dropped too..the one here in Perth at a retail outlet comes with a Nikon grip too..all for $1490...but I haven't seen it so it could be crap http://www.teamdigital.com.au/blog/pre-loved-equipment/

low shutter bodies on ebay are selling for around $1600

but yes I do understand the dilemma..used camera gear by nature is a losing circle of grief

the benefits of the d700 are more headroom in the ISO area...but in good light and low ISO.. there's not much between them...

[Tommo1965]

Picked up the final piece of my missing jigsaw today..a nikon
24-70 f2.8....cash in my pockets don't last long !

[I @ M]

Picked up the final piece of my missing jigsaw today..a nikon
24-70 f2.8....cash in my pockets don't last long !

I feel for you mate, I really do. :(

The anguish and heartbreak in your post really tears at my heart. :sad68:

Now stop posting wordy drivelly stuff on here and produce some bluddy pictures with the new gear FCS. :D

[Tommo1965]

cheers Andrew..its painful but inevitable...got some cash from a PJ on Friday..gone by Saturday LMAO

I've a shoot with three other Togs in a couple of weeks in Perth ...we are hiring a studio and around 8 models MUA and HS will be available throughout the day ...to be honest Im crapping me pants a tad...but once into the breach we venture yet again ...hopefully Ill do the others, myself and my gear justice...Ill post up some pictures when the dust settles....any advice for a total studio newb mate :eek::eek:

[I @ M]

any advice for a total studio newb mate :eek::eek:

Wear very absorbent underwear. :rolleyes:

[Tommo1965]

yep had that one already..plus a box of tissues for me tears ...:lol:

lets face whats the worse that can happen..Ill waste my time..everyone elses..quite a bit of money..plus thousands in gear I cant use...all in all...no pressure :oops:


nah..she'll right mate ...{false bravado now} :crike:

EDIT

just had a thought..perhaps I can film it like a episode of Photo finish....watch the big man break at the end ..should be good viewing ....LMAO