- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Nikon D4
- Nikon D600
- Nikon D7000
- Nikon D800
- Canon EOS 6D
Rated 85% by by c|net (Nov, 2008)With a really good lens the photos are very sharp, and the camera renders excellent exposures and a broad dynamic range.
Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Apr, 2012)Needless to say the Mark II quickly became a firm favourite, not only with still photographers drawn by its fantastic image quality but also video enthusiasts (and indeed professional film and TV production companies) who were keen to exploit the creative opportunities provided by the Mark II’s class-leading (at the time) video abilities and Canon’s vast lens universe.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Nikon D700 compared to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III
MP12.1
Full frame
Rated 100% by by Software-Guy (Jun, 2010)Going from a Nikon D2x to a D700, I'm very happy with the improvement in dynamic range.
22.1 MP
Full frame
Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)With the movie mode/live view selection switch movie mode feels much better integrated into the camera's operation and the switch allows for seamless transition from stills to movie shooting.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 22.1 MP   | 30 MP |
D700 by Jesse-Courtemanche (Mar, 2009)In a world where gimmicks abound (megapixels, HD video), it's nice to know that this camera can hold its own against them all.
EOS 5D Mark III by DPReview (Mar, 2012)Although the specification on the box says 1080p, with regards resolution the 5D Mark III is a huge let down and the $600 Panasonic GH2 offers a far more detailed 'true 1080p' image (whilst maintaining a relatively large sensor for video and interchangeable lens mount).
sensor size
D700 by Jordan-M.-Zuniga--Jordan-Michael-Zuniga (Jun, 2009)You have a beautiful full frame camera, with insanely sharp images.
EOS 5D Mark III by DOBrien--I-review-stuff. (Mar, 2012)If you have the cash and are looking for a full frame with video capabilities, this is an excellent choice with the improvements made.
viewfinder size
D700 by Sam-Hershey--Sam (Aug, 2008)It is a nice option for when you can't look through the viewfinder easily, but definitely not for all-the-time-use.
EOS 5D Mark III by DPReview (Mar, 2012)The size of the viewfinder is a key factor in usability - the bigger it is, the easier it is to frame and focus your shots, and the more enjoyable and involving process it is.
body size
147 x 123 x 77 mm
152 x 116 x 76 mm
D700 by Richard-L.-Chew (Mar, 2009)They are expensive, big and heavy but they are as fast and sharp as can be.
EOS 5D Mark III by C.-Concepcion (Apr, 2012)The camera is not heavy I would say but with the lens and the first all day shooting I felt the weight.
focus points
| 0 | 61 | 70 |
D700 by Jason-T.-Houge--Jason-Houge-Photography (Mar, 2009)Unselected focusing points are not visible.
Performance Real world tests of Nikon D700 vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III
DxOMark image quality
D700 by Lawrence-Charters-----Lawrence (Dec, 2009)With its superb noise reduction, stabilized lens system, and outstanding low-light capabilities, the Nikon D700 allows you to take photos - without a flash - that you really can't manage well with any other camera.
EOS 5D Mark III by DPReview (Mar, 2012)The Canon EOS 5D Mark III's out-of-camera JPEGs offer good colors, tonality and dynamic range with a very smooth highlight roll-off but in terms of pixel-level detail the images are not quite as good as we might expect from a 22MP sensor with a Canon L-lens mounted in front of it.
DxOMark low light performance
D700 by Jessica-Willis--UnbridledImagery.com (Feb, 2009)I recently did a wedding photoshoot in very dimly lit conditions, and my backup photographer used the D200 with a 1.4 lens while I used the D700 with a 2.8 - the difference in the photos in phenomenal.
EOS 5D Mark III by DL (Jan, 2013)Canon 5diii (with 28~105mm L, and 70~300mm L lens) to my eyes has most natural color, very sharp, like high end audio tube analog components vs digital sound (Nikon), unbelievable low light performance, great auto mode, great focus speed, you do not need much skill to take great photos.
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 120 ms | 200 ms |
EOS 5D Mark III by J.-Howell (Apr, 2012)Shutter lag and mirror blackout is now faster than before and leads to a more instant, responsive feel while shooting.
continuous shooting
D700 by Enche-TjinD700 has continuous shooting speed are good (5 fps), but when you attached the battery grip, it becomes 8 fps, which is great for sports or wildlife.
EOS 5D Mark III by DPReview (Mar, 2012)In terms of continuous shooting the EOS 5D Mark III is not quite on the same level as dedicated sports and action cameras such as Canon's EOS-1D Mark IV, but nevertheless its 6 frames per second in Continuous Hi mode still make it a capable tool for shooting fast moving subjects.
battery life
1,000 photos
950 photos
EOS 5D Mark III by c|net (Jan, 2009)The Mark II uses a new battery pack, the LP-E6, which seems to last a reasonably long time: it's CIPA rated at between 750 and 850 shots, depending upon temperature.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III
| Has a built-in flash | Built in flash | vs | None |
|---|---|---|---|
| About half of cameras have a built-in flash; Take photos in low-light with no extra gear | |||
| Significantly more highly reviewed by consumers | 90.23% | vs | 87.13% |
| Almost the same | |||
| Better dynamic range | 12.2 ev | vs | 11.7 ev |
| Almost the same | |||
Advantages compared to the Nikon D700
| Marginally more recently announced | Mar, 2012 | vs | Jul, 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Announced date over 3 years later | |||
| Much larger screen | 3.2" | vs | 3" |
| Around 10% larger screen | |||
| Shoots video | HD video | vs | None |
| Most cameras shoot video | |||
| Much larger viewfinder coverage | 100% | vs | 95% |
| Around 10% larger coverage | |||
| Significantly higher resolution screen | 1,040 k dots | vs | 922 k dots |
| More than 10% higher resolution screen | |||
| Significantly higher resolution | 22.1 MP | vs | 12.1 MP |
| More than 80% higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| Significantly more cross-type focus points | 41 | vs | 15 |
| 26 more cross type focus points; Easier and faster focusing in low light | |||
| Higher light sensitivity | 102,400 ISO | vs | 25,600 ISO |
| 4x higher light sensitivity; Avoid blur in low light situations | |||
| Supports HDR | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas | |||
| Significantly less delay taking photos | 120 ms | vs | 197 ms |
| Around 40% less shutter lag; Avoid missing spontaneous moments | |||
| More color depth | 24.0 bits | vs | 23.5 bits |
| Almost the same | |||
| More phase-detection focus points | 61 | vs | 51 |
| 10 more phase detection focus points; Faster autofocus in reasonably lit settings | |||
| Slightly faster rapid fire | 6 fps | vs | 5 fps |
| 20% faster continuous shooting; Take photos in rapid succession to capture motion | |||
| Lighter | 950 g | vs | 1,074 g |
| More than 10% lighter | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Nikon D700 | Canon EOS 5D Mark III | ||
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| 
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|---|---|---|---|
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 | Rated by 232 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Peter-G.-Aitken (Sep, 2009) Rated 100% by by Derek-Enz (Oct, 2009) Rated 100% by by Plantasphilia (Feb, 2013) | Rated by 174 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Phaseout (Apr, 2012) Rated 100% by by Phaseout (Apr, 2012) Rated 100% by by CanonInBama (May, 2012) | |
sensor
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by Enche-TjinLike its big brother Nikon D3, D700 has incredible clean image at high ISO setting, 51 AF points with several tracking modes include 3D tracking.
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by K.-C.-Norris (Oct, 2010)gymanstics or basketball) then you will love the high-ISO performance of the D700 so you can keep your shutter speeds higher and "freeze" those action shots.
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by Tom-Iancu--from-east (Dec, 2008)Back to noise, you might be interested to find out that ISO 6400 is a new, virgin territory to be explored with the D700 and this opens you the world of almost noise-free still photography at candlelight (exposure at 1ft/ 30cm from a small candle is 1/60 sec at F/1.4 at ISO 6400).
video
Nikon D700 | by DPReview (Oct, 2008)Unless you have a real need for this ultra high speed shooting it could be argued that the D700 / MB-D10 combination is actually more versatile than a D3, giving you the option to carry a smaller lighter body when speed isn't so crucial.
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by Tim-Woody (Feb, 2011)If, in a couple of years, I want to start doing video seriously I'll get whatever follow on to the D700 is available, but for now my simple video needs are satisfied by a small Kodak zi6.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)The 5D Mark III offers a choice of video compression mode - the space saving IPB mode and a high quality ALL-I format.
iso
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by Tom-Iancu--from-east (Dec, 2008)Thus, even at low light energy, D700 behaves wonderful and on PRE white balance setting color accuracy is excellent and quite identical over the entire range of ISOs up to 6400.
Nikon D700 | Rated 80% by by Minyan-Zhu--Jinx (Aug, 2008)HIgh ISO looks great, ISO 6400 on the D700 looks like ISO 1600 on my Fujifilm S5 which was highly regarded as one of the top high ISO performers back in it's day.
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by Gary-A.-SpongThe good old D700 can deliver simply outstanding combination of detail and low-noise at high ISO (1600, 3200, 6400).
flash
Nikon D700 | by DPReview (Oct, 2008)Unusually for a professional Nikon (in fact unusual for a professional camera, full stop), the D700 has a small pop-up built-in flash.
Nikon D700 | Rated 60% by by J.-Blaha--Jr (Mar, 2012)Every FX camera, including the D700 will have an issue with vignetting, where the corners of the image look noticeably darker due to the light falloff at the edge of the lens.
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by Enche-TjinUnlike D3 which has no built-in flash, D700 has built in flash.
coverage
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by LGO--LG10 (Aug, 2008)This smaller coverage is automatically delineated by a box in the D700 viewfinder.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)The viewfinder in the 5D Mark III has been improved over it predecessor, now offering an approximately 100% coverage, rather than 98.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by c|net (Jan, 2009)While it offers broader coverage than the D700's-98 percent versus 95 percent-it falls short of the 100 percent provided by the A900 and by midrange models like the Olympus E-3.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nikon D4 Fastest rapid fire mode |
 | 2 | Nikon D600 Least noise at high ISO |
 | 3 | Nikon D7000 6-way tie: Autofocus supports continuous |
 | 4 | Nikon D800 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark |
 | 5 | Canon EOS 6D Much faster benchmarked shot to shot times |
 | 6 | Sony NEX-7 Most detailed video recording mode |
 | 7 | Canon EOS 7D 6-way tie: OK max shutter speed |
 | 8 | Canon EOS 700D Has a touch screen |
Popular Questions
July 24, 2012
Suggest me which SLR should i buy?
I'm currently using Canon 7d and 600D. But i want to switch to full frame SLR. I really like to get D700 <http://snapsort.com/cameras/Nikon/D700> and thinking about getting it but Canon 5D Mark...
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Great looking pictures without having to do touch ups
I like to take close ups of bugs or animals. Using the camera as a way I see things in my eyes. I have been taking pictures since I was a child and have grown up with film cameras. I now would to...
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Answers June 1, 2012
Image quality at any ISO (within reason, of course).
* I am a keen enthusiast and I submit photos to stock agencies and competitions. I currently use a Lumix LX3 (yeah, I know this is a big step up!). * I use aperture priority and of...
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Answers Community What does Sortable's community think
4
vs
7
Nikon D700
63% of users recommend the Canon EOS 5D Mark III over the Nikon D700
Nikon D700
James-Callahan 
Beginner II
You can get a D700 used for about 1800 or get the new D600 for 2200. Not sure if the D600 does better in high iso than the D700 but I know the 700 which I have is insanely awesome. Also the so... View James-Callahan's recommendation
- 0 comments
- September 13, 2012
- Reply to: Suggest me which SLR should i buy?
nick 
Expert I
D700 is the right choice considering the price diff View nick's recommendation
- 0 comments
- August 24, 2012
- Reply to: Great looking pictures without having to do touch ups
davemeas 
Beginner II
The Nikon D700 is the absolute best camera for the price. I also have a D800, but, I still use the D700 in many situations. The lack of video? This is a serious camera to take the absolute for... View davemeas's recommendation
- 0 comments
- July 7, 2012
- Reply to: Image quality at any ISO (within reason, of course).
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
MyVintageLife 
Beginner II
Believe me, it has an awesomely clean image even at ISO 12800 you can check on youtube, its a no-brainer View MyVintageLife's recommendation
- 0 comments
- January 18, 2013
- Reply to: Image quality at any ISO (within reason, of course).
Philip-Davis 
Expert III
The 5D Mark III and the D700 are basically the same in terms of low light noise. (see ). However, you can push ISO on the 5DIII to 102,400 -- that's two stops higher than on the D700. Plus, if... View Philip-Davis's recommendation
- 0 comments
- November 13, 2012
- Reply to: Low noise in low light/high-ISO conditions
MyVintageLife
Beginner II
It has an AWESOME quality and all your pictures will be awesome with your "know-how" and coupled with an L series lens View MyVintageLife's recommendation
- 0 comments
- January 18, 2013
- Reply to: Great looking pictures without having to do touch ups
