- 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...
- Sony SLT-A99
- Nikon D800
- Nikon D7000
- Canon EOS 6D
- Nikon D5100
Rated 100% by by Sam (May, 2010)The overall response time of the D700 is so much faster than the D300.
Rated 87% by by DPReview (Nov, 2012)But if you want excellent image quality and solid day-to-day performance from a full-frame body the D600 is a very compelling option, and seems likely to remain so for some time.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Nikon D700 compared to the Nikon D600
MP12.1
Full frame
Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)ISO 400 is noise free ISO 800 still looking good Nice job at ISO 1600 Even ISO 3200 is flawless There's a little bit of noise at ISO 6400 Let's face it, it's not bad for ISO 25,600 This is the full frame image at ISO 100 This is the 100% crop of the image at ISO 100.
24.2 MP
Full frame
Rated 87% by by DPReview (Nov, 2012)Frame rates are consistent regardless of image quality or crop mode.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 24.2 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.
D600 by Antique-American (Nov, 2012)I am very pleased with the quality of the pictures and the fact that I can crop them up to 50% and still have a respectable pixel count.
sensor size
D700 by Jordan-M.-Zuniga--Jordan-Michael-Zuniga (Jun, 2009)You have a beautiful full frame camera, with insanely sharp images.
D600 by Jeff-L (Nov, 2012)Recommend to anyone looking to move from APS-C to Full Frame - you won't regret it.
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.
D600 by rsub8a (Sep, 2012)Rather than rehash the technical features, I'll summarize in saying that the gorgeous big viewfinder (compared to a DX format SLR) makes all the difference in the world.
body size
147 x 123 x 77 mm
141 x 113 x 82 mm
D700 by Richard-L.-Chew (Mar, 2009)They are expensive, big and heavy but they are as fast and sharp as can be.
focus points
| 0 | 51 | 60 |
D700 by Jason-T.-Houge--Jason-Houge-Photography (Mar, 2009)Unselected focusing points are not visible.
D600 by Samuel (Oct, 2012)The biggest adjustment shooting on the D600 is: the FX sensor allows you to get more accurate and wider coverage in viewfinder(no more cropped images like my 300s, what you see is what you get now) and the 39 focus points is accurate and fast but seem to be crowded mainly in the center (my 51 focus points on my D300s covered more area).
Performance Real world tests of Nikon D700 vs Nikon D600
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.
D600 by Armin-H.This is a great camera in terms of handling and image quality, even though I had hoped to just remain happy with the image quality of my "old" Panasonic GF-1, which, size-wise, is so much more attractive.
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.
D600 by DPReview (Nov, 2012)This video clip demonstrates the low light performance of the D600 along with the image stabilization of the Nikkor 24-85mm F3.5-4.5G ED VR lens.
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 197 ms | 200 ms |
D700 by DPReview (Oct, 2008)Startup, shutter lag, focus acquisition, continuous shooting (especially with the optional battery grip) and file writing feel very fast indeed on the D700.
D600 by D.-Emerson (Sep, 2012)Don't notice shutter lag, and the buffer hasn't given out on multi-shot sprees yet, though I do have a lot of the "auto" stuff off, which speeds things up (like the auto anti-vignette, auto d-light, etc).
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.
D600 by DPReview (Nov, 2012)The smaller DX format image files do allow for substantially higher burst capacity and increased frame rates once the camera buffer is full.
battery life
1,000 photos
900 photos
D600 by D.-Emerson (Sep, 2012)The battery life is fantastic, the mirror lockup mode using the remote is likewise wonderful, and the camera's noise levels in -complete darkness- are unbelievably low.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the D600
| Much more highly reviewed by consumers | 90.23% | vs | 86.47% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almost the same | |||
| Less delay taking photos | 197 ms | vs | 260 ms |
| More than 20% less shutter lag; Avoid missing spontaneous moments | |||
| More phase-detection focus points | 51 | vs | 39 |
| 12 more phase detection focus points; Faster autofocus in reasonably lit settings | |||
| Bigger viewfinder | 0.72x | vs | 0.7x |
| Almost the same | |||
| More cross-type focus points | 15 | vs | 9 |
| 6 more cross type focus points; Easier and faster focusing in low light | |||
| Much faster max shutter speed | 1/8000 s | vs | 1/4000 s |
| 2x faster max shutter speed; capture fast action | |||
| Thinner | 77 mm | vs | 82 mm |
| Around 10% thinner | |||
Advantages compared to the D700
| Much better overall image quality | 94.0 | vs | 80.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around 20% better image quality | |||
| Marginally more recently announced | Sep, 2012 | vs | Jul, 2008 |
| Announced date over 4 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 | |||
| Much more color depth | 25.1 bits | vs | 23.5 bits |
| Around 10% more color depth | |||
| Much higher resolution | 24.2 MP | vs | 12.1 MP |
| More than 2x higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| Significantly better dynamic range | 14.2 ev | vs | 12.2 ev |
| Around 20% better dynamic range | |||
| Supports HDR | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas | |||
| Less noise at high ISO | 2,980 ISO | vs | 2,303 ISO |
| Around 30% higher low light performance | |||
| Lighter | 850 g | vs | 1,074 g |
| More than 20% lighter | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Nikon D700 | Nikon D600 | ||
 |  
| 
| |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|
| |
 | Rated by 232 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Lancelot (Oct, 2011) Rated 100% by by Peter-G.-Aitken (Sep, 2009) Rated 100% by by tbuyer--tbuyer (Sep, 2011) | Rated by 129 users at amazon.com Rated 80% by by Chad (Sep, 2012)  Rated 100% by by kendalltristan (Oct, 2012) Rated 100% by by Chandler | |
focus
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by Andy-Murphy (Dec, 2008)My purchase of the D700 met my expectations: Low light performance is very good, it works with AI and AIS manual lenses as well as AF lenses, and it is very well built though on the lite side (which is good) because of the materials used to make it.
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by J.-Gwen-Ingram (Aug, 2008)Because I'm coming from years of comfort with shooting manual focus lenses on film, that's what I do on the D700 ... and as a result, I've got all ten slots full!
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by Tom-Iancu--from-east (Dec, 2008)AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF QUICKLY, otherwise you might feel the urge to send your D700 to Nikon for a checkout.
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).
image quality
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by redriver (Jan, 2012)My first impression of the D700 is its capability to produce film like colors and saturation (been using F100 for 10 years).
Nikon D700 | 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.
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by Plantasphilia (Feb, 2013)Despite having an older sensor, D700 still can produce exceptional images with wonderful sharpness and color rendition.
autofocus
Nikon D700 | by DPReview (Oct, 2008)Note that the D700's larger sensor area means that the AF points don't have as much frame coverage as on the D300 and also that the 11 point layout is slightly different.
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by T.-L.-Cummings----Tim (Aug, 2009)The D700 AF system is pure magic, even when my subject is moving.
Nikon D700 | Rated 100% by by Augsburg57 (Sep, 2008)I've also found that the autofocus on the Nikon D700 is light years ahead of the Canon.
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.
Nikon D600 | Rated 100% by by deck2c (Oct, 2012)If shooting stills, D700 is on par one of the best but not in the video world because obviously, it doesn't shoot videos.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Sony SLT-A99 Most detailed video recording mode |
 | 2 | Nikon D800 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark |
 | 3 | Nikon D7000 Most shots per battery charge |
 | 4 | Canon EOS 6D Highest ISO |
 | 5 | Nikon D5100 Smallest |
 | 6 | Nikon D90 8-way tie: Shoots video in 24p |
 | 7 | Nikon D5200 Lightest |
 | 8 | Nikon D7100 Newest |
Unanswered Questions
- 3 discussions
- View more
January 2, 2013
The D600, D700 or D800?
I'm stumped. I'd like one of the three, but I don't know which would best suit my needs. I'm looking for a camera that would be good for newborn, children and basic portraiture (couples, family,...
Visitor
0
Answers December 19, 2012
High ISO settings
As I require to shoot in available light in most cases, noise at higher ISO is a primary concern. So, which will be a good buy - d600 or d700 ?
Visitor
0
Answers December 14, 2012
Wedding photography
Wedding photography including all aspects of the day: indoor/outdoor, portraits/ candids, will the 600 allow me to capture fleeting moneys quickly? The camera sounds great but wondering if it's I...
Visitor
0
Answers 