Hey, gang. Just wanted to let you know that the first shipment of Nikon D700s has arrived. I got mine today from my friendly local camera shop. (I put a deposit on one the day it announced.) I traded-in my D200 for the D700, so this is my first full-frame sensor digital camera.

So far I like: 1) the larger viewfinder (I can see again!), 2) the larger LCD for reviewing photos, and 3) no more converting focal lengths in my head.

So far I don't like: 1) all of the buttons seem a bit more stiff than my old camera, so more effort is required to press the various buttons, 2) the LCD viewfinder is now larger and more to the left, so the oil from my nose is now all over the LCD screen cover (yes, I have oily skin), and 3) the images on the LCD seems to have too much contrast - hard to see detail in the dark areas of the image.

One more thing that I REALLY don't like. Lightroom does NOT support the RAW files that this camera produces. So I have to either shoot in another format (JPEG or TIFF) or use Nikon's CaptureNX2 (which I don't like). Adobe, please update your Camera Raw support today!

Does it do as well with high ISO images as the D3?

What is it you don't like about NX?

Anyway, since the D700 just landed today, it shouldn't take long for ACR to be updated.

Craig, I don't know, since I don't own a D3. However, I would assume it's identical since it's using the exact same sensor as the D3.

Marshal, I don't like NX since it's more of a one-at-a-time editing program. Lightroom lets me quickly sort through a large number of images and narrow the collection down to the best shots. I just returned from a two-week assignment in Costa Rica and Nicaragua where I shot over 3000 images. Try sorting through that pile with NX. Plus, I've taken the time to learn Lightroom, and I don't want to have to stop working to learn yet another program.

quote:

Originally posted by Joel Collins:
[qb]
Marshal, I don't like NX since it's more of a one-at-a-time editing program. [/qb]

Exactamundo! When I was using a PC I had it working but it was slow and very buggy. Did I mention slow and buggy? Then after switching over to Mac I installed and it has never run properly and every time I try to do an update it locks up and never finishes the download. Nikon Software pretty much blows as far as operation and production. It does do a very nice job with RAW conversion though.

I switched over to Lightroom eventually and and said adios to NX Capture for good, at least on a Mac. If you are sorting through a lot of images and want to adjust one picture and apply to all the others Lightroom kills NX Capture.

The IQ from NX is quite a lot better than CS3. CS3 DOES open Nikon NEF RAW files.

re - Marshal, I don't like NX since it's more of a one-at-a-time editing program.

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Did they get rid of the batch capability available in Capture?
Been using this for preparing NEF files for generating QTVR.

Shawn K -- Trust me, you can't open a D700 RAW file with any Adobe CS3 application. It's because the D700 is so new that Adobe doesn't support it yet. This should be fixed in the next update for Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). Just don't know when that will be...

Don't believe me? Adobe Camera Raw File Support Follow this link and look for the D700 in the supported cameras list. It's not there.

As for Nikon Capture NX2, there is a 60-day trial version in the box with the D700.

Joel,

Just convert your D700 files to DNG and import into Lightroom. Save the original raws for later when Lightroom has native support.

JS, Why bother keeping the NEFs for LR? The DNG is smaller in size and you don't have to deal with xmp files.

"So far I don't like: 1) all of the buttons seem a bit more stiff than my old camera, so more effort is required to press the various buttons"

Joel,

The D3 is the same, but I find this to be a plus. Maybe I'm a bit heavy handed, but more effort required keeps me from making unintended changes.

"2) the LCD viewfinder is now larger and more to the left, so the oil from my nose is now all over the LCD screen cover"

Does the D700 come with a LCD screen cover? I had to hunt for a month to find an after-market LCD cap for my D3!

Scotti

quote:

Originally posted by O. Bisogno Scotti:
[qb]..............
Does the D700 come with a LCD screen cover? I had to hunt for a month to find an after-market LCD cap for my D3!

Scotti [/qb]

Hoodmanusa sells D3 LCD covers & they are in stock. If D700 needs it, then I am sure they will supply it.
http://www.hoodmanusa.com/products.asp?dept=1059

quote:

Originally posted by John MacLean Photography:
[qb] JS, Why bother keeping the NEFs for LR? The DNG is smaller in size and you don't have to deal with xmp files. [/qb]

John,

I'm not a huge fan of DNG. It's not supported by all raw apps and as such you actually are limiting your use of your images.

DNG standards are being updated over time but that doesn't help your previous DNG files. A tiff is a tiff, a cr2 or nef are solid raw formats.

Dumping original raws in favor of DNG removes the camera maker raw app. While DPP or Nikon (whatever it's called raw app) may not be great, they usually have some unique features some shooters use.

I use LR only now. I could easily move my workflow to DNG, but as I've noticed, raw apps seem to have limited desirability before something else comes out a few years later.

Maybe I have commitment issues :-)

With the new DNG standard and profile editor released today, maybe with time I will have more confidence.

"Hoodmanusa sells D3 LCD covers & they are in stock."

Shawn,

I bought one the day they became available. Just in time too. I already have scratches on the Hoodman cap!

"If D700 needs it, then I am sure they will supply it."

Joel mentions in his first post that he already has a LCD cover on his D700. i was wondering if it came with the camera.

Scotti

John S.,

In Lightroom, you can imbed the original NEF RAW file in the DNG if you'd like. This way you would have both.

Preferences/Import/Embed Original RAW File.

Scotti