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Dorian Gray
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Paris, France
 
2011-02-02, 20:23

Considering everything you've said here, Matsu, do you think buying a D700 now for ~1500 euros is a good, indifferent, or bad decision?

My problem is that I have an impending need for a full-frame camera that can take Nikon lenses, preferably in less than two months — though the date can be fudged a little. (I may post more about this later.) Awkward timing!

Studying the DxO Labs data in detail, I see that the D700 retains a one-stop advantage over the D7000 in terms of mid-tone noise at most ISO sensitivities. That's very close to the advantage it should have, as predicted by sensor area. And that's despite the three-year technology gap.

The dynamic range, basically a measure of noise in the shadows, is closer, with the D700 eking out at best a half-stop advantage — and often less.

Of course the D7000 clearly shows its prowess with much smaller pixels, much lower read-out noise at base ISO, and (presumably) basically no pattern noise. The D700 can show a little banding in extreme situations.

All things considered the D7000 has a hugely impressive sensor, but I think real-world comparisons with the D700 at ISO 400-3200 would reveal once again the importance of sensor area. Not on a black-and-white test chart perhaps, but on real-world, low-contrast detail.

A 24-megapixel DX sensor by Sony, so soon after this impressive 16-megapixel sensor, seems odd to me, though you seem confident it exists. I wonder if instead the rumoured 24-megapixel sensor is an FX model, destined for a cheaper-than-ever full-frame Nikon. That would tie in with the relatively high-end specs of the D7000, a model I at first took to be a straight replacement for the D300S.

It's since become clear that the D7000 is mechanically a far cry from the rugged D300, so a higher DX model may well be coming. But if so, I would expect its price to be not very far off $2000. In which case any hopes for a truly "affordable" full-frame Nikon go out the window.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chinney View Post
The SD1 is supposed to come out in February, but Sigma have been late before - sometimes very late.
I saw some large prints from the SD1 at the Salon de la Photo in Paris, back in November. (They were extremely impressive.) So at the very least the SD1 isn't vapourware.
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