Field Review of Nikon D700 in Subal ND700 
Last Update: 18 November 2008 12:12 AM
20 comment(s) | discuss in forums
Author: Alex Mustard ( Alex_Mustard )
INTRODUCTION
Nikon’s D700 is a classic pocket-battleship DSLR. It bristles with the heavy weight features of the top of line D3, sharing the same 12 MP FX sensor, image processing engine with 14-bit AD converter and Multi-Cam 3500FX auto-focus system, but in a smaller, cheaper and lighter body. Those last three points are sure to make it more attractive than its big brother to the underwater photographer.
This camera looks set to become very popular with Nikonians keen to get into full frame digital underwater. And having tried it I am certain that nobody who buys this camera will regret choosing it for an instant. But that does not necessarily mean it is the best choice for underwater photography in the Nikon range.
Arguably the biggest challenge to the D700’s potential for undersea dominance is it’s little brother, the D300 armed with its own 12 MP sensor, this time in the DX format. The D300 is cheaper still, has better auto-focus frame coverage, 100% viewfinder and offers a more suitable range of lenses for underwater use.
Given the strengths of the D300, deciding between it and the D700 comes down to the relative merits of DX versus FX, which I covered in my lengthy D3 review so I will try not to repeat myself too much here.
At the time of writing, Nikon’s SLR camera range is capped at 12MP, meaning that the DX versus FX comparisons currently do not consider one potential advantage of a larger sensor - that of increased resolution without noise or diffraction limitations. That could all change in the next few weeks. While these hypothetical new Nikon cameras are still be a few months away from the high street, all indications are that these future FX models will fit in existing housings and could be ready for underwater photography even before housings are available for the Canon 5D Mk2. Obviously for the sake of this review I plan to only consider the D700 in relation to existing Nikon DSLRs, but if you are considering a new Nikon purchase you should bear in mind future compatibility options your housing may allow.
The housing I used for this test was the Subal ND700. This was the actual show-housing that Subal took to DEMA, and I am pleased to reveal that it worked faultlessly in the ocean a few days later. The housing now belongs to UWP Magazine Editor, Peter Rowlands. I am extremely grateful to him for entrusting me with both his brand new camera and housing, allowing me to take it to the Egypt for this review, even before he had the chance to try it.
Unlike the D3 review, which I conducted in three different countries, I completed this review during my annual Red Sea Photo Workshop. This year it took place on MV Blue Horizon, exploring the Southern Egyptian waters between Elphinstone and St Johns. The trip provided a variety of diving environments ranging from pretty shallow reefs, atmospheric caverns, wrecks and, with a bit of luck, encounters with oceanic whitetip sharks. For comparison there were lots of D300s on board (that camera is so hot right now!) in Subal, Sea & Sea, Sealux, Aquatica, Ikelite and Hugyfot housings, plus a wide variety of other DSLRs.
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Comment(s):Very balanced and erudite review, Alex. Thanks for taking the time to cover the topic in such extensive and useful detail.
Posted by StephenFrink on 11/17 at 10:19 AMVery well done Alex! Thanks for the effort and thorough review. And the WA Clownfish is super.
Best rgds,
Michael Patrick O’NeillPosted by Michael on 11/17 at 11:58 AMA great report Alex, It looks a great in the
subal housing & is very compact.
Very Well Done,
AndyPosted by AndyBarker on 11/17 at 01:43 PMThanks for a great review Alex. I always love to read a review of a new camera from someone who has major experience with its brothers and sisters. Not to mention the joy I felt when seeing your hand-modeling photo.
Posted by James Wiseman on 11/17 at 03:04 PMThanks guys (need hairier arms, James). I was asked question about the 105mm VR - and how it fits in the older style Subal ports. Felt my answer was worth repeating here.
Didn’t take the 105mm VR to the Red Sea, but with the correct port I am sure it is fine on the D700, as it was on the D3. It is best with Subal’s dedicated 105mm VR port (this is what I used it with on the D3), but Martin Edge used his with the old 105mm port on his D300. On my D2X, I have always used a home made port extension ring.
The downside of the official Subal 105mm VR port (as I stated in my D3 review) is that there is no room in there for a dioptre.
Posted by Dr. Alex Mustard on 11/18 at 01:27 AMThanks a lot for this review. For non professional users as i am, these bodies & housing are a dream. Thanks to let us dream !
Posted by divocean on 11/18 at 03:49 AMWow, great review Alex. I’m a Canon guy and will probably never have the opportunity to shoot the Nikon but I really enjoyed your effort. The images you are able to achieve are simply breath taking. Thanks!
StevePosted by Steve Williams on 11/18 at 10:46 AMHi Alex,
First off. Great review and coverage of this particular housing and options. You state “the underwater world provides very few opportunities to utilise this feature above ISO 400”, but don’t forget the guys diving in temperate (cold, green and dark) waters! I myself am pining for any U/W setup that can handle higher ISO’s in the water I mostly dive in. My D80 -not in the same league- fails miserably at ISO400 and higher here in the Netherlands.
Posted by Arne on 11/19 at 06:24 AMAlex,
Great review!
As I mentioned in my email; I ordered my housing. Good news is that Ryan should be shipping it tomorrow, unfortunately not in time for Friday’s first Manatee outing with Michelle and Carol. A minor detail to add is that the housing has an extra bulkhead. I have Ryan creating a USB port for me so that I will be able to use Nikon Camera Control and have a laptop on a table for my pool stuff for immediate review without having to take the card out etc. How cool is that!
JeffPosted by loftus on 11/19 at 05:16 PMAlex,
Great review!
Ryan should be shipping my housing tomorrow. Yesssssssss!
Unfortunately not likely to be in time for my first manatee outing on Friday with Carol and Michelle.
A minor detail to add, is that the housing has an extra bulkhead. I’m having Ryan fir mine for a USB connection. The plan is to use Nikon Capture Pro on a laptop for my pool stuff. Immediate download and review without having to open the housing to download the card. How cool is that!
JeffPosted by loftus on 11/19 at 05:19 PMI agree about temperate waters, Arne. Check out my D3 review from Canada.
Good stuff, Jeff. Will you be able to control your camera through the USB? That way you could just sit in a chair and leave the camera on a tripod in the pool!Posted by Dr. Alex Mustard on 11/20 at 01:53 AMI’ve downloaded a trial of Nikon Camera Control Pro, and it looks like you can control the camera as well as take pics with the camera and see the images immediately on the computer screen. Yeah, I could set up the lounge chair and maybe get the model to serve me a beer before diving in. :)
Posted by loftus on 11/20 at 04:21 AMHello colleagues,
thanks for the great review. I have a Subal D3 housing and I´m currently considering fitting an USB port for polecam work, so my question is:
Who´s Ryan, is he from backscatter.com?
Posted by Andrej Belic on 11/20 at 08:26 AMRyan is at Reef Photo; they advertise on the sidebar on the front page
Posted by loftus on 11/20 at 08:57 AMDr. Mustard,
Thank you for the extremely informative review, and the photos are stunning as well. In particular, it is reassuring to hear your thoughts about the D700 vs. D300 as I already have Subal’s D300 housing and am totally in love with the 10-17. When Nikon’s high resolution SLR is shipping I will revisit the idea of upgrading to FX, and this review along with your D3 review provide an excellent framework for lens selection and technique when making the jump. Thank you again.
SterlingPosted by sterlingz on 11/20 at 12:01 PMAlex,
Thanks for the nice review. I guess you would not recommend the D700 to people (like me) who lik eto keep using their Tokina DX (10-17) lense? D300 would then probably be a better option? Albert KokPosted by albert kok on 11/28 at 07:27 AMHi Alex,
Interesting review. I’m tempted by the low light performance and getting a wider angle back with the 60mm macro, but it’s interesting to see that the smaller sensor of the D300 has advantages too. I just started using a Tokina 35mm macro, which has the same angle on a DX sensor as the 60mm on a FX, but it focuses too close to the front of the port to use it’s full magnification.
I wondered which port that is on the front of the housing shown here?
Bernard
Posted by BernardPicton on 12/22 at 01:08 PMHi Bernard,
The D700 is a very interesting camera - but for what I suspect you need it for the D300 really has every base covered.
This port on the camera here is one of the variety of 4” domes that Subal made. The most well know was the one for the 20mm, but they made a variety on longer ports too. I am not sure that they make them anymore. Peter Rowlands tends to use them for studio shots because they look nice and don’t obscure too many features of the housing (unlike a larger dome port).
Alex
Posted by Dr. Alex Mustard on 12/24 at 05:49 AMHi Alex,
Thank you for the great review.I agree with Arne. Don’t forget the cold water people around the world. Here in the northwest we get some great kelp forests in the summer that are not as tall as the California kelp. This allows the sun to come streaming in. Too bad you couldn’t have taken it down to San Diego and run through the kelp in the summer and see if you still don’t see a need for High ISO. Come on up to Seattle or Nanaimo and see if you can’t find use for the High ISO.
I do have a question. I am using a D70s with the 6 Mega pixel DX sensor and older focusing firmware. Would it be worth it to move up to FX sensor, newer firmware and double the pixels that the D700 would provide or stay with DX, double my pixels and better firmware the D300 provides? I am already compensating for not seeing the full frame in my view finder, so that is not a problem.Posted by Chogless on 10/10 at 09:47 AM
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