.
I've been shooting with my K20D + DA 15 almost exclusively for a couple weeks,
and have found that my new FF 'WA' combo - D700 + Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D (13mm
equiv on aps-c,) does not quite match up to the K20D + DA 15ltd in everyday,
outdoor walkabouts.
I'm usually shooting ISO 100-250, f/8, with no real need for fast AF (or AF of any
kind, really.) The slightly higher resolution of the K20D, plus the higher-resolving
DA 15 is really a potent combo. I'm able to see more DR and recover more highlight
details with the D700 when shooting raw, but if I expose correctly in the first place,
that advantage is almost a moot point as far as the overall quality of the image
is concerned.
Now. That's
that application. Where the D700 pulls away is... Basically
everything after ISO 800, maybe ISO 640. And with AF-lock speed, and AF tracking
accuracy. It's a different species of camera, performance-wise - as you'd
expect at this price. (It had better be.
)
If anyone else has a D700, please post pics and thoughts on it's strengths and
weaknesses, and if anyone is thinking of saving up and getting one, let me know
if there's anything I can try or answer for you with respect to a K20D (or D90)
comparison.
To start - one reason why the D700 + Nikkor 20 2.8 may ot see much outdoor,
bright sunshine WA use:
Yucky flare response and a drop in contrast when flaring. Since it's FF, I
have to use a conservative, wide hood, so I can't protect the front element
as much as I could if I could use a deeper, aps-c-friendly hood.
Relative to the DA 15ltd, and there's no comparison - I can shoot straight
into the sun, or at an angle, and really have to look for any hotspots. The scene
will clip because of exposure if I'm shooting directly into the sun, but at an angle
I see relatively little loss of contrast with the DA 15 in sun-shooting.
Now - here's why I might be using the D700 + 20 2.8 for
indoor WA uses more
often...
On left, ISO 400, on right, ISO
6400:
Slight crops, full-sized:
Note that in this example the light through the window was changing
rapidly as the sun moved quickly at a low angle - that's why there's more actual
shadow in the later shot, but this is meant to compare relative noise, which
I think can be seen clearly.
I did this quickly while on a call at home, so I didn't have time for a controlled
experiment that included my K20D, but I may do something like that coming up
here if anyone's interested.
Last edited by jsherman999; 03-01-2010 at 07:59 PM.