Nikon D700 Announced, Canon in DEEP SHIT
Nikon has announced their second full-frame camera body, the D700, and it looks like they have a killer product on their hands. I’m not going to write about all of the details here, you can get more information from these links: Nikon D700 Brochure, Nikon D700 Page, Preview on DPReview, More Information. In addition, Nikon has also announced a new flash (SB900) and some new lenses.
With these announcements, Nikon is giving Canon a serious blow. If you look at the technology that is in the D700, Nikon seems to be far ahead of Canon, and it doesn’t seem likely that Canon will be able to have an answer to the D700 in the near future. Not too long ago I wrote:
And now they are rumored to be working on the 5D mark II body. If that body doesn’t have as much focus points as the Nikon D3/300 (or very close), if it doesn’t have micro adjust for lenses and if it doesn’t have weather sealing comparable to the 1D bodies, they don’t have to release it at all in my opinion. Because Nikon is going to be a much better alternative, as it already is right now. Weather sealing on the Canon EOS 40D is laughable. It’s incredible that Canon even claims that the 40D body is weather sealed. That is simply a big lie.
Canon needs to get their act together ASAP in order not to further damage their reputation, or what remains of it at this point.
Nikon already was a better choice since they launched the D300 and D3. And now with the D700, there simply is no arguing.
The features of the D700 which I like the most are:
- The 51-point auto focus system. You only get this many auto focus points in Canon’s 1D series bodies. The 40D has only 9 points, which quite frankly is hilarious in this day and age. Even the Nikon D300 has 51 points. Less points is seriously limiting your composition options.
- Nikon’s Live View implementation with Contrast-detect autofocus is MUCH more useful than Canon’s. Contrast-detect lets you focus ANYWHERE in the frame in live view. Having used this feature on the Sony DSC-R1, it is amazingly useful. Canon not having this is a serious handycap.
- Nikon’s D700 body is fully weathersealed and built like a tank. Canon’s 5D is a cheap plastic toy in comparison. Canon’s 40D is not weathersealed.
- Exceptional image quality at high ISO ranges, compared to Canon.
- High resolution LCD screen, compared to Canon’s crappy LCD screen on all their bodies.
- Microadjust feature (AF Fine Tune) for lenses with slight autofocus calibration errors. This is a VERY important feature as you can fine tune the autofocus system to get the sharpest images possible. Canon’s 40D and 5D bodies don’t have this. Only their expensive 1D series bodies have this feature, which is fucking stupid. Especially when they can’t seem to calibrate most of their lenses well and their quality control is non existent. If their next 5D body and 50D body don’t have this feature they can close down their camera division for good. I wonder what kind of morons work at Canon that decide to leave microadjust out of camera bodies like the 40D. If they did that to make people want the 1D series bodies more, they are getting what they deserve from Nikon right now.
- Nikon seems to understand Flash more than Canon, since they are including a color filter set with the new SB900 flash. Everyone knows that Nikon’s flash system is better than Canon’s, and the SB900 takes it a step further.
- Nikon’s D700, D300 and D3 bodies feel better, more comfortable, in your hands because of their design.
The only thing Canon has going for them right now is that they have a better lens lineup, though most of their lenses are very old and in serious need for updates. But this won’t get them very far, because Nikon is starting to catch up with their lenses. And better yet, all of Nikon’s new lenses include their latest innovations such as Nano coatings. I think the only thing Nikon needs right now are some light sensitive lenses that can compete with Canon’s f1.2 primes lineup.
And to think that Nikon might be releasing the D3x later this year, probably with all the features of the D700 but with a 24 megapixel sensor inside. That will put even Canon’s 1Ds Mark III to shame. Canon is going to have serious issues from now on. Even Sony is launching their 24 megapixel A900 later this year. That is sure to cause the highly inflated price of the 1Ds Mark III ($8000) to significantly drop. I wondered why the 1Ds Mark III ($8000) had to be so expensive compared to the 1D Mark III ($4000). The bodies are almost identical except for the 21 megapixel full frame sensor in the 1Ds Mark III. Does that justify a price double that of the 1D Mark III? Later this year, we’ll find out when the Sony A900 and Nikon D3x get released.
The price of about $3000 for Nikon’s D700 will further bring down the inflated prices for Canon camera bodies. Canon won’t be selling the 1D Mark III anymore if they don’t drop the price to below $3000. Not that it matters, because since the release of the D3 and D300, Nikon has been the better choice for camera bodies. If you have to buy a new camera now, you should just invest in a Nikon body. It won’t surprise me at all to see pros switching to Nikon, as already seems to be the case everywhere. And with all the quality control issues at Canon (part 2), they make it very easy for you to decide.
It’s going to be interesting to see what Canon can come up with now.
Update: Here are some sample images from the D700: Page 1, Page 2. Exceptional high ISO performance. With this performance in low light, you get even better results when using fast lenses as well.
Also, it seems Canon continues to struggle with their lack of quality control and Canon users everywhere continue to suffer. Just check out some user comments here from this thread on DPReview:
I’m right now in the process of boxing up my brand new 35 1.4L lens and sending it back for replacement. The stupid thing couldn’t focus within 12 FEET of an out-door target (and I’m not kidding!!). Not even CLOSE.
And that’s AFTER a +20 micro-adjust on the $4500 body they claim is “fixed”!!
I’ve just about HAD IT with Canon’s BS.
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Their quality control is absolutely in the toilette…and anyone who denies that is sleeping. How many people are on their third or fourth copy of a 100-400? How many people had the same with a 24-70?
How many times have you had to listen to one more post asking the LEGITIMATE question, “Did you get a GOOD COPY of ___ L lens?” Or, “I hope you get a good copy.”
Ridiculous.
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However, for the last 18 months, Canon has displayed an arrogant, careless disregard for honesty and straight-forward practices. They have refused to replace cameras that are clearly defective (as demonstrated for them beyond doubt in my case, and in MANY other cases), and are churning out “L” lenses that ROUTINELY are WAY out of whack due to an apparent COMPLETE lack of testing.
Pros from every corner of the globe have to routinely send their BRAND NEW LENSES in …just so they will work up to specifications.
This is totally unacceptable, and is FAR WORSE than in the past.
I own 11 L lenses. The most recent 3 have ALL needed major adjustment, and the trend is more and more and more problems.
How many times have you read a post saying, “I hope you get a good copy” or “I’m on my third/fourth copy and FINALLY got one that is sharp!”
This is common now, and the word that fits this pattern is indeed…RIDICULOUS.
And from another thread:
So here is the deal. I have a 1D Mark IIN, a 500/4L, a 400/5.6L and a 135L. Both the 1D Mark IIN and the 500/4L were calibrated for severe back focus independently. The 400/5.6L front focused severly and was calibrated for that. I got the 135L after all of this calibration and it was spot on out of the box. These are all spot on now. So I trust all of these are calibrated and focus correctly.
I just got a 40D tonight. Put it through my usual first AF test with the nice feature I can now test this against the liveview. And guess what – it back focuses. $&#$@@!~~**#
Here is the standard battery test. Furthest battery on the left, closest on the right, middle battery the focus point – all at a 45 degree angle longitudial to the lens axis. 100% crops.
I’ll tell ya, I am about ready to chuck it in, return the 40D, and sell all of my Canon gear. What a royal PITA. That is 2 lens I have had out of calibration, two bodies, and I have had IS fail on another L lens after 7 months. I would just like to be able to for once buy some equipment, receive it, and start using it
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I dont like to whine but i feel your frustrations as i have had a similair experience with all the Canon gear i bought, a 40D severely frontfocussing, a 70-200 backfocussing, a 400mm frontfocussing (which was all dealt with by a Canon servicecentre…but it took many weeks for the gear to return from Canon which i consider unacceptable by itself…) and now i have a similair problem (again..) because the 400mm began to show a serious defect (after 3 months of usage) and while i got a (new) replacementlens from canon (which is positive by itself) that is up to the same level as the first lens IQ-wise…its also backfocussing just like the first copy wasnt properly in calibration…
With so many calibration ‘faulties’ one would have expected Canon to give us atleast a feature to instantly calibrate it on the fly, be it via the body or what do i care how as long as i wont have to sent my gear in all the time and will be able to shoot-on as i need to.
And before somebody comes rushing in saying these things can happen but dont occur that much…yes they do as a lot of my fellow shooters have had to deal with the very same, from their MKIII’s to their 40D’s to their L-lenses.
The Canongear-quality overall is outstanding but its a very bad thing they dont seem to take the time to properly calibrate the stuff before it leaves the factory…
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Well duh, no kidding. Why should I have to send every bleeding piece of equipment into calibration for Canon. The stuff is not cheap.
And I didn’t even mention my 1d Mark IIn being in twice and out of my hands for a month to fix severe banding at high ISO. This was also out of the box. They had to replace the whole sensor assembly.
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Canon needs to *&(#()* up and get their act together. I’ve sent in equipment twice and got it back with no apparent improvement although the Canon Service center stated that xyz was replaced and cleaned (8-[)…
Doesn’t look so good, does it?
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