The 12.1-megapixel Nikon D700 looks like a D3 on a diet.

After spending the last half decade in an apparent product development coma, Nikon has been on quite a roll lately, releasing two very well reviewed—here and elsewhere—digital SLRs: the Nikon D3 and the D300. But Nikon’s follow-up to those two cameras could be its most intriguing model yet: the 12.1-megapixel D700. It uses the jumbo-sized FX (aka “full-frame”) CMOS sensor of the D3 but in a smaller, more lightweight body that recalls the D300.

With that kind of pedigree, the D700 should appeal to a range of photographers: wedding, portrait and architecture shooters along with photojournalists are just a few that came to my mind while testing out this camera. And of all Nikon’s recent models, the D700 could be the one that scares Canon, its chief rival, the most.

Since Canon released the full-frame 5D digital SLR two years ago, the company has owned the wedding and portrait photography DSLR space, a position which could be threatened with the emergence of the D700. After spending a few weeks with this camera recently, I can tell you that Canon has good reason to be scared. The D700 is an impressive introduction that should upset the balance of the professional digital SLR market.

(As this story went to press, Canon had not yet released a follow-up to the 5D, though one was expected in September around the time of the Photokina trade show in Germany. Meanwhile, Nikon had also just released the D90, a mid-level professional digital SLR that also shoots high-definition video. Look for a review of that camera in next month’s issue of PDN.)

Chip Off the Block

One thing that still hasn’t fully changed with Nikon despite its recent string of successes is the difficulty in getting your hands on a camera. Though the scarcity of Nikon DSLRs seems mainly isolated to the camera review press corps—an admittedly small group of hired geeks—it has, at times, carried over to the general population of professional photographers, who often complain about new Nikon models being stuck in backorder. At the time of this writing, I haven’t heard too many photographers griping about D700 shortages and that’s a good thing. As I said before, there’s a lot to like about this camera and it would bode well for Nikon to get it into the hands of photographers as soon as possible.

The first thing you’ll undoubtedly notice about the D700 if and when you do get a chance to play with one is how much it’s a chip off the block of its big brother, the D3. First off, its specs are virtually identical to the D3; it has the same 23.9 x 36mm-sized image sensor; the same 200-6400 ISO range with “High” settings that let you shoot in the dark at up to 25,600 ISO; the same EXPEED image processor; the same Scene Recognition system; the same 51-point Autofocus system with 3D tracking; the same Live View in two modes; the same 14-bit A/D converter; the same 16-bit image processing; and the same gorgeous 3-inch, 307,200-pixel (920,000-dot) LCD.

The other thing you’ll likely notice about the D700 is how much smaller in size and weight it is from the D3. We estimated that the D700 (41 ounces, body only) is about 20-25 percent smaller and lighter than the D3 (52 ounces, body only) and while that’s significant, I didn’t feel that Nikon dumbed-down the D700 to keep it light. There are a few noticeable skimps on the details but they’re not deal breakers. For one, the coveted two CompactFlash card slots on the D3 have given way to just one CF card slot on the D700. Slight bummer there.

More annoying is that the locking CF card door from the D3 has become a flimsy consumer-style sliding door on the D700. While this change might seem like a minor quibble, I noticed early on that it’s fairly easy to accidentally open the door when pulling the D700 out of a camera bag. Not good.

(Speaking of minor quibbles, here’s my major minor complaint about all of Nikon’s latest DSLRs: I can’t stand their camera straps. If you’re out using the D700 in warm weather, the slightly sticky black side of the strap will attach itself uncomfortably to the back of your neck. And if you sweat at all, fuggedaboutit.)

D700 vs. D3

The slight corner-cutting with the D700 has a more significant impact than just making the camera smaller and lighter—it’s also much cheaper. With a list price of just under $3,000, the D700 is $2,000 less than the D3. (The 12.4 megapixel D300, which uses a small DX-sized image sensor, sells for $1,625.)

Along with getting less camera body, you also lose a couple of notable specs if you decide to go with the D700 over the D3. For one, the D700 shoots at 5 frames per second compared to the D3’s blazing fast 9 frames per second speed with FX-compatible lenses. (Sports photojournalists will likely want to go with the D3.)

The D3 also kicks the D700’s butt when it comes to battery life, with a 4300-shot capacity on one charge compared to 2500 shots for the D700. That changes if you add the MB-D10 battery grip ($240) to the D700, boosting the shot total to 4300 per charge when you use it with a pricey ($110) Nikon EN-EL4a rechargeable battery. The battery grip will also increase the speed of the D700 to 8 frames per second. All these extras, of course, increase the size, weight and price of the D700 until what you have is not exactly the D3’s baby brother, but rather its rangy second cousin.

But the D700 has one important extra that isn’t available on the D3: It boasts a built-in image sensor cleaning system, an indispensable feature that was noticeably absent from the D3. (According to one Nikon official I spoke with, the D3 had been in development for so long before its release last year, in-camera sensor cleaning systems weren’t available and it was too difficult to add the feature later.)

Unlike self-cleaning sensor systems from other manufacturers, I can barely hear Nikon’s at all. Only a quick high-pitched whine—like a dying mosquito—is audible when the system is engaged, either at start-up, shutdown, or on demand. Along with the anti-dust system, which vibrates the sensor’s low-pass filter to shake off debris, the D700’s mirror box and shutter mechanism are built from dust-resistant materials.

Though the D700 adds a pop-up flash (a feature that some pros see as a sign of an amateur camera), it maintains the rugged, professional build of the D3 with a tough, magnesium alloy chassis; rubberized weather sealing using internal O-rings to keep out dust and moisture; and a new composite carbon fiber and Kevlar hybrid shutter that has been tested to 150,000 cycles. Aside from the flimsy CF card door, the D700 is one tough cookie.