Affordable full-frame dSLR war begins: Nikon D700 vs. Canon EOS 5D
For a few years now, the "affordable" full-frame dSLR market has belonged to Canon. However with today's launch of Nikon's D700, the Canon versus Nikon dSLR war has a new front.
For a few years now, the "affordable" full-frame dSLR market has belonged to Canon. However with today's launch of Nikon's D700, the Canon versus Nikon dSLR war has a new front.
Nikon today announced its first "affordable" full-frame digital SLR, the D700. It mates a body about the size of its prosumer dSLR offering, the D300, with the full-frame sensor of the pricier D3. In the dSLR savannah its nearest competitor is Canon's slightly long in the tooth, full-frame EOS 5D.
Although it is AU$400 more expensive, the D700 bests Canon's incumbent in a number of key areas — including ISO range, number of focus points, continuous shooting speed, a built-in flash and LCD size. It also accepts, with a bit of image cropping, Nikon's DX lenses which are made specifically for the smaller APS-C sized sensors found on the majority of dSLRs. The D700 goes on sale in the dying days of July 2008.
We've conveniently condensed this specification Rumble in the Jungle between the D700 and 5D into an easily digestible table, with the Nikon D300 and D3 thrown in for good blood-letting measure. You can read our hands-on first take with a pre-production D700 here.
 Nikon D700 |  Canon EOS 5D |  Nikon D300 |  Nikon D3 | |
| Price | AU$3,899 | AU$3,499 | AU$2,899* | AU$7,499* |
| Sensor resolution | 12.1-megapixel | 12.8-megapixel | 12.3-megapixel | 12.1-megapixel |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 36.0 x 23.9mm (full-frame) | 35.8 x 23.9mm (full-frame) | 23.6 x 15.8mm (APS-C) | 36.0 x 23.9mm (full-frame) |
| Focus points | 51 (15 selectable) | 9 (+ 6 assist points) | 51 (15 selectable) | 51 (15 selectable) |
| ISO sensitivity | 200-6,400 (to 25,600 on expansion) | 100-1,600 (50-3200 on expansion) | 200-3,200 (to 6,400 on expansion) | 200-6,400 (to 25,600 on expansion) |
| Continuous speed | 5fps (8fps with optional batteries) | 3fps | 6fps (8fps with optional batteries) | 9fps (FX), 11fps (DX) |
| Accepts full-frame lenses | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accepts APS-C lenses | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in flash | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| HDMI | Yes (mini) | No | Yes (full-size) | Yes (full-size) |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 123 x 147 x 77mm | 113 x 152 x 75mm | 114 x 147 x 74mm | 157 x 159.5 x 87.5mm |
| Weight | 995g | 810g | 825g | 1,240g |
| LCD size | 3-inch | 2.5-inch | 3-inch | 3-inch |
| Storage medium | CF (type I only) | CF (type I and II) | CF (type I and II) | CF (type I and II) |
| File formats | RAW, JPEG, TIFF | RAW, JPEG | RAW, JPEG, TIFF | RAW, JPEG |