D700 vs D3 autofocus

Moderated by: guardian

Visit the FM Store · Image Upload · Buy & Sell
FM Forum Rules
Nikon SLRs, primes, and zooms lenses reviews

FM Forums | Nikon-mount SLRs | Join Image Upload

2 end

Zerga
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #1 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

For those of you who have/had both cameras: Is there any fifference in AF between the two? I have D3 and was about to get D700 when I heard that D700's AF is not as fast and accurate as that of a D3. Please help me decide whichone should I get.

Sep 04, 2008 at 07:35 PM

90 5.0
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #2 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

The D3 focuses faster at least with af-d lenses all of the pro bodys have faster focus motors.

Just get the D3

Sep 04, 2008 at 07:59 PM

Chris Dees
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #3 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

The difference is very small to me.

Edited on Sep 04, 2008 at 08:08 PM

Sep 04, 2008 at 08:08 PM

gman1339
Online
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #4 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

If you ask Nikon, the D700 IS a pro body. But I know what you mean.

Sep 04, 2008 at 08:13 PM

Avi B
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #5 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

I vote D3

Sep 04, 2008 at 08:15 PM

gman1339
Online
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #6 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

Avi B wrote:
I vote D3

But it's not because of the AF difference (of which I know nothing about). It's because the feel of the D3 is far better than the D300/D700 body. It's just better balanced, especially for the big glass if you shoot sports or wildlife.

I don't have any balance problems but I have a long plate mounted on the lens foot and mount it to a wimberley. The long plate makes it easy to get the center of gravity over the wimberley mounting point with or without the grip on the D300/D700.

Sep 04, 2008 at 08:33 PM

mkonik
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #7 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

On an af-s lens you won't see a difference in speed but the screw drive "appears" to focus faster on the D3. Although a tad off topic the once thing that is noticeable is the obvious coverage area of the focus points of the D300 compared to the FX layout. I wish they had scaled the it proportionally to cover more of the edges.

Sep 04, 2008 at 08:46 PM

panos.v
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #8 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

90 5.0 wrote:
The D3 focuses faster at least with af-d lenses all of the pro bodys have faster focus motors.

Just get the D3

Yeap, bigger motors and I guess it's also a benefit of the bigger battery.

Sep 04, 2008 at 08:56 PM

Rodolfo Paiz
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #9 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

90 5.0 wrote:
Just get the D3

If I read the OP correctly, he already has the D3...

Sep 04, 2008 at 09:06 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #10 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

I wouldn't worry about it too much. The focus on the D700 is plenty fast

Sep 04, 2008 at 09:11 PM

90 5.0
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #11 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

Rodolfo Paiz wrote:
90 5.0 wrote:
Just get the D3

If I read the OP correctly, he already has the D3...

But he is also asking which one he should get so it is confusing??

And no the D700 does not focus fast with long af-d lenses like the 70-300.

Sep 04, 2008 at 09:20 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #12 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

90 5.0 wrote:
Rodolfo Paiz wrote:
90 5.0 wrote:
Just get the D3

If I read the OP correctly, he already has the D3...

But he is also asking which one he should get so it is confusing??

And no the D700 does not focus fast with long af-d lenses like the 70-300.

I don't own any AF-S or VR lenses(not a fan of the noises they make) and I think the focus is pretty darn fast. Never missed a shot because of it. Just my opinion, though.

Sep 04, 2008 at 09:26 PM

gman1339
Online
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #13 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

90 5.0 wrote:
Rodolfo Paiz wrote:
90 5.0 wrote:
Just get the D3

If I read the OP correctly, he already has the D3...

But he is also asking which one he should get so it is confusing??

And no the D700 does not focus fast with long af-d lenses like the 70-300.

Even a D3 wont make the 70-300 focus like the 70-200.

Sep 04, 2008 at 09:33 PM

90 5.0
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #14 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

phillip ino wrote:
90 5.0 wrote:
Rodolfo Paiz wrote:
90 5.0 wrote:
Just get the D3

If I read the OP correctly, he already has the D3...

But he is also asking which one he should get so it is confusing??

And no the D700 does not focus fast with long af-d lenses like the 70-300.

I don't own any AF-S or VR lenses(not a fan of the noises they make) and I think the focus is pretty darn fast. Never missed a shot because of it. Just my opinion, though.

What

My af-d's are alot louder than my af-s's, and i have missed shot's because of slow focusing chasing dragonfly's and birds in flight...

And yes the longer the range the slower a lens is to focus because of the distance it has to cover....

I just don't want some one to get the wrong idea and be dissapointed if they buy a D700 and realize it won't focus fast with every lens, but in any case it still focuses faster with the 70-300 than my Fm does

Sep 04, 2008 at 09:45 PM

Zerga
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #15 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

Thanks for your feedback. I shoot weddings and use primes more, so i would like to have another body in my hands. I didn't like D300 at all because of it's ISO and AF. so I used D3 almost all the time. I'm worried if it will be the same with D700. I love my D3!

Sep 04, 2008 at 09:45 PM

Christian S
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #16 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

If your shooting weddings buy another D3

I like having every advantage I can when Im shooting weddings especially when you wear 2 cameras. Right now Im shooting with a D3 and a D2X (soon another D3). It's an absolute pleasure shooting the D3 with the 85f/1.4 and 50f/1.4. Having identical bodies is the way to go.

Sep 04, 2008 at 09:57 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #17 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

90 5.0 wrote:
phillip ino wrote:
90 5.0 wrote:
Rodolfo Paiz wrote:
90 5.0 wrote:
Just get the D3

If I read the OP correctly, he already has the D3...

But he is also asking which one he should get so it is confusing??

And no the D700 does not focus fast with long af-d lenses like the 70-300.

I don't own any AF-S or VR lenses(not a fan of the noises they make) and I think the focus is pretty darn fast. Never missed a shot because of it. The ones I have owned seem as if there are loose parts just waiting to fall out. Just my opinion, though.

What

My bad. I should have specified that it's not the noise during focusing that bothers me about AF-S lenses, it's all jiggling that comes with AF-S and VR lenses that occur outside of focusing, which bother me. Just my own opinion.

Edited on Sep 04, 2008 at 10:18 PM

Sep 04, 2008 at 10:18 PM

dj dunzie
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #18 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

There is nothing wrong with the AF performance of the D700 at all, even without the grip. This cracks me up. People make it seem like since the D3 is arguably fractions better at initial acquisition that the D700 is a serious step backwards. I have been comparing the D700 to the D300 to the D2H ever since I got the D700 and honestly, if you tell me the D2's acquire focus quicker than the D300/D700 I don't buy it myself. And the D300/D700 track better. Between the D300 and D700 there's NOTHING.

And yet, we seemed to get by very well with the D2's until the D3 was released...

Bottom line? Get your hands on a D700 and try it out. That'll go SO much farther than putting it to a forum question... I'd be surprised if you came away disappointed.

Sep 04, 2008 at 10:23 PM

sjms
Offline
Buy and Sell: On

p.1 #19 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

i have and use both. there is no real world difference between the either body in the AF capability

Sep 04, 2008 at 10:54 PM

chez
Online
Image Upload: On

p.1 #20 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

sjms wrote:
i have and use both. there is no real world difference between the either body in the AF capability

Yeh, but who is talking real world difference. Here we are discussing perceived differences as the more expensive camera must have better AF.

Sep 04, 2008 at 11:55 PM

sjms
Offline
Buy and Sell: On

p.1 #21 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

chez wrote:
sjms wrote:
i have and use both. there is no real world difference between the either body in the AF capability

Yeh, but who is talking real world difference. Here we are discussing perceived differences as the more expensive camera must have better AF.

ok then percieved difference: none as they have the identical AF.

with the grip the D700 will producve under the same situations a whopping 8fps using a EN-EL4a battery. this is why it is my BU camera. it serves many roles. w/o the grip it is more compact and lighter. it can be used w/grip with various battery configs as needed. it can be look at as a somewhat more versatil casmera body then the D3.

Edited on Sep 05, 2008 at 03:27 AM

Sep 05, 2008 at 03:19 AM

HerbChong
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #22 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

no AF speed difference, significant AF tracking ability difference in AF-C mode. speed is just size of AF motor for AF-D and battery power for AF-S.

Herb...

sjms wrote:
i have and use both. there is no real world difference between the either body in the AF capability

Sep 05, 2008 at 03:29 AM

Rodolfo Paiz
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #23 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

Herb, that's an important subject to me, and I don't quite understand your comment. Do you mean to say that:

1. A D3 should track fast-moving subjects (e.g. airplanes) better than a D300/D700, despite having the same AF engine, and regardless of whether AA's or EN-EL4a batteries are used in the MB-D10 grip.

2. A D3 should track fast-moving subjects (e.g. airplanes) better than a D300/D700, despite having the same AF engine, but only with AA's in the grip... with an EN-EL4a in the grip it's pretty much the same.

3. Or something else...?

Sep 05, 2008 at 05:30 AM

sjms
Offline
Buy and Sell: On

p.1 #24 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

HerbChong wrote:
no AF speed difference, significant AF tracking ability difference in AF-C mode. speed is just size of AF motor for AF-D and battery power for AF-S.

Herb...

sjms wrote:
i have and use both. there is no real world difference between the either body in the AF capability

i do not concur. it tracks as well

Sep 05, 2008 at 09:26 AM

traveler
Offline
Buy and Sell: On

p.1 #25 · D700 vs D3 autofocus

I've worked with both and found no appreciable or notable difference. However coming from a D300 I did notice with the same lenses (a 24-70 f2.8 and 50mm f1.4D) the D700 "snapped" into focus where the D300 "glided" into focus. That's the way I'd describe it. The D3 was exactly the same way.

Sep 05, 2008 at 02:38 PM


FM Forums \| Nikon-mount SLRs \| Join Image Upload 1 2 end