Nikon D700 12.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

I was debating if it was worthwhile to drop the dough to get the D700 despitte the same megapixel count, which didn't seem to compete with Canon's 5D Mark II. I have no regrets! The D700 out performs the D300 in low light (less noise), color rendition, and most importantly you get a full-frame sensor. 50mm is really 50mm, not 75. That was the achilles heel of the D300 in my eyes.
My three issues with the D700 are (and I can live with all of them):
1) It's RAW (NEF) files cannot be read by Lightroom 1.2, (you need version 2) Photoshop CS3 (you need CS4). This is my biggest beef. You would think that the most widely used software in photography would make an effort to honor the most popular new Nikon camera. I personally have no interest in paying for all the software upgrades quite yet. Adobe needs to get with the program!
2) The viewfinder doesn't quite present 100%. I think it's 95% of your actual frame so you wind up doing a little more cropping than expected.
3) Nikon should have designed this with a higher megapixel count. I know, I know, megapixels aren't everything especially when the pixel interpolation is as nice as the D700/D3's sensors but it would be nice to get a few more inches worth of enlargement (sorry to be Freudian).

Not much I can say about this beauty that hasn't been said here. Shooting at 6400 ISO is great. There is a feature on the camera that sets the highest ISO to shoot at before changing the shutter speed that is essential if you are shooting an event and are moving from light to dark areas. I abuse this feature. The CF card cover has only accidentally slid out once for me. No biggy. Get a good f/2.8 lens and shoot away. I tweak my photos in Lightroom 2. Get this camera and stop making excuses to why your images are not great because you won't have any besides your own abilities.

One word...awesome! If you are thinking of purchasing this camera, then do it. You will not regret it.

I managed to hold out until now on buying a DSLR but once I saw the specs and read the reviews of the D700 I knew I had to have it. So far it's been about a month and it's everything I hoped it would be. The controls are very well laid out, ergonomic, and intuitive. The camera body feels very sturdy, if a little heavy. It works great with my old non AI manual focus Nikkor wide angle as well as my zoom and new 50mm portrait lens. A few minor quibbles: the Live View function seems utterly worthless but hey, you don't have to use it. I am also a little concerned with the quality of the door that covers the CF slot, it pops open fairly easily and I hope it won't wear out soon. Also the lock mechanism for the door for the battery slot seems like it might wear out. Time will tell.

As a longtime F100 and D100 user, I've been holding my breath, on the edge of buying a new DSLR for years. I was so used to shooting with my F100 film camera and collection of Nikon lenses that I was somewhat disappointed when I first bought the D100: Performance, speed and of course the loss of lens range. However, I was pretty pleased with the image quality under most conditions. The full frame pro models were a bit too much of an investment for me then.
I got a chance to use both the D200 and D300 and although quite impressed, I still held off buying either even after the price drops for 2 main reasons: Still wasn't full frame and not made in Japan. Yes, I'm one of those who have a thing about stuff made in Japan and for good reason: Far less issues, if any, with equipment manufactured in Japan than elsewhere. Like all my Nikon equipment, film and digital, still going strong with the exception of my 18-200DX lens which I had to exchange due to AF issues (and made in Thailand, I might add.) Don't get me wrong, I think Nikon holds the highest of standards regardless of where their factory is located, but the "longevity / reliability" factor increases at their factory in Japan for some reason. (This comes from years of personal experience) I got to the point I was ready to buy a used D2xs.

Anyway, when I first got to test drive a D700 a huge sigh of relief came out! FINALLY, a new Nikon that met my needs and wants for under 3 grand. Almost everything about it was perfect for me: Full frame, made in Japan, performance, speed, size, lightweight yet beefy construction. I was ready to buy but due to personal circumstances I had to hold off. Boy was I lucky. The price dropped more than 600 bucks by the end of the year! Thanks Santa!
I've had it a couple of weeks now and am very impressed with its performance. I'm most happy about the fact that I can fully use all my D type lenses and the camera's buffer keeps up with my trigger finger. I am also very impressed with the quality at high ISO settings. I have been given a huge amount of freedom not having to always rely on a flash in low light or long zoom ranges without always having to worry about the "noise".

Just a few of minor gripes, which led me to give it 4 out of 5 stars:
The color and contrast quality seems a bit "soft" compared to identical shots taken with my D100 using same lens and settings. (I prefer the "richer" contrast) I suspect this has to do with the fact that the D100 (and D200) used a CCD sensor chip and all other current cameras use a CMOS chip. Still, the image quality is fantastic and nothing that can't be tweaked in camera preferences or post processing.
Another gripe is that my current flash (SB-80DX) won't work in DTTL mode with the D700. Although it works ok in regular Auto mode, the exposures are a touch off when shooting portraits compared to identical shots paired with the D100 and I have to make flash exposure compensations for perfect skin tones. I know my flash is a couple of generations behind, but I figured Nikon would make it recognize the flash and give the option to be compatible to the limit of that flash's generation. Oh well, gotta move forward. Bottom line is, I have to invest in another 3-400 bucks for an equivalent paired flash.
Only other small gripe is the rubber flap for the connections is not tight and comes off too easily. The pull lip is along the back edge of the camera and catches on my hand easily. (I put a piece of black gaffers tape over it.) Though the rest of the camera is designed and built tight and solid.

All in all, I am extremely happy with the D700! It is so worth the price. (I paid a little over 2 grand as of 12/08)