Field Review of Nikon D700 in Subal ND700

by Alex Mustard Monday, November 17th, 2008

COMPARISONS
It is hard to see many favouring the D3 over the D700. The D700 packs the same imaging system (sensor & processing) into a smaller, lighter, significantly cheaper body. As a result the housing is smaller too, although this means it is more negative in the water. Additional buoyancy is recommended.

In addition to being smaller and lighter for travel compared with the ND3, the small size of the ND700 makes it much easier to get down to eye level when photographing critters on the seabed, especially when used with the WS-45 viewfinder. Nikon D700, Subal ND700. Nikon 60mm AFD. 2x Subtronic Alphas. 1/100th @ F18. ISO 200.

The only significant area that the D700 falls short of the D3 for underwater photography is the viewfinder. On the D3 (and D300) it gives 100% coverage, on the D700 it shows 95% in each direction. I liked the D700 so much I would love to tell you can’t see this difference. But you can. Particularly when shooting a fisheye, these last few percent represent quite a few degrees more of coverage. With a viewfinder as nice as the WS-45, which gives such a perfect view of the corners of the frame, I found it annoying to discover that these weren’t the actual corners. This is far from a deal breaker, but it is important to be aware of it.

The D300 makes stronger case against the D700. There are some who will buy the D700 because they must have a “correct” sized sensor. This is misguided reasoning, particular because DX offers a better range of lenses for underwater photography. The D300 offers better AF coverage and 100% viewfinder against the D700’s better higher ISO performance and slighter sharper AF responses. The D300 is much cheaper too, although in system costs the difference is not that large (D300 and D700 housings will cost about the same).

The D700 and D3 perform wonderfully at high ISO, but the underwater world provides very few opportunities to utilise this feature above ISO 400. Therefore high ISO should not be a major justification for most to use these cameras. Nikon D700, Subal ND700. Nikon 16mm. 1/30th @ F14. ISO 800.

Decisions are further complicated when we speculate on vapourware. The next arrival seems likely to be a D3X, which if reports are to be believed will slot straight into D3 housings by early 2009. Tests with the 24MP Sony α900 show that these sensors will significantly out resolve the 12MP cameras. But whether you need that resolution is a debate for another time. Nikon released the D700 just 3 months after the D3, and it seems reasonable to expect a D700X could appear at either the same time as the D3X or soon after.

Another intriguing possibility is fitting a D300 in D700 housing with a different back (to accommodate the different position of the viewfinder). The D700 is taller than the D300, so won’t fit in many D300 housings. But housing manufacturers could offer an alternate back for the D700 housing to take the D300. This would allow the photographer to travel with a spare camera, and a French Subal dealer Michael Warren pointed out to me at Antibes, also give each lens you carry two effective focal lengths doubling your options. We shall see if any manufacturers are attracted by this idea.

CONCLUSION
The D700 is a highly capable camera for underwater photography, offering the same imaging system as the D3 at a cheaper price and in a smaller package. If you want to shoot FX underwater it is the obvious choice. It is bound to be a very popular choice for Nikon users. The Subal housing is an excellent complement to the D700, and kudos to the Austrians for getting this housing to the market so quickly.

Both the D700 and D300 are excellent underwater cameras. If pushed I would conclude that the D300 offers the marginally better system (e.g. 100% viewfinder, Tokina 10-17mm, better AF coverage), irrespective of price, unless you have a bona fide need for high ISO. However, if despite this you choose to go with D700 you would not regret it for a heartbeat.

When I shot the D3 I was full of admiration and respect for its abilities, with the D700 I loved them. There is something intangibly correct about the balance of features of this camera. Throughout the trip I kept referring to it as a sweet camera. I also really valued travelling with a small housing again. I am incredibly tempted to go out and buy one. I can argue why the D300 is probably a marginally better system, but I just want to use the D700 more.

Alexander Mustard (www.amustard.com). 17th November 2008.

Acknowledgments
Thank you to Peter Rowlands for lending me his Nikon D700 and Subal ND700 for this review. Thanks also to all on board Blue Horizon, especially Neil, Jarret, Andy for lending me kit to improve the scope of this review.
I hope to be testing some other D700 housings in the next few months. I look forward to reporting my findings here.

Hi Alex, Thank you for the great review.I agree with Arne. Don't forget the cold water people around the world. Here in the northwest we get some great kelp forests in the summer that are not as tall as the California kelp. This allows the sun to come streaming in. Too bad you couldn't have taken it down to San Diego and run through the kelp in the summer and see if you still don't see a need for High ISO. Come on up to Seattle or Nanaimo and see if you can't find use for the High ISO. I do have a question. I am using a D70s with the 6 Mega pixel DX sensor and older focusing firmware. Would it be worth it to move up to FX sensor, newer firmware and double the pixels that the D700 would provide or stay with DX, double my pixels and better firmware the D300 provides? I am already compensating for not seeing the full frame in my view finder, so that is not a problem.
Posted by Chogless on 2010-10-10 13:47:04 Hi Bernard, The D700 is a very interesting camera - but for what I suspect you need it for the D300 really has every base covered. This port on the camera here is one of the variety of 4" domes that Subal made. The most well know was the one for the 20mm, but they made a variety on longer ports too. I am not sure that they make them anymore. Peter Rowlands tends to use them for studio shots because they look nice and don't obscure too many features of the housing (unlike a larger dome port). Alex
Posted by Dr. Alex Mustard on 2008-12-24 08:49:03 Hi Alex, Interesting review. I'm tempted by the low light performance and getting a wider angle back with the 60mm macro, but it's interesting to see that the smaller sensor of the D300 has advantages too. I just started using a Tokina 35mm macro, which has the same angle on a DX sensor as the 60mm on a FX, but it focuses too close to the front of the port to use it's full magnification. I wondered which port that is on the front of the housing shown here? Bernard
Posted by BernardPicton on 2008-12-22 16:08:54 Alex, Thanks for the nice review. I guess you would not recommend the D700 to people (like me) who lik eto keep using their Tokina DX (10-17) lense? D300 would then probably be a better option? Albert Kok
Posted by albert kok on 2008-11-28 10:27:41 Dr. Mustard, Thank you for the extremely informative review, and the photos are stunning as well. In particular, it is reassuring to hear your thoughts about the D700 vs. D300 as I already have Subal's D300 housing and am totally in love with the 10-17. When Nikon's high resolution SLR is shipping I will revisit the idea of upgrading to FX, and this review along with your D3 review provide an excellent framework for lens selection and technique when making the jump. Thank you again. Sterling
Posted by sterlingz on 2008-11-20 15:01:24 Ryan is at Reef Photo; they advertise on the sidebar on the front page
Posted by loftus on 2008-11-20 11:57:53 Hello colleagues, thanks for the great review. I have a Subal D3 housing and I´m currently considering fitting an USB port for polecam work, so my question is: Who´s Ryan, is he from backscatter.com?
Posted by Andrej Belic on 2008-11-20 11:26:06 I've downloaded a trial of Nikon Camera Control Pro, and it looks like you can control the camera as well as take pics with the camera and see the images immediately on the computer screen. Yeah, I could set up the lounge chair and maybe get the model to serve me a beer before diving in. :)
Posted by loftus on 2008-11-20 07:21:03 I agree about temperate waters, Arne. Check out my D3 review from Canada. Good stuff, Jeff. Will you be able to control your camera through the USB? That way you could just sit in a chair and leave the camera on a tripod in the pool!
Posted by Dr. Alex Mustard on 2008-11-20 04:53:33 Alex, Great review! Ryan should be shipping my housing tomorrow. Yesssssssss! Unfortunately not likely to be in time for my first manatee outing on Friday with Carol and Michelle. A minor detail to add, is that the housing has an extra bulkhead. I'm having Ryan fir mine for a USB connection. The plan is to use Nikon Capture Pro on a laptop for my pool stuff. Immediate download and review without having to open the housing to download the card. How cool is that! Jeff
Posted by loftus on 2008-11-19 20:19:29 Alex, Great review! As I mentioned in my email; I ordered my housing. Good news is that Ryan should be shipping it tomorrow, unfortunately not in time for Friday's first Manatee outing with Michelle and Carol. A minor detail to add is that the housing has an extra bulkhead. I have Ryan creating a USB port for me so that I will be able to use Nikon Camera Control and have a laptop on a table for my pool stuff for immediate review without having to take the card out etc. How cool is that! Jeff
Posted by loftus on 2008-11-19 20:16:09 Hi Alex, First off. Great review and coverage of this particular housing and options. You state "the underwater world provides very few opportunities to utilise this feature above ISO 400", but don't forget the guys diving in temperate (cold, green and dark) waters! I myself am pining for any U/W setup that can handle higher ISO's in the water I mostly dive in. My D80 -not in the same league- fails miserably at ISO400 and higher here in the Netherlands.
Posted by Arne on 2008-11-19 09:24:28 Wow, great review Alex. I'm a Canon guy and will probably never have the opportunity to shoot the Nikon but I really enjoyed your effort. The images you are able to achieve are simply breath taking. Thanks! Steve
Posted by Steve Williams on 2008-11-18 13:46:43 Thanks a lot for this review. For non professional users as i am, these bodies & housing are a dream. Thanks to let us dream !
Posted by divocean on 2008-11-18 06:49:53 Thanks guys (need hairier arms, James). I was asked question about the 105mm VR - and how it fits in the older style Subal ports. Felt my answer was worth repeating here. Didn't take the 105mm VR to the Red Sea, but with the correct port I am sure it is fine on the D700, as it was on the D3. It is best with Subal's dedicated 105mm VR port (this is what I used it with on the D3), but Martin Edge used his with the old 105mm port on his D300. On my D2X, I have always used a home made port extension ring. The downside of the official Subal 105mm VR port (as I stated in my D3 review) is that there is no room in there for a dioptre.
Posted by Dr. Alex Mustard on 2008-11-18 04:27:25 Thanks for a great review Alex. I always love to read a review of a new camera from someone who has major experience with its brothers and sisters. Not to mention the joy I felt when seeing your hand-modeling photo.
Posted by James Wiseman on 2008-11-17 18:04:25 A great report Alex, It looks a great in the subal housing & is very compact. Very Well Done, Andy
Posted by AndyBarker on 2008-11-17 16:43:48 Very well done Alex! Thanks for the effort and thorough review. And the WA Clownfish is super. Best rgds, Michael Patrick O'Neill
Posted by Michael on 2008-11-17 14:58:45 Very balanced and erudite review, Alex. Thanks for taking the time to cover the topic in such extensive and useful detail.
Posted by StephenFrink on 2008-11-17 13:19:52