larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Some us have a specific interest in shooting with older equipment occasionally. If you are one of us, there's nothing wrong with a D700. As time passes, however, the probability of finding a D700 or any other DSLR that you would really be willing to own gets lower and lower, making the search harder and harder. More and more of what is available has been ridden hard and put up wet, as we say in Texas. So the concern over repairability is not just in case something breaks later, it is also in case what you bought turns out to be not quite what you thought it was.

I am moving on from my oldest equipment. My D810 is now my oldest camera. It will pass out of support at any moment now. As soon as the Z7iii is introduced, support for the D750vwill end. All three major manufacturers of camera equipment have adopted Sony's strategy of supporting only the current model and one or two prior models in each line.

All of this together means that you need to really consider the big "what if." What if the camera that you bought as a simple curiosity or toy all of a sudden becomes your preferred choice for shooting? Are you going to be OK with that choice being a 17 year old orphan relic?

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

If you can find a good low used D750, I would recommend that one. I recently bought a used one, the new ones are all sold out on the local Nikon website. I also have the D7100.
The low light capabilities of the D750 are amazing. The 24MP files are handleable and 'cleaner' than the D7100 produced. The menu is so similar to the D7100 I had little trouble adapting. I shoot mainly using auto ISO and manual, RAW, with sometimes just a little exposure compensation. The 3 lenses I already had were full frame but mine came with the 24-120 f4 lens as well which has become my walkaround kit now.
Am very pleased with my decision.
Have a look on YouTube for 'reviews of the D750 in 2024. Most are very positive and done by professional photographers. There's a series by a female called Victoria ?? which are pretty good.
Good luck.

User ID

Disposable, and priced accordingly.

User ID

Thaz why you get a spare. These are not $2000 to $5000 current models which cost several hundred to repair. For that repair money, or even less, you get a spare. Old SLRs use "D" lenses which are also cheap.

Low cost matters, cuz sooner or later youll lkely hafta just walk away from your classics and stumble into the current decade. "The current DECADE" is a wallet friendly concept. All of my modern cameras are 5 to 10 yr old, very up to date compared to SLR "classics", but reasonably priced, used, for most of us mere mortals, even for former elite models.

rwm283main Loc: Terryville, CT

Get yourself a good D610, Nikon was still selling them up until a few years ago, and whatever is left in your budget put it towards a good full frame lens.
Rich

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

I had two D700s and found them to be excellent cameras. The downside is that it doesn't have a large MB sensor so extreme cropping like going down to 1/4 of the shot is not so favorable. The plus side is that the light-gathering nodes on the sensor are far enough apart to handle noise really well. If you don't plan to enlarge more than about 30 x 40, you will be very pleased with the results. Also, a plus is you will need FF lenses so if later you do want to upgrade, you will already have the lenses for it.

therwol Loc: USA

If you see yourself going mirrorless in the Nikon realm in the future, don't buy any "screw drive" lenses, even though there are some really good ones, and even though they're compatible with all of the cameras mentioned here. They will not autofocus on the Z cameras, even with an adaptor. On the other hand, they do make it simple and cost effective to put together a system on an older camera.

Judy795

I have the D750 and the D850 and I love the 750. It’s lighter to carry. It’s more forgiving than the 850. On the 850 all your settings have to be perfect or errors will be noticed. You can use good glass but not always great glass unlike the 850. And it does a fine job in low light. I have a volunteer gig coming up in Feb. At least 60 shots of women in Barbie get-up. No way am I wasting all than computer space on the 850’s large files. The 750 will be just fine.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Please, please, PLEASE

DO NOT WASTE 2024 money on an old, unsupported, out-of-date DSLRosaur from 2008 and formally discontinued in 2012. At 12MP, your smartphone probably has more pixel resolution. Say you got one around $125, well that could be a deal if it doesn't die in your hands in less than another 24-months / 2-years. But, I see them costing more, maybe as collector items (?), but you could better spend $400-$500 on a more modern camera? I forcibly contend: YES.

Equally important, what FX lenses do you have? Buying a 12MP FX sensor without the necessary FX lenses is akin to taking your 2024 money and flushing it down the toilet. Is that really how to advance your photography journey?

Finally, your 1.5 DX crop factor on your D7100 gives you a lot of 'reach' with subjects projected over a 24MP sensor. Losing that crop factor as well as the pixel resolution is a crazy idea, see thoughts earlier about flushing your money down the toilet.

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

I was considering the D 700, and talked to my repair guy about it. He Told me they are really good cameras, but were "Pro" cameras, and as such, most "Had the crap shot out of them!" YMMV! I reconsidered. Good luck!

Dean37 Loc: Fresno, CA

I don't consider it flushing your money down the toilet, if you get the camera that does what you want. My old D100, D200 and D300 provide me with photos that I like. They are light boxes which depend upon the lens attached to let in the correct amount of light in focus on their sensors, in concert with the shutter.

Sure in some ways the newer tech makes it easier and faster, but I have no doubts that most photographers can get photos they like even with a pinhole camera.

Paul, I understand your thoughts and you have my utmost respect. I will never be a great photographer, but I will take a lot of photos that I like.

Bill_de Loc: US

https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/fx.htm

Close.

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ReFlections Loc: From LA to AL

I second that!!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

The D700 was the consumer version of the D3, which was the’pro’ camera of that time.

PaulW128 Loc: Long Island, NY

That’s true but it’s been my understanding that the D700 was every bit the pro camera as well. It was used extensively by pros!