D700 vs. EOS 5D

Kattintson ide a magyar változatért

After publishing our detailed review of the Nikon D700 (sorry folks, it is Hungarian only) we thought that it would be a great idea to compare it with its direct competitor. The D700 is Nikon's first affordable DSLR with a full frame sensor, while the EOS 5D (great EOS 5D review in Egglish) was the same for Canon. This is why we think it is an interesting comparison. We have tried to get two similar lenses for the test, so we used the Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II lens for the EOS 5D and the Nikkor AF 50mm F1.4 G lens for the D700. While their specs differ a bit, they give roughly the same image quality.

Since the Canon EOS 5D was announced 3 years ago, the comparison of the two may seem a bit unfair. Our goal was not to start a pixel by pixel war, but to do a subjective comparison, and show the cameras from the photographers perspective. We also tried to set up scenes to shoot with both cameras. While I will draw the attention to some differences, I tried to avoid announcing winners. Picking the right camera is always your, the photographer's job. However, at some points we will be able to put numerical value side by side (e.g. speed values and sizes).

Body, design

This one is the most subjective part of a camera. For me, the Nikon is the winner in this race, but this is just one opinion. From the outside it has a more professional look to me, thanks to the square, masculine design and the richer user interface. The rounded corners of the EOS 5D bring the design of professional Canon DSLR design to the lower segments. Their shape reminds me more to a used soap from a coal mine's shower, than a traditional camera. The prism housing on the D700 adds a more serious look, while it looks less like that on the EOS 5D.

The grip is comfortable on both cameras. The Canon's grip is shorter, but bulkier, and I like the placement of the shutter button here. They are both covered with rubber to provide better hold, and both bodies made of metal and covered with metal. The build quality is perfect on both sides. There is one thing though that sets the D700 ahead of its competition: it offers water and dust resistant sealing and a shutter mechanism was designed for 150,000 exposures, while the EOS 5D lacks this protection, and we have no info on the shutter's durability either.

The Nikon D700 is 200g (about 7 oz) heavier than the Canon EOS 5D.

Ergonomy, handling

This is another very subjective area, that I can only assess from my point of view. The Canon is my winner in this round. As I said, it has less controls on the user interface, but they all responsible for very important functions. We only get one programmable function button, and the related buttons are grouped together. The learning curve is very flat, since it only takes an hour to learn and fell in love with the use of the camera. The Nikon seems to be less consistent here. If I want to set white balance, I do it on the right, while the exposure compensation is on the left. The continuous shooting modes require me to hold down a small button, and turn a dial. One can used to it in a few days, but it is harder to love it than the UI of the Canon. I like to mention the mode selector dial. I know it is not very often we see one on a professional camera, but the EOS 5D has thankfully inherited this useful control from the lower end models (while the D700 requires us to press and hold the MODE button and turn the dial together). Guess which one is faster!

The serious cameras from Canon all have a large dial on their back. This makes the use of the camera a whole lot easier. Big enough to have it in hand all the time, and it can be turned around very quickly what speeds up those who know exactly what they want. It steps through the menu items while we are in the menu, or goes through the images in playback mode. The rear dial of the D700 sticks out of the body too high, what makes it much less comfortable. Since it is more like a joystick, it is easier to mishandle. Just as the small joystick on the back of the EOS 5D, that luckily got very little scenes in the play: during shooting it selects the AF points (very hard to do it right), while in playback it pans the enlarged image.

There were two things I preferred the way Nikon has done it. First is the Information display, that is easier to see, than the outdated style Canon used in the 5D. The other is the power switch. Canon has moved it from the upper left part of the body when the EOS D30 was announced 5-6 years ago, and I can't get used to the new position ever since.

Canon made the menu very simple. It is one large list, where we can find all the menu points. The different sections are separated by colors, but it is very easy to remember the position of each functions (e.g. the resolution is on the top, while the card formatting is in the bottom of the list). We can go through the whole list very quickly and precisely with the rear dial, so it is very convenient. Only the CFn menu is different. It is a separate subsection of the menu, where each items are represented only by a number. After selecting them, the camera reveals the name of the setting, but all together it is a bad design. Nikon offers more functions in a more complicated menu structure. The grouping of functions is much better, and it looks nicer too.

LCD

Canon got no cards in this round (maybe yellow ones). It is hard to compare the 2.5", 230,000 pixel LCD of the EOS 5D with the 3", 921,000 pixel LCD of the D700. And not only the size and resolution are different. The LCD on the Nikon D700 has better colors and contrast as well. The LCD on the Canon has colder colors, and the dynamic range it covers is a lot smaller. In bright sunlight the screen of the EOS 5D is unusable, while that of the D700 proved to be a bit better. The bundled LCD cover of the D700 also helps a bit.

(sizes on the two images are not comparable!)

The Nikon D700 not only has a better LCD, but we can get more use of it, too. While three years ago the Live View function was a feature of some 'toys', now it is a must have feature from entry level to professional DSLR cameras. The just announced D700 naturally has it, the good old EOS 5D does not. The live view image is enlargable (helpful when using manual focus), and the photographer can select between phase detection and contrast detection AF modes. The 3 year advantage is clearly visible here (similarly to the LCD), but we can be sure that Canon will include similar features in the refreshed EOS 5D.

Both cameras have a backlit status display on the top. These differ in shape, but are similar in size (Nikon's is taller). The Canon EOS 5D has a dedicated backlight button to turn the lights on, while the D700 does the trick when the power lever is turned a bit further than the On position (it revolves around the exposure button).

Viewfinder

Despite the three years disadvantage, the EOS 5D's viewfinder is just as large and bright as the one on the D700. In fact, the 50mm lens had a nicer, clearer view on the EOS 5D, than the similar lens on the D700 (it had a slight yellowish cast). I mention the lenses because they have an effect on the viewfinder image, although the brightness difference between the f/1.4 and f/1.8 lenses were not significant. The viewfinder coverage of the D700 and the EOS 5D are 95% at 0,72x magnification and 96% at 0,71x magnification respectively. The numbers show a slight advantage at the D700, but the difference is invisible for the bare eyes.

Nikon beats Canon in two little things here. Firstly, it gives more information than the competitor (e.g. sensitivity). Secondly, it has a built-in viewfinder closing mechanism (blades), while Canon bundles that cheap rubber cap with the EOS 5D that most Canon users know well.

The eyepiece of the Canon EOS 5D is a bit more comfortable, due to its larger rim, and it also blocks more light. I also have to mention that both sell all kinds of different eyepieces, if the included one doesn't suite your needs.

The matte screen of the EOS 5D is user replaceable. Canon lists several different screens among the accessories. The D700 has a switchable grid, but the official documentation has no indication of replaceable matte screen at all.

Viewfinder information of the Nikon D700 and the Canon EOS-5D
	Nikon D700	Canon EOS-5D
Viewfinder coverage	95%	96%
Viewfinder magnification	0,72x	0,71x
Viewfinder size (compared to 35mm viewfinders with 100% coverage)	68,4%	68,2%
Eye-point	18 mm	20 mm
Diopter correction	-3 - +1	-3 - +1
Viewfinder closing	yes (built-in with blades)	yes (separate rubber cap)
Replaceable matte screen	(we have no info)	yes

Features

The menu of the Canon EOS-5D is rather puritan, compared to the menu in the D700. The newer camera offers a lot more options than the Canon from 2005. Since it would take forever to list all of them, I would pick the ones that I think are the most important.

I was really glad to see the 14 bit RAW mode in the D700. This has been a feature of the professional Canon cameras for some time now, but the mid range 5D did not inherit this option. We really hope that this push from the competition will make Canon to rethink this strategy. The same applies to the AF fine tuning function that has been available in the newer professional bodies from Canon, and the Nikon D700 has it as well, but EOS 5D users have to live without.

The focusing system of the D700 (51 focus points with 15 cross-type, 3D tracking) is coming from the top-pro Nikon D3, while the EOS 5D focusing system (9 focus points, 1 cross-type, 6 assist points) was an improved version of the system from mid class DSLRs.

Canon users probably wish they had such a well adjustable (in size) metering system, and automatic format selecting function what D700 owners get with their camera. The D700 can automatically crop the middle of the image if the lens used is a DX format lens. In case of the EOS 5D it is not an option, since the EF-S lenses (Canon equivalent of the Nikon DX lenses) are not even mountable to full frame sensored cameras.

Altough the D700 is more like a professional camera, while the EOS 5D is closer to the semi-pro segment, the D700 is the one that sports a built-in pop-up flash. We greatly appreciate this feature, since it can come handy at certain situations, and can also control wireless flashes.

Photographers have only one memory option for the user settings in case of the EOS 5D, but that one is available from the main dial. Nikon offers more memory banks, but they can only be selected in the menu. The same applies to white balance settings as well: the Canon EOS 5D has 1 memory segment for this, while Nikon D700 users can use 5 of those.

And we can go on with some of the less useful, but good to have features, like the virtual horizon (what can be nice when good leveling is very important), or the multiple exposure and the time lapse sequence. The D700 has them all, just as the new sensor cleaning system. We can only hope it won't be missing from the EOS 5D successor. Some of the functions are controversial, like the digital filters, the sepia mode, the digital vignetting, or the dynamic range correction. Picture styles were hot when the EOS 5 D hit the stores, but the D700 also has similar feature, called Picture Control. With these, image processing can be tweaked in detail (probably with too much detail in case of the D700).

Continuous shooting

The Canon EOS 5D brings the speed of the mid class DSLRs of the previous years. Three frames per second, noting less, nothing more. Our tests with a Sandisk Ultra IV CF card have also confirmed the specs. In RAW+JPEG format the burst shooting can last for up to 12-14 images (depending on the card used), while we can go up to 20 images, when uncompressed RAW is selected. In JPEG format, the camera can save images until the card is full.

The Nikon is capable of a bit better performance. From our detailed review, we know that it is a speed limited by the software. The manufacturer states 5 fps, but photographers can change the speed in the 1-5 fps range. After measuring the speeds we can confirm that the D700 can really do that. After attaching a portrait grip to the camera, the speeds go up to 8 fps. The number of consecutive shots in JPEG mode is limited to 100 images.

We have to mention that the D700 has a louder shutter noise (mirror and shutter together), while the sound of the EOS 5D is slightly muted. Nikon's shutter and mirror is moving faster, so the D700 has a shorter black out period during exposure.

Continuous shooting speeds of the Nikon D700 (measured values) (at FX mode)
	speed (max)	image number
RAW (14 bit)	4.9 pfs (C high-speed)	18
RAW (12 bit)		18
JPEG (Fine)	5 fps (C high-speed)	100
JPEG (Normal)		100
JPEG (Basic)		100

Continuous shooting speed of Canon EOS-5D (measured values)
	speed (max)	image number
RAW (12 bit)	3 fps	20
RAW+JPEG (Fine)	3.1 fps	12-14
JPEG (Fine)	2.9 fps	card capacity
JPEG (Normal)	2.9 fps	card capacity

File sizes

Canon offers two kind of JPEG compression in the EOS 5D. The Normal setting is about the same as the Basic on the D700 (93%). The Fine setting is slightly stronger (98%) than the the Fine on the Nikon camera. Canon's file are therefore a bit smaller on the cards. The Canon EOS 5D offers RAW and RAW+JPEG (just as the Nikon D700), but has no TIFF support (personally I could live without that).

Average file sizes in different formats on the Nikon D700:

File sizes and the number of recordable images (in FX format)
Resolution, compression	size*	on 1 GB CF card*	on 4 GB CF card*
4256 x 2832 RAW (lossless compression, 14 bit)	16.3 MB	38	144
4256 x 2832 RAW (lossless compression, 12 bit)	13.3 MB	50	200
4256 x 2832 RAW (compressed, 14 bit)	13.8 MB	57	228
4256 x 2832 RAW (compressed, 12 bit)	11.0 MB	69	276
4256 x 2832 RAW (uncompressed, 14 bit)	24.7 MB	38	144
4256 x 2832 RAW (uncompressed, 12 bit)	18.8 MB	50	200
4256 x 2832 TIFF	35.9 MB	26	106
3184 x 2120 TIFF	20.7 MB	47	190
2128 x 1416 TIFF	10 MB	105	422
4256 x 2832 JPEG Fine	5.7 MB	138	558
4256 x 2832 JPEG Normal	3.2 MB	248	992
4256 x 2832 JPEG Basic	1.4 MB	500	2000
3184 x 2120 JPEG Fine	2.9 MB	274	1096
3184 x 2120 JPEG Normal	1.6 MB	488	1952
3184 x 2120 JPEG Basic	0.7 MB	1000	4000
2128 x 1416 JPEG Fine	1.4 MB	500	2000
2128 x 1416 JPEG Normal	0.8 MB	900	3600
2128 x 1416 JPEG Basic	0.4 MB	1800	7800

Similar values of the Canon EOS 5D:

File sizes and the number of recordable images (Canon EOS-5D)
Resolution, compression	size*	on 1 GB CF card*	on 4 GB CF card*
4368 x 2912 RAW + JPEG (F)	17.5 MB	57	228
4368 x 2912 RAW + JPEG (N)	15.2 MB	65	262
4368 x 2912 RAW	12.9 MB	77	310
4368 x 2912 JPEG Fine	4.6 MB	217	869
4368 x 2912 JPEG Normal	2.3 MB	434	1739
3168 x 2112 JPEG Fine	2.7 MB	370	1481
3168 x 2112 JPEG Normal	1.4 MB	714	2857
2496 x 1664 JPEG Fine	2.0 MB	500	2000
2496 x 1664 JPEG Normal	1.0 MB	1000	4000

^*In case of JPEG images, the file size, and the number of images that can be stored on a given space depends on the sensitivity and the subject!

Image noise

Both cameras use CMOS sensors more or less of the same size. Officially the size of the Nikon sensor is 36×23.9 mm, while the same dimension of the Canon sensor is 35.8×23.9mm. The Nikon D700 has a little smaller resolution, so the pixels could be a bit larger, but the difference is close to insignificant. The Nikon sensors theoretical resolution is maximum 59 line pairs per mm, while the same value at Canon is 61 lp/mm. Canon supports sensitivity range from ISO 100-1600, but the range can be extended at both ends by one stop each. This gives a range from ISO 50 to ISO 3200. The default range at Nikon goes from ISO 200 to ISO 6400, but it can be extended at both ends. At the lower end it can go to as low as ISO 100 (in 1/3 f-stop steps), while at the higher end photographers have two stop advantage. The available sensitivity range on the Nikon D700 is therefore ISO 100-25,600. Noise filter at higher ISO sensitivities can be adjusted in three steps. Canon offers no such controls.

The newer camera beats the older one, when it comes to noise level. Both chromatic and luminance noise of the Nikon D700 are lower than that of the Canon camera. In case of the EOS 5D it is a bit disappointing, that the luminance noise at ISO 50 is nothing better than at ISO 100. In case of chromatic noise the ISO 50 has some advantage over ISO 100, especially on dark areas.

In case of luminance noise, the advantage of the Nikon D700 over the EOS 5D is not significant, although if we have to call a winner, it would be the Nikon D700. The real difference is in chromatic noise. In the lower segment of the sensitivity range Nikon can have 1.5-2 stops advantages, and the advantage decreases to 2/3-1 stops at higher sensitivities.

Nikon D700:

Image noise:
Images were taken at 22 °C (~72 °F).

Canon EOS-5D

Image noise:
Photos were taken at 22 °C (72 °F).

Long exposure

The Nikon CMOS and image processing has a clear advantage when it comes to long exposures. We took images with both cameras at ISO 200 sensitivity with 10 minutes long exposure. First we have turned the long exposure noise reduction off, than we turned that on. The images below show the results.

Nikon D700

We used Levels tool in PS to stretch the 0-25 range to 0-255.

Canon EOS-5D:

We used Levels tool in PS to stretch the 0-25 range to 0-255.

Other image quality issues

When we talk about image quality in case of digital cameras, we should never forget that we are talking about the lenses and the image processing as well. We have tried to use the cameras with similar quality lenses (according to Photodo the Nikkor AF 50 mm F1,4 D provides pretty much the same resolution as the Canon EF 50mm F1,8 II), but this doesn't mean that other factors (manufacturing differences, different softwares, reviewer's errors) could be eliminated. This is why we don't want to publish numerical values to describe image quality. Instead here are our notes regarding these issues:

- Both cameras can produce moiré effect in JPEG format, but they aren't disturbing. The Canon EOS 5D applies stronger sharpening than the Nikon D700, so jagged diagonal lines are easier to find than on the Nikon camera.

- The base sensitivity of Nikon is ISO 200, while the base at Canon is ISO 100. Both cameras provide the best contrast range at this sensitivity. The Nikon D700 tends to overexpose bright areas at ISO 100, and brightly lit areas often get a yellowish cast. This color cast appears on images taken at higher sensitivities as well. In RAW format (Adobe Lightroom 2.0 default settings) Nikon was more sensitive for clipping in bright areas, but not as strongly as on ISO 100 JPEG images. On the second image (block building) we decreased exposure by 1 stop. The details showed up on both images, but the Nikon resolved a totally different pattern than reality (Image 2, Crop 1).

- Canon's dynamic range is narrower at ISO 50, but it has more natural colors, and no color cast. Due to higher noise and stronger noise filtering dark areas show less details.

- The two cameras provide about the same amount of details, although the EOS 5D images seem to be more detailed. This comes from the stronger in-camera sharpening. When the images are converted from RAW files, the details are basically the same.

At higher sensitivities Nikon's dynamic range is better (Image 5)

These were just our notes, we will let you decide for yourself. The sample images were taken with the same settings. We have measured exposure with the Nikon D700, and took the other image with the EOS 5D using the same exposure values. In case of JPEG images, the default settings were used (Standard mode). The cropped images are in 100% magnification. Where two images are shown side by side, the left one was taken with the D700, while the right image came from the EOS 5D. By clicking on the cropped image you can download the unmodified full size images.

Measured values

Operation speed of the EOS 5D is not much less than that of the new camera. In fact, it beats the rookie in a few areas. The first examples to this could be the changing of images in playback mode (thanks to the large dial, the speed only depends on the speed of the photographer), or the shorter time to first image (due to the separate power switch, it is possible to press the shutter button a bit sooner). The Nikon D700 comes first in card writing speeds, since it can write data about twice as fast as the EOS 5D.

Measured values
From turning on to the appearance of LCD image (info display) (Nikon D700)	~0.1 sec
From turning on to the appearance of LCD image (info display) (Canon EOS-5D)	~0.15 sec
From turning on to the first image taken (MF) (Nikon D700)	~0.1 mp (in reality it is around 0.3 sec, due to human slowness)
From turning on to the first image taken (MF) (Canon EOS-5D)	~0.2 sec
Switch to playback mode (till the image appears) (Nikon D700)	0.2 sec
Switch to playback mode (till the image appears) (Canon EOS-5D)	0.3 sec
Switching images in playback (RAW) (Nikon D700)	0.2 sec (quick mode: 5 fps)
Switching images in playback (RAW) (Canon EOS-5D)	0.5 sec (suick mode: >10 fps)
Time between images (MF) (Nikon D700)	>0.15 mp
Time between images (MF) (Canon EOS-5D)	0.4 sec
Shutter lag (Nikon D700)	0.04 sec
Shutter lag (Canon EOS-5D)	0.04 sec
	Kingston 2 GB CF	SanDisk Ultra II 1 GB CF	SanDisk Extreme IV 4 GB CF
Card writing speed (Nikon D700)	5000 KByte/s	8400 KByte/s	16 500 KByte/s
Card writing speed (Canon EOS-5D)	3650 KByte/s	6750 KByte/s	8170 KByte/s
	Fine	Normal	Basic
JPEG compression	98%	93%
JPEG compression (Canon EOS-5D)	99%	97%	93%
Batter charging time	2 hours 15 minutes
Battery charging time (Canon EOS-5D)	1 hour 40 minutes
Battery capacity (with a single charge)	approx. 1000 images (CIPA standard)
Battery capacity (with a single charge) (Canon EOS-5D)	approx. 800 images (CIPA standard)

Conclusion

Anyone opening the specifications of the two cameras side by side can see the main differences, even without ever seeing the cameras. The Nikon D700 is brand new model with a really impressive feature set. The good old EOS 5D can't compete with that in functionality. The Nikon can be customized a lot more, and it is a bit faster, too. On the other hand the Canon CMOS sensors are the measuring standard of the DSLR world. The good news is that the D700 and his brothers have grown up to this standard, and in some areas they can outperform the competitor. No wonder why had Nikon positioned the D700 (again) above the EOS 5D. I bet they have taken even the EOS 5D successor into account.

The Canon EOS 5D is still the standard of its class. Despite the unfair comparison, there are some important areas where even the Nikon D700 has a hard time: image quality. The EOS 5D gets behind only in chromatic noise. The smaller feature set and the resulting simplicity of the Canon camera can be an advantage in certain cases.

So, what is the difference between the two cameras? About $800 and 3 years. But this 3 years could be gone very soon, probably before the upcoming Photokina trade fair.

Sample images

Images were taken using a Nikkor AF 50mm F1,4D and a Canon EF 50 mm F1,8 II lens. Filenames contain the focal lengths in mm and the ISO sensitivity as well.