[Leica] Thinking about a D700 or D7000

[pklein at threshinc.com (Peter Klein)]

Today I was at Glazer's in Seattle, and had a chance to handle two 
cameras that interest me--the Nikon D700 and D7000.  I've long had a bit 
of D700-lust, as it is one of the best available-dark cameras out there. 
I liked the big viewfinder of the D700 But after hefting them both, I 
looked at the D700 and thought, "would you really carry that around 
much?" Hmm--maybe not. Still, the ability to shoot at ISO 3200 like I 
shoot the M8 at 800 is very tempting.

On the other hand, the D7000 seems like a "Goldilocks" camera--a lot 
about it is "just right." It felt good in my hands. The viewfinder is 
not as spacious as the D700, but quite usable. The new sensor (also in 
the Pentax K5) has previously unheard-of performance (for an APS-C 
sensor) in both dynamic range and low light ability. There are buttons 
for the commonly-used functions. The shutter is relatively quiet (the 
D700 is MUCH louder). Dpreview and DXOMark comparisons indicate it might 
have a 1-stop low-light advantage over the M8, compared to the D700's 2 
stops or more. But that's lab tests.  How about in real life?

So...  I would be interested in anyone's experience with the D700 and/or 
D7000--particularly those who can compare it to the M8 or M9.  I know 
the difference between an SLR and a rangefinder. I'm most interested in 
image quality, handling, and real-world available-dark performance. K5 
users are welcome to chime in, too.

--Peter