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Originally Posted by BFHeadstone
Either the D3 or the D700 would be great. I think that the D3 will be with you longer with its higher level of feature. Between the two it still comes down to the glass you pair the body with.
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Building on what Home In My Shoes said, I agree the extra features of the D3 versus the D700 are important if you're doing high-volume sports and action photography. Otherwise, the D700 will do the same stuff for $2,000 less. It's the same sensor, and with the exception of burst speed, the same electronic capability.
The D3 is rated for a longer life in shutter-clicks, but again, unless you're doing high-volume you probably won't wear out the D700 before a new generation of hardware comes along and you're ready to move up. I'm loving my D700, and both my D70 and D200 had a lot of life left in them when the time came for upgrades. I gave the D70 to my brother and he loves it. I sold the D200 to an up-and coming young artist and designer, and ditto.
I shoot everything Camera RAW, and most days of urban photography, a 4GB card will outlast my legs. Likewise the standard battery. At first I thought I was going to need an extra battery, but after a couple of cycles to condition it, it's better'n the Energizer Bunny.
Don't be afraid of used FX lenses, either, so long as you buy from a trusted source. I picked up a 28mm f:2.8 (AF, not AFS) for $100 at the local independent camera shopand it's one of my favorites.
edit: I've been shooting the 70-300mm non-VR lens with my D700, and a friend has a D700 and the VR version. Comparing our results, there's not a lot of difference in image quality if you rule out camera movement; the VR definitely does give an advantage when you're hand-holding at long focal lengths. I take along a Gitzo Basalt tripod, very light, to use with telephoto shots and get pretty decent results.