The Nikon D700 is a terrific camera to use. I came from a cheaper and earlier Canon digital SLR and found the controls and buttons on the camera to be a great improvement over the Canon 5D I had previously. The high ISO settings available, and the full frame sensor, mean I can happily take indoor shots of my kids close up, outdoor action shots and landscapes, and all come out looking beautifully detailed and very professional in quality. The built in flash is handy to have for the 'catch the moment' shot when the light isn't quite right or you don't have the chance to set up the shot perfectly. I'd recommend a good quality kit lens to go with this at a minimum, and you'll benefit from buying the Capture NX package from Nikon for retouching and improving your shots - this let's you see the effect of changing the camera settings after the shot has been taken. Overall - a very good SLR choice, and although it may seem quite expensive, its excellent. No video capability though !