Autofocus In The Dark. What’s Up With That?

Warning: The following post contains an ugly picture which may include some dog poop. The image is not being used to demonstrate the author’s prowess as a photographer; it is merely used to prove a point. 
 
The other night my dog asked to be let out for the umpteenth time. As I went to the glass sliding door to do her bidding, I passed by my D700 sitting on the dining room table. I was seized by a sudden urge to press the shutter a few times. Once I let her out, I grabbed the camera, engaged the onboard flash and stepped out into the night to grab a couple of shots of her making her rounds.

To put what follows in context, the only illumination was a dim table lamp in the next room. The autofocus assist illuminator is always turned off per Tom Hogan's recommendation. Once I stepped outside it was nearly pitch black. To my utter amazement, the 35mm f/2 lens locked focus on every shot and quickly I might note. It only hunted when I tried to fool it. I was dumbfounded, but here is the proof.

Nighttime Rounds, 2012 
 
My conclusion? We all know that the D800 is coming and we all know that we will want one, especially if it’s a bit smaller. We all know that Nikon will market the hell out of the D800 in the wake of the success of the D700. But, before you take the plunge, think about this. If the rumors are true that the D800 will feature a 36 megapixel sensor, get ready to upgrade your system. Lightroom will slow to a crawl and your hard drive is going to fill up fast. I’d suggest one or two terabytes. And, do you really need video? So, get yourself a D700 while you can at a nice price and don‘t look back.