Why should I realize that? I shoot Nikon and I would sorely miss both the ability to dial in to and out of MLU from outside the menu and the second dial by my thumb that I use to change shutter speed in Manual shooting mode. I would also miss 45 AF points and the 6.5 fps I get with my D300 -- YMMV.
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Tony,
Okay! Fair enough! You don't use Canon. I find it difficult to appreciate the difficulty that anyone might experience due to a lack of a dedicated MLU button. Before the Live View feature was introduced, it's true that one had to press a couple of buttons and turn a dial a couple of times to enable MLU, but that was no big deal considering that MLU is usually (in my case always) used only when the camera is on a tripod. In those circumstances one usually has more time to compose the shot. However, it could happen that one might miss the moment due to a 4 second delay in enabling MLU.
With Live View, it's no longer a problem. Pressing just one button flips the mirror up, and pressing it again flips it back down.
This is already the case with the D3, it's exactly what the D700 represents with the only appreciable differences between the two being features and a built-in vertical grip. This entire question of advances in features and performance at lower prices is a moving target, although many do have unreasonable expectations.
The D3 is heavier and presumably more robust. It's good for more shutter actuations, isn't it? Just like the 1Ds3 in relation to the 5D2.
I'm not aware that the D700 has any image quality improvements over the D3. However, the 5D is claimed to have a few features the 1Ds3 doesn't have, such as contrast AF in Live View mode, HD video capability, higher (supposedly real) ISO settings, newer processing engine (Digic 4), improved transmission of light through the color filters, and improved on-chip pre-amplifiers at each photosite, which are (presumably) at least partly responsible for the 5D2's higher ISO capability.
All in all, a tremendous achievement from Canon. There's a lot there for Nikon owners to be envious of, but the D700 still retains a few advantages, so no need to feel too despondent .