Nikon D700 Over exposure issue

Question

After shooting some outdoor shots last week, I found most all of the shots as about 1/3 to a full stop over exposed on my Nikon D700.  I did some research and everyone seems to point to the camera.  As a fairly recent LR convert, I went back to Nikon Capture NX2 to see if I found the same over exposure, and DID NOT.  I hate to jump to conclusions, but it seems like LR is having problems compared to Capture.
I am interested if anyone else has done the same test and found the same results.  I LOVE LR and used it a lot recently for concert performance work as well as portrait work, but these bright sunlight shots just seemed too much for LR. 
Thanks! 

Answer 1

I suspect your problem is due to tone curve mismatches. Let's say you are shooting some people shots and in-camera you are using the Portrait picture control.
1) When you review your photo in the LCD and look at the histogram, the JPG (yes, even if you shot RAW) displayed there uses the tone curve (and other settings, like sharpening, hue, saturation, etc.) in that Picture Control. Add White Balance (WB) into that mix.
2) Similarly, when you review your RAW file in either ViewNX2 or Capture NX2, the software reads the raw data *and* the Picture Control and WB information to render the image and corresponding histogram you see in the application.
Now, if you move over to Lightroom, the Adobe default camera profile will likely (most assuredly, actually) use a different tone curve and color profile. The result? A different histogram that will show either over or under-exposure when compared to what you saw in-camera or in the NX2 software, depending on the particular mismatch.
The solution? Either use one of the provided Nikon-like profiles (for instance, my LR 3.4 has Portrait), or create your own to match the Nikon's built-in (or even if you had it, your custom) Picture Control. Keep an eye on White Balance, too, as the incorrect WB can push or pull your histogram. For instance, an overly warm WB can clip your reds, when a corrected WB wouldn't.
After years using ViewNX2, exclusively (plus PSP X2 for final editing), I've just (this weekend!) switched to a LR3-CS5 workflow. Part of what kept me away from Adobe products for so long was the reluctance to give up Nikon software's "full insight" into the in-camera settings. In the end, I decided that this histogram I see in my camera is ficticious, anyway, a by-product of one possible interpretation of the RAW data. Perhaps Nikon is better qualified to interpret that RAW data, but based on the quality and robustness of their software, who knows?
Anyway, long story short: match your tone curve and WB, and you should get similar results. My early experimentation with D700 and D7000 photos this weekend, when I did a couple of quick cross-checks of what ViewNX2 gave me vs. LR3 with the Portrait control/profile indicates my results are reasonably close. As with all things, YMMV.