Nikon D3x

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First Take

Nikon's latest flagship dSLR, the D3x, is one beast of a camera. Its recent standalone announcement puts all the limelight on this 24.5-megapixel full-frame shooter and raises the Japanese company's benchmark for future product development. The high-res images appeal to commercial photographers who need to print large photographs without degradation of fine details, yet at the same time the 5 frames-per-second burst mode makes the shooter suitable for some action shots. There is little competition to the D3x, except for Canon's EOS 1Ds Mark III and Sony's Alpha DSLR-A900 which churn out 21.1- and 24.6-megapixel images, respectively. ...

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First Take

By Leonard Goh
Dec 5, 2008

Nikon's latest flagship dSLR, the D3x, is one beast of a camera. Its recent standalone announcement puts all the limelight on this 24.5-megapixel full-frame shooter and raises the Japanese company's benchmark for future product development. The high-res images appeal to commercial photographers who need to print large photographs without degradation of fine details, yet at the same time the 5 frames-per-second burst mode makes the shooter suitable for some action shots. There is little competition to the D3x, except for Canon's EOS 1Ds Mark III and Sony's Alpha DSLR-A900 which churn out 21.1- and 24.6-megapixel images, respectively.

Upside

It's an unspoken secret that most of Nikon's digital cameras utilize sensors made by Sony. When the A900 was announced, there were speculations that the next Nikon dSLR would be of similar resolution. These rumors seem to be true, but there is a difference between the sensors used in these two cameras. The pixel pitch for the A900 is 5.9 microns, whereas for the D3x it is smaller at 5.49 microns. Smaller pixel pitch means better image quality. We will see if that holds when we put the Nikon camera through our tests.

Nikon's latest 24.5-megapixel dSLR targets professional photographers who need to print large photographs.
(click for larger image)

Being a full-frame (or in Nikon's lingo, FX format) shooter, the integrity of lenses is retained. There is no crop factor, so using a 50mm lens on the dSLR will show a 50mm view, and not 85mm.

For professional photographers who need super high-resolution output, the D3x ought to satisfy. Images can be captured in either JPEG, RAW or TIFF format, and users have the option to record compressed or uncompressed pictures in 12- or 14-bit. A 14-bit TIFF file yields 138MB of space, which means a 4GB CompactFlash card (which the dSLR only accepts) can store up to about 40 images in this format.

The D3x shares similar dimensions with its sibling, the D3, so this means accessories produced for the latter can be used on the new camera.

The burst rate of 5fps is average considering the D3x's main target audience are studio photographers who don't require a quick capture rate. However, by changing the settings to DX crop mode, Nikon claims the D3x can fire off at 7fps. This is probably achieved by reducing the sensor's resolution and thus producing smaller files which the buffer can transfer more quickly.

Downside

It is difficult to pick on the D3x if we take into account how feature-rich it is and seemingly able to satisfy even the most fussy photographer. But we did notice two aspects lacking and that its competitor's full-frame dSLR provides.

Canon's new EOS 5D Mark II is the only dSLR on the market now that is capable of capturing full-HD, 1080p-quality video clips. Its resolution, at 21.1 megapixels, is not far from the Nikon's. Naturally, we expect the D3x to come with video function.

Sensitivity-wise, the default ISO settings available on the D3x range from ISO 100 to ISO 1,600, and this can be expanded further with the Hi and Lo options which broaden the settings to ISO 50 and 6,400, respectively. That said, most studio photographers would probably not venture beyond ISO 400. However, the EOS 5D Mark II allows users to ramp up the ISO to 25,600.

So, for those who want to have the most up-to-date gadget, the Canon will seem like a more obvious choice, but only if you don't require a weather-sealed body, slightly faster frame rate and more resolution which the Nikon provides.

Outlook

In the extremely competitive digital imaging market, Nikon has always been one of the major players. With the introduction of the D3x, this shooter further strengthens the company's presence in the industry. However, the price tag of US$7,999.95 stated in the international press release, means this camera will be exclusive only for the professionals, or those with extra cash to dispense.