Nikon D3

Wouldn’t it be cool for weddings photographers?

White Nikon D3

Yes, but probably uselessly ridicule…

Is it now a Nikon D1.5?

This is a nice presentation of a Nikon D3 neatly cut in half. It’s showing all the inside of the camera and lens. Instructive.

Nikon D3 - 1/2

Source: TokyoBling.

Did you notice that there is a real deluge of information around one of the most expensive digital SLR camera, the Nikon D3x? I was ready to close the subject, but I could not avoid giving you a few pointers to some of the most interesting articles.

Nikon D3x

• DigitalRev speaks about the D3x sensor resolution: Did you notice that this camera pushes Nikon’s maximum resolution from 11 MP to more than 24 MP?
• Nikon has set a new record in terms of price. Why will it still sell?
• This is such a surprise that Scott Kelby decided to write a FAQ about the Nikon D3x price.
• Despite being different from the Sony Alpha 900 sensor, the Nikon digital sensor shares more than a few things with its Sony rival: same resolution, same pixel size, but it’s a Nikon design manufactured by Sony.

Finally, Some of the D3x active D-lighting capacity will be turned on the Nikon D3, through a firmware update, in the coming days.

Sony Alpha 900

Comparing two SLR cameras with very very different prices is realy a tough task. So tough that it is often useless. In the Online Photographer, Michael Johnston still tries this daunting task of comparing the Sony Alpha 900 and the Nikon D3.

These are two cameras that are mostly linked by the fact that they have a 35mm Full Frame sensor. Their prices are not even in the same ballpark and the Sony is brand new, while the Nikon is on the market for more than a year now. However, I think that the comparison is quite interesting. To the point, that I invite you to read it from top to bottom.

There is no mere conclusion, but interesting comments that could be summarized by a few items:

1. The D3 is much faster in nearly all aspects; It’s also bigger and heavier.
2. Michael Johnston prefers the digital noise quality of higher ISOs from the Sony (but I think this is very subjective).
3. From the photos shown, I would say that the Sony Alpha 900 is helped by a better dynamic lighting optimization, but the added pixels are helping a lot images that need to be enlarged (or cropped) somewhat. Photoshop and DxO and other Raw file developers may compensate this, but shooting nearly right from the beginning is important.

Nikon D700

This kind of comparison is also quite interesting because it emphasizes the important differences that we can find between high-pixel count Full Frame cameras and high-ISO (low-pixel count) Full Frame cameras. If you stay at relatively small images sizes (or printouts up to A4/Letter size) the Nikon D3 and its sibbling Nikon D700 are very powerful beasts that will run to the darkest place a camera can shoot. And this can be amazingly dark.

But if you start shooting large images (or print more than A4/Letter-size, or intend to significantly crop your images; like for large panoramic photos), a larger pixel-count may become quite critical. Then, you start looking at the Sony Alpha 900 or the Canon EOS 5D MkII. It really depends on the kind of use you have.

The comments from Michael Johnston about the “shoot-to-carry ratio” (ratio between shooting time and effort, and carrying time and stress) are also quite interesting and a very urgent reminder for all people who may be tempted to follow the Full Frame madness. If you go from a relatively light-weight camera to one of the heavier models, you should really think about the impact on your photographic behaviour. If you keep the camera to the eye and/or shoot a lot, a heavy camera is not a critical issue (that’s for pros), but if you carry the camera around and shoot only sparsely the mere weight may become a burden (that’s for many amateurs, even enthusiasts).

Nikon D3

Let’s make a summary of the current status of the information that is available (for real or as rumours) about the next SLR camera from Nikon.

Plenty of people actually expect it to be the replacement of the Nikon D3 camera. I have to admit that there is a lot of rumours and convergent thinking that leads to the launch of such a pro SLR camera in the beginning of 2009 (probably just before the PMA fair).

Actually, nobody (out of Nikon; and even there…) really knows the future name of this camera. Most experts (including Thom Hogan) think that it should be Nikon D3x, some people say that it will definitely be named differently, and I even see a convergence of Nikon D900. But this last one seems totally weird since it would lead Nikon to breaking the marketing message dropping the pro-SLR camera family into the prosumer D200/D300/D700 family.

Nikon rumours repeatedly pushed rumours telling us that this would be happening in the beginning of next year, in the end of 2008, in 2009, or on.. November 20th, then December 6-7th, or December 1st. Let’s say that they don’t know anything at all.

But there is definitely something coming before the end of 2008. I would suggest that some people should start looking at the low end of the market.

Nikon is preparing a replacement for the Nikon D60 (currently covered by some cash-back offers). And there are only two possibilities:

• Either it will be launched before Christmas 2008
• Or it will be ready only in Spring 2009

But I don’t think that the Nikon D3x (or Nikon D900 ) will not be arriving in December.

This is all over the Internet rumours now. People think that Nikon is going to unveil a new 35mm Full Frame SLR camera at around 24MP. Let’s summarized what has been popping everywhere:

• The Nikon D3 is getting more difficult to find (this would be a signal that its replacement is coming)
• Announcement is scheduled for November 20th (but nobody seems to have any details and is just repeating the same tired old news).
• People speak about a Nikon D3x or a Nikon D400 (the latest fad), but nobody really knows its name, though. Even, the guy who sent poor photos to Nikon Rumours earlier this month.
• A German Nikon web site has been seen using a D3_2 name for a folder to store firmwares (could mean anything).
• But most interestingly, the Sony sensor guys revealed that they no longer intend to sell their 24MP sensor to outsiders. This is a major change compared to the previous deals between Nikon and Sony that led successfull cameras like the Nikon D200. That probably removes most of the fuel from the previous rumours of 24MP sensor size. Nikon would be ready to use any size as far as it is larger than the one from the Nikon D700.

Did I say BIG?

I would not be much surprised if I saw a really large pixel count… Stay tuned.

Digital noise, this eternal ennemy of the photographer, is going to find a real opponent at its level: The 35mm Full Frame sensors of the new FF dSLR that just arrived on the market (or were there for a relatively longer time):

• Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
• Canon EOS 5D
• Canon EOS 5D MkII
• Nikon D3
• Nikon D700
• Sony Alpha 900

As a matter of fact, this is a considerable advantage of the big/large sensors which can make use of pixels whose size is proportionnelly bigger and so apter to capture light without using the ammplification devices (usually generating or increasing noise image defects).

This is a good reason to find it interesting to go and check the images présented by DPreview in its Sony Alpha 900 test. They compare some of these cameras at sensitivity settings between 50 and 6400 ISO.

Think about what any other SLR camera would do at the same settings (ISO 3200, no less!): More or less colored blurred blotches.

I think that this camera prepared by Nikon to replace the magnificent (but intolerably expensive) Nikon D3 will stay reserved to a technical and financial elite (if there is still one after the current crisis). But rumours are running wild during those days:

• DPreview told us that it will come in December with the following characteristics:
  • 24.4 mega-pixels
  • 9 fps
  • $6499.99 USD
• Nikon Rumours rather says “availability in February 2009″ (with a new 70-200mm zoom).

And there are some even wilder things…

Thom Hogan seems to be the only one who is seriously refering to this possible camera. But, as he really is a reference in the Nikon world, we must take this into account. For him, there will be no Nikon D4 ‘or nikon D3x), but Nikon is going for some kind of intermediate named Nikon D900. Whatever the name, it’s supposed to be the replacement of the Nikon D3 (not really old) and to use the 24.6 mega-pixel Full Frame sensor borrowed from Sony.