Review based on a production Nikon D3X, Firmware V1.0
Ever since the simultaneous announcement of the Nikon D1H and D1X back in 2001 Nikon's professional D 'single digit' series has been split into two - the X series designed for high resolution applications such as fashion or landscape photography and the H series for high speed sports type photography (lower resolution but faster continuous shooting). When the Nikon D3 was announced in August 2007 it did not carry an 'H' in its name but was clearly designed for speed. So the question wasn't if, but when, Nikon would launch a high-resolution counterpart. It arrived, after more than a year of eager anticipation, in the shape of the Nikon D3X in December 2008.
Superficially, the new flagship is the D3's identical twin. The body, controls, user interface and also a large proportion of the camera's electronic and mechanical innards have been carried over directly from the D3. The camera's core component, however, is brand new. The 36 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor provides a resolution of 24.5 megapixels, and while this is - compared to the D3 - a massive jump in resolution, D3X users have to accept a smaller range of sensitivity (ISO 100 to 1600, extendable to ISO 50 to 6400) and slower continuous shooting of five frames per second (7 fps in DX mode) in return.
While the only other piece of news - the 'Extra High' setting for Active D-Lighting - won't make much difference for most users, the premium that Nikon is charging for the extra resolution most certainly will. For $8000 retail price you can bag yourself almost two D3s. The D3X is also roughly $1500 more expensive than its only real competitor in terms of specification and features, the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. This won't make the professionals who this cameras is targeted at contemplate changing systems, but can a camera be worth the equivalent amount of a small car? Read on and find out in our in-depth review of the Nikon D3X.
Please note that because of the similarities between the Nikon D3X and D3 a proportion of text and images in this review has been taken over directly from the Nikon D3 review.
| Model | Announced |
Effective pixels |
Auto focus |
Continuous highest (JPEG) | LCD monitor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | Jun 1999 | 2.6 mp | 5 point | 4.5 fps, 21 frames | 2.0", 120K pixels |
| D1X | Feb 2001 | 5.3 mp | 5 point | 3.0 fps, 9 frames | 2.0", 130K pixels |
| D1H | Feb 2001 | 2.7 mp | 5 point | 5.0 fps, 40 frames | 2.0", 130K pixels |
| D2H | Jul 2003 | 4.1 mp | 11 point | 8.0 fps, 40 frames | 2.5", 211K pixels |
| D2X | Sep 2004 | 12.2 mp | 11 point | 5.0 fps, 22 frames *1 | 2.5" 235K pixels |
| D2Hs | Feb 2005 | 4.1 mp | 11 point | 8.0 fps, 50 frames | 2.5" 235K pixels |
| D2Xs | Jun 2006 | 12.2 mp | 11 point | 5.0 fps, 22 frames *1 | 2.5" 230K pixels |
| D3 | Aug 2007 | 12.1 mp (FF) | 51 point | 9.0 fps, 130 frames *2 | 3.0" 922K pixels + Live View |
| D3X | Dec 2008 | 24.5 mp (FF) | 51 point | 5.0 fps, 130 frames *3 | 3.0" 922K pixels + Live View |
*1 Also 8 fps in cropped mode (6.7 MP)
*2 Up to 11 fps with DX format (5.1 MP)
*3 Up to 7 fps with DX format (10.5 MP)
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| FX format sensor (Nikon design) | Sensor mounted on its module |
|---|---|
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| Main board with EXPEED processor | EXPEED processor |
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| 51-point Multi-CAM 3500FX AF sensor unit | Viewfinder pentaprism |
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| 1005-pixel metering sensor | Shutter |
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read some of our Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).
Conclusion / recommendation / ratings are based on the opinion of the author, we recommend that you read the entire review before making any decision. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of them, click to display a larger image in a new window.
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Dpreview use calibrated monitors at the PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally also A, B and C.
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Nikon D3X 24.5MP FX CMOS Digital SLR with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only) | $6,500.00 |
Nikon D3X 24.5MP FX CMOS Digital SLR with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only) | $6,500.00 |
Nikon D700 12.1MP FX-Format CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only) | $3,399.99 |
Nikon D800 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) | $2,796.95 |
Focus Camera Nikon D3200 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Black) with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR NIKKOR Zoom Lens + EN-EL14 Battery + Nikon Filter + 32GB Deluxe Accessory Kit | $579.95 |
Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens | $446.95 |
Nikon D7000 Digital SLR Camera & 18-200mm VR II DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 32GB & 16GB Cards + Case + DVD + Tripod + Flash + 3 Filters + Remote + Accessory Kit | $1,514.95 |
Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Body Only) | $6,799.99 |
Nikon D4 16.2 MP CMOS FX Digital SLR with Full 1080p HD Video (Body Only) | $5,996.95 |
Nikon D7100 24.1 MP DX-Format CMOS Digital SLR (Body Only) | $1,146.95 |
Focus Camera Nikon D5200 24.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Black) with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR and 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX NIKKOR Zoom Lenses + EN-EL14 Battery + 10pc Bundle 32GB Deluxe Accessory Kit | $1,029.00 |
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