Compared to...

Most camera manufacturers make the bulk of their money (if they make any at all these days) from consumer grade products (on sheer volume) and therefore it's no surprise that there's currently a fairly a large number of entry-level DSLRs available to potential buyers. Inevitably, the further you move up the DSLR pyramid the fewer cameras you've got to choose from. The D3X is no doubt located at the very top of the tree where it has got only one real competitor in terms of spec, features and price - namely the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III.

Both the Nikon D3X and the EOS-1Ds Mark III offer 20+ megapixels, making the cameras the ideal tools for resolution-hungry applications such as high-end studio work or landscape photography (for sports and newspaper photography there are the Nikon D3 and Canon EOS-1D Mark III, which offer similar bodies and build quality but lower resolution and are optimized for speed).

However, while the EOS-1Ds Mark III is the only other camera currently on the market that combines a high resolution full-frame sensor with a professional grade body, it's also been around for close to two years, which almost makes it - at least in the digital age - an old product and it's therefore no surprise that it lags slightly behind the D3X in some areas. The EOS-1Ds Mark III offers slightly less sensor resolution, has got a narrower ISO range, a lower resolution screen and no HDMI output to name but a few. We'd be very surprised if the next generation 1Ds didn't make up for most (if not all) of these 'shortcomings', but for now the D3X sits at the top of the DSLR tree.

The recently launched EOS 5D Mark II already shows some of the new features that we can expect from the eventual successor to the EOS-1Ds Mark III. It offers the same 21Mp resolution but a higher ISO range (up to ISO 25600), higher res screen and of course HD video capture. However despite the fact that Canon's new 'prosumer' full-frame model is in some respects better specified than the current brand flagship it is, because of its body and level of customization, not really a direct competitor to the Nikon D3X.

For our studio comparisons we've therefore stuck with the high resolution pro bodies and have also included the Sony DSLR-A900. Again, in terms of spec and price it is not a direct competitor to the D3X, but it is Sony's flagship model and offers the same resolution as the Nikon (and a sensor that, whilst not the same, is certainly 'related'). For the purpose of our High ISO comparison we have also included the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II, which at lower sensitivities produces output that is virtually identical to the 1Ds Mark III's, but comes with improved noise reduction at higher ISOs.

Positives versus the competition

• Auto DX crop mode with 7ps top speed (compatible with DX lenses)
• Dual CF card slots
• 12-bit and 14-bit RAW modes (plus compression options)
  
• Both passive (mirror-down) and contrast-detect auto-focus in Live View
• Full 1:1 magnified view in Live View
• 51 point AF with wide range of selection / grouping options and intelligent tracking
• Arguably the best metering of the bunch (1005 pixel RGB sensor)
• Fully flexible Auto ISO function (max ISO and min shutter speed configurable)
• In-camera RAW developing
• Intervalometer
• High definition HDMI video output
• Built-in speaker for playback of audio notes

Negatives versus the competition

• No sensor-based anti-shake (vs Sony A900)
• Price