Nikon D3x

Review Index – (updated 16 August’09)

Trusted Reviews
“It pretty much goes without saying that the Nikon D3x is an incredibly good camera, with the kind of performance, rugged reliability, versatility and most importantly image quality demanded by the top professionals. It is big, heavy and quite breathtakingly expensive, but if you’re the sort of photographer who needs to have the very best then ask the picture agency you work for to buy you one.”
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Camera Labs (As compared to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II – RAW test report)
“What’s remarkable though is the degree of detail recorded by both cameras, and the cleanness of their images even at high sensitivities. Both full frame bodies are capable of delivering superb results, and what we’ve seen here from the D3x certainly bodes well for a more affordable high resolution full-frame body in the future – we just hope the price differential of a ‘D700x’ over the D700 isn’t as great as that between the D3x and D3. In the meantime, if you’re not bothered about pro build or handling and just want the best image quality for the money, Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II is certainly very compelling right now.”

Trusted Reviews
“The Nikon D3x produces the highest image quality of any camera we’ve tested to date. Its combination of resolution, color fidelity, and noise performance puts it at the very top of its class. Not only does the Nikon D3x sport an amazing 24.5 megapixels of resolution, it manages to wring more detail out of those pixels (particularly in its NEF-format RAW files) than anything else out there.”

ProPhoto (Mid Term Review)
“The Dynamic Range and color depth when comparing the Nikon D3X and something like the Canon 5D Mark II level camera are more pronounced in favor of the D3X than I expected and that is rather surprising. There is more “material” in the D3X files when you are gaining exposure on the sliders in a program like Lightroom than there is in just about any other camera except the Nikon D3.”

Yuri Arcurs (As compared to the Canon Mark 1DS Mark III)
“Now that I’ve met the Nikon, this will change for sure. I plan for my basic setup going forward to be: Hasselblad for studio and high-resolution stuff and Nikon for the rest. Because I know what lenses to use, never shoot much more then ISO 400 anyway and need to count on the focus system, the Nikon D3X is a dream come true. I will report back a couple of months into using the Nikon and let you know if I still feel the same way.”

DigitalCameraInfo
“Overall, the D3x performed well in all our lab tests, though white balance and dynamic range were slightly lower than expected. It excelled on the resolution test, especially in terms of image sharpness. Apart from this last test, it consistently scored slightly lower than the Nikon D700, probably due to additional pixels packed into the same-sized sensor, or possibly that the D3x processes the data less as Nikon expects professional users to do more tweaking themselves.”

PhotographyBlog
“For such a high end camera the D3x is surprisingly intuitive to use, controls feels just right, are clearly marked, reasonably sized and the camera responds instantly to each button press or rotation of command dial. As should be, it provides the photographer with their own virtual ‘wingman’, leaving the user to get on with the business of taking photos.”
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Ken Rockwell
“If you have the cash, by all means go get a D3X, but realize that the only time you’ll notice the resolution difference is printing 20×30″ (50 x 75cm) and larger, and then only if you have almost perfect lenses and really know how to use them.”

CNET Australia
“Unless you’re a sports photographer who needs the increased burst rate, the D3X will be your ultimate camera — if you can stomach the price tag. For all other purposes it’s simply superb, reaching the quality, tonality and depth of colour you would normally expect from the highest quality film.”
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Shutterbug
“Image quality of the files—even JPEGs—from the Nikon D3X are so stunning that you will inevitably run into one of Farace’s digital laws of unintended consequences and find that being able to see even the tiniest flaw in your subject simply must be corrected. You’re going to be using Photoshop’s Magnifying Glass tool now more than ever to enlarge sections of the image to fix the tiniest imperfection.”

What Digital Camera
“Is it better than the D3? Well, that depends. If you shoot landscapes, or work in the studio, then yes it is. If you shoot sports, or in dimly lit jazz clubs, you’re still better off with a D3. It’s horses for courses. The bottom line is that if you want the finest image quality at the highest possible resolution, the D3x is now the best camera of its kind. To better it you’ll have to blow £10k on a medium format outfit, or wait and see what Canon does next.”
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PDN Gear Guide
“Exposure was spot on in the studio and extremely accurate when shooting outdoors. The D3X, like its recent predecessors, uses Nikon’s 3D Color Matrix Meter II system and like the revamped AF, I’ve had consistent success with this system. I’ve also liked Nikon’s Active D-Lighting feature which is designed to preserve details in shadows and highlights. This feature is great for shooting outdoors in high contrast conditions.”

Luminous Landscapes
“Any camera has to be considered as a amalgam of its various characteristics and capabilities. To my mind, when you add up all of the factors the D3x is a class leader. But in virtually no individual area is it head and shoulders above the competition. There are cameras that match or exceed it in resolution, ones that have it beat in low noise and dynamic range, and others which equal it in build quality. But, when all the factors (except one) are blended together the D3x does come out near if not actually on top of the heap.”

PhotoAnswers
“If you simply must have the ultimate image quality available from a camera and medium-format is not an option due to its price, bulk, pedestrian speed or lack of lenses, then you have to splash out on the Nikon D3X. There really is no other camera that comes close.”
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GoodGearGuide
“There is no question that the D3x is one of the best cameras that Nikon has made in its over 90 years of history, thanks to the camera’s massive megapixel count. But while some of its specifications are an improvement over the D3, the new D3x stumbles on high-speed capturing and high ISO functionality.”
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DPReview
“If you can afford the D3X, you will buy yourself the best image detail that’s currently on the market and a very versatile photographic tools. We’ve used it in the studio and on location, for portraits and for sports, in daylight and in dim clubs and and on every occasion we were amazed how easy it was to achieve good results with the camera. Therefore, despite its eye-watering price tag, the Nikon D3X without a shadow of doubt earns itself our highest award.”
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DavidBlackPhotography (Part 1)
“The NEW Nikon D3X brings the photographer to medium format quality in a familiar 35mm camera. For those who work with studio portraiture and lit situations on location this could be the camera for you. If print enlargements of 24X36 or 48X72 are your market place then this could be the camera for you. If small details are what your clients expect then this could be the camera for you.”

PhotoReview
“Focusing was spot-on for more than 95% of the shots we took, regardless of the drive mode selected. The AF system locked onto subjects instantly and accurately and we found no evidence of hunting, even in the low-light conditions we used for our long-exposure tests.”
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ByThom
“The D3x is a fair but not great value. That’s why I’ve assigned it three stars in ratings. (If I awarded half stars, I would have been tempted to give it three-and-a-half, though I’m not completely sure I would have.) Had Nikon used the pricing of the D3x to start a closer relationship with its highest end customers, I’m sure I would have made that rating higher.”
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MasterChong
“ISO samples below ranges from ISO 800 to ISO 6400 accompanied with 100% cropped samples. Autofocus was set to center point. Lens used was AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8 G ED. All shots were taken using Program mode with auto white balance at focal length of 24mm. Exposure is set to -0.3EV”

Pocket-lint
“A stunning camera and a stunning performer, the D3x will make every landscape, portrait and social photographer dream of owning one and even though you may need a small mortgage in order to have one in your camera bag, it’ll be worth it.”
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Digit.no (Google Translated)
“D3x seems optimized to the smallest detail. Ergonomics is exemplary, usability likewise, although I think Nikons menus are less transparent than for example. Canons. Canon. Many DSLR cameras has dual card slot, which usually Compact Flash and SD or xD. Nikon D3x has two CF slots. It allows you to save the RAW and JPEG each, save for both short while or continue on the second card when the first is full. Superb! Wonderful! “

Popular Photography
“First, its super-high resolution, which will let you print really big photos. Second, its super-tough build, complete with dust- and weathersealing, as well as an integrated vertical grip, important to pros. Finally, its super performance in low light, with high sensitivity, low noise, and fast autofocus in the dimmest conditions.”

Pbase (D3 vs D3x Noise Comparison Tests)
“I can assure you that casual inspection of side-by-side images made with both cameras, the same lens, etc. etc. showed that the resolution of the new sensor has … well … significantly higher resolution than that of the D3.”

TechRadar
“The full-frame sensor of the D3x lacks an in-built dust-reduction system. The EOS 1Ds Mark III has one, and so does the 5D Mark II, and so too does the Sony Alpha 900. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that all three cameras cost less than the D3x.”
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OutbackPhoto
“First conclusions – Even for a 24 MP camera the high ISO noise behavior is very good – Like the D3 feature rich and professional body (bulky and heavy though) – Live View is a plus – Top image quality”

Ken Rockwell
“It’s obvious: even though the specifications are the same, Canon 5D Mark II looks crappy by comparison. Why? Simple: Too much noise reduction attempting to smooth over textures that need to be left alone. The 5D Mark II is smudging over softer textures left alone by the D3X.”

Amateur Photographer
“Despite the similarities though, the D3x isn’t the D3. According to Nikon, the D3x was designed to be one thing, and one thing only – the highest resolution DSLR that it was possible for the company to create.”

CNET Asia
“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.”

Video Preview by What Digital Camera

Trusted Reviews (Hands-on)
“In use, it felt extremely well-balanced in the hand even with heavy lenses. And as a long-time Canon user, I found that the D3x’s controls were surprisingly easy to operate and use, with everything laid out very intuitively. It looks big, I agree, but it doesn’t feel it…”

MegaWhat (Hands-on)

ePhotozine (Hands-on)
“From the time I had with the D3x, I was blown away. The image quality is excellent and being able to crop really close in on the rear monitor and still see detail in the eyes and hair of the model was great.”

TechRadar (Hands-on)
“Because of its massive megapixel count – the D3X more than doubles the pixel count of the D3, from 12MP to 24.5MP – the camera is a tad sluggish in taking continuous images.”