Underground Photographer

Outside, they are similar like two drops of water. Only the logo differentiates the D3 from D3X which was announced in August 2007 and continued to be produced. For many it was simply a matter of time. Nikon was not indifferent to the competition for long and in a similar manner as Canon and Sony it introduced a “full frame” high resolution, around 25 megapixels. The standard is so high that it competes with the next higher (and more expensive) category.

The base of Nikon D3X is the excellent construction and strength of body, and evident design changes. Manufactured and hand assembled in Sendai factory, north of Tokyo, it provides top quality construction “Made in Japan”. It comes along with the D3 and D700, forming a powerful trio of cutting-edge Nikon “full frame” DSLR cameras.

Design: repetition of D3

When you pay a small fortune for a camera, you are interested in both photographic performance, analysis and other features, but you clearly require your camera to look like a tool and work like a tool. As a true clone of the D3 and partly of F5, the D3X is like a tank, sitting ergonomically in the hand and promising that it will withstand anything. The camera once again has an unprecedented simplicity, rather than purely professional orientation. Once again we emphasize that despite the “gothic” design, with large Nikon body, it takes minimal use to manage and operate the camera without moving away your eye from the viewfinder. Once again it features water resistance and dust resistance, accompanied by protection against electromagnetic interference. The overall dimensions remain identical (159.5×157x87.5 mm) but the weight decreased slightly (1220 gr.). Finally in the analogue section there were no changes in the rotary menu on the left to adjust the size of the file, the settings of the flash and bracketing. At the same time, the safety and rotation controls, as well as configuration of the drive, chronometry and mirror locking were improved. The D3X and D3 both feature “Live View” as well.

The digital side

The back is dominated by a huge TFT display (3 inches), with extraordinary 922.000 pixels, same as Nikon D3 and D300. We note the view angle of 170°, excellent sharpness, zoom in and 27ch “Live View” operation. The screen resolution is 640×480 pixels, four times as much than 320×240 pixels of the previous models. The screen has high details almost like a 300 dpi print, providing 267 pixels per inch (ppi). The digital section has four keys. The first key (Menu) introduces us to six sub-menus with a whole bunch of settings. Even the initial look at all the settings is enough to cause headaches, even to advanced users. However, careful development made things somewhat easier. The buttons at the bottom of the second LCD are reminiscent of the “film” Nikon F6, offering some basic functions regarding sensitivity, the file quality and white balance.

Full frame with a whole lot of megapixels…

In any case, doubling the resolution is not the easiest thing in the world. The new CMOS sensor has physical dimensions of 35.9×24mm and a whopping 25.72 megapixels, of which 24.5 are effective, making the Nikon D3X top-class in this respect. The image dimensions reach 6048×4032 pixels, with a choice of 12 or 14 bit colour depth. The EXPEED processor ensures high speed and low power consumption. Placing more pixels in the same size sensor automatically means that the role of this camera is to record and process a lot more pixels, thus requiring significantly more processing power. Despite the high resolution, the burst mode allows taking pictures at decent number of 5 frames/sec. With some formats on the DX, the framerate climbs to the remarkable 7 frames/sec. But this speed is achieved only with JPEG or NEF files in 12bit. With 14bit, the performance – as expected – decreases. Support for lenses such as Nikkor DX – especially with automatic recognition of formats – increases flexibility, which serves those who have invested in such optical bodies having a sensor size of Nikon’s APS/C. The D3X (same as the D3) includes the new Multi-CAM 3500FX processor with placed 51 horizontal sensors and 15 vertical, which can be selected individually or in groups. The system was renamed to Matrix Scene Recognition System: the first as you remember most collect data from the lens with a database of 30,000 frames with different data reception. SRS analysis includes white balance, accuracy, focus, exposure and highlight data for even better results.

Additionally

The recording aspect ratio is 5:4 (20.39 megapixels) and this is inherited from the D3 model (although it is absent in D700). The most interesting features include the slider strength (it is made of Kevlar/Carbon), 300.000 frames, 100% coverage viewfinder, LiveView function and dual slots for Compact Flash cards. Also retained from the D3 is the chromatic aberration correction. This correction is based on data analysis from the frame and not the elements from the lens. The adjustment for NEF files is easy with the software Capture NX2. From here the NEF files with up to 16 bit can be converted, resulting in size of 140 MB, making the D3X capable in the field of medium formats as well. Other parameters which D3X borrows from the D700 include automatic menu for “Active D-Lighting” and “Extra High” function derived from the D90. It also borrows easy activation and disabling of automatic sensitivity through programmable keys. There is also an improvement in HDMI port, from type A to type C.

Final performance

We expected only the best from the sensor with 24.5 megapixels. Our expectations were justified. The images are in all respects great, with rich colour palette and excellent dynamic range. The sensitivity range is only 100-1600 ISO and this may sound strange at first, but let us not forget that the D3X is intended primarily for studio. The noise is generally not visible up to 1600 ISO. In 3200 ISO, the noise is slightly visible, though.

The photographer’s opinion

The world of professional photography moves the entire world, from photographers and photojournalists in clubs and events, to landscape photographers and fashion and studio photographers. For the first two categories, the resolution of 8 megapixels is satisfactory in most cases. But there are many categories, such as advertising companies, which require high resolution files. This is essentially why most photographers in the sector are investing a modest amount of money into digital cameras, larger mediums and large formats. Imagine a 35mm camera designed to do something similar, but with all the advantages that this implies: lower weight and volume, cheaper lenses, and flexibility. All that with 14 bit RAW files and the possibility of producing the TIFF 140 MB images (forgotten by many)! Do not imagine anything else … It’s Nikon D3X.