Nikon D3S

Back in 2007, Nikon released its flagship professional-grade DSLR, the D3. It was full of outstanding features such as Nikon’s largest sensor at that time and 9FPS continuous shutter speed. Yet the most remarkable feature of the D3 was the ability to shoot in extremely low lighting conditions without a flash, thanks to its high ISO range (200-25,000). Today, Nikon has come up with an updated and enhanced model – the Nikon D3S.

The Nikon D3S continues to set the standard in high ISO sensitivity. It is capable of shooting up to an astonishing 102,400 ISO with its Hi-3 mode, 4 times more than the highest D3 setting. Additionally, as a professional grade DSLR, the Nikon D3S is lined up with great features that delivers uncompromising image quality.

Latest Update: Special Offers available for the Nikon D3S at Amazon.com.

Nikon D3S

Design

The Nikon D3S is built to withstand everything that nature can throw at it. It is made from tough magnesium alloy and is sealed against dust, moisture, and electromagnetic waves. This results in a truly robust and durable camera that can endure the harshest of environments. Bringing it along for exotic/dangerous photography expeditions would not be a problem. On top of that, its excellent build quality gives the feeling that it would last for generations. However, the downside to such ruggedness is its weight and bulk. Its body alone, excluding battery and memory card, weighs 2lb 12oz (1.24kg). Nevertheless, some people find such qualities appealing and essential to the photography experience.

The D3S is designed in such a way that most of its important shooting options are adjustable through dials and buttons on its body. This saves time by reducing the need for tedious menu diving. Key functions of the camera can be operated without taking the eye off the viewfinder, which allows for impromptu changes while on the move. Additionally, the cleverly-designed button layout and rubber grips make this huge camera less of a burden to hold.

The back button layout is almost similar to the D3. The D3S has two new buttons: the ‘info’ button on the left of the main LCD screen and the ‘Live View’ button to the right of the voice memo button. There are two auxiliary LCD panels, one at the top of the camera and the other at the back. Sitting on the top right hand side of the camera are the shutter button, power switch, exposure mode and exposure compensation buttons. Just to the front of the shutter button, at the edge of the camera is a command dial. A second command dial lies above the rubber thumb grip at the back of the camera. The mode dial is located at the top left of the camera. There are three buttons on top of this dial (bracketing, flash and function lock).

Features

The strongest point of the D3S is its ISO range. It is capable of reaching up to an incredible 102,400 ISO. The ‘normal’ ISO range is 200-12,800, and extension settings expand this range to 100-102,400 ISO. To put this into perspective, the ‘normal’ ISO of the latest entry-level Nikon is around 100-3200. This phenomenal ISO range makes the D3S very versatile especially in bad lighting conditions.

The D3S features a newly designed 12.2-megapixel FX format CMOS image sensor. The sensor is optimized to perform at high ISO levels and gives a high signal-to-noise ratio. Although 12.2-megapixels seem a little modest compared to other contemporary digital cameras, the D3S proves that this amount of pixels is enough to produce superb looking images. Moreover, the FX sensor is significantly larger than the DX sensors used in lower-end Nikon cameras.

High definition video recording is supported through the D-Movie mode. Video resolution can go up to 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9) at 24fps. Other supported video sizes are 640 x 424 pixels (3:2) and 320 x 216 pixels (3:2). Videos are saved in .AVI files using the Motion JPEG codec, and basic editing functions can be done in-camera. Furthermore, with the high ISO capabilities of the camera, bad lighting conditions at night are no longer problem. High-Sensitivity Mode enables video shooting to be done at 102,400 ISO, virtually turning the D3S into a night vision camera.

Performance

The Nikon D3S shows its true class when it comes to speed and responsiveness. It takes a combination of several great features to produce such agile performance. Firstly, there is virtually zero lag time between pressing the ‘ON’ button and the camera being fully operational and ready to shoot. Other buttons also respond quickly, performing their functions in split seconds. Even navigating the menus is no longer a time consuming affair when the custom menu feature is used. ‘My Menu’ enables the user to put all the frequently-used setting into one menu.

Additionally, the D3S is equipped with a powerful stepping motor and considerably more buffer memory compared to the D3. These allow for a continuous frame rate of 9fps using FX mode. The rate is even higher at 11fps when DX format is used because of the lower resolution (5.1 megapixels).

Autofocus performance on the D3S is also a speedy affair. AF locking is quick and precise in most conditions. Even low light or sidelight flares do not hinder the AF from locking on targets. The AF system in the D3S features 51 points with 15 cross-type sensors, and 3D AF tracking is supported by a 1005-pixel CCD sensor. 3D tracking works brilliantly with the large number of AF points. With it, the camera does all the work to keep the subject constantly in focus. Toggling between the different AF modes (Continuous, Single, and Manual) can be done using a switch at the front of the camera. Its strategic placement near the lens mount allows for quick changes without taking the eye off the viewfinder.

As mentioned before, the D3S’ low-lighting performance is phenomenal. It has a high signal-to-noise ratio and noise reduction function. The D3S is capable of reaching a staggering 102,400 ISO using Hi-3 mode. Although photos taken at such a high ISO level are expected to turn out noisy, they still maintain acceptable levels of detail and are good enough for viewing on computer screens. However, they should not be printed. Thus it is best to use this setting only when it is absolutely necessary.

ISO 12800, Aperture f/4.5, Shutter Speed 1/60s, Lens: AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

At ISO 12,800 (highest stop in the ‘normal’ ISO range) the D3S achieves a good balance between image quality and tolerable noise. Noise is still present but come in acceptable quantities that are only noticeable in very dark areas of the image, or if print is large. The image quality continues to improve as the ISO gets lower. Noise goes almost undetected at 3200 ISO, and can only be found in minimal levels upon thorough inspection. Such quality puts the professional-grade D3S in a league above ‘normal’ DSLRs. Even when compared with the D3 at same ISO levels, the D3S still outperforms it. Thus with the D3S, bad lighting conditions are no longer a worry.

Image quality is what one expects of a professional DSLR – uncompromising. The color and sharpness of photos taken by the D3S are rendered beautifully. Color saturation is spot on. Such good image quality is made possible by the EXPEED image processing engine and large FX sensor. Other image enhancing features include lateral chromatic aberration reduction and Active D-Lighting.

Conclusion

The D3S is a truly remarkable camera. It comes close to being a technological marvel with its high ISO range and large image sensor. Although some might scoff at its relatively low megapixel count, it is a small price to pay for such great performance. Versatility is its key selling point. Tackling conditions such as bad lighting and quick motion is not a problem for the D3S. Put this camera in any situation, and it will still produce great images. Moreover, the responsiveness and ergonomic controls of the D3S work to remove obstructing elements and enable the photographer to fully focus on making the perfect shot.

Average User Rating:
• “I’ve had my D3s for about 7 months now. Prior to that I had a D2Xs for 3 years and a D1X for 2 years. The improvements between the D2Xs and the D3s are staggering. Most obvious is the jump from the DX to FX sensor, which I absolutely love because I’ve finally got a big, bright viewfinder and my old Nikon glass works just as it did with my old Nikon film cameras. Nikon also got their white balance settings right… gone are the green cast of the D1X and the yellow cast of the D2Xs when set for sunlight or shade. The D3s’s colors are correct right out of the box 95% of the time. And the image quality is simply stunning, although you really should invest in high-caliber glass to get the most out of this camera. Speaking of low-light performance, it’s well known that this camera’s sensor has remarkably low noise at extremely high ISO settings. I can take almost any shot, at any light level, without a flash. The results in near-darkness are astonishing; it’s like having a night-vision camera. Nevertheless, I’ve also shot with flash and the results are much better out of the box than they were with my previous two Nikon digital SLR’s.” – C.Joe (CO,USA)

Read more »

• “I don’t think I need to write much about performance and options this camera has. If your already looking at it then you probably have an idea what this camera is capable of doing. This is a professional camera no doubt about that. And even though its 12 mega pixels it is a top performer. The speed and low light capabilities will amaze you, this camera is FAST.
One note about the video feature its only 720p, but if your like me I didn’t buy the camera as a video recorder. I bought it as a still camera. The video is just a bonus, and if I was serious about shooting a movie then I would use a real video camera that has a lot more options for shooting video.
One thing to consider picking up for this camera is a better camera strap. The strap it comes with is the standard type of Nikon strap and works fine and is strong enough for the camera, but the comfort isn’t there. I have found that the Black Rapid straps to be of very good comfort and it places the camera in a more convenient location.” – C.R.Salter (OH,USA)

Click Here for Latest Offer on Nikon D3S
Enjoy Free Shipping & Secure Shopping