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Nikon D3 Digital Camera Review

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$3,005 - $5,450

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Product Ratings

Overall (112 Reviews)

Amazon.com (23 Reviews)
Photoalley.com (9 Reviews)
Wolfcamera.com (5 Reviews)

Specs & Features

Released

11 months ago

Camera Type

SLR/Professional

LCD Panel Size

3 in.

Battery Type

Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery

Camera Resolution

12.87 Megapixel

Compression Modes

Uncompressed

Compression Type

JPEG

Depth

6.28 in.

Exterior Color

Black

Family Line

Nikon D

Flash Functions

Front Sync Flash

Frames Per Second

9 Frames

Height

3.44 in.

ISO Speeds

100
200
6400

Image Sensor Type

CMOS

Included Accessories

Software
USB Cable
Video Cable
Lithium Battery
Battery Charger
Strap

Interchangeable Lens

Interchangeable Lenses

Interface Type

USB 2.0

LCD Panel

With LCD Panel

LCD Protected Position

Without LCD Protected Position

LCD Screen Resolution

920,000 pixels

MPN

NIKOND3

Memory Type

CompactFlash Card Type I
CompactFlash Card Type II
IBM Microdrive

Release Date

23 August, 2007

Resolution

12.87 Megapixel

Self Timer

2 Sec.
10 Sec.
20 Sec.
3 Sec.

Tripod Mount

With Tripod Mount

Video Interface

Video Out

Viewfinder

Optical

Weight

2.73 lb.

White Balance

Auto
Cloudy (Preset)
Fluorescent (Preset)
Incandescent (Preset)
Shade (Preset)
Flash (Preset)

Width

6.18 in.

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What People Say

Pros: ISO6400 with with hardly any noise. Live View LCD. Dual CF card slots. from Shopping.com For a sports camera it's also a surprisingly good studio and landscape camera, and if there's a better DSLR out there for photojournalists and red carpet paps we've yet to meet it. from Dpreview.com To my eye it easily beats anything else for image quality and noise but there's the thorny question of the D300 - Nikon may have made that a bit too good. from Thinkcamera.com this camera is absolutely perfect for my career. as a skateboard photographer, i need a fast camera with enough mps to have a clear shot without noise. i strongly recommend it to any sports photographer or to anyone who is looking into photography for a career. the interface is put together well, getting around on the menu is easy and selecting modes couldnt be simpler. i dont use the live view very much, but it does help when i have the camera down low to get a good angle for a dud switch flipping a stairset and i cant get my eye to the view finder. from Wolfcamera.com Nikon’s new flagship DSLR is a beast of a camera that sports Nikon’s latest FX format full frame (in 35mm format terms) CMOS sensor and full pro specification in terms of rugged build and shooting controls. It’s not cheap but then it is a lot of camera. from Pocket-lint.co.uk Pros: High quality photos at ISO 6,400 at 9 frames per second 12.1 megapixels Cons: $5000 price tag, professional size and weight The Bottom Line: The world's best camera for sports photography. from Shopping.com I think this particular model can add Charisma to photos and flare to your life in its a unique style of contrast and lighting that can set the mood to your Hobby or career! from Wolfcamera.com Ive used it for art and portraits, and some outdoor and it has performed way beyond my expectations Pros: Bright LCD, Comfortable Controls, Strong Construction Cons: Exposed LCD Best Uses: Art, Documentary, Photojournalism from Wolfcamera.com Here is my simple feedback on this:I have owned the following digital Nikon bodies - D40, D70s, D80, D200, D2Xs and now the D300 and D3. I currently use the D40, D2Xs, D300 and D3 for work and play.I have shot 2 assignments in the last week with the D300 and D3. I noticed a great difference with the D3 in the full sensor mode on a 50 f/1.4D (prime) lens. This was primarily noticed during editing on a Imac 24 screen. The image was pulled in during a face touch up with CS3. I quickly realized that as I pulled in the image was not pixelating as quickly as normal, and the details in the stitching of a shirt were smooth. Gone is that haze around the edge of images.For me with weddings and portraits my prime lenses will create more information to work with in editing. I noticed that my D300 with the MB-10 handle and a EN-El4a battery outperforms the D2Xs. In fact, I carry the D3 and D300 on assignments now and will probably convert the D2Xs to infarred.If you have a good supply of AF-S lenses you will enjoy the benifits of the D3. If you have a D2X and mostly DX lenses you will not see a big difference in quality in your images compared to using the D3 with DX glass based on the 1.5X factor.Right now, the D300 seems to be the best buy for what you are getting. If I had to take one of these 3 cameras for weight, price and features only it would be the D300. The live view on both of these cameras is a little goofy and seems problematic - as getting a consistant in focus shot is hard. I also read in a post that the live view has a bug that will need to be fixed with firmware. I decided I will probably never use this feature on either camera.I should have some images posted soon. [...] Pros: Bright LCD, Comfortable Controls, Quiet, Small Lag Time, Strong Construction Cons: Live view a little goofy Describe Yourself: Professional from Photoalley.com PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY, ALL LIGHT CONDITIONS, RAW & TIFF, ONLY WAY TO GO! Pros: Bright LCD, Comfortable Controls, Quiet, Small Lag Time, Strong Construction Cons: NOTHING TO EXPOSE Best Uses: Art, Photojournalism from Wolfcamera.com