Nikon D3s
It Might As Well Have Night Vision
(5)
Camera buffs can finally lay to rest all the speculation behind one of Nikon’s new flagship DSLRs, the new Nikon D3s. Tonight (Tuesday, Oct 14), Nikon introduced the first DSLR with the ability to capture high definition video (720p) using a full frame sensor. Those of you who are wondering why you can’t just use the video function on my Cyber-Shot can stop reading this, and move on to the next post. Otherwise, Gear Patrol’s first look at the Nikon D3s continues after the jump.
Nikon, has wisely stepped wasting their (and your) time with the megapixel race and moved on the main event: sensor size & quality. Utilizing a Nikon FX Sensor the size of a linebacker (36×24mm), the Nikon D3s throws down a particular spec, otherwise unheard of to date: a baseline ISO (sensitivity to light) up to 12,800 and an expandable ISO equivalent of 102,400… Let me repeat: one hundred two thousand four hundred. Evidently, Nikon hopes to photograph dark matter first. This is of course achieved through the aforementioned sensor, which applies to the rule of: bigger sensor = better images.
Of course, you also get 720p motion jpeg video (individual stills can be pulled for stand-alone images), integrated dust reduction system, EXPEED digital image proessing, 5 frame bracketing with Active D-lighting, 0.12 second startup time, 9 frame per second FX shooting and 11 framer per second DX shooting, 51 autofocus points, 100% viewfinder, 4,200 shot battery life cycle, quiet shutter-release for covert photography, and a high definition 170? viewing angle, virtual horizon, dual compact flash memory card slots, 3-in. VGA LCD monitor with tempered glass.
Editor’s Note: This ain’t the same as the 12 megapixels on your CyberShot. Or frankly, our Nikon D90s. We would have loved to seen more features (a stretch, we know) in the follow-up to Nikon’s beloved D3, but this is a beast nonetheless. For those of you who could care less about video in your cameras, you can probably start picking up used D3ses on the cheap… sorta.
Cost: $5,200
Nikon D3s Gallery
More Nikon D3s News & Articles
- Nikon D3s at CNET
- Nikon D3s Minisite
- D3s Preview at DPReview
- Sample D3s Images At Nikon
- Review of D3s at Lets Go Digital
- Additional D3s Images at Studio impression Photography
- D3s Product Page at Nikon
Nikon D3s Video Sample (from Bill Frakes)
![Ocean's Eleven & Twelve + Ticket to Ocean's Thirteen [Win This!]](http://gearpatrol.com/blog/wp-content/themes/arthemia-premium/scripts/timthumb.php?src=http://www.gearpatrol.com/images/oceans_13.jpg&w=80&h=80&zc=1&q=100)
Have I ever claimed to be a camera expert? AND SINCE WHEN have I ever talked as if Megapixels were the end all be all of cameras. You are a bastard Eric Yang. A photography loving bastard.
you know.. i like that it has 12.3MP. i hate talking 'cameras' with people who think they know about cameras and the first the they spew is, 'you need more megapixels'. so any actual review of the video on this beast? is it better than the D90s, which is honestly pretty useless. i don't have any use for video on a camera but for those who use it, i can see where it would be nice to utilize different lenses and such versus buying a separate camcorder and investing in two systems.
What the author means here is that sensor size is key, not how many megapixels a camera has. In fact, increasing megapixels on a camera without increasing sensor size can often decrease photo quality.
I hate talking to Ben Bowers too… just kidding.
We're working to get our hands on one to review, but suffice it to say, there's a long line. In my opinion, the D3s is going to be a photojournalists camera at the end of the day. Fast, high ISO, and HD video capability in a pinch. As for the D90, we utilize a variety of Nikon cameras, and a sole Canon 5D Mark II, behind the scenes here at GP. They're used to take photographs of all the gear we test (most of it at least). To be honest, the D90 works great and the video works in a pinch. It's all about fast lenses though.
Here's a short we put together (from this post) using the Nikon D90 at a GP crew outing:
<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object>
I hate talking to Ben Bowers too… just kidding.
We're working to get our hands on one to review, but suffice it to say, there's a long line. In my opinion, the D3s is going to be a photojournalists camera at the end of the day. Fast, high ISO, and HD video capability in a pinch. As for the D90, we utilize a variety of Nikon cameras, and a sole Canon 5D Mark II, behind the scenes here at GP. They're used to take photographs of all the gear we test (most of it at least). To be honest, the D90 works great and the video works in a pinch. It's all about fast lenses though.
Here's a short we put together (from this post) using the Nikon D90 at a GP crew outing:
<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object>
I hate talking to Ben Bowers too… just kidding.
We're working to get our hands on one to review, but suffice it to say, there's a long line. In my opinion, the D3s is going to be a photojournalists camera at the end of the day. Fast, high ISO, and HD video capability in a pinch. As for the D90, we utilize a variety of Nikon cameras, and a sole Canon 5D Mark II, behind the scenes here at GP. They're used to take photographs of all the gear we test (most of it at least). To be honest, the D90 works great and the video works in a pinch. It's all about fast lenses though.
Here's a short we put together (from this post) using the Nikon D90 at a GP crew outing:
<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object>
I hate talking to Ben Bowers too… just kidding.
We're working to get our hands on one to review, but suffice it to say, there's a long line. In my opinion, the D3s is going to be a photojournalists camera at the end of the day. Fast, high ISO, and HD video capability in a pinch. As for the D90, we utilize a variety of Nikon cameras, and a sole Canon 5D Mark II, behind the scenes here at GP. They're used to take photographs of all the gear we test (most of it at least). To be honest, the D90 works great and the video works in a pinch. It's all about fast lenses though.
Here's a short we put together (from this post) using the Nikon D90 at a GP crew outing:
<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object>
I hate talking to Ben Bowers too… just kidding.
We're working to get our hands on one to review, but suffice it to say, there's a long line. In my opinion, the D3s is going to be a photojournalists camera at the end of the day. Fast, high ISO, and HD video capability in a pinch. As for the D90, we utilize a variety of Nikon cameras, and a sole Canon 5D Mark II, behind the scenes here at GP. They're used to take photographs of all the gear we test (most of it at least). To be honest, the D90 works great and the video works in a pinch. It's all about fast lenses though.
Here's a short we put together (from this post) using the Nikon D90 at a GP crew outing:
<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object>
I hate talking to Ben Bowers too… just kidding.
We're working to get our hands on one to review, but suffice it to say, there's a long line. In my opinion, the D3s is going to be a photojournalists camera at the end of the day. Fast, high ISO, and HD video capability in a pinch. As for the D90, we utilize a variety of Nikon cameras, and a sole Canon 5D Mark II, behind the scenes here at GP. They're used to take photographs of all the gear we test (most of it at least). To be honest, the D90 works great and the video works in a pinch. It's all about fast lenses though.
Here's a short we put together (from this post) using the Nikon D90 at a GP crew outing:
<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object>
I hate talking to Ben Bowers too… just kidding.
We're working to get our hands on one to review, but suffice it to say, there's a long line. In my opinion, the D3s is going to be a photojournalists camera at the end of the day. Fast, high ISO, and HD video capability in a pinch. As for the D90, we utilize a variety of Nikon cameras, and a sole Canon 5D Mark II, behind the scenes here at GP. They're used to take photographs of all the gear we test (most of it at least). To be honest, the D90 works great and the video works in a pinch. It's all about fast lenses though.
Here's a short we put together (from this post) using the Nikon D90 at a GP crew outing:
<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4905525&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object>
I hate talking to Ben Bowers too… just kidding.
We're working to get our hands on one to review, but suffice it to say, there's a long line. In my opinion, the D3s is going to be a photojournalists camera at the end of the day. Fast, high ISO, and HD video capability in a pinch. As for the D90, we utilize a variety of Nikon cameras, and a sole Canon 5D Mark II, behind the scenes here at GP. They're used to take photographs of all the gear we test (most of it at least). To be honest, the D90 works great and the video works in a pinch. It's all about fast lenses though.
You can see a sample of video we shot using the D90 here:
http://gearpatrol.com/blog/2009/07/10/mohonk-moun...
i know. that's what i was saying. i'm an amateur camera buff and i shoot nikon.
the megapixel craze drives me crazy.
No doubt.
No need for sensitivity Mr. Bowers. We know your raison d'etre is to take photographs of yourself for your facebook profile… buzzinga!
Speaking of Facebook pics, don't forget that we've joined the computer age and set up a Gear Patrol fan page at http://bit.ly/1bOJrc. There's really no excuse for wussing out.
Speaking of Facebook pics, don't forget that we've joined the computer age and set up a Gear Patrol fan page at http://bit.ly/1bOJrc. There's really no excuse for wussing out.
Speaking of Facebook pics, don't forget that we've joined the computer age and set up a Gear Patrol fan page at http://bit.ly/1bOJrc. There's really no excuse for wussing out.
Speaking of Facebook pics, don't forget that we've joined the computer age and set up a Gear Patrol fan page at http://bit.ly/1bOJrc. There's really no excuse for wussing out.
Speaking of Facebook pics, don't forget that we've joined the computer age and set up a Gear Patrol fan page at http://bit.ly/1bOJrc. There's really no excuse for wussing out.
Speaking of Facebook pics, don't forget that we've joined the computer age and set up a Gear Patrol fan page at http://bit.ly/1bOJrc. There's really no excuse for wussing out.