Nikon D3 and the Nature Photographer...

Hello,

I took delivery of my D3 (and 24-70 FX lens) a few days back and began field testing it in earnest yesterday. First tests are on ISO performance and one aspect of the camera's new autofocus capabilities. I posted the test "results" (no claim for any scientific merit!) on my blog, including links to a few sample images. If anyone is interested, the info is here:

http://www.naturalart.ca/voice/blog.html.

Cheers...and any feedback or contrary opinions/findings welcome...

Brad

It was a great review, except that I thought your backyard would have a more expansive view.

Really, I'm getting very impressed by all of the new pro cameras coming out. Hopefully some of the technology will migrate down to the prosumer level (where I can afford to play) in the next few years. And for now, I won't go over ISO200 on my camera, so the thought of shooting at 6400 and getting that kind of quality seems a little foreign.

Nice write-up Brad, and I look forward to seeing some crazy ISO 12800 image on here that would have been impossible to get without the D3.

As am owner of a 1DS3 I have to say that I played with a D3 today and at the elevated ISO's i.e. beyond 1000 ISO, it is much better than the Canon - but that should not supprise anybody as they are both FF and one is 12M the other 21M... noise and photosite size are pretty interlinked.

It all bepends what you want from a camera.

Luminous Landscape just published a side by side review of the D3 and MarkIII. They have one image posted that was shot at ISO 25000!!!! and it doesn't look horrible.

thanks for the review. I also got a D3 and am enjoying the high ISO abilities. I appreciated your information on the 51 point AF. Now I just need some decent weather so I can get out and spend enough time to hopefully get it down.

All this hype about High ISO does nothing for me....

show me some long exposures at 100 ISO with some killer water movement and cloud movement....thats what I am looking for....I doubt I will ever use the ISO's above 200.....

I sure wish Nikon would make a D3x with an ISO range from 50-200 and about 2 frames per second and market it as a landscape camera......and the D3 could be marketed for Sports and birds and such.....

if anyone has some photos at the low iso with long exposure, I would love to see them

Thanks
!!

Hi Darren,

I'm also awaiting a landscape camera from Nikon. I don't really care if it goes as low as ISO 50 (ND filters will get me there) - but I would want it to be 24 MP (minimum). If they can find a way to do it and keep the high ISO performance of the D3 I'll be that much happier. Why not take the added depth and/or higher shutter speeds if they're there? By the way...the D3 IS marketed for sports and action...not nature.

Brad

Brad - As you're probably aware. ISO performance gets worse the smaller the physical pixel sizes get, so I wouldn't count on a full frame 24 MP from Nikon having the same ISO performance as the D3. (Unless you're talking a couple of years down the road maybe - things always somehow amazingly seem to get better.) Still, I'd think it could be a stop or two off, and still make a fantastic landscape camera. As you said, the D3 is more of an action camera...

Thanks guys.....I have the D300 now and am loving it...and since I never shoot over 200 ISO, the high iso is a non issue for me.....the D300 is doing very very well at 100 ISO and the dynamic range is so much better than the D70....

I am still planning on upgrading again to full frame but after my D70 busted on New Years day, I had to have a replacement.....and no one had the D3 in stock!!

I am deliberating whether to purchase a D3 or see if a D3X comes out (end of this year) with a 16MP+ cropped sensor. I can see the benefits of a Full Frame, but as I shoot a lot of small wildlife and birds the cropped sensor would be nice! I personally after looking into and testing both the D300 first then the D3, I would go for the latter if money isn’t an issue (the price is already coming down, mind!).