D3x is here

[chrisk]

Nikon USA made a mistake by the looks of things cos once the images were circulated they pulled them all off the official website.

http://nikonrumors.com/

and is that a new lens on the front of the pic ? 85/1.4 afs perhaps ??

[gstark]

I need to wander off and do an extra radio show this morning. When I get back home, I'll share something humorous, related to this, and a decision we took relating to the artwork for the new site.

[aim54x]

Nikon USA made a mistake by the looks of things cos once the images were circulated they pulled them all off the official website.

http://nikonrumors.com/

and is that a new lens on the front of the pic ? 85/1.4 afs perhaps ??

From the comments under that post on NikonRumors it appears it is a doctored D3 promo pic so that lens should be the 24-70mm f/2.8. I would love it to be a Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/2.8 VR N (NON G so people with older cameras can still use it)

[sirhc55]

Be aware Gary that using a trademark in an unauthorised manner is an offence

[gstark]

Be aware Gary that using a trademark in an unauthorised manner is an offence

Yeah, I know.

Getting back to my humorous story (well, I think it's humorous) as Leigh was showing me his work, I thought that perhaps we should resurrect some of his D3H artwork from April Fools' Day a few years back and use some of that as one of the banners across the top. Given the subject of this thread, I think that would have been quite a funny and timely counterpoint.

[aim54x]

http://nikonrumors.com/

the latest update really does suggest that there is a D3x on the way!!

I hope it is not the same sensor as the A900. It is looking hopeful with a 24.5MP vs 24.6MP (A900) but you never know.

[gstark]

Oz announcement is in Sydney on Monday evening.

[aim54x]

Oz announcement is in Sydney on Monday evening.

That will mean it will coincide with Nikon announcements worldwide!

[Paul]

The latest specs from Nikon Rumors.

http://nikonrumors.com/2008/11/28/d3x-s ... lable.aspx

[MatthewRoberts]

From the looks of things it might be more than AU$10k! OMG!

[MatthewRoberts]

Ken Rockwell is keeping heads up on its features:
FX, 24.5 MP, ISO 50 ~ 6,400, 5 FPS (7 FPS in DX crop).
Announced November 2008: Ship: Early 2009.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3x.htm

He is estimating RRP of US$5,500 which sounds more like it!

[ewm3]

Strobist website is saying its here too - as a 24 meg image maker etc...
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/11/ni ... -tail.html
Now I can look forward to D700 price drop?

[Cre8tivepixels]

Hmmmm no video (yes i know i know , it would still have been nice) there is nothing there that would make me up grade (is it really) from what i can read the MP is the only difference to what i have now...same AF system etc etc

[radar]

The ability to go down to 50 ISO is nice, 16-bit processing (one that Canon doesn't offer), still a pretty big cropped image (10Mb) in DX mode, big price tag. The Canon 1Ds MkIII has a RRP of $12K but realistically sells closer the $10K so this D3X baby will not be cheap.

André

[gstark]

Now I can look forward to D700 price drop?

Why would that be the case? This will come in over the top of any existing Nikon and become the new flagship, and at a new price in excess of that of the current D3.

I would perhaps not be surprised to see a D700x in maybe August or September next year, however.

But that, too, would not reduce the price of the existing D700 model.

[chrisk]

strong 5dMkII sales will be the only thing that will drop the d700. if it werent for the aussie dollar it'd be a goddam bargain right now.

[Cre8tivepixels]

I am just going to bite the bullet and get a 5D MII and the 70-200mm and shoot with both Nikon and Canon....best of both worlds

[aim54x]

ITS REALLY HERE!!!

The Nikon D3x just appeared on the Nikon Australia Website http://www.nikon.com.au/ and it is reported (Nikon Rumors) to be US$7999.95

[sirhc55]

ITS REALLY HERE!!!

The Nikon D3x just appeared on the Nikon Australia Website http://www.nikon.com.au/ and it is reported (Nikon Rumors) to be US$7999.95

Release sometime this month but what will be the Australian price

[chrisk]

and still no more lens updates.

[methd]

http://www.nikon-image.com/jpn/products ... sample.htm

check out the samples!

Things I've noticed...
1) DR is amazing - check out the last photo
2) tonal graduations is MF like...

[DaveB]

I've been very impressed at the lack of speculation here in the weeks leading up to this. Very non-DPR!

It certainly looks like a nice camera. I suspect at least one of my colleagues will have one in January: it'll be interesting to see one in person.

Here I am expanding my storage to cope with the ~26 MB RAW files from the Canon 21 Mp cameras. The D3x is advertised as having 50 MB RAW files: ouch!

[chrisk]

I've been very impressed at the lack of speculation here in the weeks leading up to this. Very non-DPR!

precisely why i love this place and detest the other.

[gstark]

it'll be interesting to see one in person.

Dave,

Just had a hands on - I've started a new thread to discuss that - and I am very impressed. Very smooth, very quiet.

As a studio, portrait or wedding workhorse it will do very nicely, thank you very much.

Chimping the images ... very nice, and no real evidence of noise. Gradation and range seem to be something to look at much more closely: I was shooting as 1250 but lighting was not good, and the results were ... yum!

[MatthewRoberts]

Ken Rockwell has an interesting POV... Is it really worth it? That is a massive res -overkill IMO!
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3x.htm

[aim54x]

Ken Rockwell has an interesting POV... Is it really worth it? That is a massive res -overkill IMO!
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3x.htm

I cant say I agree with Mr Rockwell on this one, I doubt he has played with one, and before he does so I dont think he should be making comments like this. Granted that the US$8k is steep, but I dont think his point about sharpness is valid until he has seen one.

Dedicated INFO button? Waste of space in my opinion (I have never been unable to pull shooting info when I wanted to instantly - just tap shutter to get back to shooting mode then hit info, I dont think I will ever need shooting info on that back LCD whilst in the middle of reviewing a shot - scroll up or down - and when I am in a menu why would I want to anyway? AND there is always that top LCD)

http://www.nikon-image.com/jpn/products/camera/slr/digital/d3x/sample.htm

check out the samples!

Things I've noticed...
1) DR is amazing - check out the last photo
2) tonal graduations is MF like...

I did, and I am in AWE!!!! totally worth that 17mb download!

[chrisk]

Release sometime this month but what will be the Australian price

a measly $12,350. pfft...chicken feed.

[Reschsmooth]

Release sometime this month but what will be the Australian price

a measly $12,350. pfft...chicken feed.

What do you feed your chickens??

[gstark]

Release sometime this month but what will be the Australian price

a measly $12,350. pfft...chicken feed.

What do you feed your chickens??

Sony users.

[Richard Peters]

I was quite excited about the arrival of the D3x until I saw the price. I'd like one for sure but until it comes down to nearer the D3 price (at launch) I'll do just fine as I am. Actually after using a D300 as a backup recently to my D3 I think I'll be getting one of those to keep me going until that far away price drop!

[Reschsmooth]

Release sometime this month but what will be the Australian price

a measly $12,350. pfft...chicken feed.

What do you feed your chickens??

Sony users.

Animal cruelty?

[Grev]

Now it's time to wait patiently for 6 months and the D800 will arrive hopefully.

I would want to buy a D3x, but have to sell my kidney.

And I choose to stay with Nikon because I really dread the Canon ergonomics now, just not natural.

[foonji]

And I choose to stay with Nikon because I really dread the Canon ergonomics now, just not natural.

each to their own... I love my canon ergonomics! and yes I have shot both canon and nikon and canon suits me.

[gstark]

And I choose to stay with Nikon because I really dread the Canon ergonomics now, just not natural.

each to their own... I love my canon ergonomics! and yes I have shot both canon and nikon and canon suits me.

You neglected to mention that you have seven fingers on your left hand, and four on your right, though.

Yes, ergonomics is, by definition, a very personal thing, and what feels comfortable for one person may not work for the next. At Leon's last week, David (dviv) and I were discussing how the D300 and 40D felt, comparatively, in his hands. The distance between the leading edge of the grip on the body and the main frontal surface on the body - the area where the tips and first joint of the fingers of your right hand go - were a critical issue for Dave. I have short-ish fingers, and this was not an issue for me, but Dave's fingers were, as I recall this, not all that much longer.

[dviv]

Yes, ergonomics is, by definition, a very personal thing, and what feels comfortable for one person may not work for the next. At Leon's last week, David (dviv) and I were discussing how the D300 and 40D felt, comparatively, in his hands. The distance between the leading edge of the grip on the body and the main frontal surface on the body - the area where the tips and first joint of the fingers of your right hand go - were a critical issue for Dave. I have short-ish fingers, and this was not an issue for me, but Dave's fingers were, as I recall this, not all that much longer.

For me it wasn't so much the distance but the little "ridge" that runs vertically on the D300 grip, on the section that is parallel to the lens barrel.

It's designed (I assume) for the ridge to run up the last joints of your fingers so your fingertips kind of "lock in" to the grip.

It would be great... If it fit my fingers. Because it doesn't fit my fingers, it feels very uncomfortable (more so than if the ridge wasn't there)

[dviv]

And I choose to stay with Nikon because I really dread the Canon ergonomics now, just not natural.

each to their own... I love my canon ergonomics! and yes I have shot both canon and nikon and canon suits me.

Each to their own indeed - I find the Nikon ergonomics very unnatural, but that's probably because I haven't used a Nikon for anything more than a few minutes.

Also, I'm guessing that as I spend longer and longer using Canon, the Nikon will probably become harder and harder to get used to, if I switched.

Not saying it can't be done, but then again... I don't want to

Even an xxxD Canon without the wheel on the back feels weird now that I'm used to having it

[aim54x]

And I choose to stay with Nikon because I really dread the Canon ergonomics now, just not natural.

each to their own... I love my canon ergonomics! and yes I have shot both canon and nikon and canon suits me.

Each to their own indeed - I find the Nikon ergonomics very unnatural, but that's probably because I haven't used a Nikon for anything more than a few minutes.
...
Even an xxxD Canon without the wheel on the back feels weird now that I'm used to having it

I know what you mean! I have used a bit of everything and Nikon still feels the most 'natural' to me, and since I have been using twin command dials for almost a year now playing with my friends D60 (same as my old D40x) felt a little foreign and familiar at the same time.

[chrisk]

i dont want to get into a flame war here, but i used a friends MkII for a brief time last week and i have to say that the way a caemra fels in hand, which i agree is personal, there are also some things which imo, (and the owner of the MkII), are simply fundamental flaws with the design of the controls, their layout and their interface with the user.

a few examples...the AF-ON button, the AE-L button, lack of 2 customisable buttons on front of camera, ability to change AF drive modes and metering methods. these are just a few i picked up which to me made the camera feel like a dog of a thing to use. when you consider that with the xs,(and from memory the xsi aswell), you need to access the menu to activate LV for example...well these are quite simply piss poor choices in the cameras setup. as someone who was seriously considering moving to a MkII for FF, although the IQ looked superb on screen, i was left extemely disappointed with the handling of it.

for any of you that have read my posts, (i suppose in the minority here !! lmao), i am certianly not a nikon fanboy and am equally critical of nikon for things i think they screw up. just because we have bought into a system doesnt mean we automatically need to defend their products in the face what is some completely stupid design decisions.

i remember canon guys saying auto-iso was a crock, then it gets into a canon body and all of a sudden its the bee's knees. or nikon people saying high iso quality was a waste of time, all of a sudden they build hi iso capable cameras and all you here is "look at the hi-iso quality". its bloody stupid. manufacturers should be called out for things they screw up. who WOULDNT want for example 2 customisable buttons on the front of the body at your fingertips for greater control ? who WOULDNT want a 35/1.4 prime ? answer...those that dont have it available to them right now. doesnt make it right though.

sorry...rant over...

[aim54x]

Rooz, I totally agree with you!

[Grev]

Well, for me, shooting in M and having the ability to change aperture and shutter speed at the same time while keeping my eye on the viewfinder is important, I cannot do that with the 40D, the back wheel and the front-top dial just not natural for it.

It feels even better with a manual focus lens, aperture and focusing with left hand and shutter with right.

Only thing I like better is the portrait grip on the 1Ds3 compared to the D3.

[DaveB]

i used a friends MkII for a brief time last week

I read this and at first thought you were talking about the 1D or 1Ds MkII (and yes I think their UI is a dog). I had to go back and re-read the paragraph when I worked out you were talking about the 5D MkII...

Well, for me, shooting in M and having the ability to change aperture and shutter speed at the same time while keeping my eye on the viewfinder is important, I cannot do that with the 40D, the back wheel and the front-top dial just not natural for it.

It all depends on what you're used to. I work my EOS cameras in M most of the time (and have for many years). Feels perfectly natural for me. Today I'm mainly using a 5D MkII and a 40D.
I do wish for buttons available to the fingers of the right hand, and there are some things about the Canon UI that annoy me, but not enough for me to feel dramatically handicapped. I like that I can change ISO without taking my eye from the viewfinder but I wish the metering stayed active during this, etc.

I also have a 400D IR camera and it has a different UI, but compatible enough to be bearable. But I'm not shooting it in the conditions/style I use the other cameras in...

[jdear]

For those that are interested Luminous Landscape compares the A900, the D3X and the 5D Mark II. Pixel peep to your hearts content: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/revie ... hree.shtml

here is a summary of their findings:

I see no significant noise difference between the Nikon D3x, Canon 5D MKII and Sony A900 up to and including ISO 800.

At ISO 1600 and higher the Sony falls behind the Canon and Nikon by about 1 EV. It's simply a noisier camera at high ISO.

From ISO 1600 to ISO 6400 the Canon 5D MKII and the Nikon D3x are neck and neck. I think that the visible differences on-screen at I00% are a quibble, and on prints are completely irrelevant.

[aim54x]

Well, for me, shooting in M and having the ability to change aperture and shutter speed at the same time while keeping my eye on the viewfinder is important, I cannot do that with the 40D, the back wheel and the front-top dial just not natural for it.

It all depends on what you're used to. I work my EOS cameras in M most of the time (and have for many years). Feels perfectly natural for me. Today I'm mainly using a 5D MkII and a 40D.
I do wish for buttons available to the fingers of the right hand, and there are some things about the Canon UI that annoy me, but not enough for me to feel dramatically handicapped. I like that I can change ISO without taking my eye from the viewfinder but I wish the metering stayed active during this, etc.

I also have a 400D IR camera and it has a different UI, but compatible enough to be bearable. But I'm not shooting it in the conditions/style I use the other cameras in...

I have used the 20/30/40D cameras a bit myself and have never found too much trouble changing shutter and aperture (what annoys me is that i feel insecure about operating with one hand - I can do this with the Nikon but not the Canon - reaching for the back wheel means my grip is not as secure) I have trouble changing AF-modes, ISO and quality etc with these cameras without moving the camera away - but then again I am used to the Nikon. I am very familiar with the 400D and it's quite nice to use (other than changing the AF point in use!) and once again changing ISO etc is a move away from the eye, but this is something common to all cameras at that price point.

it is heavily to do with what we are used to.

[chrisk]

remember all the hype Nikon made about the BIG event at WPPI ? you know...something so BIG Nikon couldnt tell us ?

http://nikonrumors.com/2009/01/08/the-b ... -is-a.aspx

We told you something BIG is coming to WPPI! Something so BIG that we had to rent out the MGM Grand Arena. We promised—and we delivered. Please join us for a private WPPI performance by Blues Traveler! This is a free concert to all WPPI attendees. Just one shameless flash of your WPPI attendee badge gets you access to this one-of-a-kind event brought to you by Nikon, WPPI, WHCC and Mitsubishi Electric. Don’t miss out on your chance for a FREE performance by the Grammy Award-winning band, Blues Traveler. Doors open for the Blues Traveler performance at 9:30 p.m on Monday, Feb. 16.”

wow...i bet Nikonians all over the world are in awe of this BIG announcement. the only thing BIG about it is that its a BIG load of shit. HUGE in fact...

[MatthewRoberts]

Ken Rockwell is predicting the specs and release of the D700x here: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d700x.htm. It's looks likely Nikon will re-use this 24M sensor on a cheaper body within the next 12 months.