Camera Test: Nikon D3
The Pop Photo Lab results are in, and they prove why Nikon's $5,000 pro-level DSLR is the low-light world champ.
By Michael J. McNamara
January 2008
It was bold to call the Nikon D3 "the Greatest Nikon Ever" on our January 2008 cover -- especially before testing a production model of this $5,000 (street, body only) 12.1MP pro DSLR in the Pop Photo Lab. Now our audacity is justified: The D3 sprinted through our image quality, noise, dynamic range, burst capacity, and AF-speed performance tests. Here are five tested reasons the D3 deserves the title we bestowed.
Incredible image quality
By loading a full-frame 12.1MP sensor into the D3, Nikon bowed out of the megapixel race. For most pro assignments, the detail it captures is more than what's needed -- enough to make high-quality enlargements of up to 14x21 inches (at 200 ppi).
At ISO 200, its 2320 lines of tested resolution for JPEGs (an Excellent rating) are nearly identical to Nikon's 12.3MP D300 ($1,800, street, body only), tested in our February 2008 issue. That's no surprise, since both cameras use the same focusing system and EXPEED image-processing engine (and we tested both with the same Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens). They also capture similar resolution in RAW files.
But when shooting JPEGs at the Low Noise Reduction setting, the D3's image resolution drops only slightly to 2210 lines at ISO 6400 -- about 5 percent sharper than the D300 at ISO 3200 and above. Even at the extended ISO of 25,600, JPEGs from the D3 still earn an Excellent resolution rating with 2020 lines, although artifacts of noise reduction, such as lower contrast in shadow areas, are painfully obvious.
In both JPEG and RAW files, color accuracy maintains an Excellent rating from ISO 200 to 6400 (7.28 to 7.02 average Delta E), and contrast ranges from slightly high to slightly low, depending on ISO.
Using noise control at high ISOs, the D3 earns an Excellent image quality rating from ISO 200 to ISO 3200. Like the D300, which also garnered an Excellent rating up to ISO 3200, images at ISO 6400 fell just short of Excellent due to obvious noise in shadows (though less than with the D300).
Low-light shooting
Even at ISO 200, the added light-gathering capability of the larger pixels on the D3's full-frame sensor beats the D300. Shooting RAW takes advantage of its lower noise and 14-bits-per-color capture. And it gives you much more flexibility, especially when using the supplied Capture NX 1.3 software to convert NEF RAW to 16-bit TIFF files.[Nikon originally stated that Capture NX would be included in the software bundle. That was updated after we went to press. A trial version is included, and the full version of Capture NX is available for $129 street price.]
Capture NX's exposure and noise reduction controls let you strike a balance between resolution and noise, depending on your needs. For example, at ISO 6400 you can crank up noise reduction to High (100 setting) to minimize noise (Moderately Low rating), while softening detail by 10 to 20 percent. At this setting, images with lots of skin tones, highlight areas, and midtone shades look as though they were shot at ISO 800 or 1600 on many other DSLRs.
Or you can maximize detail by turning noise reduction down. This makes shadow noise more obvious at ISO 3200 and above, while overall noise creeps up to Moderate, but fine details are maintained. Even at ISO 25,600, where noise is Unacceptable, color images converted to black-and-white will pass muster for newspaper use. For this reason alone we expect to see the D3 being used without flash by photojournalists in a variety of shooting conditions -- even dimly lit sports events.
The metering system and automatic scene recognition help select accurate exposures in tough lighting. And pros will appreciate its ability to bracket up to 9 exposures (in 1/3-stop increments) and to bracket white balance -- while shooting at high burst rates of up to 9 frames per second (in full-frame mode) or 11 fps (in 5.1MP DX cropped mode).
Never-miss AF
Yes, we've seen this advanced 51-zone autofocus system with 15 highly sensitive cross-type sensors before -- on the Nikon D300, our 2007 Camera of the Year. Indeed, the D3's full-frame capture makes the active area of these sensors a smaller percentage of the overall scene, giving the D300 a slight advantage in tracking.
The D3 uses the same Multi-CAM 3500FX module for AF as the D300 and performs at nearly identical speeds at all light levels. It focuses super-fast in bright light and takes less than 1 second to focus in extremely low light at EV -2 (think several feet away from a 5-year-old's birthday cake). In field tests, it also showed prowess in locking onto skin tones and tracking a subject by color.
Major-league features
In live view, the AF comes in two flavors: Phase Detection, which uses all 51 AF zones, and Contrast Detection, which lets you place a focus zone on any part of the image (not just the central portion covered by the 51 AF zones). Both work at similar speeds and capabilities to the D300, with a momentary blackout in Phase Detection and a slightly slower AF operation in Contrast Detection.
Live view isn't great for shooting action sequences -- better to use the viewfinder and 9-fps burst mode (up to 130 images in Fine JPEG mode, and up to 18 RAW images, according to our tests). During bursts, mirror blackout is incredibly short and hardly interferes with tracking.
Shooting in low light, foggy scenes, or buildings with odd angles and corners can often throw off your sense of balance, messing up your horizon line. The D3's virtual horizon indicator helps solve this problem, if you take the time to use it. In live view, it looks like an aircraft horizon indicator, making it a cinch to level the camera. But you can also get the system to work through the viewfinder by setting the function button to override the exposure scale. It's a less-sophisticated approach but it's useful.
Most exposure, metering, and creative controls can be set quickly from the D3's well-positioned buttons and dials. Located where expected, these are rarely activated by accident. Menu pages give you quick access to everything from variable exposure-compensation steps (up to 5 EV in 1/3-, 1/2-, 2/3-, or 1-EV steps) to AF-zone focusing groups. Fine-tuning adjustments are also available for white balance presets and Picture Control settings, as well as the size of the centerweighted metering pattern.
Three levels of Active D-Lighting can be used to expand dynamic range in JPEG images, and a multiple exposure control lets you capture up to 10 overlapped images on a single frame with the correct resulting exposure. There's even an interval timer that you can set to start and stop at specific times.
The D3 supports i-TTL metering with Nikon's external Speedlights such as the SB-600 and SB-800, as well as other lights in its Creative Lighting System. But to control multiple flash units wirelessly, you'll need to attach either an SB-800 Speedlight (set to Commander mode) or the longer-range Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander ($250, street).
Hard body, great view
A DSLR that costs five grand had better withstand abuse. While we didn't test the D3 under gunfire or in a hurricane, we're impressed with its magnesium-alloy chassis and extensive water- and dust-resistant seals. The camera sports a beefed-up Plexiglas shield over the 3-inch LCD, vertical shutter release and controls, dual CF card slots, and thick rubber covers over every port. The Kevlar/carbon-fiber shutter has a mighty 300,000-exposure rating and self-diagnostic tool. The trade-off for all this: weight, over 3 pounds without a lens.
Our lab tests confirmed our initial reaction to the D3's impressive fixed eye-level pentaprism viewfinder. Bright and clear, it provides a field of view that covers 100 percent of the captured scene, earning an Excellent rating. Data is easy to read, with no visible vignetting or light falloff across the image area, thanks to the finder's great eye relief and locking diopter adjustment dial. Its 0.72X magnification earns an acceptable rating. Although this may seem low compared with the Nikon D300's 0.95X (Excellent) magnification, since the D3 uses a full-frame sensor, there's no 35mm lens factor to boost it. So the D3's viewfinder magnification is closer to what you'd find in other full-frame DSLRs such as the Canon EOS 5D or EOS-1Ds Mark III.
Bottom line
Is this a perfect camera? No, but it is the best that Nikon has made to date. The D3 could use some type of built-in flash (even a tiny circular light) to control external Speedlights. A swiveling LCD would add protection to that gorgeous 3-inch LCD and allow for off-angle live view composition (as on the ). And a sensor-shift image stabilization system would help defray the extra cost we now pay for Nikon VR lenses.
But with a DSLR able to capture nearly noise-free images from ISO 200 through 3200, extremely high-quality images at ISO 6400, and newspaper-quality b&w at ISO 25,600, do you really need a pop-up flash or IS? Probably not -- though in a few years you might get them anyway.
The 10-megapixel Olympus E-3 digital SLR features Four-Thirds System compatibility, a dual-axis swivel 2.5-inch, 230,000-pixel Live View LCD, and in-body mechanical image stabilization, which provides optical image stabilization regardless of the lens used. Image stabilization modes include all-around stabilization and vertical-only stabilization for panning. The camera also features an optical viewfinder with a 100 percent field of view. According to Olympus, the E-3 offers the best autofocus performance of any digital SLR when paired with their new Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f/2.8-4 Supersonic Wave Drive lens.
The E-3 includes an 11-point AF system, a 5 fps continuous shooting mode for a maximum of 16 RAW frames or a variable number of JPEG frames, and a shutter speed range of 60-1/8000 sec. The camera's Live View LCD offers an angle of view of 170 degrees and a magnification factor of 5, 7 or 10 times, allowing the photographer to check focus and exposure before capturing an image. The screen's dual-axis swivel mechanism provides 360-degree flexibility. The camera is compatible with several accessories including the Olympus HLD-4 battery holder, BLM-1 Lithium Ion batteries, and new FL-50R and FL-36R wireless electronic flashes. Flash output settings can be controlled through the camera's menus when using the FL-50R wireless flash. The Olympus E-3 digital SLR is available with a MSRP of $1699.
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Slowest Shutter Speed 60
Fastest Shutter Speed 8000
Built-In Flash Yes
Continuous Shooting 5 images/sec
Flash Sync Speed 1/250
AF Points 11
Metering Zones 49
Lens Mount Four Thirds
Screen Size 2.5 in
Screen Resolution 230,000
Screen Type LCD and Optical
Maximum ISO 3200
Max Continuous RAW 16
Battery Rechargeable Lithium-ion
Battery Life Approx. 610 shots
Width 5.6 in
Height 4.6 in
Depth 2.9 in
Weight 28.2 oz
Release Date November 2007