Nikon D3x, it’s here…but is it worth it?

So, it’s officially official! The long awaited, high resolution D3x has been announced, with full specs…I’ve updated this article now that the price has been confirmed as it’s changed my thoughts on the new body, as  a wildlife shooter…

Is it worth it the price? Or would a D3 & D300 combo be better?
Since I wrote this article originally, the price has now been confirmed and I have to admit…I’m not so sure it’s the camera for me at that price point. Now don’t get me wrong I’d love those huge files with huge amounts of detail. However, as my main interest is wildlife photography I just can’t help but think this may not be worth the price at launch. For much less a wildlife photographer can pick up a D3 with a D300 with a grip (to allow for 8fps), which would maybe make more sense. I’ve been shooting in Florida for the last week with a D3 & D300 combo and I have to admit it’s worked pretty well. Sure the focus isn’t as accurate with the D300 but when I need the speed I switch to the D3…although those 24mp files would, I have no doubt, be stunning when your fill your frame with the subject! The D3x was never going to be aimed at high speed/wildlife shooters…we knew that. And I guess the D3x would never have trumped the D3 in crop mode as it would make the D3 less desirable, however I personally don’t feel the extra resolution of the new camera justifies more than twice the cost of Nikon’s high ISO king. I think this is one camera where I may well hang back and wait for the inevitable price drop once it’s been available for a while.

To sum up
I’d love to say, buy buy buy with this new camera. But due to the high launch price, my realistic side is telling me a crop mode that is lower res and slower fps than that of the D300 makes that option seem far more useful when teamed with a D3 for high speed/low light situations…for my needs as a wildlife photographer at least!

The rest of my original article is below…

Dec 1st came early in the UK!
Thanks to Nikon UK sending it out early or the UK postal system being extra efficient (or, more likely, a bit of clever marketing)…us folks in the UK got the latest copy of the Nikon Pro magazine two days before the ‘official’ announcement date of 1st Dec so have been able to salivate over the specs of this new camera for two full extra days! Well, most of the UK…I however have not been able to as I’m in Florida until 8th Dec – so I can’t see the brochure for myself! Thankfully the Nikon websites have now been updated with the D3x so we can all read about it and also see an image gallery of photos taken with it…just to get us salivating even more!

The main highlights
So, other than a pretty much identical body (with the exception of that little ‘X’ on the front) what are the big changes over the much loved D3?

• 24.5mp
• 10mp crop mode
• 5 frames per second (7 fps in crop mode)
• ISO 100 – 1600 (low setting to ISO 50, high setting to 6400)

Granted it’s aimed at landscape and studio work, where speed and high ISO are not really the name of the game. I was hoping though that And althoughAs my main interest is wildlife photography the specs seem promising…not only would I have the option of very high and detailed resolution photos but I would also have the option of ‘getting closer’ by using the 10mp crop mode which isn’t that far off of the resolution of my current D3…a very nice thought indeed – although it could be argued using a D300 as a backup for wildlife would make more sense, with it’s 12mp crop sensor. But, then you don’t have the option for those lovely 24mp files when you are presented with a subject that fills the frame nicely with the FF sensor.

Go check it out!
You can find all the info you need, including full specs, sample images and photos from the D3x and a preview, at the links below:

D3x overview
D3x microsite
D3x sample images gallery
D3x preview
Official D3x bochure in PDF form
More sample images

Right, whilst your all off reading up I’m heading out in to the Florida sunshine to photograph the local wildlife…whilst my D3 is still my main camera body…