Nikon D3X In-depth Review

Ever since the simultaneous announcement of the Nikon D1H and D1X back in 2001 Nikon's professional D 'single digit' series has been split into two - the X series designed for high resolution applications such as fashion or landscape photography and the H series for high speed sports type photography (lower resolution but faster continuous shooting). When the Nikon D3 was announced in August 2007 it did not carry an 'H' in its name but was clearly designed for speed. So the question wasn't if, but when, Nikon would launch a high-resolution counterpart. It arrived, after more than a year of eager anticipation, in the shape of the Nikon D3X in December 2008.
Superficially, the new flagship is the D3's identical twin. The body, controls, user interface and also a large proportion of the camera's electronic and mechanical innards have been carried over directly from the D3. The camera's core component, however, is brand new. The 36 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor provides a resolution of 24.5 megapixels, and while this is - compared to the D3 - a massive jump in resolution, D3X users have to accept a smaller range of sensitivity (ISO 100 to 1600, extendable to ISO 50 to 6400) and slower continuous shooting of five frames per second (7 fps in DX mode) in return.
While the only other piece of news - the 'Extra High' setting for Active D-Lighting - won't make much difference for most users, the premium that Nikon is charging for the extra resolution most certainly will. For $8000 retail price you can bag yourself almost two D3s. The D3X is also roughly $1500 more expensive than its only real competitor in terms of specification and features, the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. This won't make the professionals who this cameras is targeted at contemplate changing systems, but can a camera be worth the equivalent amount of a small car? Read on and find out in our in-depth review of the Nikon D3X