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The new Nikon D3x, what should it deliver? |
 The main thing I love about nature photography is that it puts me back into the natural world, into a world that thrills with it's details and splendor, into a world that captivates with it’s secrets revealed, into a world that not even the craziest of gods could have imagined.
It is that world that gives me both the reason and the desire to take photographs. The technological race that constitutes the industry of photography usually holds no real fascination for me, other than to provide hardware to tackle a specific subject or photograph.
But one imminent arrival is causing me much anticipation. The Nikon D3 or D3x. Why? Owning one the first D2x’s released (number 1025) has given me along time to not only appreciate the quality of both the hardware and software but to also have very definitive views on what I need from its successor:
D3 improvements over the
D2X Digital SLR Camera Body
High ISO – Low noise
This would be my most required improvement as
Canon
 has already succeeded in taking low noise at high ISO values to heady levels, leaving Nikon well behind. With the D2x I dare not go beyond ISO 400, and I am taking every opportunity I can find to wind the ISO down to a lesser value (i.e. towards 100) because I know I will be able to see the noise in the final file. I miss so many shots because my camera's digital noise production above 400 is unusable for stock.
My ideal D3 will produce minimal noise at 1200 ISO (at least equivalent to current 400)
Weight
The
D2X
is a monster, at 2.4 lbs, if you have to carry it around all day. Indeed I have to carry mine in a rucksack and then get it out when the opportunity of a photo arises. I have tried hiking with it, in Thailand’s forests, on a 3rd party padded neck strap and after an hour serious neck and back ache appear. I have tried hand carrying it but the risk of damage and the lack of two hands to push away bush is a major headache. I have tried waist pack type bags but the D2x has been simply too big and heavy for me to find a waist pack that will work out OK.
My ideal D3 will weigh less than the D2x and be smaller.
Replacement of all steel parts
Using the camera as I do in both the wet and humid conditions of Thailand’s National Parks as well as a salt water environment when diving, steel has caused me some issues. My unit has suffered from excessive corrosion in 3 areas (that I can see anyway) a) all the screws are corroded b) the steel spring on the memory card door has corroded away and c) I have corrosion (green) on the bayonet fitting.
My ideal D3 will be absent of corrodible materials.
More Mega pixels.
There has been enough speculation on the availability and suitability of sensors for such high end cameras that we pretty well know already that the D3 will have a 1.1 crop factor as compared to the D2x’s 1.5. This presents a little problem for me in that the 1.5 crop factor works very, very well for my type of photography. So for birding at least the D2x will have to remain my camera of choice. The only way Nikon will be able to make me happy with a 1.1 is to pack as many mega pixels as possible into the sensor so I can crop the resultant file whilst still maintaining quality.
My ideal D3 will be at least 20 MP, 24 would be better.
Full compatibility for DX lenses
I need full, 100%, total, no questions asked compatibility with DX lenses. No negotiation. Read my lips Nikon. I don’t care how you do it – even if it means using a crop setting automatically engaging on the camera when a DX lens is attached. Lack of compatibility with DX lens will mean Canon may have another new customer. Simple finances.
My ideal D3 will be 100% compatible with DX lens.
Exposure Bracketing on time lapse exposures
This would be such a boon and improvement for bracketing shots for HDR manipulation. The current system ignores the bracketing settings and uses the same exposure details for all time lapse exposures.
My ideal D3 will have exposure bracketing on the time lapse function.
Flash synch above 1/250 of a second with non Nikon flashes.
The
D70
 can do it, so let’s consider an electronic shutter for the D3. As I have to use non-Nikon strobes underwater I am limited to 1/250s which can be very limiting for big aperture shots and sun balls with fill in flash.
My ideal D3 will have a flash synch of 1/8000 sec.
Price
Lets be frank, Nikon has lost so much ground recently that it is now only the worlds 7th largest camera/camera equipment manufacturer. It really needs to price its way back into the market. Its bodies are normally less than the cost for similar canons but if we do see issues with the DX lens compatibility then the only way that Nikon will remain in the high end SLR market is to sell at very, very competitive prices and buy back its market share.
So there it is really, I am not asking for much really. Indeed some would say that I have asked for nothing that is not available elsewhere, although not on the same camera. Go on Nikon make me a proud Nikon owner again. I believe you can.
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Useful links
When we do find out what the camera is capable of, it will be from this site
Where to buy in Thailand NIKS, Thailand
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