Update: Images up to ISO 51,200 have very acceptable levels of noise (very little). Worst case, I touched up with Dfine 2.0 (noise reduction software) and they look nearly perfect. I experimented with the movie mode. The camera took some very nice looking videos in extremely low light. I don't know what ISO it used, but it must be hitting ISO 102,400 at times. The video and sound using the internal microphone are really good. I may add an external stereo mic in the future if I shoot video. I should have known, you can't shoot movies in vertical format -of course -but I did take some that way before I realized that format doesn't work when you play back on a TV.
I've now got a growing collection of images in various conditions and remain extremely pleased with this camera.
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I received my new Nikon D3S only a couple of days ago, and my early testing of this camera has already proven it to be much more than I expected. I took a few dozen test shots in nearly complete darkness and with relatively little noise the shots look like they were taken in fairly bright lighting. I am very impressed. In fact, I would even say they are unbelievable.
I love the new "info" button. I passed over the written material before the camera arrived thinking: who cares. Well, I find it to be an extremely helpful feature. When you press the "info" button, it shows not only the exposure settings, but gives you immediate access to several of the relevant menu options that you can then immediately access and make changes. I find this to be very quick and useful.
The D3S seems a bit bigger than my Nikon D2Xs and other professional bodies I use, but it feels like it's built absolutely solid. Of course, since the D3S is an FX (full frame) sensor, I have heavier lenses attached and in my bag too. I love the D3S ergonomics and the programmable function and other buttons (programmable AE/AL and Preview button). I hate to fumble with menus in the field (sorry Canon 1ds Mark III and 5D Mark IV and others, but Nikon has you beat here), and the Nikon gives fast access to all the key settings.
I haven't done extensive image tests yet, but my first impression is the images are superb, color is very accurate and auto focus is very fast and accurate, even in what I'd call "no light." I have usable images at ISO 102,400 (an amazing seven full stops better than other pro-bodies I use). At this point, I still can't believe how good images look at ISO 102,400, and images at ISO 51,200 and 25,600 look nearly perfect with either no high ISO NR (noise reduction) or standard NR.
Looking at my images at high magnification and they appear much clearer than even higher megapixel resolution bodies I use. I am now finally convinced beyond any doubt that megapixel is more of a marketing ploy than meaningful for professional photographers and other factors are more important.
As a pro who uses high end digital bodies, this is my first choice (maybe my only choice) for most assignments. I do a fair amount of studio work and thought I might opt for the Nikon D3X or even a Canon body since high ISO is not important, but this camera is so good I may use it for all my photography work in all conditions. If I really need high-end studio shots, I'll perhaps use my Mamiya with a digital back or even rent a Hasselblad.
The Nikon D3s is an amazing camera and I love it. The vast majority of people looking at buying this camera are talking about it's ISO and low light abilities. Even though there is alot more to this camera than it's amazing new ISO abilities, lets start with it's most unique feature and major selling point.
How good does it's ISO get? How about 12,800! The ISO can be pushed up to 102,400 using the Hi ISO settings.
My tests Nikon D3s combined with the Nikkor 24-70 2.8 Lens.
I tested the camera at 400 ISO, 800 ISO, 1,600 ISO, 3,200 ISO, 6,400 ISO, and 12,800 ISO both inside in low light and outside at night. I have also tested the Hi 3 or 102,400 ISO setting
The ISO settings look really great up through the 3,200 mark. After that one can a little notice grain/noise up to the 12,800 ISO point. I would not hesitate at all running this camera at 1,600 or 3,200 ISO. BTW Pictures taken at 12,800 are usable. They look really good. But there is a little noise as I said. The 102,400 setting creates all sorts of noise/grain, but that should be expected. So far the pictures I've take at the highest setting basically turns this camera into your own "night vision" camera. It can see in very dark surroundings.
More on the D3s
This camera is rugged. Over the holidays, I had it outside in snow storms, rain, and sub freezing temperatures. It performed flawlessly.
Info button New to the D3s and really nice. It displays information such as f-stop, shutter speed, mode, and remaining pictures on monitor/display screen on the back
Live view there are 2 setting here. One for a tripod and one for handheld use. Turn this on, and you have a view of what you see through the viewfinder on your back monitor. I personally don't use this alot, but can see why others would.
Accurate and fast auto focus using the 24-70 2.8 lens and my 14-24 2.8 lens
HD Video at 720p
Amazing 9 fps. Yes, I tested this, and I love it. I shoot motorsports and was hampered by the slower D2Xs as well as the smaller buffer on the D2Xs
Sensor cleaning done through the menu system on the back monitor.
Quiet mode (Which isn't that much quieter than the default sound)
51 point Auto Focus system
FX metering system (remember if you use a DX lens on this camera, the FX sensor with crop your photo. It appears like a gray box inside the vewfinder cropping your edges)
My Favorite addition (actually useful and I love it) The Virtual Horizon. This looks like something you would find in the cockpit of an airplane and not a camera, but here it is in the D3s. It is a line that gives the photographer the correct horizon. Why is this so cool? Imagine anything from nature photography in the mountains (like standing on a slope) to photographing motorsports on a banked oval track (that would be me). Here is the function that allows photos to have proper alignment. I could see this function being used both on a tripod and hand held.
*Update on pictures*
Having spent more time photographing in low light, the 12,800 ISO setting is mind blowing.
Pictures outside at night I took pictures of dark lawns, streets, and some holiday lights. Contrast is good as is saturation. There is some grain/noise, but it is uniform and not that bad.
Pictures in dimly lit rooms less noise and the colors and saturation are great. These images were sharp too. I toggled between manual mode and program mode to fool with the depth of field and bokeh. The brighter the room, the less the noise/grain. (Again these are ALL situations that would have required a flash with any other camera)
Pictures of stars Yup. Stars in the sky. I was actually able to hand hold this camera, aim it in the sky and snap a picture of stars. The picture didn't look that great, but considering I did it on a whim it was still really neat. (The camera picked up alot of haze in the sky. I think away from the city, the photos would be a lot better)
I've now taken well over 1,000 pictures with the D3s and it is easily the best camera I have owned. I am really impressed
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Update on one D3s issue DPreview forums have reported numerous instances of D3s with a slow focus problem. They say it is a firmware bug. I have NOT had any issues and I am 2,000+ photos into my D3s. That includes many lowlight shoots.
Buy Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Bod Now
I initially started this comment as a reply to someone who asked why anyone would need a camera that goes higher than 12,000 ISO unless you wanted to take pictures in a closet, especially since you can get a much less expensive consumer-level DSLR with more mega pixels and higher resolution video. I decided to post my response here with the hope than someone else might find it to be useful:
For the past couple of years, I have been using a Nikon D80, which from all the reviews I have read competes fairly well with other cameras in this class. I am not a professional photographer, but I enjoy photography enough that the limitations this consumer-level DSLR seems to have became a source of frustration to me.
I recently upgraded to a D3S, and I am absolutely amazed at the difference between the two cameras. The D3S is ten times the camera--and not because of the marginal difference in mega pixels.
It's not all about being able to take pictures in near darkness either. I take a lot of wildlife pictures with a solid, f 4.5 70-300mm zoom lens (popular because of its good price/performance tradeoff), and with my D80, if I am zoom out much at all, it has to be a bright sunny day to get really good pictures. Cloud cover and even shade results in quite a bit of color noise and a loss of detail, even at ISO settings as low as 400, and I almost always have to shoot with the aperture wide open to mitigate these problems, which, of course, limits my flexibility in terms of depth of field and tends to wash out bright areas. It is also very difficult to stop the motion of things like birds in flight with the low ISO settings that are required to avoid color noise and loss of detail. This is a very frustrating tradeoff to have to make.
With my D80, I have also noticed that the shading gradation of things like fog and shadows in snow is fairly limited--to the point where pictures of things with subtle shading almost always look washed out or have very little detail. The D3S, on the other hand, has an amazing amount of detail no matter what the subject is, no matter how subtle the shading and despite poor lighting conditions. (For the first time ever, I have been able to take pictures of things like fog rolling over a lake and have it show up just the way my eyes see it! No more blending of subtle shades into a single patch of white.)
My D80 also struggles to be consistent with color balance and metering. The D3S is almost always dead on in terms of color balance and metering and is faster and more consistently accurate with its auto focus.
The fact that the D3S's image sensor does such a great job in low light situations has opened up new possibilities for me. I can even stop down my slow f 4.5 300mm zoom lens significantly at any focal length and get outstanding results, even on a cloudy day. Think about the possibilities this opens up in terms of lens choices. As an amateur, I simply cannot afford the 10K-a-pop, fast professional lenses, but now I can get great pictures with slower, less expensive lenses, and I can actually extend the capabilities of the lenses I have with things like teleconverters and still get good results. In this sense, the D3S is a bargain.
I have mostly mentioned the quality of the pictures this camera takes, and I do not intend to go into its rich feature set and build quality (other comments below have already done this), but I did want to tell you about some of the considerable advantages I have found with the D3S and tell you about the outstanding results that I have been getting. I am amazed at the quality of the pictures this camera takes, and I am thrilled with the way this camera performs! This camera is in an entirely different class than the consumer-level DSLRs I have used in the past.
Read Best Reviews of Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Bod Here
I was using a Canon 5D Mark II camera for over a year but became more and more disappointed with it as time went on. The focusing system used on the Canon was poor and the high ISO was good but not great.
Finally tiring of the soft focus of the 5D Mark II, I decided to either upgrade to the 1D Mark IV or the Nikon D3S. The decision was a very painful one to make and I dwelled on the subject for weeks before making a decision.
I finally decided on the Nikon D3S because of its full frame sensor and how its relatively large pixel size would be an advantage in low light situations (i.e., High ISO). Also, it didn't hurt that it was available right away through Amazon and I needed it for my trip to Europe at the end of December.
Now, after having used the Nikon D3S for around 2 months in a variety of situations I can say without hesitation that this is the finest DSLR available. Its ability to shoot sports action in low light is stunning and the focus is very responsive and always spot on! The lenses which I have purchased have all been superior to their Canon equivalent counterparts. Although, the Nikon does have some wholes in their lineup, most notably the the 85mm f/1.2.
While I believe that the filming features of the 1D Mark IV are likely superior it was a mute point for me after a year of experiences with the 5d Mark II. Unless you are very serious you will not get good results filming with any DSLR so I did not consider this when deciding which camera to buy.
In conclusion, I was very nervous about buying the Nikon D3S instead of the Canon 1D Mark IV. However, after using the D3S in a variety of situations I have absolutely fallen in love with this camera.
Want Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Bod Discount?
Having shot with Canon for the last 15 yrs, moving over to Nikon was not an easy decision. I had a decent collection of lenses and the 1D Mark II was beginning to show its age. The mark III had its issues and the mark IV had shown promise.
Many friends asked why switch now? Simply put, low light is where I shoot most of my jobs. Nikon at the moment has the advantage. Selling my Canon gear was the big question. I ended up selling ALL my gear (1D Mark II, 135L, 28-70L, 70-200L IS, 35L, 85, 100 macro, and 580EX) in 1 week CASH... It covered the D3s, 24-70, and most of the 70-200 VRII.
While I waited for my gear to sell, I rented the D3s for a week along with Nikon's recent additions -14-24, 24-70, and 70-200 VR II. The images from the D3s with the aforementioned lenses were quite simply just amazingly sharp with minimal noise.
One can read the many reviews of the D3s out there.
Here's what impressed me about the D3s:
1. Ergonomics -well designed button placements, easy to nagigate menus, buttons for metering/shooting speed/autofocus.
2. Image quality -AMAZING images at high ISO. Check out Rob Galbraith's images.
3. 9 fps full sized RAW files/11 fps DX files
4. Screen size (a big change from my 1D Mark II)
5. Autofocus is stellar even in low light. I've not had issues like others have described.
6. I like 2CF cards vs 1 CF and 1 SD. Using Photofast Plus 32GB ($250) and no problems.
7. self cleaning sensor
Other things that impressed me about Nikon:
1. 5 year lens warranty vs Canon's 1 year
2. 24-70 images are sharper than my 28-70 Canon
3. 70-200 VRII images better than my Canon 2.8L IS
Suggestions for improvment:
1. selection of autofocus point with the back button. I think Canon's method appeals to me better.
2. Battery life is not the 4000 shots as advertised. Not sure if these are done with jpeg images, but I gotten ~ 1500 shots with 14 bit RAW images, a fair amount of chimping, and occasional video.
3. Focusing on video mode needs improvement. Its clunky and slow.
4. Video -meh...great in a pinch, but its not a high priority for me. Others I'm sure feel differently. Canon's got the upper hand for now.
I like the direction that Nikon has choosen. Image quality over megapixels. Its a balanced camera with more than enough features for me. If you do advertising or need high resolution, the D3x is for you. This is a professional camera inside and out. Its worth every penny I've put out for the body and Nikon's lenses. I have no regrets!
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Update Dec 22, 2010:
The D3s continues to impress. Took it to the Billabong Pipeline Masters surf competition a few weeks ago. Pared with the 200-400 VR, I was able to get some fantastic images. If I could do things better the "next" time, I'd take a 500 or 600 VR. AF was spot on tracking was not a problem in the least.
Auto ISO has been a hidden surprise when I moved to Nikon. My 1D Mark II didn't have it, but the new Canon models do. I like Nikon's version as it allows me to be in manual mode (allows me to set the shutter and aperture) and the ISO changes to keep the SS and aperture fixed. It allows me to control DOF and stopping motion in sports! This allows me to focus on composition and being a photographer rather than on the technical aspects.
I purchased this May 28th, on sale for $170. I did not purchase a memory card as I had a 2 gig SD card at home and wasn't sure that I would be keeping this camera. I charged the battery, put in my memory card and went out in the yard and shot some video and some still photos. It was a bright sunny day. I hooked up the camera to my 50 inch plasma TV with the included composite video cable and looked at the photos, which were really great quality and detail. I was pleasantly surprised that they were the equal of my Olympus 10 mega pixel digital still camera. Next I looked at the video that I shot at 1080P and heard this clicking noise throughout the video. My commentary was recorded just fine but the clicking was a deal breaker. The video quality was also not what I expected for the 1080 P setting. I loaded the CD into my PC and started to read the manual. As another reviewer noted you must us HC SD memory or data will be lost while the memory is trying to keep up with the high data rate of this camera. That night I bought a recommended SDHC card and put it in the camera. The next day I went to a WWII era air show and brought the camera. I shot about 40 minutes of video at 720P 60 frames per second and about 24 photos at the 10 mega pixel setting. There were lots of action videos as the old fighters streaked overhead as well as some newer jets. I hooked up the camera to the plasma TV and viewed the photos, which were really sharp and clear with great detail. You could read the serial number and min/max blade pitch on one of the props. This is using a low quality composite video cable between the camera and TV. The videos were terrific and no clicking noise. The use of the correct memory card improved all the quality levels of the photos and videos. My family was impressed that this small package could do so much. I next loaded the software on my PC and transferring the videos and photos was simple and the while not a high end package there is more than enough functionality to edit the videos, convert them to other formats and upload them to different online services. The only thing missing is the ability to burn them to a DVD, which I can do with Nero. On Memorial Day I went to the Daytona Prototype races at Lime Rock Park and shot a lot more video and photos. All came out terrific. I will purchase a monopod as it is difficult to hold this small camera steady for a long period of time. I will also be purchasing the optional HDMI cable to further improve the quality of the image when watching on my 50 inch plasma. This camera is a keeper and the quality is outstanding. I've shown the results to others with Flips or RCA and they rated the quality of the Samsung output to be superior.
