Nikon D3s: evolution of D3
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Like the D300s compared to the D300, the D3s is an evolution of the famous D3 : it will replaces it in heritates Nikon's pro SLR range. Therefore, it of the D3's robust frame made of magnesium alloy and of its tropicalization and adds a sensitivity even higher than the striking 25600 ISO of the D3. The d3s adds HD video in 720p, which is an answer to the request of some professional photographers who must bring back some videos to accompany their still images…
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Over 100 000 ISO
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Offering 102.400 ISO, Nikon crosses a course in the high sensitivities filed. Indeed, when, two years ago, Nikon created the surprise by announcing a digital Full Frame SLR, the D3, which reached the insane sensitivity to that time of ISO 25.600, the D3s sets a new record high with the 100.000 ISO Hi-3 mode. According to Nikon's staff, D3s compared to D3 improvement in terms of quality would be of 1,5 EV. Thus a photo taken at 12.800 ISO would be of better quality with D3s than a picture taken with the original D3 at 6400 ISO. As a native sensitivity, the D3s offers a maximum setting of 12.800 ISO which can be thorough in the modes Hi-1 (25600 ISO), Hi-2 (51200 ISO) and Hi-3 (102400 ISO).
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100.000 ISO: what for?
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To cross the threshold of the 100.000 ISO bar opens new prospects and new applications to the of a digital SLR, as for certain tasks which need to see in the night. This progress makes it possible to later still a little more the moment when, in interior photography we must use the flash and thus makes it possible to profit still a little more ambient light. To illustrate these aptitudes to through the night, the world launching campaign of the Nikon D3s entrusted in Vincent Munier, immense French animalist photographer whose work with D3s you will be able to admire in this worldwide campaign, most of picture taken in dim light.
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Image quality
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If Nikon made evolving the sensitivity of its DSLR, its resolution does not progress and D3s pixel count remains blocked with 12,1 mégapixels. If this resolution is enough to publish a photograph in double page in a magazine, a few extra room of resolution for cropping shots afterwards would have been appreciated. Nikon used here a very slightly redesigned version of the FX sensor which equips its D3 Full Frame camera. Improving resolution would have generated developpement costs too high when they could gain on sensitivity without touching too much in-depththe sensor. Let us remind the fans of very high-resolution to consider the case of D3x and its 24 megapixels.
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Nikon Picture Control and exposure measurement
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To help the professional photographers to easily and quickly produce the best images possible, the D3s embeds the famous Nikon Picture Control which generate optimized JPG up to your own settings and taste. This is paramount for a professional not to have to retouch nor RAW process all its files before sending them to his newspaper, agency or customer when e is on the edge. The Expeed processor is on duty here and the exposure measurement based on 1005 points matrix with recognition of scene in a database is coupled with the white balance and assisted by the autofocus. Coding is done on 14-bits for fine nuances between the tons.
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A tough body
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Magnesium alloy frame, tough body, gaskets and O'rings to be weather proof : the D3s is designed of terrain photography. Nikon also implemented (finally !) the sensor cleaning process that equiped basic entry level cameras of their range but that pro cameras were deeply missing. It is now done : you will be able to change your lens in a dusty atmosphere without fearing to spoil the entire image seri with a nasty dust which penetrated the sensor chamber.
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Velocity
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51-points AF with dynamic 3D follow-up of the subject is on board the D3s and we all know what it can achieve. The D3s reaches 9 fps (and even 11 fps in " DX" mode).
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QUIET mode
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"QUIET" mode appeared on Nikon D5000 : the Quiet mode will be very appreciated by all the photographers who can's afford to point out themselves. To shoot in full discretion with Nikon D2s, it is necessary to pass in mode Quiet (good-bye 9 fps burst mode). Then, the mirror is braked when going up and, as in Bulb traditional shutter mode, the user decides when the mirror goes down again, letting you the time to leave the room or to roll up the camera in a sweater or your jacket to choke the noise of the mirror which gets back to initial position. It is also braked in its course back. We could test the discrete mode of D3s during our short D3s hands-on preview of the camera and we have to say that this Quiet mode was rather convincing.
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720p video
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The photographs can record HD videos. Nikon remains on the 720p format when Canon EOS 5D MKII already records videos in Full HD 1080p quality. This choice is not inevitably penalizing in terms of image quality which remains HD but becomes interesting in terms of storage space compared to 1080p video. But 720p mode is also available others which film in 1080p. Nikon D3s thus records videos in 720p (1280 X 720 pixels) at the rate of 24 fps.
If the sound recorded by the D3s is in mono quality, you can connect a stereo external microphone on a 3,5mm jack slot. In video also, D3s could be used in very high sensitivities with a mode which gives to the freedom to the camera to adopt its sensitivity among a ra,ge which goes from 6400 ISO to 102.400 ISO. D3s owners will be able to record movies in dim light condition as we will be able to see it in the launch movie presented by Vincent Munier.
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Nikon D3s main characteristics
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- 12 megapixels
- Full Frame (FX mount)
- up to ISO 6400 (H modes up to ISO 102 400)
- HD Vidéo 720p at 24 fps
- BUrst rate of 9 fps (11 fps in DX format)
- 51-points AF with 3D subject tracking
- 14-bit image quality
- Expeed processor
- Nikon Picture Control
- LiveView
- 3" LCD screen of 921 000 points and 170° angle of view
- mini-HDMI output
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