Nikon D3S CYBER MONDAY, Very responsive. Great PQ even at very high ISO.
I've waited many years for a camera with the features offered in the Nikon D3s.
My problem with cameras has been the limitation of only shutter speed and aperture to choose from. It was like living in a 2 dimensional world. Many of my photographs were blurred because I didn't have enough available light. Cranking up the ISO on digital cameras produced horrific electronic noise. In the film world, I could push Tri-X to 800 ASA or beyond when I needed speed and, quite frankly I happen to like the grainy quality of real film -- not Photoshop faux grain.
I can now shoot pictures with the D3s that were previously impossible to obtain. I can safely crank the ISO up to 6400 and beyond. With the auto-ISO, I now live in a 3 dimensional world -- I have 3 variables to achieve blur-free photographs.
[Side note: My only complaint with the auto-ISO feature is that it doesn't take the lens focal length into consideration. It would be a significant improvement if the camera could set the minimum shutter speed based upon the focal length. On the 70-200mm zoom lens I can shoot at slower speeds at 70mm then at 200mm. Also, I have to manually change the minimum shutter speed each time I change lenses. However, this criticism is not isolated to the D3s but all the Nikon models with this feature.]
While my ideal camera would have had many more pixels like the D3x so that I could crop without losing significant quality, as well as high ISO quality, these features are not yet available. I chose the D3s because of the higher ISO. I don't shoot in studios.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Nikon D3S BLACK FRIDAY
Nikon D3S BLACK FRIDAY, Great stills, video needs improvement
There is a lot to love about this camera. The low light performance is amazing. The pictures you can get with it are incredible. But you've heard all of this before.
The one warning I give you has been my experience with something called "rolling shutter". It's the way this camera records video (as do most CMOS sensor video cameras) and it makes quick pans look like jello. Even though this effect is highly improved from models like the Nikon D90, it is still annoying, and you will have to buy expensive software if you would like to fix it. Rolling shutter also makes it very difficult to stabilize your footage in editing.
So it comes as no surprise that I would hands-down recommend this camera to all still photographers, and caution any independent filmmakers out there. For my purposes, this camera was worth every penny.
Nikon D3S BLACK FRIDAY, Best camera I've ever owned by far - and I've owned several.
I've had my D3s for about 7 months now. Prior to that I had a D2Xs for 3 years and a D1X for 2 years. The improvements between the D2Xs and the D3s are staggering. Most obvious is the jump from the DX to FX sensor, which I absolutely love because I've finally got a big, bright viewfinder and my old Nikon glass works just as it did with my old Nikon film cameras. Nikon also got their white balance settings right... gone are the green cast of the D1X and the yellow cast of the D2Xs when set for sunlight or shade. The D3s's colors are correct right out of the box 95% of the time. And the image quality is simply stunning, although you really should invest in high-caliber glass to get the most out of this camera. I traded my AF-S DX 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR zoom lens for two much bigger and heavier lenses: the AF-S 24-70 f2.8G ED and the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200 f/2.8G ED VRII, and there's simply no comparison in terms of color balance, sharpness and low-light performance.
There is a lot to love about this camera. The low light performance is amazing. The pictures you can get with it are incredible. But you've heard all of this before.
The one warning I give you has been my experience with something called "rolling shutter". It's the way this camera records video (as do most CMOS sensor video cameras) and it makes quick pans look like jello. Even though this effect is highly improved from models like the Nikon D90, it is still annoying, and you will have to buy expensive software if you would like to fix it. Rolling shutter also makes it very difficult to stabilize your footage in editing.
So it comes as no surprise that I would hands-down recommend this camera to all still photographers, and caution any independent filmmakers out there. For my purposes, this camera was worth every penny.
Nikon D3S BLACK FRIDAY, Best camera I've ever owned by far - and I've owned several.
I've had my D3s for about 7 months now. Prior to that I had a D2Xs for 3 years and a D1X for 2 years. The improvements between the D2Xs and the D3s are staggering. Most obvious is the jump from the DX to FX sensor, which I absolutely love because I've finally got a big, bright viewfinder and my old Nikon glass works just as it did with my old Nikon film cameras. Nikon also got their white balance settings right... gone are the green cast of the D1X and the yellow cast of the D2Xs when set for sunlight or shade. The D3s's colors are correct right out of the box 95% of the time. And the image quality is simply stunning, although you really should invest in high-caliber glass to get the most out of this camera. I traded my AF-S DX 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR zoom lens for two much bigger and heavier lenses: the AF-S 24-70 f2.8G ED and the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200 f/2.8G ED VRII, and there's simply no comparison in terms of color balance, sharpness and low-light performance.
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