Nikon D3X

High resolution offers unprecedented detail

The Nikon D3X awes experts with its image quality: It's quite simply the undisputed champ in its class, a dream machine for shooting portraits and landscapes. But a few major drawbacks (chiefly its relatively unimpressive shooting speed and low-light skills) render the D3X actually inferior to some cheaper cameras for other types of photography.

The cornerstone of the D3X is its ultra-high-resolution (24.5 megapixels), full-frame sensor. Imaging-Resource.com's testers leave no room for doubt: "The Nikon D3X produces the highest image quality of any camera we've tested to date," they state unequivocally. DPReview.com agrees, saying the D3X "delivers a level of sharp detail that beats even the strongest competitors including the previous number one in this area, the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III (*Est. $7,000 body only). It's simply amazing how you can keep zooming into the huge image files and discover more and more detail."

High resolution offers some drawbacks

But when Nikon boosted the D3X's pixel count into the stratosphere, it forced some compromises. The D3X can't fire off shots nearly as fast as Nikon's other top-tier pro digital SLR, the Nikon D3S (*Est. $5,200 body only) -- expect 5 frames per second (fps) from the D3X, versus 9 fps for the D3S. Also, the D3X lacks the D3S's uncanny ability to shoot practically in the dark. The D3X ranges from ISO 100 to 6400, versus 200 to a formerly unheard-of 102,400 with the D3S. For these reasons alone, critics prefer the D3S for fast-paced or low-light work such as photojournalism and sports photography. Another difference: The Nikon D3S can shoot HD video, but the D3X can't shoot video at all.

Finally, reviewers can't help but notice that the D3X costs thousands more. "Can a camera be worth this much money?" DPReview.com writes. "It's a rather philosophical question. It certainly will be to the professional who requires massive file sizes to sell his pictures, it could be to the serious (and wealthy) amateur who spends hours marveling at the D3X images' fantastic detail, and it's almost certainly not for everyone else."

DPReview.com posts a 34-part review of the Nikon D3X, testing everything in great detail. Imaging-Resource.com also conducts extensive testing and posts a series of test shots. Shorter reviews at PopPhoto.com and PhotographyBlog.com are also based on expert tests. Amazon.com is a good place to find owner feedback.