Camera Test: Nikon D3

It was bold to call the Nikon D3 "the Greatest Nikon Ever" on our January 2008 cover -- especially before testing a production model of this $5,000 (street, body only) 12.1MP pro DSLR in the Pop Photo Lab. Now our audacity is justified: The D3 sprinted through our image quality, noise, dynamic range, burst capacity, and AF-speed performance tests. Here are five tested reasons the D3 deserves the title we bestowed.

Incredible image quality

By loading a full-frame 12.1MP sensor into the D3, Nikon bowed out of the megapixel race. For most pro assignments, the detail it captures is more than what's needed -- enough to make high-quality enlargements of up to 14x21 inches (at 200 ppi).

At ISO 200, its 2320 lines of tested resolution for JPEGs (an Excellent rating) are nearly identical to Nikon's 12.3MP D300 ($1,800, street, body only), tested in our February 2008 issue. That's no surprise, since both cameras use the same focusing system and EXPEED image-processing engine (and we tested both with the same Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens). They also capture similar resolution in RAW files.

But when shooting JPEGs at the Low Noise Reduction setting, the D3's image resolution drops only slightly to 2210 lines at ISO 6400 -- about 5 percent sharper than the D300 at ISO 3200 and above. Even at the extended ISO of 25,600, JPEGs from the D3 still earn an Excellent resolution rating with 2020 lines, although artifacts of noise reduction, such as lower contrast in shadow areas, are painfully obvious.

In both JPEG and RAW files, color accuracy maintains an Excellent rating from ISO 200 to 6400 (7.28 to 7.02 average Delta E), and contrast ranges from slightly high to slightly low, depending on ISO.

Using noise control at high ISOs, the D3 earns an Excellent image quality rating from ISO 200 to ISO 3200. Like the D300, which also garnered an Excellent rating up to ISO 3200, images at ISO 6400 fell just short of Excellent due to obvious noise in shadows (though less than with the D300).

Camera Test: Nikon D3 - - PopPhotoJanuary 2008