Shooting around with the Nikon D3S: the field review

Nikon's D3S didn't exactly emerge out of nowhere, but the DSLR's boosted ISO ceiling of over 100,000 (102,400, if we're being precise) has certainly shaken up the industry. Nikon claims that it's set a new bar for low-light performance and raw speed in the crowded DSLR arena, and we were tickled pink when given the chance to see if this thing was worth its weight in gold. Now, the master photogs over at DP Review have already broken down the nitty-gritty details in an exhaustive 34 page critique, but for those just looking for a little insight -- and perhaps a short answer to "should I buy this?" -- we've got exactly what you're looking for. Head on past the break for two distinct takes on Nikon's most capable shooter yet -- and some thoughts on how Nikon's latest monster professional cam will radically change the consumer camera as well.

Nikon D3S unboxing and hands-on

Nilay's take

We've been using the D3S in the field since CES, and it had an immediate impact on the way we work in the field, because, well, the damn thing takes pictures in the dark. That makes all the difference at busy tradeshows with uneven -- and occasionally insane -- lighting setups: a camera with a usable ISO range up to 10,000 lets you grab shots on the run that would have previously been impossible. And when I say "usable ISO range," what I really mean is "you can pretty much leave it at ISO 10,000 and no one will notice, especially at web resolutions." That's crazy -- and you can further boost things up over 100,000 if you're willing to leave the realm of sanity. To put it in perspective, the average point and shoot turns into grainy mess at most settings above ISO 800, the much-beloved Canon XTi and Nikon D90 max out at ISO 1600, and Nikon's own D3 caps out at around 6400. Here's a set of ISO 8,000 to 10,000 shots I took using the D3S at Chicago's Battle of the Badges, an annual cops vs. firefighters charity boxing match -- I was able to shoot at relatively high shutter speeds to capture the action, without using a flash to compensate for the uneven ring lighting.

Nikon D3S at Chicago Battle of the Badges

Being able to shoot in uneven lighting is both a blessing and curse, though: check out this ISO 12,800 picture I took of Paul Miller at Engadget's CES team dinner under extremely dim conditions, where the D3S picked up more light than my eyes were seeing at the time:

See that blue cast on Paul's face? That's the light from his phone, which is totally exaggerated by the D3S's jacked light sensitivity. Using a camera with hotrod ISO capabilities like the D3S makes you realize how quickly your eyes and brain adapt to and filter out subtle lighting and color differences if you're not looking carefully, and while you can take beautiful images in previously unthinkable lighting conditions, you're completely at the mercy of the ambient light. Surprises lurk within every frame when you shoot without a flash -- don't throw it out quite yet.

The D3S can also shoot video, although it maxes out at 720p. That means it's not quite as versatile a filmmaker's tool as the Canon 5D Mark II or 7D, but it can still hold its own -- especially if you knock it into full manual mode by selecting "Tripod" instead of "Handheld" in the video menus. Don't worry, you won't hurt anything shooting from the hip in Tripod mode -- Handheld mode is essentially an aperture priority mode for run-and-gun shooting. Talk about some poor naming, though! In any event, once you get it into manual, the D3S can make use of its full talents to shoot video as well -- here's a quick clip I shot at Battle of the Badges under the same type of uneven lighting:

I've only got a few gripes after using the D3S for a few months. First, it's massive, especially when fitted with the 24-70 f/2.8 that's perfect for grabbing quick shots on show floors and in crowds of people -- everyone is hugely aware of the camera, and that's not always optimal. You can't be stealth with this thing around. Second, while Nikon's general SLR control system handles great once you're into the groove, the D3S doesn't let you directly select every setting from the rear LCD and tweak it from there, a feature I love on newer Canons. You'll be richly rewarded once you memorize the slew of cryptic icons, control names, and menu locations, but getting there takes time. Lastly, while I use the video feature all the time, the five minute clip limit and 720p resolution cap make it obvious that video is an afterthought. That's fine, but the D3S is thisclose to being the ultimate field camera, and some beefed-up video features would go a long way towards making it the only camera I have to pack at all. Oh, and here's a big gripe: you can't actually find a D3S to buy right now. That's a problem -- let's hope Nikon is working on getting stocks back up.

Those are all pretty small gripes, though, and I'm certainly subsequent revisions of the D3S will address them. What I'm most excited about is watching the D3S's tech filter down to cheaper SLRs and point-and-shoots -- Gizmodo's Matt Buchanan nailed it when he said ISO is the new megapixel in his D3S review. Getting clear shots in low light without a flash will totally revolutionize compact camera photography, and I honestly can't wait to see what Nikon and others do with high ISO sensors in smaller bodies. Until then, I'll be carrying my giant D3S with a huge grin on my face.

Darren's take

In many ways, my shooting needs are the same as Nilay's. I'm a diehard camera enthusiast, and I tend to find an excessive amount of pleasure in bringing absurdly large bodies and lenses into national parks, concert venues, sporting events and any other new place that's just begging to be photographed. In most cases, these masterpieces-in-my-own-mind are just for my own personal enjoyment, but I do find myself searching for the best possible shot for wall framing, and I'm about as anti-flash as they come. Give me natural light or give me death, as they say.

Nikon D3S sample shots: John Mayer edition [Fargo, ND]

My wife, however, sees things a tad differently. She's a shooter by trade, specializing in weddings and concert photography. Needless to say, the prospect of using a DSLR with heretofore unheard of ISO capabilities was quite appealing to her, and she agreed to let me tag along in her shutterbug life for a solid month in order to get a better feel of the D3S' value to someone who snaps for a living. In our experience, the most frustrating part of both wedding and concert photography is dealing with light -- or the lack thereof, specifically. Many marriage venues disallow the use of flash during the ceremony, which just so happens to be the most critical part of the whole ordeal. Beyond that, flashes tend to kill the mood of whatever setting you're in; a lively reception party can be transformed into a blown out, uneventful gathering of crazies with a simple blast of light. Anyone can grab a point-and-shoot and photograph a wedding, but brides and grooms (or their loved ones) shell out for someone's ability to capture the moment. In our experience, said moments are best saved when utilizing only the light that's naturally available.

My wife shot a number of engagement sessions and a couple of ceremonies with the D3S around her neck, primarily using the Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.4 lenses all the while. For comparison's sake, we A-B'd the D3S against the D90 (using Nikkor's 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX and the aforesaid 50mm prime lens). In a nutshell, the difference was night and day, but only in non-daylight conditions. In other words, the image quality from the D3S was remarkably similar to that of the D90 in broad daylight, where images could easily be shot at ISO 200 - 1,600 and where shutter speeds were fast enough that hand shake wasn't an issue. And frankly, that makes perfect sense -- both cameras tout 12.1 megapixels, and while the D3S boasts a full-frame sensor and a much more advanced processing engine, you don't really begin to see significant boosts in image quality until the sun begins to set.

If you shoot for a living (or wish to start shooting for a living), and you know you'll be put in situations where natural lighting is dim or nonexistent, hear me out: you need a D3S. The things this camera can do with only a smidgen of ambient light is downright stunning, and it very literally makes shots possible that would be impossible (or unusable to a pro) with any lesser camera. We were able to shoot entire weddings and concerts without even thinking of that SB-900 at home, and that's only partly due to the amazing speed at which this camera shoots.

The real kicker is the baffling ISO capabilities. We shot for hours on end in extremely low light (or with par can lighting alone while in concert venues) and grabbed hundreds of usable images at ISO 10,000. Step it down to ISO 8,000, and you'll be hard pressed to find a speck of grain when the image is sized down for a 24- x 36-inch print (or smaller, obviously). Stop and breathe that in for a moment -- shooting at ISO 8,000 with imperceptible noise and grain. The feat alone opens up an entirely new world of shooting possibilities for those who were previously hamstrung by annoying flash bulbs and tripods, and we've no issue promising that the D3S will land you shots that you (and your clients) could only dream of getting with a lesser DSLR.

Nikon D3S sample gallery: DJP edition

Even at ISO 12,800, we nabbed images that looked stunning when sized for an 8- x 10-inch print, and those who don't mind a tiny (and we mean tiny) bit of grain to celebrate the raw emotion of the occasion could easily scale that up beyond the 20-inch mark. When pushed beyond the 12,800 level, there were traces of noise that may be unacceptable for those looking for crystal clear shots alone, but make no mistake -- you can push this all the way to 12.8k and still get perfectly admirable postcard shots. If you're wondering what all these figures mean, let's put it this way: you can shoot in near-pitch black with the D3S and get an image that you can use. We were stunned (stunned!) by how sharp, blur-free and crisp our concert photos were at ISO 8,000, and try as we might, we could never push our dear D90 beyond ISO 3,200 and snag an image that was free of perceivable noise at near-darkness.

To say that my wife's clients were thrilled by the results of the D3S would be an understatement of epic proportions. Similarly, my wife was elated to be able to reserve her SB-900 for only select occasions in which she actually wanted it around. Being able to set the ISO range from 200 to 12,800 within Programmed Auto and simply fire away when in a pinch is a fantasy come true for professional photographers, and knowing that even those snaps with ISOs in the five-digit range are likely usable is something that wasn't possible at this time last year by any body priced at $5k or less. We should point out, however, that utilizing the rapid fire burst modes on this gem will likely require a speedy (and expensive) CompactFlash card, and our SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro CF was more than up to the task. Capturing nine RAW images per second at maximum resolution was a piece of cake for this card, and we never once were able to overrun it.

Is it fun to watch $5,200 evaporate from your savings account? Hardly. But being able to elevate your game to new heights can only be good -- nay, great -- for business, and if you've had the D3S on your mind, we can't say a single word to stop you from pulling the trigger. Any minor annoyances that might irk you -- the lack of a 1080p movie mode, a smaller-than-desired 12.1 megapixel sensor and the dearth of inbuilt wireless flash support are the only ones that come to mind -- pale in comparison to the stellar low-light images you'll be able to acquire, and we'd surmise that your worries of spending too much on a camera would all but vanish the first time you capture a noise-free, blur-free handheld shot of a couple's first kiss... at ISO 10,000. Pros that shoot primarily during the day or under controlled lighting situations (hello, studios!) probably won't gain a whole lot from owning a D3S, but if you're constantly shoved into unpredictable low-light scenarios where flexibility is key, there's no better body out there in this price range. Period.

Nikon D3S sample gallery II

Nilay Patel contributed to this article. All images shown here were shot by Nilay, Darren or Dana Murph.

[Herr Synnberg Posted Jun 22nd 2010 2:09AM]

@iRSX Pretty much physically impossible, but you can improve upon your camera's output in post production with tools such as Lightroom, Noise Ninja etc.

[BuzzMega Posted Jun 21st 2010 8:21PM]

...now if they cold only get their movie mode act in gear...

[Wesscoast Posted Jun 21st 2010 8:56PM]

The D3S?

Uh...

Dyslexic.

[Gatejcr11 Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:00PM]

Anyone know how much?

[Tohe Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:51PM]

The high usable ISO is nice, but the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is already pretty impressive in low light circumstances and it comes in a more compact body. But this is definitely a good camera for those who already own Nikon glass and who are looking to upgrade from the D90.

[snowrid3r Posted Jun 21st 2010 10:33PM]

D3S??not 3DS?

[n11 Posted Jun 21st 2010 11:13PM]

*Looks at my D90 in shame...*

I'd love to try a D3S, but that ain't happenin' for a while. Money money money.

P.S Anyone else wanna say "3DS"?

[greatpix Posted Jun 21st 2010 11:26PM]

For those that can't afford the nearly $6,000 for a D3S, I suggest you check around at local camera rental stores. Most offer a weekend rate which is hard to beat.

[kyphem Posted Jun 22nd 2010 12:44AM]

I am a professional photographer and you get WAY TOO MUCH NOISE even at 2000 ISO

I have no idea why would you use 100,000 ISO the footage is not usable. I mean you can always try to remove some noise but come on its just a market gimmick.

Anything above 2000 ISO on 3Ds produces way too much noise in the shadows. Canon is even worse but 100000 give me a break

[Terjay Posted Jun 22nd 2010 2:27AM]

@kyphem

Well it's cool to have the shot instead of not having a shot at all. Still the huge ISOs are pretty nice if you are scaling the pictures down and putting them on the web but in full size it looks pretty much horrible.

[Herr Synnberg Posted Jun 22nd 2010 1:55AM]

Great post and very interesting to the photographically inclined amongst us.

I can't relate with one point though: The activity menu on the display part. The great thing about Nikon bodies is that there's a button for simply everything so that you'll never have to go into the menus. On Canon bodies, the menus make a lot of sense, but I've never felt like delving into the menus on a Nikon. The top display and the buttons work fine for me.

As for the camera itself, it's BRILLIANT. The only sad thing is that it's harder to find in the retail channels than a real, live martian. Not that I can afford one anyway! My D300S is arriving this week and that itself has dented my bank balance pretty significantly.

[Punch Rockgroin Posted Jun 22nd 2010 2:40AM]

I'm looking at cropped iso 6400 pic in a magazine from a 1D MKIV which looks just fine.

[1059 WKYA Radio Mike Lightly Posted Jun 22nd 2010 3:05AM]

ISO should be the new MP. I swear, i shed a tear when i see noise even in my iso400 shots on my XSI. Iso 800 has the dynamic range of old 16 bit games- hella FLAT, and noisy as all hell- noise that lightroom cant touch.

I love my xsi for a million reasons- but damn, do you really have to carry a tank just to get iso400/800 shots with NO noise at all? that's just sad- especially when others can shoot clean at iso 3200+.


gawdammmnit!

[LPAkria Posted Jun 22nd 2010 10:32AM]

The D3s is incredible.
Of course, I am rocking a D40, which often produces borderline-unusable photos at ISO 800, so it doesn't take too much to impress me.

[MeSoMovie Posted Jun 22nd 2010 9:15PM]

@Herr Synnberg

Here's your greatest hits: "Jesus, you're an idiot," " same ol' shit," and " look even more stupid."

Really classy. Listen carefully troll:
The article above did not highlight "sports" it mainly showed concert and indoor shots. I pointed out that for the money the Canon 5D MkII is a better choice and, in my opinion, it had superior ISO to 25k. The process Nikon uses to mask noise pumps up color. The moment the color is made more natural (desaturated) the noise becomes apparent and is more difficult to "fix." This process is made harder because it lacks the resolution you find in MOST modern full-frames. These limitations come at the stiff price of $5200 or twice the cost of the Canon.

Clearly you don't do this for a living and, face it, everything you've said sounds like it came from marketing material. It has no depth of understanding whatsoever. I'd love to argue about chroma/luminance noise control in the modern DSLR but I know this is well beyond you. So sod off.

[Herr Synnberg Posted Jun 29th 2010 4:31AM]

@MeSoMovie

Good god, you're a JPEG shooter, aren't you?

I can show loads of ISO 1600 shots that I've made on a D70s. USABLE shots, because I know what to do with an NEF. Wanna compare?

You're for the lack of a better term, a dumbass who doesn't understand that the extra money you pay over the cost of a 5D Mk II are for features like complete weather proofing, a faster burst rate, full-sized body and so on. In simpler terms, you're complaining that a Ferrari F430 costs way more than a Mercedes E class even though it has two fewer seats.

Oh, and good luck shooting musicians at 2.9 FPS. "Clearly, you do this for a living".

[MeSoMovie Posted Jun 29th 2010 2:13PM]

@Herr Synnberg It took you seven days to think of an answer??? Jeez, this is stupid - but here we go:
The article was not about sports (a place where Canon still predominates) but about low light performance. The Canon 5D MkII, at almost 4fps in RAW, can shoot to 25k with better a more robust product than the Nikon. The D3s goes to higher ISOs but the pictures get worse from there. The Canon costs less than half of the D3s with but with corresponding increases in resolution and video performance.

My favorite asswipe statement: "Oh, and good luck shooting musicians at 2.9 FPS." You truly are moronic! You have -0- idea what you're talking about noob....