The D3S is the latest edition of Nikon’s hugely successful D3 DSLR. It offers incredible low-light shooting capabilities, class-leading image quality and it’s very responsive, making it a great choice for photo journalists, professional sports and wildlife photographers.
At the heart of the D3S is a redesigned 12.1 megapixel FX-format CMOS image sensor. This delivers the image fidelity and low noise performance that all professionals crave when looking for a DSLR.
Class-leading low-light performance
One stand-out feature is the D3S’s low-light performance. The camera offers a seven stop ISO range of 200-12,800 and expandable to an incredible 10 stop range of 100-102,400 (Hi 3) This means that you can shoot in the dark and capture detail that the human eye can’t see, even when shooting video!
The D3S offers an improved D-Movie function that allows you to capture 720p HD video at 24fps and in the motion JPEG format. You can make use of the cameras high ISO sensitivity and AF system and add stereo sound when an external microphone is connected.
The well-equipped camera boasts a 3-inch high-definition (approx. 921k-dot) VGA LCD monitor with a 170-degree wide viewing angle, tempered glass and brightness adjustment. There is also a high-quality viewfinder with approximately 100% frame coverage and 0.7x magnification in FX format.
A new dedicated button provides quick access to Live View mode and you can choose from two Live View modes. Tripod mode can be used for accurate AF operation and Hand-held mode is designed for more versatile shooting angles.
The camera also features a 51-point Multi-CAM3500 AF system with 15- highly sensitive cross points and 4 Dynamic modes. This provides a quick way to achieve razor-sharp focus and is perfect for tracking moving subjects. There is also a contrast detection AF system that has been tuned to provide autofocus support during video capturing and in Live View.
Ultra-fast, high-speed shooting
With the D3S you can capture an amazing 9 full resolution frames per second or 11fps in the DX crop mode. The expanded buffer also allows you to continuously capture 82 JPEG (fine) images or 36 14-bit NEF (RAW) images. The camera only takes 0.12 seconds to start-up time and boasts shutter-release time lag of approximately 0.04 seconds. Plus intelligent power management means that you can capture approximately 4,200 frames per charge.
Active D-Lighting with five options automatically regulates the dynamic range of high-contrast scenes, retaining shadow details and preserving highlights while maintaining contrast. This can be set to Auto or you can choose from four manual control levels; Extra High;, High, Normal and Low.
Wildlife photographers will also appreciate the Quiet Shutter-release mode that significantly reduces the noise of the shutter to prevent disturbing your subjects.
You can benefit from RAW processing options in the Retouch menu. For example you can alter compression, size, white Balance, exposure compensation and adjust Vignette Control settings, helping to reduce the time spent in post production.
The D3S features Nikon’s new in-camera cleaning functions. This generates vibrations at four different frequencies in order to reduce the impact of static dust collection on the optical low pass filter of the image sensor.