Nikon D3X compared to other full-frame DSLRs

Nikon D3X compared to other full-frame "Pro" DSLRs

The chart below compares the Nikon D3X with the Canon 1Ds Mark III and Sony A900. What we've done below is presented something of a hybrid comparison between these three models. A red cell means that a given camera performs below the other two, a green cell means that it performs better than the other two, and a yellow cell means it falls between the other two. In cases where two cameras share a superior capability, both cells will be colored green.

 

NikonD3X vs other Full Frame "Pro" DSLRs
Manufacturer
Canon
Nikon
Sony
Model
EOS 1Ds Mark III
D3X
DSLR-A900
Imaging
System
Sensor Manufacturer
Canon
Nikon design
fabricated by Sony
Sony
Sensor Type
CMOS
CMOS
CMOS
Color Filter Array
RGB
RGB
RGB
Total Megapixels
21.9
25.7
25.7
Effective Megapixels
21.1
24.5
24.6
Effective Sensor Size (mm)
36.0 x 24.0
35.9 x 24.0
35.9 x 24.0
Pixel Pitch (µm)
6.4
5.94
5.94
Focal Length Multiplier (approx.)
1.0x
1.0x
1.0x
Image Processor
Dual Digic III
EXPEED
Dual BOINZ
Viewfinder
Type
Eye-level pentaprism
Eye-level pentaprism
Eye-level pentaprism
Coverage
100%
100%
100%
Magnification (-1 diopter with 50mm lens at infinity)
0.76x
0.74x
0.74x
Eyepoint (mm)
20
18
20
Dioptric Adjustment Range (diopters)
-3.0 to +1.0
-3.0 to +1.0
-3.0 to +1.0
Focusing Screen
Interchangeable,
(11 types, sold separately), Standard focusing screen: Ec-C IV
Interchangeable,
Type B BriteView Clear Matte VI provided
Interchangeable,
Spherical Acute Matte focusing screen (type G) provided, Type L (grid) and Type M (super-spherical acute matte) available
Built-in Eyepiece Shutter
Yes Yes Yes
Viewfinder
Info Display
AF (AF points, focus confirmation light, point selection mode, registration), Exposure (metering mode, spot metering area, shutter speed, aperture, manual exposure, AE lock, ISO speed, exposure level, exposure warning), Flash (flash ready, high-speed sync, FE lock, flash exposure level), Image (JPEG recording, RAW recording, shots remaining, maximum burst, white balance correction, memory card information), battery check
AF (AF points, focus confirmation, focus range-finder), Exposure (exposure mode, shutter speed, shutter speed lock, aperture, aperture lock, aperture stop, ISO speed, Auto ISO, AE lock, exposure level, center-weighted metering circle, metering mode), Flash information (flash ready, flash exposure compensation, flash sync, FV lock), Image information (maximum burst, space on card, white balance recording), battery status, tilt indicator
AF (AF points, focus confirmation, manual focus), 16:9 area, APS-C crop area, Exposure (shutter speed, aperture, aperture, EV scale, AE lock, exposure level, spot metering circle), Flash information (flash ready, flash exposure compensation, wireless flash, high-speed sync), Image information (maximum burst, shake warning, SteadyShot level, aspect ratio
Depth of Field Preview
Enabled with depth-of-field preview button
Enabled with depth-of-field preview button
Enabled with depth-of-field preview button
Recording
System
Recording Media / Slot Type
Dual Type I and II
CF cards
UDMA-compliant supported; (USB v.2.0 hard drive, via optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E4A)
Dual Type I and II CF cards
UDMA-compliant supported
Wireless Transmitter WT-4A supported
CF Card (Type I and II, UDMA-compliant CF cards supported )
and Memory Stick Duo slot
Compatible File System
FAT 16 / FAT 32
FAT 16 / FAT 32
FAT 16 / FAT 32
Recording Formats
RAW, sRAW, (CR2), JPEG
RAW 12-bit or 14-bit (uncompressed, lossless compressed or compressed NEF), TIFF (32-bit), JPEG
RAW, cRAW (ARW), JPEG
A/D conversion
14-bit
14-bit
12-bit
Dynamic Range Optimization Modes
Yes
(Highlight Tone Priority,
on/off)
Yes
(Advanced D-Lighting,
5 settings plus off)
Yes
(D-Range Optimization,
7 settings plus off)
Maximum Resolution
5,616 x 3,744

6,048 x 4,032

6,048 x 4,032
Reduced Resolutions (JPEG only)
4,992 x 3,328
4,080 x 2,720
2,784 x 1,856

4,544 x 3,024
3,024 x 2,016

5:4 format (30 x 24):
5,056 x 4,032
3,792 x 3,024
2,528 x 2,016

DX format (24 x 16):
3,968 x 2,640
2,976 x 1,976
1,984 x 1,320

4,400 x 2,936
3,024 x 2,016

16:9:
6,048 x 3,408
4,400 x 2,472
3,024 x 1,704

APS-C:
3,924 x 2,656
2,896 x 1,928
1,984 x 1,320

RAW + JPEG Recording
Yes, selectable JPEG resolution / compression
Yes, selectable JPEG resolution / compression
Yes, selectable JPEG resolution / compression
Processing Parameters,
Color Space
&
White Balance
User-Selectable Color Space
Yes
sRGB + Adobe RGB
Yes
sRGB + Adobe RGB
Yes
sRGB + Adobe RGB
WB settings
Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, five Custom WB settings (1-5), user-set Color Temperature, five Personal White Balance PC-1 to PC-5
Auto, Direct Sunlight, Cloudy, Shade, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature setting
Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash, 3 Custom, Color Temperature setting
Manual Color Temperature Setting Range
2,500 ~ 10,000K
2,500 ~ 10,000K
2,500 ~ 9,900K
WB Adjustment Range
Blue/Amber and/or Magenta/Green bias
±9 steps
Blue/Amber and/or Magenta/Green bias
±6 steps
5 mireds per step
Blue/Amber and/or Magenta/Green bias
±9 steps
Adjustable High ISO NR (levels)
Yes,
(on/off)
Yes
(3, plus off)
Yes
(3, plus off)
Phase
Detection
Autofocus
System
Type
TTL-AREA-SIR
AF-dedicated CMOS sensor
TTL phase detection by Nikon Multi-CAM3500FX autofocus module
TTL phase detection by CCD line sensors
# of Focusing Points (Focusing Point Type)
45-point (19 high-precision cross-type AF points plus 26 Assist AF points)
51-point (15 cross-type, 36 line-type)
9-point (1 center dual cross-type, 8 line-type, plus 10 line-type assist AF points)
Superimposed Focus Point Display
Yes
Yes
Yes
AF Working Range
EV -1 ~ 18
EV -1 ~ 19
EV 0 ~ 18
AF-assist Beam
None. Emitted by EX-series Speedlite or optional ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter
None. Emitted by Speedlight or commander
Yes
Bright LED
AF Servo Modes
Auto, One-Shot AF, Predictive AI Servo AF, AI Focus AF, Manual Focus (MF)
Single (S), Continuous (C), Manual Focus (M)
Single (AF-S), Auto (AF-A), Continuous (AF-C), Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Manual Focus (MF)
AF Area Modes
Single point (19 points, 9 inner points, 9 outer points), Auto area
Single point, Auto area, Dynamic area (9-points, 21-points, 51-points, or 51-points with 3D-tracking)
Wide, Spot, Local (9 local focus areas selectable)
Focus Tracking
Focus tracking automatically activated by subject status in AI Focus or AI Servo mode
Focus tracking automatically activated by subject status
Focus tracking automatically activated by subject status
Exposure
Control
Shooting Modes
Program AE (shiftable), Shutter speed-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual
Program AE (shiftable), Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual mode
Auto, Program AE (shiftable), Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual mode, 3 Custom settings
Metering Zones
63
1,005
40
Metering Modes
Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points), Partial metering (approx. 8.5%), Spot metering (approx. 2.4%; center, AF point or 8 multi-spot), Center-weighted average
3D Color Matrix Metering II; Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 8, 12, 15, or 20mm dia. circle in center of frame, or average of the entire frame; Spot: Meters 4mm dia. circle (about 1.5% of frame) centered on active focus area
Multi-segment, Center-weighted average, Spot
Metering System Working Range (with 50mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 100)
EV 0 ~ 20
EV 0 ~ 20
EV 2 ~ 20 (Spot metering)
EV 0 ~ 20
EV 2 ~ 20 (Spot metering)
ISO Range / Extended
100 ~ 1600 / 50, 3200
100 ~ 1600 / 50, 6400
200 ~ 3200 / 100, 6400
Exposure Compensation
+/-3 EV in 1/2 or 1/3 EV increments
+/- 5EV in 1/2 or 1/3 EV increments
+/-3 EV in 1/2 or 1/3 EV increments
Automatic Exposure Bracketing
2,3,5 or 7 exposures, +/-3 EV in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps
2 to 9 exposures, +/- 5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV
3 or 5 exposures, +/- 3 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV
Shutter Speeds,
Frame Rate, Shutter Lag
Shutter Type
Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter; rated for 300K actuations
Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter; rated for 300K actuations
Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter; rated for 150K actuations
Shutter Speed Range
1/8000 ~ 30 sec. (1/2 or 1/3EV increments) and bulb
1/8000 ~ 30 sec. (1/2 or 1/3EV increments) and bulb
1/8000 ~ 30 sec. (1/2 or 1/3EV increments) and bulb
Maximum Frames Per Second / Buffer depth
5 fps / 6 large/fine JPEG or 6 RAW frames
5 fps / 44 large/fine JPEG or 24 12-bit RAW frames
(about 1.96 fps in 14-bit RAW mode);
7.03 fps in DX crop mode (2.81 fps in 14-bit RAW DX mode)
5 fps / 11 large/fine JPEG or 13 RAW frames
Shutter lag, full AF (sec.)
0.070
0.161
0.183
Shutter lag, prefocus (sec.)
0.045
0.045
0.072
Flash
Built-in Flash / Guide Number at ISO 100.
No
No
No
Max flash x-sync speed. (sec.)
1/250
1/250
1/250
(1/200 with SteadyShot active)
PC Sync Terminal
Yes
Yes
Yes
Playback
System
LCD Size / Pixel Count
3.0 in. LCD /
230,000 pixels
3.0 in. LCD /
921,600 pixels
3.0 in. LCD /
921,600 pixels
Enlarged Playback / Scroll
Up to 10x / Yes
Up to 27x / Yes
Up to 19x / Yes
LCD Monitor Brightness Adjustment Range
7 steps
7 steps
7 steps
Automatic Rotation for Vertical Shots
Yes
Yes
Yes
Extensive In-camera Image Editing
No
Yes,
Trim, D-Lighting,
Color Balance,
Image Overlay,
Side-by-Side Comparison,
Filter Effects,
Monochrome,
Red-eye correction
No
Other Features
Live View mode
Yes
Manual Focus only
Yes
Phase- and Contrast-detect modes
No
(but has "Intelligent Preview")
Computer Connection
USB 2.0 High-Speed, PTP-compliant
USB 2.0 High-Speed, PTP-compliant
USB 2.0 High-Speed, PTP-compliant
Direct Printing (PictBridge compliant printers)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Menu Languages (US model)
18 (English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese)
15 (Chinese [Simplified and Traditional], Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish)
6 (English, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese)
Camera Default Reset
Yes
Yes
Yes
Custom Functions (Quantity)
Yes (57)
Yes (44)
Yes (16)
Remote Control
Yes, N3-type
Yes, 10-pin terminal
Yes, wired and wireless
Info LCD Panel / Illumination
Yes / Yes (dedicated button)
Yes / Yes (power switch)
Yes / Yes (dedicated button)
Ultrasonic sensor dust-removal function
Yes
No
Yes
Eye-start AF
No
No
No
Anti-Shake
(Sensor shift)
No
No
Yes
Movie Mode
No
No
No
HDMI output
No
Yes
Yes
AF micro- adjustment
Yes,
20 lenses
Yes,
20 lenses
Yes,
30 lenses
Virtual Horizon
No Yes No
C.A. Reduction
No Yes No
Vignette Correction
No Yes No
Body
Construction
Magnesium Alloy
Magnesium Alloy
Magnesium Alloy
Dust and weather resistant
Yes
Yes
Yes
Power System
Battery Compatibility
LP-E4
EN-EL4a, EN-EL4
NP-FM500H,
optional battery grip
CIPA Rated Shooting Capacity at 23°C/73°F
1,800
4,400
880
Dimensions & Weight
Dimensions (WxHxD, mm)
156 x 159.6 x 79.9
159.5 x 157 x 87.5
156 x 117 x 82
Weight (body only)
1205g / 42.5 oz.
1220g / 43 oz.
850g / 30 oz.
Operational
Environment
Operating Temperature Range
0 ~ 40°C / 32 ~ 104°F
0 ~ 40°C / 32 ~ 104°F
0 ~ 40°C / 32 ~ 104°F
Operating Humidity Range
< 85%
< 85%
< 85%
Lens Compatibility
Lens Mount / Compatibility
Canon EF, TS-E, and MP-E lenses (EF-S lenses not supported)
Nikon F-Mount
(FX, DX, AF, AF-S, AI lenses supported)
Sony Alpha / Konica Minolta Maxxum AF
APS-C Crop Mode?
No,
APS-C lenses not supported
Yes Yes,
(metering may not be accurate)
M.S.R.P.
Body only
US$8,000
US$8,000
US$3,000

 

 

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