User manual NIKON D3X DATASHEET

[. . . ] With the D3X, the world is your studio. Nikon FX-format CMOS image sensor with 24. 5 effective megapixels l Exceptional noise control from ISO 100 to ISO 1600 Near-instantaneous shutter release time lag of approx. 0. 04 seconds (based on CIPA Guideline)* l 5-frames-per-second continuous shooting in FX format and 7 fps in DX crop mode (up to 130 frames)* l 51-point Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus system l Scene Recognition System for more accurate AF, AE, and AWB results l Active D-Lighting for complete control over highlight and shadow detail l Picture Control: Standard, Vivid, Neutral and Monochrome (Landscape, Portrait and D2X Modes I, II and III are available free via download) l Live View mode for shooting handheld and with a tripod l Highresolution (approx. 920k dots), 3-inch VGA-size LCD monitor with tempered glass l Durable, lightweight magnesium-alloy construction and comprehensive weather sealing against dust and moisture l Intelligent power management that lets you shoot up to approx. 4, 400 frames on a single battery charge (based on CIPA Guideline)** l Compatibility with the Nikon Total Imaging System *12-bit A/D conversion mode **Using EN-EL4a lithium-ion battery at Single-frame [S] mode 19 18 EXQUISITE DETAILS The sensor's 24. 5 megapixels are only the beginning. [. . . ] The Nikon Total Imaging System, backed up by the Nikon Professional Services (NPS)* network is there to help you realize your vision, or even stimulate new ones. Compatible with the extensive NIKKOR lens range, including fisheye, ultra-wide angle, zoom, telephoto, super-telephoto, micro and PC lenses Nano-crystal coating on NIKKOR lenses for spectacular clarity, as well as minimized ghost and flare effects during harsh lighting l NIKKOR Vibration Reduction to effectively compensate for blur caused by camera shake l The industry-leading Nikon Creative Lighting System, including portable and versatile Nikon Speedlights l Wireless Transmission, GPS input, HDMI output interfaces l A comprehensive suite of workflow software to manage, edit, control and authenticate your important files l l *These services are for NPS members. 24 25 D3X: On Assignment Four of the world's top professional photographers worked with the D3X on a variety of assignments. For studio shooting, the D3X's resolution is amazing, rivaling digital medium­format camera offerings. Tonal gradation is very smooth and even, and the color rendering is perfect for fashion and beauty. It is always thrilling for me to see the range of colors in my mind realized in the final result, and the D3X did exactly that. The beautiful tonal gradation allowed me to experiment freely in difficult light without worr ying about losing detail in the brightest and darkest areas. As I shot that day, I realized that with this D3X, the challenges of harsh contrast, backlighting and sudden lighting and weather changes that once made location shooting difficult for fashion photographers are now diminished significantly. The fast autofocus and incredible frame rate also gave me the chance to catch the perfect moment in ways that a mediumformat camera could not. One of the biggest advantages, however, is the incredible versatility in every kind of weather. Even when shooting in the rain, the D3X's brilliant autofocus wa s a l ways sharp and precise, and the camera's agility and rugged build made it much easier to handle than a medium-format camera. No matter what the conditions were ­ hot sun, strong wind or even hard rain ­ the Nikon D3X performed! Studio work is a game of millimeters: the slightest move can dramatically change an image and ruin what you have envisioned. The D3X gives me the mobility of a 35mm D-SLR, which opens up completely new oppor tunities for photographers in my line of work. Without being restrained by a camera stand, commercial and product photographers can now handhold the camera to freely seek an ideal perspective. This can save hours of setup time, as mediumformat stands and accessories are cumbersome and require numerous tedious adjustments. For me, however, the biggest surprise of the D3X was the image quality. As a studio still life photographer making my living with expensive medium-format digital equipment, I was skeptical a b o u t w h a t a ny D - S L R c o u l d deliver. At the beginning, I was certain that the D3X images would be vastly inferior to the medium format. The price difference alone between these two systems should be enough to explain the quality difference, I thought. It did not take long to discover that my presumptions were completely wrong. The image quality of the D3X is far better than I anticipated; it would not be an exaggeration to say it was fifty times better than my expectations. [. . . ] Excluding AF-Nikkor lenses for F3AF 1) TTL flash control with 1, 005-pixel RGB sensor; i-TTL balanced fill-flash and standard i-TTL fill-flash available with SB-900, 800, 600 or 400 2) Auto aperture (AA): Available with SB-900, 800 and CPU lens 3) Non-TTL auto (A): Available with SB-900, 800, 28, 27 or 22s 4) Range-priority manual (GN): Available with SB-900, and 800 Flash Sync Modes 1) Front-curtain sync (normal), 2) Slow sync, 3) Rear-curtain sync, 4) Red-eye reduction, 5) Red-eye reduction with slow sync Flash-ready Indicator Lights when Speedlight such as SB-900, SB-800, SB-600, SB-400, SB-80DX, SB-28DX, or SB-50DX is fully charged; blinks after flash is fired at full output Accessory Shoe ISO 518 hot shoe with sync and data contacts, and safety lock Sync Terminal ISO 519 sync terminal with locking thread Nikon Creative Lighting With Speedlights such as SB-900, SB-800, SB-600, SB-R200, SU-800 (commander only), System (CLS) supports Advanced Wireless Lighting, Auto FP High-Speed Sync, Flash Color Information Communication, modeling flash and FV lock · Auto (TTL white balance with main image sensor and 1, 005-pixel RGB sensor); · Seven manual modes can be preset with fine-tuning; color temperature setting; white balance bracketing: 2 to 9 exposures in increments of 1, 2 or 3 Handheld mode: TTL phase-detection AF with 51 focus areas (15 cross-type sensors) Tripod mode: Contrast-detect AF on a desired point within a specific area 3-in. , approx. 920k-dot (VGA), 170-degree wide-viewing-angle, 100% frame coverage, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment Full-frame and thumbnail (4 or 9 images) playback with playback zoom, slide show, histogram display, highlight display, auto image rotation, image comment (up to 36 characters), and voice memo input and playback Viewfinder Viewfinder Diopter Adjustment Eyepoint Focusing Screen Frame Coverage White Balance White Balance Live View Modes Monitor LCD Monitor Playback Playback Function Lens Compatible Lenses*1 Interface USB Video Output Hi-Speed USB NTSC or PAL; simultaneous playback from both the video output and on the LCD monitor available HDMI Output Type A connector is provided as HDMI output terminal; simultaneous playback from both the HDMI output terminal and on the LCD monitor not available 10-pin Remote Terminal Can be used to connect optional remote control, GPS Unit GP-1, or GPS device compliant with NMEA 0183 version 2. 01 and 3. 01 (requires optional GPS Adapter Cord MC-35 and cable with D-sub 9-pin connector) Shutter Type Speed Flash Sync Speed Release Release Modes Frame Advance Rate Self-timer Exposure Metering Metering System Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter 1/8, 000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV; Bulb X = 1/250 s; flash synchronization at up to 1/250 s 1) Single-frame [S] mode, 2) Continuous Low-speed [CL] mode, 3) Continuous High-speed [CH] mode, 4) Live View [LV] mode, 5) Self-timer [ ] mode, 6) Mirror-up [Mup] mode · DX format (24 x 16): Up to 5 fps (CL) or 5 to 7 fps (CH) · Other image areas: Up to 5 fps Electronically controlled timer with duration of 2, 5, 10 or 20 s Supported Languages Supported Languages Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish Power Source Battery AC Adapter Tripod Socket Tripod Socket Dimensions/Weight Dimensions (W x H x D) Weight Operating Environment Temperature Humidity Accessories Supplied Accessories* One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL4a/EL4, Quick Charger MH-22/MH-21 AC Adapter EH-6 (optional) 1/4 in. without battery, memory card, body cap or accessory shoe cover 0-40°C/32-104°F Under 85% (no condensation) Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL4a, Quick Charger MH-22, USB Cable UC-E4, Audio Video Cable EG-D2, Camera Strap AN-D3X, Body Cap BF-1A, Accessory Shoe Cover BS-2, Eyepiece DK-17, Battery Chamber Cover BL-4, USB Cable Clip, Software Suite CD-ROM *Supplied accessories may differ depending on country or area TTL full-aperture exposure metering using 1, 005-pixel RGB sensor 1) 3D Color Matrix Metering II (type G and D lenses); Color Matrix Metering II (other CPU lenses); Color Matrix Metering (non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data) 2) Center-Weighted: Weight of 75% given to 12-mm circle in center of frame, diameter of circle can be changed to 8, 15 or 20 mm, or weighting can be based on average of entire frame (non-CPU lenses use 12-mm circle or average of entire frame) 3) Spot: Meters 4-mm circle (about 1. 5% of frame) centered on selected focus point (on center focus point when non-CPU lens is used) Metering Range 1) 0 to 20 EV (Matrix or Center-Weighted Metering), 2) 2 to 20 EV (Spot Metering) (ISO 100 equivalent, f/1. 4 lens, at 20°C/68°F) Exposure Meter Coupling Combined CPU and AI Exposure Modes 1) Programmed Auto (P) with flexible program, 2) Shutter-Priority Auto (S), 3) AperturePriority Auto (A), 4) Manual (M) Exposure Compensation ±5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV Exposure Lock Exposure locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button Exposure Bracketing Exposure and/or flash bracketing (2 to 9 exposures in increments of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV) Sensitivity ISO 100 to 1600 in steps of 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV; can be set to approx. 0. 3, 0. 5, 0. 7, or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) below ISO 100, or to approx. 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