But the biggest evolutionary step for the Nikon DSLR family is that the D3 is the first Nikon DSLR to incorporate a full-frame 35-millimetre format sensor.

Nikon has coined the term “FX format” to distinguish it from its APS-C-sized brethren, which it dubs as “DX format”. The FX format is basically a full-frame sensor, meaning that no crop factor is involved when using 35mm-equivalent lenses.

Low lighting and high ISO typically means poor image quality due to digital noise and has always been the bane of digital photography, but by employing a full-frame sensor over an APS-C-sized sensor, each pixel within the sensor can be made larger and so capture more light. And more light means more of the good stuff such as colour and detail and less of the bad stuff such as digital noise. The D3 teaches you to unlearn what you have come to know about the hazards of cranking up the ISO dial and take a leap of faith into the world of low-noise, high-ISO photography, which will redefine the way you shoot in the process.

For the review, I had the D3 set at Auto ISO with a maximum value of ISO 6400, auto-white balance and aperture priority at f/2.8, and specified a speed no slower than 1/30th of a second. Then all I did was just click away and the D3 took care of the rest while the SB-800 flash sat in my camera bag most of the time since there wasn’t a need for it even under typical indoor low-lighting conditions.

Long exposures that typically took minutes at low ISO settings can now be done at ISO 6400 at two seconds, without the tell-tale digital noise. I never thought that I would write this, but the D3 is taking the joy of waiting out of long-exposure photography!

The D3 also comes with Live View mode, which allows you to frame your shot through the LCD, but unless you are composing an off-angle shot or doing still photography, bear in mind that Live View mode is slow and often cumbersome compared to the regular viewfinder.

If you are upgrading from the DX format, you don’t necessary have to throw out your favourite DX lenses, as the D3 is able to use lenses from the DX line without having your pictures turn out like the ending of a Looney Toons show. The D3 does this by automatically “cropping” down the full frame to the two-thirds-sized DX format. You do lose out on pixel counts, as the DX mode only uses the centre 5.1 megapixels of the sensor. As a consolation, your maximum burst frame rate jumps up to 11fps.

The only thing I didn’t like about the D3 is the Multi-CAM 3500FX AF module, with its 51-point auto-focus. While the D3 does seem to have some form of built-in face recognition, in reality, no camera can read your mind and know what you would like to focus on. So, forget about the fancy 51-point auto-focus and use the classic 11-point auto-focus.

Assuming that you have kept your old Nikkors in pristine, mold-free condition, nothing can stop you from using them with the D3, and frankly, some of the older Nikkors such as the 50mm f/1.8D remain as among the few sharp standard lenses that come to mind.

Out of curiosity, I tested the D3 with a Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 lens harking back to the late 1970s. The D3 focused and shot normally, but due to the condition of the lens, image quality suffered a fair bit.

If you have never experienced a single-digit Nikon DSLR, the D3, with its dynamic range, fast 9fps and extremely low-noise ISO performance, is simply a step above everything else that you have used. While it is as good as digital photography gets by today’s standards, there’s still room for improvement. The old hands in the game will say it’s the 12 inches behind the camera that’s important, but personally, I think it’s the

12 inches in front of the photographer that ensures whether you get a great shot or miss the shot all together.

Right balance

In true Nikon fashion, a new camera always means new lenses, and with the launch of the D3, the company has also launched the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, making it the natural “kit lens” of choice for the D3.

The Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED is made up of 15 elements in 11 groups with one Nano Crystal coating that prevents internal reflection otherwise known as ghosting when light bounces off the digital sensor. The new lens has an internal focusing mechanism much like the Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G DX lens with the internal tube at its shortest length at 50mm and longest at 24mm.

Like most high-end Nikkor lenses, the 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens is built like a tank and features the same rubber skirting around the lens mount, which should offer some form of protection against the elements when used outdoors. It comes with a 77mm thread size and yields a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range. My only grudge is the length of the lens is rather long for such a short focal length. But Nikon was wise enough to leave vibration reduction out.

On an FX body, the 24-70mm f/2.8G ED yields a usable 24mm wide angle with an appropriate 70mm focal length at the maximum zoom length and makes for a sharp and bright standard lens. On a DX body, that will work out to a weird focal length of about 36mm to 105mm.

Personally, it would have been nice if there is a bit more at the zoom with the 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, but like most constant aperture standard lenses, there’s always a compromise. And weighing in at 900 grams, it isn’t exactly a light standard lens, but it provides just the right balance when used with the D3.