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Nikon D3 vs Nikon D3X

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Nikon D3

12 MP | Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D3
$5450.00

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Nikon D3X

25 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D3X
$2999.99

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Nikon D3 vs Nikon D3X Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing D3 and D3X, two Pro DSLR cameras by Nikon. Nikon D3 was introduced to market in April 2008 and Nikon D3X was launched in February 2009. There is 14 months difference between D3 and D3X so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger D3X, especially in sensor tech.

Both cameras have Full frame sensors but Nikon D3 has a 12.0 MP and Nikon D3X has a 25.0 MP resolution.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2008-04-18
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 6400 ( expands to 100-25600)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 11 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 1300g. 160 x 157 x 88 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Nikon D3X Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-02-19
  • 25MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 1600 ( expands to 50-6400)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 1260g. 160 x 157 x 88 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D2Xs Compare

Nikon D3 was replaced by Nikon D3S. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D3S vs Nikon D3
Nikon D3S vs Nikon D3X

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D3 over Nikon D3X
Max ISO 6.400 vs 1.600 300% higher Max ISO
Continuous Shooting 11.0fps vs 5.0fps 6 fps faster
Low Light ISO 2290 vs 1992 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area 71.40µm2 vs 35.33µm2 102% larger pixel area
Reasons to choose Nikon D3X over Nikon D3
Max Sensor Resolution 25 MP vs 12 MP 108% more pixels
Battery Life 4400 shots vs 4300 shots 100 more frames with a single charge
Weight 1260 g vs 1300 g 40 g lighter
Color Depth 24.7 vs 23.5 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 13.7 vs 12.2 higher dynamic range
AE Bracketing Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Strengths of Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
LCD Screen Resolution 922k dots vs 920k dots Higher resolution screens
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
Top LCD Display Yes vs Yes Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune) Yes vs Yes Adjust each lens for accurate focusing
Shutter Life Expectancy 300000 cycles vs 300000 cycles High Shutter Rating
Storage Slot 2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X
Image Stabilization No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Articulating Screen No vs No No flexible viewing angles
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Nikon D3 vs Nikon D3X: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X. In this case, we can see that Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X have the exact same height, width and thickness.

Nikon D3 vs Nikon D3X Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X.


Nikon D3 vs Nikon D3X Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D3X is 40g lighter than the Nikon D3 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D3
D3X
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D3
D3X
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both D3 and D3X have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don\'t tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon D3 vs Nikon D3X: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D3 has a 12.0MP Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor. On the other hand, Nikon D3X has a 25.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor.

Nikon D3X's sensor provides 13MP more than Nikon D3's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the D3 and D3X sensor size comparison.

Nikon D3 vs Nikon D3X Sensor Size Comparison


Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D3X has a better overall score of 88, 7 points higher compared to D3's score of 81.

What types of Photography are Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon D3 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon D3X for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 25.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D3X for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon D3 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D3X for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
Good Battery Life: 4300 shots
Good Low Light ISO
No Image Stabilization
Focus Points
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
51 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 4400 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D3X for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1300g
Body Thickness 88mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1260g
Body Thickness 88mm
Read the details

Nikon D3 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D3X for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (36 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 25.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Nikon D3X vs Nikon D3 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. In this case, both Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X have the same Nikon F lens mount so have 304 native lenses available. But be careful that only 223 of these lenses can cover the full frame sensors of these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 101 lenses with Image stabilization for Nikon F mount.

Lens Type # of Nikon D3 Lenses # of Nikon D3X Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 (17 Full Frame) 33 (17 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 20 (17 Full Frame) 20 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 33 (17 Full Frame) 33 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 47 (45 Full Frame) 47 (45 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 53 (43 Full Frame) 53 (43 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 43 (42 Full Frame) 43 (42 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 30 (6 Full Frame) 30 (6 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 (3 Full Frame) 8 (3 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 25 (22 Full Frame) 25 (22 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 11 (11 Full Frame) 11 (11 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 (0 Full Frame) 1 (0 Full Frame)
TOTAL 304 (223 Full Frame) 304 (223 Full Frame)
Nikon D3 vs Nikon D3X: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D3 and Nikon D3X scores compare:

Nikon D3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #9 out of 16 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #238 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Nikon D3X
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #6 out of 16 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #215 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Nikon D3X scores higher than the Nikon D3 thanks to its better general imaging quality, compact size and higher value for the money. On the other hand, Nikon D3 has some extra features which may become a game changer if you have some specific requirements.
We recommend you to read our detailed Pro's and Con's section and see if any Pro of Nikon D3 is a must-have for you. If not, choose the Nikon D3X.

Nikon D3
Nikon D3
$5450.00

Nikon D3X
Nikon D3X
$2999.99

Nikon D3X vs Nikon D3 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D3 Nikon D3X
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2008-04-18 2009-02-19
Body Type Large SLR Large SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 36 x 23.9 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 860.40mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 25 megapixels
Max Resolution 4256 x 2832 6048 x 4032
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 1,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO 6400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 100 ISO 50 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points n/a 51
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 304 304
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 922k dots 920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.7 0.7
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 11.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution None None
Video Formats n/a n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 1300g 1260g
Dimensions 160 x 157 x 88mm 160 x 157 x 88mm
Battery Life 4300 shots 4400 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 81 88
DxO Color Depth 23.5 24.7
DxO Dynamic Range 12.2 13.7
DxO Low Light ISO 2290 1992
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