Nikon D3x

Lens & Sensor

The images below show the range of zoom available with the 24-70mm lens we used for testing.

Zoom Ratio Examples
24.0 mm	45.0 mm	70.0 mm

The D3x has a full-frame, 35mm sensor, measuring 35.9mm x 24.0mm. It has 25.7-million pixels in total, 24.5 effective, putting it beyond the Canon 5D Mark II (21.1-megapixels) and substantially higher than the Nikon D700 (12.1-megapixels), but equivalent to the Sony A900 resolution (24.6-megapixels).

The D3x has no automated dust removal system, but can make use of Dust Off reference photos to eliminate known particles from images using Nikon Capture NX 2 software. First, a reference photo must be taken of a white area, in which dust will show up clearly. Nikon NX 2 can recognize this, and post-process images to remove spots using this information.

Having a 35mm sensor means that the camera’s sensor matches the dimensions of 35mm film, so lenses have their full 35mm perspective, with no crop factor unless you intentionally attach a lens designed for a non-full-frame camera.

Viewfinder (7.00)

The viewfinder offers 0.7x magnification with 100% field of view, which means what you see will exactly match what you get.

The default eyecup for the D3x is very slim, with minimal padding, which is slightly uncomfortable, and bespectacled users may not be huge fans. Of course, there are many alternatives available as optional accessories.

The diopter adjustment for the camera is above and to the right of the viewfinder, and must be partially pulled out from the body to be adjusted, like the dial of a watch. It can be set from -3 to 1 m-1.

Above and to the left of the viewfinder is a small lever that brings down a sliding cover that prevents light leaks that might throw off the meter reading when shooting on a tripod.

The viewfinder with shutter open and closed

Display(s) (10.10)

The D3x has three LCD screens, one full-color 920,000-dot screen, and two monochrome LCDs with basic shooting info, one on the top and a smaller one on the back.

The primary LCD is designed to mirror the look and feel of a monochrome LCD when showing shooting information. Information is displayed as light grey text against a dark gray background, but the colors can be reversed. The screen can be set to seven levels of brightness. It remains off most of the time, but is brought to life with the Info button. The only direct camera control you have via this screen is setting the focus area.

Secondary Display

Both of the monochrome LCDs can be briefly illuminated via the light setting on the on/off switch. Shooting information is split between the two screens, with the bottom handling ISO, image quality, and white balance (with buttons nearby to control each), and the top LCD handling the rest of the readouts.

The top LCD and and rear color LCD both show much of the same information, in an almost identical layout. The only substantive difference is the dark area on the lower 1/4 of the screen, which we explain below.

Connectivity (6.50)

The plugs on the D3x are well protected by thick rubber covers. The USB port has its own separate section, and the camera comes bundled with a little plastic tag for the USB cable that locks it into place, so you won’t knock it loose. The lower section has the DC, AV and HDMI ports. All of the ports are industry standard, which makes replacing lost cables or finding spares a breeze. On the front of the camera are ports for flash sync and a ten-pin remote.

A panoply of ports