Nikon D3x

Speed and Timing

In a race to see which camera can start up the fastest, from “off” to taking the first photo, the D3x takes no prisoners. Averaging a speedy 1/3 second from flicking the switch to tripping the shutter, the Nikon is just about as fast as can accurately be measured by our testing methods.

Nikon states the burst speed at highest resolution for the D3x is five frames per second. In our lab testing, we captured an average of 4.6 frames per second, which isn’t far off.

The D3x has two levels of continuous shutter, high and low, which can be customized to various speeds. When shooting full frame, the high speed mode is limited to five frames per second, but if you’re shooting in DX format, you can take it up to seven. The low speed can be altered between one and four frames per second, depending on your needs.

When shooting in continuous mode the top LCD shows the number of photographs remaining in the buffer, so you know how much longer you can continue at breakneck speed. You can also specify the maximum number of photos taken at a time in continuous mode from one up to 130, so you can limit the quantity of images recorded in one burst.

The self-timer is selected by shifting the release mode dial, and can be set to one of four intervals: 2 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds or 20 seconds.

Focus Speed

As with everything else in this camera, the focusing options offer an in-depth level of control. The D3x has an impressive 51 autofocus points, of which 1, 9, 21 or all 51 can be utilized at a time, for different size focusing areas. When shooting with the full focus-point array you can take advantage of 3D tracking, which is useful for following swiftly moving targets. The autofocus system is rated for a detection range of -1 to 19 EV at ISO 100. You can adjust the brightness of autofocus target illumination, should you need the boost, which is handy under direct bright light, where the standard illumination level might be hard to see.

The autofocus was extremely fast in good illumination, locking on to targets easily. It still focused quickly in our low light tests (20 lux of illumination) but started to really struggle after dark. Street lamps generally provided enough light for it to get a quick fix, but in areas without them, it took significantly longer. Even so, the D3x usually managed to find an appropriate focus eventually, which is good for a camera not designed for low light performance.

The focus modes on the D3x are controlled via a small switch by the lens that toggles between the three settings. On our review unit it felt like there was a non-functioning fourth setting, between continuous and manual modes, which made it difficult to quickly adjust the focus mode. This may have been a problem limited to our particular review unit, though.

The autofocus area can be set to three modes, each with its own options: Single-point, Dynamic-area, and Auto-area.

When shooting with a lens that has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or greater, you can use the Electronic Rangefinder to assist with manual focusing, which shows a small dot on the viewfinder if the subject is in focus. If any lenses are focusing incorrectly, you can fine-tune autofocus for up to 20 different lens types using the AF Fine Tune capability.

As with every other facet of this camera, the level of control is impressive. You can tell the D3x to only take photos if the shot is in focus, and set the delay between a subject falling out of focus and the camera’s attempt to adjust in Continuous focus mode. The idea here is to avoid having the camera attempt to refocus if something briefly crosses the frame.