There is little I can say that will do this camera justice. Simply stated, it's the camera to end all cameras. Being a 20-year experienced amateur photo hound, there isn't anything I would change about this camera. What I like most is the max 1/8000th sec shutter speed and 6400+ ASA/ISO equivalent film speed. You can let the camera do everything....OR....YOU can do EVERYTHING....or anywhere in between. I've had this camera for about a month now, and I've already sold some of my work with it to Cycle Magazine. It's pricey, but if you want complete freedom to do what you want, this is the camera to have. Combine the selection of lenses with the available accessories, there is literally NOTHING you CAN'T do!!!

Used my D3 for 8 months now and couldn't be happier. This camera is an amazing piece of technology.

Bought my first film camera, Canon F-1 in 1985, shot thousands of pics on film and slide. Four years ago I bought my first DSLR, Fuji S7000, shot thousands of pics with it. Then I made the giant leap to Nikon D3. WOW! This camera is in a league all its own.

Performs even better than expected. The array of custom settings boggles the mind. After shooting over a thousand images I'm still learning about its potential.

Perhaps the most useful function to me is the ability to shoot in low ambient light without flash by setting the ISO to 6400. Unbelievable images with little perceptable noise. Full-frame composition is also important to me. White balance control, especially the preset function, is a godsend.

All the controls are well placed and within easy reach, even for a person like me with medium-sized hands. The body with any fast f/2.8 lens attached has presence and heft. Ergonomics are very comfortable. I can shoot all day without stress or fatigue. A neoprene neck strap vs the supplied strap helps alot.

The software is useful, and mine came with Corel Paint Pro 9, a very good image editor.

I could go on and on about all the marvelous attributes this DSLR has to offer, but let me just say this... until Nikon produces another DSLR with any significant improvements over the D3 this is probably my last camera purchase. If you can afford the body, a couple fast prime lenses and a zoom, then you'll thank yourself over and over, well after the CC is paid off. Nuff said.

I won't post any techincal details on this camera, since others have done so. I purchased my D3 along with a D700. So far both performs exceptionally well and one compliments each other as a perfect pair. I had a Mark III and 5D as a pair before and decided to make the jump to Nikon after testing a D3 earlier this year. Don't get me wrong 5D is still one of my favorite cameras. But its long overdue for some updates.

Only suggestion to Nikon is to have a self cleaning sensor to the camera. D700 is a newer camers so it comes with it. I am sure the next generation D3's will address this issue. But the camera is weather sealed from elements and is durable. If you change lens more often outdoors, you may see some dust formation.

But all in all I am in agreement with other reviewers here.

Nikon D3 FX 12.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) - includes Mack 3-Year Diamond Warranty The D3 is a solid built, on the heavy side, intuitive camera. I prefer the heavy feel, I disliked the light plastic, cheap feel of so many of the cheaper SLR's. I owned the Minolta 7D before which is a very good camera, but can't compare to the D3. I was told the D3 was such a complex camera from a friend that read a review, that you couldn't just take it out of the box and take pictures. I disagree. If you can charge a battery, and read the quick start section, this camera can take good pictures almost by itself. Your only task is to read the quick start, which makes sure some of the buttons, default, have not been moved. You point and push a button, if all the buttons, and little switches have not been moved you take a good shot. I know my experience with the Minolta helped but I was taking pictures within 10 to 15 minutes. A complete novice would have to take more time. I understood many of the control dials and settings and loved the positioning and feel of the controls. To take what I hope is great shots, will take more time and effort, this camera can do so many things. I couldn't believe that when using an ISO setting of 3200 you could see the object and as clear as you can see it. The shutter lag to me compared to my film camera is none existent, could'nt tell the difference. Couple this camera with the famous renouned Nikon lenses and you have in my opinion an unbeatable combination. I know Nikon will probably come out in a few years with a camera of same caliper with more pixel count. My only wish is that the D3 had a few more pixel count but I don't know why. I think I have been brian washed with pixels, because when I print the pictures on my wide EpsonEpson Stylus Pro 4800 Color Inkjet Printer the results are amazing. I would highly recommend this camera to those that are Pro's or like me a serious want to be Pro who has been taking pictures for almost 50 of my 58 years.

What can one say about this great camera that hasn't already been said?

Well I think it's the sexiest thing that Nikon has done since the F2 (with of course photomic head :-) ), and I had one of those back in the day. Indeed as an experiment I put an old f1.8 50 mm lens from around 1972 that used to be on that F2 from time to time onto the D3, told the D3 its focal length and max aperture, and it worked perfectly! Focusing it was even easier! Finally I can use all my old 35mm Nikkors and DX lenses as well as new ones (eat your heart out Canon :-) ).

A great camera.

Yes, it's expensive. Yes it's heavy. Yes, it's unbelievable! If you make your living as a photographer this is the camera for you. You can get a very good image in almost total darkness! The images that you get with this camera are fantastic. If you can't afford the five grand, get the D300, it's almost the same camera at less then half the price. I know I own both, and use both. As great as the D300 is, the D3 is even more so. It's like driving a Mercedes Benz as opposed to a Bentley! If you want all the technical reviews and specs go to the Nikon web site. I am a professional photographer and make my living with a camera. I have it pressed to my face all day long. The D3 makes my day easier. I use the D300 as my back up camera. Cannon has finally been out classed by Nikon. What took Nikon so long?

I rarely see anyone mention one important benefit of the D3 as compared to the D300: the ability to easily record audio .wav file memos at the push of a button. For anyone who would like a quick and easy way to include a note to go along with a photo that's just been shot (for example, the name and title of the person being photographed), or perhaps record some audio to go along with the subject of the photos (like the music from a carousel being shot), this neat feature can't be beat. I first had it on my D100, thanks to the optional base that also doubles the battery capacity. The optional base for the D200 and D300 do not have that audio recording capability, so that omission was a significant factor in my decision to buy a D2X instead when I was ready for a better camera than my D100. As they say, "try it, you'll like it." I still use my D100 and D2X when I don't want to change lenses in the field, but the D3 is way better. The low light capability is incredible and the "Live View" feature is great when I need to hold my camera over people's heads and still be able to see what I'm about to shoot. I can't wait to see what Nikon brings out to replace the D3! One thing I would like Nikon to do is bring out an equivalent to Tamron's very useful 28-300mm, non-DX compact zoom lens (so yes, it works well with the D3). When I have to travel light, that lens just can't be beat. I've been happily using it since I bought it back when I only had my D100 and needed to stick to a tight budget. The story I keep getting from Nikon vendors and reps alike is that if Nikon made it, it would be way too expensive. Really? Since when did price stop people from buying Nikon lenses? Maybe if enough people ask for it Nikon will eventually make it...

Own a D200, just got my D3. Can't help but wonder why it took Nikon so long. Well, maybe not, Nikon did this one right. This camera [...]. It has all the goodies and delivers on que exactly what you see. Great investment; it will use my FX lenses along with my DX lenses. So I didn't waste my money on the DX camera and lenses. GO NIKON !!!!!

It's about time Nikon got its act together to deliver a high speed, high ISO, full-frame camera. I had semi-switched to Canon with the purchase of the EOS 1D Mark III. Despite reports over focusing issues, I haven't had any real problems with it. The frame rate and high ISO on it is phenomenal. Anyhow, the D3's 9-fps at full frame, impressive high ISO, and a wealth of other features on it were enough to lure me and my wallet back to the Nikon camp. After some comparison test shots at different high ISO settings on the D3, D2Xs, and Mark III, I have to say that the D3's noise level is as good, maybe even a tad bit better than the Mark III. The D2Xs was a very distant third, clearly unacceptable at ISO 1600. Also, the D3's auto white balance appears to be more accurate than the Mark III. I haven't had extensive use of the D3 yet, but so far, it performs as good as Canon's best offering in terms of speed and noise level.

8/27/08 - After having used it for 7+ months, the D3 is better than the Mark III in just about every aspect - focusing, color, white-balance, low noise, ergonomics. But the only thing I haven't gotten down is flash exposure with the SB-800. The flash tends to overexpose, unlike the D2Xs which had almost perfect exposure every time.

The three major factors that, for me, make this camera (2 of them apply to the D300) so incredible are . . . well, the full frame sensor (finally), the outstanding low-noise/high ISO performance . . . and the extraordinary color! The photographer has a greater deal of control over color than ever before and the results are stunning (use Picture Control). And noise (the digital equivalent of film grain) is at least a 2-stop improvement over the previous D2x. Actually, it's probably 3 stops, but say 2 to be conservative. Believe it or not, ISO 6400 is actually usable! (The D300 is one stop less)

While those features were the most compelling ones in my view, there are plenty of others that are a big plus, such as:

~ 9 frames per second

~ 51 point AF

~ Live View

~ 12mp CMOS sensor, self-cleaning on D300

~ A new 3" LCD--about 4x the resolution as previous LCDs.

The list goes on, but you should read the tech specs and professional reviews. Suffice it to say it is loaded with features and handles like an absolute dream!

Compared to Canon's $8000 professional models, this camera has a very clear advantage. Sure you lose some megapixels compared to the MarkIII, but that's not so important for the majority of (but not all) photographers.

Another thought . . . while this is a good deal at $4999 compared to Canon, you can get almost the same camera for $1799, with the D300. If you don't need a full frame . . . or the extra 1-stop high ISO, the D300 offers about 90 - 95% of the features and performance of the D3 for 40% of the price! If you want to get the best possible picture quality for the lowest possible price, consider the D300 and put the difference ($3200) on some of Nikon's great new professional lenses.

As of this January 2008 writing, this is listed on Amazon at $6399 through Cameta Camera. PLEASE DON'T buy at this price and allow yourself to be exploited by the backorder situation. Instead, pre-paying $4999 for it at your local camera store puts you ahead of everyone else on the waitlist who merely put down deposits on it. Or wait until it comes down here on Amazon. Again, $4999! That's the price. There is no need to pay an extra $1400 "sucker fee" for it just to have it a few weeks or maybe a month or two earlier. You survived until now without the D3, so you can make it a little longer--just don't pay more than retail. $4999! $4999. $4999. Get the point? :-)

Post Script, April 16, 2008:

I notice this is now being sold by 17th Street Photo, who I've not done business with, but at least they are charging the *correct* price of $4999. First it was a $1400 markup, then $500, and it's good to see the price gouging attempts appear to be dying down.

Post Script #2, November 2, 2008:

How times change--the gouging is gone, and so are the backorders. The price has dropped below $4500 I see. My opinion on this camera remains unchanged in the 11 months since I first got my hands on it, and it's as excellent as it ever was, but now, with the introduction of the D700, I would have a hard time spending the approximately $4300 it now sells for, when the D700 is selling for $2699. The D3 is better built, and shoots 9 fps vs the D700's 8 fps with battery pack, but I don't see it being worth the added $1600 cost unless you're a professional who shoots every day.