Nikon D3s

[pam.meier]

So, the brown truck stopped by and dropped my D3s.
As I´ve used a D3 for 3 years now I´m eager to see how it holds up to the myth.

I put it to ISO 12800 and clicked a few frames near the rat cage. I frequently photograph my pets in near darkness, as they love to hide away.
Here is one at ISO 12800 which I even brightened up in Photoshop:

[AnikRoland]

Dear Mme Meier,

Thank you very much for your D3s purchase at my shop.
- Stany told me that you are a high profile professional photographer and Photoshop instructor which made this sale both a pleasure and a honour.
- Someone working here saw your rat picture and is interested to have access to the original raw file. Is that possible? I am sure Stany can host the file on his server.
- I am interested to read your findings about this professional camera.

Thanks in advance and kindest regards,
Anik.

[pam.meier]

Hallo Anik,
I uploaded the RAW file here:
https://files.me.com/bloomoosey/ecj5bj

Here is one which is sharper:
https://files.me.com/bloomoosey/qzocrv

Of course, it was taken in complete darkness
Oh, and thank you for the great transfer!

[DiederikVP]

Here is one which is sharper:https://files.me.com/bloomoosey/qzocrv Of course, it was taken in complete darkness

Hallo Pamela, downloaded your file, checked exif in NV and noticed "matrix, iso 8000 and -1.0EV". Why not native iso 12800 and spot metering on the rat?
Subject and file would be even much cleaner. WB would be better as well.
And why didn't you use VR of the 105VR while shooting at 1/60sec? Tripod?
Regards,
Diederik.

[pam.meier]

Those were just my first snaps. Nothing serious. If you meter on the rat, you will have to dial in -1 EV at least, as it is bright beige.
I tried 12800 and then 8000 and all at - 1 EV. Will have to try the camera in other lighting situations.

I took a snapshot of my goddaughter who visited me today and found that my Sigma 50 1.4 seems to have a slight backfocus ... AF was on the right eye, while the left is in focus. I´ll check that with my lens align.

[pam.meier]

What really interests me these days is the meaning of this quotation:

Future Nikon models will provide a better balance between resolution and high ISO image quality than in the recently launched D3S, according to Nobuaki Sasagaki, General Manager of the Marketing Department of Nikons Imaging Division, speaking in an exclusive interview with dpreview.com.

In the D3S, Nikon placed top priority on high ISO performance, Sasagaki told us, but there will be a 'better balance' in future cameras.

Do you also read that the D3s successor will have higher resolution and not so good high ISO performance?

[DiederikVP]

What really interests me these days is the meaning of this quotation:

Future Nikon models will provide a better balance between resolution and high ISO image quality than in the recently launched D3S, according to Nobuaki Sasagaki, General Manager of the Marketing Department of Nikons Imaging Division, speaking in an exclusive interview with dpreview.com. In the D3S, Nikon placed top priority on high ISO performance, Sasagaki told us, but there will be a 'better balance' in future cameras.

Do you also read that the D3s successor will have higher resolution and not so good high ISO performance?

Everything improves, so I guess some more resolution(16-18Mp) with equal high iso performance as D3s and 5200€ as launching price.
The public D3s and his follow up are made for, no resolution increase is "needed" though. Only marketing needs more Mp.

[pam.meier]

I hope so, too. But I doubt the high ISO performance and the price, as well. I´m expecting price increases.
Hopefully, I´m wrong

[pam.meier]

Yesterday, I tested the Sigma 50 at f 1.4 for AF accuracy. Seems absolutely Ok to me:

[Stany Buyle]

Hi Pam,
I'm interested in this lens align system. What test distance do you use? Did you try already with zooms? Do you the same value for optimal sharpness at the wide end and at the tele end? Had this problem with 16-85 on my D7000, it needed -8 at 24mm and -17 at 85mm...

[pam.meier]

Hi Stany, I mainly use primes in my photography, so I check those.
I measure at different distances most of the time. Usually at a close distance and further away. The distances I usually use in real world.

[pam.meier]

So I shot a wedding yesterday and I used the 50 1.4 from further away to blur background and got terrible AF results. It´s ok from 2 or 3 m away, but everything further than that creates problems. I can´t remember having this issue with the D3 ... So yesterday I had lots of oof images, sometimes 4-6 in a row. A friend of mine who shoots weddings frequently has the same phenomenon with his Nikkor AF-D 85 1.4 on his D3s and he focusses on his knee after every shot and that helps.

Here is one from the 24-120 VR:

[Stany Buyle]

Hi Pamela,
Mme. Marianne Oelund wrote several highly interesting technical topics on Dpreview about AF and AF issues and I believe to remember she once wrote something about the inability of today AF engines to assure perfect focus at F1.4.
As she has a member account on this forum I'll send her a message about your issue. Upto that she also uses D3s since it came out.
I'm sure she can provide helpfull and interesting info about this.
Kindest regards,
Stany