Nikon D3X - Is it worth it?
On November 30, 2008 Nikon announced the new 24.5 megapixel D3X DSLR camera, which more than doubles the resolution of its predecessor (the 12.1 megapixel D3). The D3X has an ISO range of 100 to 1600 and is capable of shooting up to five frames per second (fps); seven fps if you shoot at a lower resolution of 10.5 megapixel. It goes without saying that this pro-level camera is also moisture, dust, and shock resistant. You'll need adequate hard drive space when post-processing images captured with the D3X - Nikon estimates finished file sizes in the neighborhood of 138 MB each. Yowza!
Now for the downside: the list price is...wait for it...$8000. That's right, $8000. I'm not the only one in sticker-shock. Several bloggers much more knowledgeable than me are registering their disappointment with Nikon's pricing. In fact, Michael Reichmann of the well-regarded Luminous Landscape site cancelled his standing order when he heard the price: at a premium of $5000 over Sony's new A900 and the Canon 5DII (both 20+ megapixel cameras), he just couldn't justify the D3X. Read his December 2nd "Judging Value" post to get the full scoop. Reichmann also links to a very informative article from Thom Hogan that basically deconstructs the entire D3X marketing launch and feature set. If you're looking for encouragement to buy this camera, don't read his article. When I read the D3X press release, I was initially excited - I'm itching to move up to a camera with higher resolution. As I researched the camera for this post, however, I realized that there are less-expensive alternatives already in the market place that are quite comparable to what Nikon is offering in the D3X. As Reichmann points out, dropping an $8K camera into an economy like the one we're in just doesn't make sense.
