Nikon D810 vs D3X in 2018 for Portraiture Studio?

I'm waiting for someone to come here to defend the D3X!! :D

 

It's hard to defend the D3X. It has the highest resolution at the time but that 24MP is common with the lowest range cameras today. Besides from its robust construction but still not good enough as a hammer it has nothing going for it. Unlike the D3 which still has the relatively respectable 9fps. The original price of about $9000 actually makes it more difficult to defend it.

It's hard to defend the D3X. It has the highest resolution at the time but that 24MP is common with the lowest range cameras today. Besides from its robust construction but still not good enough as a hammer it has nothing going for it. Unlike the D3 which still has the relatively respectable 9fps. The original price of about $9000 actually makes it more difficult to defend it.

 

I think there's a reason why Nikon has chosen to make their resolution flagship the second-tier camera and make the flagship camera(generally) one of the lowest resolution ones in the line.

 

Most folks who want a flagship camera want the frame rate and the build quality. High frame rates and super high resolution don't typically go together very well.

 

I think Nikon has made the right call, esp. in regard to the D850. We have a weather sealed, durable body with the AF module from the D5 in a smaller and lighter body. That's kept price to where it's affordable to folks who need/can use the highest resolution body without the need for a tank surrounding them.

 

I think the relative scarcity of the D3x on the market shows why going this route isn't necessarily a great idea. If you look back, it got a LOT of flack when it was current, and a lot of that had to do with the price.

 

By contrast, look at how plentiful the D2x, a generally well received camera, was. It only carried a $1K premium over the D2H.

For controlled studio use, the humble D600 will easily outperform the D3x..... and you could buy 2 for the same price.

 

If you need high fps and high ISO in the rain, that's another game.

I use the D3X for my studio portrait photography because at ISO 100 the image quality is perfectly adequate for that purpose and its body is very comfortable to use in the portrait (vertical) orientation for hours. I could use the D850 and I am sure it would be better in terms of image quality but not in terms of handling, but I don't see any reason to. The D3X has the anti-alias filter which is in my book a good thing in such a low resolution camera; the 36 MP D810 have occasionally produced quite bad moire but the 45MP D850 hasn't (I assume it has high enough resolution for the lens to act as anti-alias filter). I have the D3X set up for studio so I don't have to change settings before I start the session, I put on a lens, turn on the lights and start shooting. If you are buying a camera now for studio work then I would buy the D850 rather than the D810. The D850 is less prone to moire in my experience and has far better AF using the topmost point rows in vertical orientation, which is what I need to use for whole body verticals (or even 2/3). It also supports Nikon's radio controlled flash control if you need to use speedlights. But to me the D3X just fits in my hand and is very comfortable so I don't see a reason to retire it from this use until it breaks down or the batteries die. That doesn't mean I recommend its purchase now - I don't. I would recommend getting the newest model in the series for best AF and image quality. In the studio sometimes people want to shoot action or dance moves, jumps etc. and in such situations the newer AF would be an asset. If your subjects are static then the camera choice matters much less.

I use the D3X for my studio portrait photography because at ISO 100 the image quality is perfectly adequate for that purpose and its body is very comfortable to use in the portrait (vertical) orientation for hours. The D3X has the anti-alias filter which is in my book a good thing in such a low resolution camera; the 36 MP D810 have occasionally produced quite bad moire but the 45MP D850 hasn't (I assume it has high enough resolution for the lens to act as anti-alias filter). I have the D3X set up for studio so I don't have to change settings before I start the session, I put on a lens, turn on the lights and start shooting. If you are buying a camera now for studio work then I would buy the D850 rather than the D810. The D850 is less prone to moire in my experience and has far better AF using the topmost point rows in vertical orientation, which is what I need to use for whole body verticals (or even 2/3).

 

Thank you very much your response very much appreciate it!! Wonderful to hear from someone with has experience directly with the DX3 in a Studio setup! Just curious: How far can you go up in ISO like 800 ISO before you notice any big Noise/Moire differences compared to your 100 ISO? I'm shooting mainly in highest range of 800-1600 ISO. You notice any D3X differences comparing to D810/D850 in overall Image Quality and Resolution when you Print Out from 8X10 to a Max of 16X20 at 300 DPI? or usual Web Display Screen Resolution Format? You have insights or experiments into this with your D3X setup? Thanks!! :)

I generally stay within ISO 100-200 in the studio. I use Elinchrom lights. If you need to go higher than that then I would definitely recommend D8x0 instead.

I have no experience either D3X or D810, but if You happen to use Nikon softwares for editing and printing, there is tendency to standardice output for each custom setting and preference though range of Nikon bodies. For example, if You choose Picture Control Neutral and sharpening low, the pints look the same at quick look. Only when You look carefully at close distance or with magnifying glass You notice more detail in prints from new generation bodies.

OK, a longtime D3X user here. I won't weigh in on the choice of D3X vs D8xx, because I've never used the D8xx series so I can't personally compare. But I will share my experiences with the D3X.

 

I've been shooting with it since 2009, and it often sees weekly and sometimes daily use. I find it to be an outstanding machine--for what I photograph and my workflow. Others may not have the same needs, depending on their goals and how they work. I find that shooting a flagship-style camera is a real delight. The viewfinder is large and bright, the robust size and handling are nice, and the camera shows very little wear even though it has been used a lot (my now-retired D200, on the other hand, is only slightly older and has many worn parts!).

 

I use the D3X a lot in the studio with strobes, but also with natural window light and reflectors. At ISO 100 with the strobes, I find the image quality excellent. I've never had a complaint there. With window light, I might go up to ISO 800 or 1000. You start to see some noise at 800, but not too bad. Beyond ISO 1000 things start to deteriorate, although still be usable :) I also shoot extensively outdoors with this camera, sometimes in harsh-ish weather conditions: rain, wind, heavy snow, -20 degrees F. I've shot through a few blizzards with it. The camera has always performed perfectly. Obviously, folks use other cameras in those conditions as well. But I do know that I'm confident when shooting this camera in bad weather

 

The clients I photograph for specifically require +22 megapixel files. I've thought about moving to a D8xx series camera, but I like how the D3X delivers me the quality and resolution I need in robust package. Again, other users with different needs may have different opinions.

OK, a longtime D3X user here. I won't weigh in on the choice of D3X vs D8xx, because I've never used the D8xx series so I can't personally compare. But I will share my experiences with the D3X.

 

I've been shooting with it since 2009, and it often sees weekly and sometimes daily use. I find it to be an outstanding machine--for what I photograph and my workflow. Others may not have the same needs, depending on their goals and how they work. I find that shooting a flagship-style camera is a real delight. The viewfinder is large and bright, the robust size and handling are nice, and the camera shows very little wear even though it has been used a lot (my now-retired D200, on the other hand, is only slightly older and has many worn parts!).

 

I use the D3X a lot in the studio with strobes, but also with natural window light and reflectors. At ISO 100 with the strobes, I find the image quality excellent. I've never had a complaint there. With window light, I might go up to ISO 800 or 1000. You start to see some noise at 800, but not too bad. Beyond ISO 1000 things start to deteriorate, although still be usable :) I also shoot extensively outdoors with this camera, sometimes in harsh-ish weather conditions: rain, wind, heavy snow, -20 degrees F. I've shot through a few blizzards with it. The camera has always performed perfectly. Obviously, folks use other cameras in those conditions as well. But I do know that I'm confident when shooting this camera in bad weather

 

The clients I photograph for specifically require +22 megapixel files. I've thought about moving to a D8xx series camera, but I like how the D3X delivers me the quality and resolution I need in robust package. Again, other users with different needs may have different opinions.

 

Thank you very Daniel!! Appreciate very much your excellent input from your experiences with so many years using the D3X. Awesome information!! Just curious (if you can answer this?) how do you find the D3X Color Saturation compared to a D3?

Thank you very Daniel!! Appreciate very much your excellent input from your experiences with so many years using the D3X. Awesome information!! Just curious (if you can answer this?) how do you find the D3X Color Saturation compared to a D3?

 

Well, I never used a D3, so I can't directly compare. I can say that I find the color saturation from the D3X to be excellent indeed. Like other cameras, color saturation tends to take a hit at very high ISOs, but at 100, 200, 400, 800, I find the colors very good.

 

Can I link to a page on my website that shows some photos taken with the D3X?

Edited August 7, 2018 by daniel_johnson|6

Well, I never used a D3, so I can't directly compare. I can say that I find the color saturation from the D3X to be excellent indeed. Like other cameras, color saturation tends to take a hit at very high ISOs, but at 100, 200, 400, 800, I find the colors very good.

 

Thanks Daniel! Have a nice day! :)