An interesting new feature which Nikon is debuting on the D3S is the ability to edit RAW files in-camera, and saving them to useable JPEG.
There are options to alter things like white balance, noise reduction, exposure compensation, saturation and contrast of image.
While you can't do anything near as sophisticated as batch processing, the camera will remember your settings for further image editing. This feature will be welcomed by those on assignment, looking to get images faster to the picture desk.
Now we come to the over-expectation part. While it was well-known that Nikon was prepping a HD movie mode for the latest in its D3 series, some were hoping that the function would be 1080p. It's not.
This is something Canon has managed to utilise for its camera range but Nikon has made the decision that 720p is enough for the 3DS' D-Movie mode.
When quizzed on why this was, James Banfield, Group support and Training Manager for Nikon did make a good point; explaining that this was all down to file size.
He noted that at 720p and with the compression the camera is using you will get five-minute bursts out of the allocated 2GB continuous shooting space. If the camera were to shoot Full HD then this would be significantly less.
He also stressed that the D3S is a stills camera that is to be the very best at ISO, and the movie feature is an extra functionality.
As 720p seems to be the de facto option for the likes of Sky and the BBC, we don't think that DS3 users will have many problems if they are to try and use their movie footage in a broadcast situation. But it does mean that it might not be long for another video update for the D3 range – something you will have to consider when spending thousands of pounds on a camera.
In our very short time with the D3S, it's easy to see that Nikon has another winner on its hands in the professional market. With the company currently dominating in the market for cameras over £2,500 – its D3 range holds a 63 per cent share – even in tough economic times it seems times are good for the camera market.
The Nikon D3S will be available for £4,199.99 and the camera has a UK release date of December. Go to www.nikon.co.uk for more details.
