Nikon D3x noise and color vs D3

See also Jan 3 entry. In perhaps my most intriguing findings yet on the D3x, I’ve explored color and noise with the Nikon D3x and Nikon D3 side-by-side, using my reference lens, the Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro. The extensive writeup is in my Nikon D3x review in DAP.

The crop below is from the D3x at ISO 1600, downsampled to D3 actual-pixels resolution. Noise?

D3x at D3 resolution, ISO 1600
Nikon D3x + Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro @ f/11

And so I’ll repeat what I’ve stated before: the Nikon D3x offers the finest image quality in a DSLR the world has yet seen. The online bitching and moaning about the price won’t change that fact—I don’t like it either. But if you need or want the very best DSLR available today, the Nikon D3x is your camera. In fact, I have zero desire to shoot my Canon 1Ds Mark III any more. None at all. It’s not about resolution: it’s about stunning image quality.