Steve Perry Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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allstarimaging wrote:
Hi Steve,
I was hoping you would contribute to this post. I follow your posts and your website I know you were a D3x shooter. I think what has me so intrigued with the D3x is the body. I just think the ergonomics are great and all the lenses just seem to balance so much better on those big Nikon bodies. The thing that has held me back on the D800 is the file size, the need for new cards, and storage. Plus if I can wait the mythical D600 may be more than enough for half the price. The D4 is just off the charts in price for me. So that leaves me looking at
D3x used for about $3200
D800 for about $3000
D3s at $4000
D3 at $2400
The D3s seems overpriced relative to a D3x and you can get just about the same performance from a D3. That's why the D3x in the pro body seems like a better "value" to me right now. Thanks again.
Jack...Show more →
The D600 may be the answer, but the only bad thing is it's probably months down the road.
As for your D800 concerns, in my opinion:
File size - It's bigger than the D3x, but it's not crazy. You may just need some more memory for your existing PC - my i7 Sandy Bridge performs about the same as it did with the D3x - I just added some RAM so I didn't max out.
New Cards - No biggie at all. You can still use your old CF cards and you can grab a 64GB card from B&H (sandisk) for $58 - $160, depending on speed. Way less than $100 a pop if you don't need a huge capacity like that.
Storage - No biggie here either, drives are pretty cheap and those D3x files would take up a lot of space anyway, so I think you're looking at more storage either way.
All that said, the D3x, in my opinion, is more rugged and can take more abuse. Plus, buying it used for $3K you can probably get most of your money out of it down the road if you have it for a few months and change your mind.
I sure can't argue about the ergonomics and balance - my D800 just doesn't feel as good with the big glass on it, but it is REAL nice on long hikes. Can't wait to take it backpacking!
Oh, and one thing I forgot in my first post - for me, I didn't like the D3x over ISO 800. I'd sometimes tolerate 1600, but 800 was my normal cap. I would use the D800 at 1600 without a thought (and I'd probably push to 3200 if I really needed it)
I think it really comes down to how much ruggedness / handing vs ultimate image IQ. The D3x can still produce stunning photos for sure, but the D800 sensor is noticeably better. At the same time, the D3x can take pictures, pound your tent stakes in, beat off a grizzly, then take more photos.
Tough call.
And I may have exaggerated about that griz...
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