I recently got my hands on a Nikon D3S to use on a music video I’m producing for Taddy Porter. There’s not much info out there yet, so I wanted to point out a few things.
– There is some misinformation online stating that the camera does not allow true manual control over ISO, shutter speed, and aperture in video mode. That is absolutely not true. The feature is undocumented for some reason, but if you hit the OK button while in live view, a light meter will appear and it switches to whatever mode that you currently have set on the camera (manual, aperture priority, etc). That means if you’re on manual, then you can adjust all of your settings as you please. Push the INFO button to cycle through different display modes, including a live histogram, horizon level, grid, etc.
– The low light ability is incredible. You can literally see in the dark.
– Like the D3, the screen is gorgeous. I’m having no trouble manual focusing. Of course, I learned to shoot stills when we covered fast-moving sporting events with manual focus lenses.
A couple of things to watch out for:
– The video mode eats batteries, which is surprising because I can shoot thousands of still images before recharging. Make sure you have extras on hand.
– As expected, the camera is heavy. A tripod or other support system is highly recommended. I’m going to try and use a monopod for most of my run-and-gun shooting this week.
Overall, I’m thrilled with the camera. As happy as I’ve been with the D3, this is the one I’ve been waiting for from Nikon. The ability to shoot shallow depth-of-field, high-def video at 24p with my full arsenal of 35 mm lenses is simply awesome.