The price of most digital cameras trend downwards over time, and the same price drop should occur in the case of the Nikon D3S digital SLR camera.
I’m not planning for any scheduled updates, but do check back here from time to time for the latest prices and availability information on the D3S.
Click on the links to access the latest in-stock and availability information.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Body Only): $5,199.95 ($399.05 price reduction since the last update).
Battery options and other accessories for the D3S
Refer to Nikon D3S Battery Life to help with your decision on whether to purchase additional batteries.
Nikon EN-EL4 Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. This is an older model which offers a rated capacity of 11.1 volts / 1,900 mAh: $175.00.
The newer Nikon EN-EL4a Rechargeable Li-Ion battery has a higher rated capacity (by 30%) of 11.1 volts / 2,500 mAh: $105.00.
Bill has some advice on why it’s best not to get third-party / knock-off batteries for Nikon’s professional cameras, and the amazing number of shots he gets from a single charge.
Bob Elkind weighs in one why it’s a better idea to purchase the EN-EL4A battery instead of the EN-EL4. Also, it’s best to buy batteries from stores with high turnover of stock.
Nikon BL-4 Battery Chamber Cover for EN-EL4 / EN-EL4a and D3S (makes it a easy and quick to swap batteries): $21.32.
For storage, UDMA CF / CompactFlash memory cards generally give the fastest write speeds and performance.
Refer to Rob Galbraith’s card write speed tests (done on a Nikon D3X) to get an idea of the relative write and read speeds of the various brands of cards available on the market.
At the time of writing, the four fastest CF cards are SanDisk Extreme Ducati 4GB, SanDisk Extreme IV 2GB, SanDisk Extreme Ducati 8GB and SanDisk Extreme IV 45MB/s Edition 16GB.
Newer, faster and higher-capacity UDMA CF cards are now available. Some examples are Lexar Professional Series UDMA 16 GB 300x, SanDisk 60MB/s Extreme and 90 MB/s Extreme Pro series cards.
Consider the use of RF (radio-frequency) wireless remote shutter control / triggers / release units such as the Phottix Cleon II or Plato.
While waiting for your D3S to arrive, download and read the Nikon D3S Manual to familiarize yourself with the camera’s features and capabilities. Some general pointers in Photography Tips might be of additional help.
Good luck shopping for your D3S!
Related
Nikon D3S – Main page
Price History Archive / Trend
Monday, November 01, 2010
Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Body Only): $5,599.00
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Body Only): $5,199.95
Monday, May 17, 2010
Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Body Only): $5,199.95
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Body Only): $5,199.95
Monday, December 07, 2009
Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Body Only): $5,499.00
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Body Only): $5,199.95 — Pre-Order Now.
The press release for the Nikon D3S has the following statement on the availability and price:
The Nikon D3S digital SLR is scheduled to be available at Nikon Authorized dealers beginning in late November 2009 at an estimated selling price of $5,199.95**. For more information, please visit www.nikonusa.com. Users can see the new D3S, along with Nikon’s entire line of photographic, optical and digital imaging solutions, including the recently announced new AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR lens, on display at the Nikon booth (#501) at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York, from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24, 2009.**Estimated selling price listed is only an estimate. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.