Nikon puts more distance between itself and Canon

The next iteration of Nikon's awesome D3 digital camera was announced today, and it's a stunner.

Full-frame sensor, 9 frames per second and an expanded ISO range that goes up to ... 102,400. Not a misprint. An ISO range in the six figures. Oh, and HD video, too.

Of course, the rig also has Nikon's superior autofocus system, which features 51 autofocus points and 15 crosspoint sensors. So you'll actually be able to use your autofocus in the incredibly low light that ISO 102,400 will open up. The press release blather says the camera might see in the dark better than you do; in this case, the blather might be right.

Interestingly, the megapixel count is down from the D3x, from about 25 to 12. But each pixel holds more information, making the incredible ISO rating possible. Just as interestingly, the price is lower than the D3x, too. The D3s will run about $5,000, with the D3x still up there at more than $8,000.

I'm looking at my twin Canon 5Ds now and asking myself, "why?"

A complete writeup from PRNewswire is available here.