Nikon D3S

Well-made ; Stunning images ; Excellent ISO erformance ; Fast

Limited video mode ; It's either this or a new car ; Although we'd choose this

At this price and performance it's a straight shootout between this and the Canon 1D MKIV, which we haven't seen yet. If you're a professional in the market for a new body and are already committed to Nikon equipment, there is no reason not to buy this...

Excellent image quality, particularly at very high sensitivities, great ergonomics, design and control layout, menu system, comprehensive feature set and HD movie capability with external audio

World-class low-light performance ; Insanely fast ; Stunning image quality

Pricey ; No 1080p movie mode ; Heavy

Unmatched image quality at high ISO settings. Incredibly efficient sensor. A new benchmark ; Excellent AF and metering performance ; Compatible with virtually all Nikon AF lenses, and most MF lenses (up to 9 AI spec or later manual focus lenses can be...

White balance isn't brilliant in artificial lighting (but few cameras shine in this respect) ; AF array is smaller (as a proportion of viewfinder area) than D300S, which makes swapping between cameras awkward in some shooting situations ; Vertical...

In terms of versatility, the Nikon D3S is the best DSLR we've ever tested, and the image quality in ultra low light is a major selling point. If you don't need to take advantage of the D3S's high ISO settings though, the D700/D300S offer better value.

Incredible low light performance ; Inclusion of D-Movie ; Quiet shutter ; Stunning pictures

Unless you value the increased ISO and video, it's an expensive upgrade from the D3

For absolutely anyone who values high shutter speeds, greater depth of field or just amazing performance in low light situations, the D3S is simply amazing. Professional photographers particularly in action and sports fields will relish this camera....

Full-frame sensor, outstanding low-light image quality, high-speed shooting at 9 fps, fast, accurate autofocus, shoots 720p HD video, heavy-duty build for pro use

No built-in flash, lower resolution than rivals (12.1 megapixels), heavy and bulky

Built to take on anything ; Phenomenal low-light ability ; Excellent ergonomics ; High speed ; Superb battery life

No 1080p video

If you seldom feel the need to push the ISO on your current camera, Nikon’s D700 or the DX sensor D300S might fulfill your requirements quite well, but if you want battleship build quality and the ability to grab a shot when many other cameras just...

Capture NX2 software. While a little slow, it's very capable and I actually prefer how it displays JPEGs when compared to Photoshop. The other method is to use a function within the Nikon's menu system that allows Raw files to be converted in-camera,...