The new Nikon D2Xs

Nikon has given the their flagship D2X a minor upgrade with the new Nikon D2Xs. The new Nikon D2Xs has new revised features that make the operation significantly more responsive. They include a refined viewfinder performance that makes for easier composition when shooting in Nikon's exclusive High-Speed Crop mode, a new high resolution 2.5 inch LCD with a 170-degree wide viewing angle calibrated at the factory to ensure consistent color fidelity. In addtion, the battery life is significantly increased giving 3800 shots per charge as well as better and a wide range of firmware enhancements.

Here what they say in their press release today:

The digital SLR blending 12.4 effective megapixels and high precision with high speed for greatly refined professional performance.
Tokyo – Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of the new D2Xs professional digital SLR camera. A camera that not only maintains the same stellar position and performance of the D2X, the D2Xs also offers an impressive range of refinements that improve overall camera performance and enhance the user experience.

D2Xs shares many performance and design innovations with the D2X. It also offers Nikon’s acclaimed DX-format CMOS image sensor capturing 12.4 million effective pixels per image, producing 4,288 x 2,848-pixel images with the high resolution and sharp detail needed for demanding professional assignments. The D2Xs, however, also introduces a range of revised features that make operation significantly more responsive – including refined viewfinder performance that makes for easier composition when shooting in Nikon's exclusive High-Speed Crop mode, a new 2.5 inch LCD with a 170-degree wide viewing angle calibrated at the factory to ensure consistent color fidelity, significantly increased battery life and a wide range of firmware enhancements.
Delivering familiar versatility, the D2Xs employs the Nikon DX-Format sensor and legendary Nikon F lens mount design shared by all Nikon SLR cameras for seamless compatibility with all AF Nikkor lenses as well as the expanding family of high-quality DX Nikkor lenses.

Professional high speed performance is realized through the D2Xs’s ability to capture 12.4 megapixel JPEG images or RAW images at a rate of up to 5 frames per second in continuous shooting mode, while continuous shooting at a rate of up to 8 frames per second is made possible through use of the High-Speed Crop mode that captures a more specific, central area of the frame at 6.8 megapixel resolution.

Professional photographers will also appreciate the ability to select Adobe RGB in any of the three color modes – making it possible to work with a wider range of colors to match highly diverse assignments and workflow environments, while ideally complementing the NEF file. What’s more, in-camera creative possibilities are extended even further through the addition of a new Black & White (sRGB) color mode.

RAW and JPEG images taken using the D2Xs can be trimmed within the camera to produce images of reduced display sizes ranging from 640 x 480 to 2,560 x 1,920 pixels. The smaller files that result can help improve workflow efficiency by eliminating the time required to download and perform software editing within a computer.

With a combination of powerful image-processing technologies and 1,005 pixel 3D-Color Matrix Metering II, the D2Xs makes it possible to capture beautiful 12.4-megapixel images that will satisfy photographers’ needs for larger files that are rich in detail, color and smooth tonal range. The D2Xs has also been refined so demanding photographers can take advantage of 3D-Color Matrix Metering II even in the High-speed Crop mode.

Manageability and convenience have been improved upon in the D2Xs through developments such as refinement to the viewfinder featuring an automatic viewfinder mask within the High-Speed Crop mode for faster and easier and more confident composition, the use of a new color scheme for menu displays for easier viewing, and new custom settings options and refinements, to name but a few. And many of the capabilities that made the D2X such a success have been retained, such as outstanding high-speed shooting performance, rapid start-up, the world's fastest shutter release time lag of just 37ms, a viewfinder blackout time of just 105 milliseconds, and the 11-area autofocus system – all of which enable the user to concentrate on shooting. By allowing photographers to dispense with many of the time-consuming distractions of seeking out the most suitable settings for the best possible results, the D2Xs becomes an even more valuable tool for discerning professionals. Subject acquisition and tracking capability are improved for the D2XS, while new options for controlling the timing of the focus tracking lock-on make it easier to adjust for shooting different types of scenes and action.

Sensitivity can be manually set between ISO-equivalent 100 and 800 in increments of 1/3 EV, or boosted using HI-0.3, HI-0.5, HI-0.7, HI-1 or HI-2 settings when high sensitivity is a priority. The 3 settings between 800 and HI-1 are newly added to give the D2Xs finer control over sensitivity. An updated AUTO ISO feature provides improved functionality for photographers who work under changing lighting conditions such as weddings. AUTO ISO helps achieve optimum exposure while freeing the photographer to concentrate on composition. Offering greater control over the range within which AUTO ISO operates, the D2Xs provides settings to specify the maximum value to which the function can increase sensitivity and the minimum shutter speed at which AUTO ISO will operate.

As part of the Nikon Total Imaging System, the D2Xs is compatible with Nikon’s DX Nikkor lenses, engineered exclusively for use with Nikon DX-format D-SLRs, as well as Nikon’s famous AF Nikkor lenses, designed for use with Nikon 35mm and /D-SLRs. The D2Xs also maximizes the potential of Nikon’s Creative Lighting System when used with the SB-800, SB-600 or the Wireless Close-Up Speedlight Systems, featuring the SB-R200 Speedlights, delivering the utmost in high-precision flash performance and versatility.

The newly developed high-energy EN-EL4a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with significantly increased capacity delivers enough power to support the shooting of up to 3,800 images* on a single charge. It can be recharged at any time and it also features a remarkable fuel gauge system display that shows remaining charge by percentage, number of shots since last charge and overall battery status.

Compatibility with Nikon’s Wireless Transmitter WT-2/2A provides fast image transmission with improved security and compatibility with the latest protocols, while wireless LAN remote D2Xs control can be achieved through the use of a computer with Camera Control Pro (optional) software installed.

Rounding out D2Xs is Nikon’s highly versatile, elegantly simple photo editing solution, Capture NX, featuring a new interface that provides easier access to powerful and visually intuitive enhancement tools. Nikon’s Capture NX software helps photographers to tap the full potential of D2Xs’s NEF images. And, its powerful photo image processing and editing tools can also be applied to JPEG and TIFF files to satisfy a broader range of photofinishing needs and applications.

Nikon’s ongoing attention to excellence extends to ergonomic good looks. Featuring exterior styling adopted from a design created by famed industrial designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro**, the D2Xs is instantly recognizable as a new-generation Nikon camera.
*Based on Nikon test conditions.
**GIUGIARO

Major features
Image sensor with 12.4 effective megapixels
The CMOS image sensor provides both high image quality and high-speed performance. And despite the extremely high resolution achieved by 12.4 effective megapixels, image data is recorded at exceptionally high speed through use of a 4-channel output method.

Image-processing algorithm designed to produce high-quality images
The D2Xs provides Nikon photographers with the advanced opportunity to produce the significantly larger image files demanded by today's photographers. But with Nikon, high image quality is so much more than a matter of megapixels. In fact, a plethora of other high-level technologies are required to achieve the outstandingly high level of performance that today’s photographer’s need, and these are exactly what the D2Xs provides.

Continuous shooting at 5fps at 12.4 megapixels, 8fps at 6.8 megapixels
With high resolution 12.4 megapixel performance, one might expect a slow moving camera; not with D2Xs. Within all of its high performance is picture taking speed up to 5 frames per second at 12.4 megapixel resolution, and an astounding 8 frames per second at 6.8 megapixels.

High-Speed Crop function
Continuous shooting rate up to 8 frames per second is possible when using of Nikon's exclusive High-Speed Crop function that records the central portion of the frame at 6.8 megapixel resolution. What’s more, the viewfinder has been enhanced with an automatic viewfinder mask that activates when the High-speed Crop mode is selected for much more accurate and confident composition.

Broad color modes
The Adobe RGB profile provides a broader range of colors than the sRGB profile, making it a more suitable choice for professional photographers. The D2Xs has also been optimized for post-processing of images with the ability to select Adobe RGB from either Mode I or Mode III in camera. There’s also an additional new Black & White color mode available to further expand the photographer’s creative possibilities.

11-area AF system with 9 cross-type AF sensors
Updated to perform even faster and with greater precision in the D2Xs, the 11-area AF system employs Nikon's advanced Multi-CAM 2000 AF Sensor Module. Of these 11 widely spread AF sensors, 9 are cross-type sensors positioned in the logical rule-of-thirds array. All 9 cross-type sensors remain active when using High-speed Crop mode.

Advanced 3D-Color Matrix Metering II
Nikon’s acclaimed 1,005-pixel RGB Exposure/Color Matrix Metering Sensor instantly achieves optimum exposure, even in complex lighting situations.

Creative in-camera trimming, Image Overlay and Multiple Exposure
A newly added feature, in-camera trimming, allows RAW, TIFF and JPEG images taken using the D2Xs to be trimmed within the camera to produce images of reduced display sizes ranging from 640 x 480 to 2,560 x 1,920 pixels. The Multiple Exposure function creates a single image from up to 10 exposures. The D2Xs also offers an Image Overlay function that merges selected RAW (NEF) files already stored on the CF card to create a new image file within the camera.

2.5-inch LCD monitor with a wide-viewing angle
Large enough to display various settings and information for easy recognition, the D2Xs incorporates a large 2.5-inch 230,000-pixel high-resolution LCD monitor display with an ultra-wide 170-degree viewing angle for clearer viewing. It also offers larger type fonts that improve access to color-coded menus. Further evolution of the Recent Settings menus adds the ability to delete current settings or lock them to prevent accidental changes. And the D2Xs also offers RGB Histogram display enabling images to be more accurately assessed in the large LCD monitor. Furthermore, it is also possible to display channel-specific ([R] red, [G] green or [B] blue) histograms for immediate and more detailed image verification.

Excellent response with the same quick power up and world's fastest 37ms shutter release time lag as the D2X
Instant startup and a class-leading shutter release time lag of a mere 37 milliseconds combine with optimized systems throughout to maximize all-around performance and deliver the response needed to handle even the most challenging professional assignments.

A body designed to heighten ease of operation, moisture and dust resistance, and overall durability
The size, layout and operation of the buttons, controls and functions have all been assigned for optimal operation and feedback – minimizing the need to remove the eye from the viewfinder. This combines with a lightweight, yet highly durable precision magnesium alloy body to offer reliable performance under tough professional working conditions.

The D2Xs supports full integration into Nikon’s Creative Lighting System
When used in combination with SB-800, SB-600 or Wireless Close-Up Speedlight Systems, the D2Xs supports the Nikon’s Creative Lighting System with high-precision flash photography using i-TTL flash control, unlimited creativity through Advanced Wireless Lighting, and functions such as FV Lock and Auto FP High-Speed Sync. With Speedlights such as the SB-80DX and SB-50DX mounted, the D2Xs also supports D-TTL flash control.

Compatible with an extensive selection of Nikkor lenses
In addition to the expanding line of DX Nikkor lenses designed specifically for Nikon DX format digital SLR cameras, photographers can choose from a comprehensive selection of world-renowned AF Nikkor lenses designed for use with Nikon 35mm and Nikon digital SLR cameras.

Fast read/write speed for the memory card and a USB 2.0 interface for fast image transfer
The D2Xs has fast read/write times and uses the USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface fast image transfer from the camera.
GPS support for the recording of location information with shooting data

With the optionally available GPS Adapter Cord MC-35
Location information such as latitude, longitude, altitude and heading (direction) can be transferred from a GPS device and recorded with the shooting data for each image.

Wireless support with the Wireless Transmitter WT-2/2A for direct image transfer to the D2Xs via wireless LAN
The D2Xs supports the new high-speed, IEEE802.11b/g compatible Wireless Transmitter WT-2/2A with enhanced image transfer protocols and increased security. The WT-2/2A additionally supports the new PTP/IP protocol. And when used with Camera Control Pro software, wireless camera control from a computer is also possible.

Increased digital image enjoyment with Nikon’s PictureProject software, designed for use with the D2Xs
PictureProject is an intuitive software application offering versatile functions for image transfer, image organization, simple image editing (NEF plug-in included), and print layout.

Support for Nikon Capture NX: A software application with an array of tools to assist the photographer
Nikon Capture NX offers exciting potential for Nikon Electronic Format (NEF) files, as well as JPEG and TIFF images. Refined through revolutionary U-Point technology, it greatly simplifies the selection of objects, colors or areas – supporting highly accurate alterations to myriad image elements, while preserving the integrity of the original image data.

Image Authentication to protect the integrity of valuable data
Available separately, Nikon’s new Image Authentication function offers image authentication for digital image files. Indication whether the actual image has been tampered with is provided as well as if any changes have been made to date and GPS information.