The Nikon D3 was Nikon's first "full-frame" digital camera, and though it has "only" a 12 megapixel image, Nikon made incredibly good use of the large sensor area and relatively low density of pixels by making them large and coupling their size with a new processor-chip to get amazing image quality, especially at very high iso settings.
Typically as the iso rises above 800, resolution begins to soften, color purity begins to degrade, and hue and noise problems creep into the image. The D3, however, through it's large-pixel sensor with a low density of pixels and that new processor gives results at iso 3200 that exceed that of most camera's at iso 800, and at 6400 the D3 will still exceed the capabilities of most cameras at iso1600.
The D3 can capture images at up to iso 25,600! They're not great at that iso, but they are the only game in town up in that stratosphere!
Besides the high-iso capability, the D3 has a dynamic range as close to the industry-leading wide DR of the Fuji S5 as any dSLR made, and the ability to capture 14-bit RAW (in Nikon's "nef" format) image files. You have a choice of RAW in "standard", in a "lossless-compressed" mode, and in a "compressed"mode, with small losses. You also have several levels of JPEG, and even a choice of "FX"(full-frame), "DX" (roughly the center half of the sensor) and "4x5" mode, with some cropping on all sides to match the proportions of a 4x5 and 8x10.
 Using one for over a year, I am amazed at the ... processability? ... of the D3 RAW files. You can practially mangle them in post-processing, and as long as you started with a reasonably exposed image, it will probably still print without color or tonal banding or excess noise. You can lift the shadow detail to an amazing extent.
It has built-in right-side AND bottom "handles" for shooting vertical images, as shown above, with both front and rear dials and focus and shutter buttons in both "grips" giving full functional control when held for horizontal or vertical shooting. The standard grip is well-cushioned and proportioned for my hand.
The backside of the grip has a space for two flash cards, and can be quickly set for shooting into one and auto-backup to the other, shooting RAW into one and JPEG into the other, or a simple two-card "overflow" use, filling one card then going to the other.
 The back panel of the camera has a LARGE and amazingly detailed LCD, where you can even reliably check focus! The menu controls are on the right, and below the LCD are one-button adjustments for iso, "quality" (raw and/or various-sized jpeg's) and white-balance. Once you get used to the layout, handling in-the-field is quick and sure.
To the right of the LCD are the focus-mode controls, access to the flash-card slots, and the muti-use button.
The camera has all the internal electronics needed to use the Nikon CLS infra-red flash controls, however ... as it has no built-in flash, you will need either an SB800 or SB900 flash or SU800 infra-red controller mounted on the hotshoe.
The focusing system is designed to work either in single-shot mode or track moving subjects at up to the 11 frames per second this camera can shoot! It doesn't cover a terribly wide area of the field of view, which is a pain at times ... but in the area covered, it is quick and responsive.
The focusing system is complicated, as are the camera's other subsystems ... and so studying other sources for best-choice usage is highly recommended.
 The "connections" panel on the left side of the camera is extensive, with USB, AV-out, DC-in, and HDMI connectors. Note at the bottom of the connection's panel side, the battery compartment. Bad-news good-news: it's a different battery than Nikon has used before, requiring a new charger and all (comes with the camera, of course). The good news is that it is an AMAZINGLY high-capacity battery, and the camera is very efficient at using it. I've shot more than a thousand images at a wedding, "chimping" on the LCD for many shots, and been only down to 20% power left!
Though the camera was designed as an ultimate sports body, the image quality is so outstanding that it is also a great portrait camera, and I've printed studio portraits with my D3 up to 40 inch long-dimension where the individual hairs and skin pores are amazingly detailed. The color capability of the camera is good enough I can near-match the famous Fuji skin colors of the S2, S3, and S5 with in-camera jpeg's.
It is a heavy camera, designed to withstand "professional" rigorous use by sports and photo-journalist shooters, including rain and windstorms, with some of the best weather-sealing made. It does get quite heavy three hours into a wedding shoot.
It also has a "professional" sounding shutter: "CA-THUNK!!!!". Everyone around will know when it creates an image. However, that shutter is also designed to have a LOOOONG life span before failing.
And it is expensive ... body-only from Amazon is $4,999. You can get a D700, which is a scaled-down version, with a few features reduced or eliminated and the build not quite as stout (or as heavy) but with the same sensor for about half the price ... but if you want all the quality and features the D3 offers, it just might be worth the cash.
It is the most amazing professional tool I've ever owned. Period. In 30+ years of professional photography in our studio!
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