Choosing a Nikon DSLR for nature photography

Which Nikon DSLR should you buy for nature photography? Nikon currently offers a large range of different digital SLR cameras, ranging from the entry level D40 to the professional Nikon D3X which costs several thousand dollars. In this article I cover the various Nikon models and explain which one I think is best for bird and wildlife photography.

D3000, D5000, D60

Those are the entry level DSLRs from Nikon. They are not bad and provide great image quality and value for the given price but I do not recommend them for the serious nature photographer (maybe as a backup to a D300s).
The more expensive cameras like the D300s offer many more features, a more robust body, a much better autofocus and a much higher frame rate.

D90

The D90 is the successor to the popular D80. The Nikon D90 has a 12 megapixel sensor and offers similar image quality as the Nikon D300. The ability to shoot 4.5 fps makes it interesting for action shooters, although it lacks the really high frame rate of the more expensive models and the powerful autofocus of those cameras.
If you are just starting and don’t want to spend too much money, I think the D90 is a great camera for the price it costs.

Nikon D300s

The D300s is the successor to the very successful Nikon D300. With a crop factor of 1.5, 8 fps, a very fast and powerful autofocus and a robust and professional body, the D300s is one of the best DSLRs currently one the market. For bird and wildlife photographers this is a dream camera and I highly recommend it for those subjects.
The D3s has an even better autofocus and a more robust body but costs a lot more. For the money you save, you can already pay half of the price of a 4/200-400 VR or 4/500 VR. And the 1.5 crop factor of the D300s is a great advantage over the D3s for shy animals.
If I were a Nikon shooter (I use Canon equipment), I would probably own a D300s and use it for most of my photography.

Nikon D700

The D700 is an awesome camera if you want a full frame DSLR. It has a wonderful image quality (almost as good as the D3s), can shoot 8 fps and has a powerful AF. For bird and wildlife photography, I would prefer the D300s as it gives you more pixels per subject, but if you have a long lens like the Nikon 600mm f/4G ED VR AF-S and live in an area where birds and other animals are used to people, the D700 offers a better image quality than the D300s (mostly noticeable at high ISO settings).
The D700 is almost as good as the D3s but considerably cheaper. Compared to the D3s it can shoot "only" 8 fps (with battery grip) compared to the 9 fps of the D3 (11 frames in DX mode).
The D700 only has a 95% viewfinder and not 100% like the D3s. And the D3s can take two CF cards. If this is worth the extra money is something you must decide and it depends on what and how you shoot.
Many people expect a "D700X", being to the D700 what the D3X is to the D3s. Currently Nikon has only one camera with more than 20 MP and that is the very expensive D3X. The Canon 5D Mark II is a 21 MP camera with a wonderful image quality at a very attractive price. At the moment, Nikon does not offer a similar camera. I expect that something similar will be announced during 2010 (but this is just speculation!).

Nikon D3s

The D3s is the ultimate Nikon DSLR. It has one of best autofocus systems of all DSLRs (equally good probably only in the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV) and and the highest frame rate of all Nikon DSLRs (9 fps and even 11 fps in DX mode with a 1.5 crop factor and a reduced resolution).
The D3s has a 100% viewfinder, the sensor delivers amazing image quality, even at high ISO settings of 6.400 and even 12.800 are the results usable (the D3s can even go as high as 102.400 but the image quality suffers at those numbers).
The body of the D3s (and D3X) is the most robust and feels like a truly professional tool. If you shoot a lot under very harsh conditions like the Arctic, rain forests and deserts, the D3s may be your best choice.
Before buying the D3,s I recommend giving the D700 and D300s a serious look. It might offer all you need. And for the price of the D3, you can get a D700 and a D300s.
When photographing birds or other shy animals, the D300 is a great alternative and due to it's smaller sensor but similar resolution will give you more pixels per bird which can be a great advantage. With the D300s you can photograph with the wonderful 4/200-400 VR and (at 400mm) get as much pixels per bird as with the D3s and the 4/600 VR which is more expensive and much heavier.

D3X

If money is no problem and you want a really high resolution in a robust body, the 24.6 MP Nikon D3X may be what you want. The D3X is perfect for photographing landscapes, especially with the very sharp 2.8/14-24 and 2.8/24-70 Nikon lenses. The D3X can shoot at 5 frames per second (7 with a smaller 1.5 crop resolution), which is enough for many wildlife situation, and it has a powerful and fast autofocus.
Like the D3 (but unlike the D3s) it does not have have built-in sensor cleaning.

Conclusion

If possible avoid the D3000, D5000 and D60. They are not bad but have many limitations for the serious nature photographer, especially if you photograph birds and other wildlife.
The D90 is not a bad camera but if you can afford it, go for the D300s which I think offers the best value for the money of all current Nikon DSLRs. The 8 fps, the fast AF and the 1.5 crop factor are all great for wildlife and bird photographers. If you shoot a lot in situations that require high ISO settings, then I think the D700 is the best choice. It’s lighter and cheaper than the D3s and has almost the same image quality (the D3s is even better at high ISO values). The D3s is for all who want the most robust body with the highest frame rate and a 100% viewfinder. It’s the ultimate Nikon DSLR and has everything you will ever need (except a really high resolution). Currently it has the best image quality at high ISO available on the market (it beats all current Canon DSLRs at the moment).
If you can afford to two bodies, I suggest to get both the D300s and D700 (or the D300s and the D3s). For really large prints, the D3X is your best option at the moment - at least until Nikon offers a cheaper full frame DSLR with the same or similar resolution as the D3X.

The lens is more important than the Camera! It’s better to have a D300s (or even a D90) with a Nikon 4/500 VR lens than a D3s with just a 4/300L when you want to photograph birds or other wildlife. The 300mm is just too short for most situations but would make a great addition to the 500mm lens if you want to own both.

See the amazon links on the left for some interesting books on bird and nature photography.

All the cameras mentioned above can be bought at amazon.com: