Nikon offering "Buffer Memory Expansion Service" for D3

[David Rasnake]

Nikon's European support site is providing details about a new service upgrade for its D3 professional SLR.

The upgrade, which requires shipping the camera to a Nikon service center, increases the camera's buffer memory, allowing the D3 to capture longer continuous bursts before pausing to clear the card.

Shooting full-frame (what Nikon terms "FX") with most file types, the expanded buffer capacity is substantial: the camera can capture more than twice as many fine-quality JPEGs (119, versus the default 52) or 14-bit NEF raw files (36 versus 16) when shooting with continuous drive. Details on the upgrade, including a table detailing file capacity improvements, can be found on Nikon's European support site.

Details on the service for U.S. customers have yet to be released, but the upgrade won't come cheap in any event: expect to pay about $500 (plus shipping costs and tax) for the expanded capacity.

Via DPReview.com

UPDATE: Information from the U.S. support site is now available.

[usapatriot]

$500USD is quite a bit, then again whoever has a Nikon D3 probably has the means to pay for the upgrade.

[CalebSchmerge]

That's "only" 10% of the cost of the camera, and a lot of the people that rely on it probably have a lot of reason to want that.

[usapatriot]

That's "only" 10% of the cost of the camera, and a lot of the people that rely on it probably have a lot of reason to want that.

I think they should have put it in the first place.