D3x – Hints in the Firmware
[Update: this kind of thing is always funny to me, it either means they slipped (unlikely, but possible) or they don't know #ifdef (again unlikely) or they put it there intentionally (unlikely).]
I started this site a while ago out of 3 frustrations. The first was that the Nikonians site is (seemingly) filled with and moderated by people who frowned upon rumors, 2nd: Nikon’s lack of openness leaving only rumors to fill the void, 3: me being told on Nikonians that even suggesting running the Strings command against CaptureNX or the firmware was a violation of copyright.
The first issue, I’ve solved with this site, the second issue I can’t solve, the third issue is pure bullshit from the start.
So while I was sitting around on my lazy ass getting a few pennies a day from attempting to ferret out any rumors I could find, Alex and Randall and others (no doubt) ran string and opened the firmware and found (as Alex reported in the comments):
Found in the D3’s v1.1 firmware, B-file, starting at offset 3?614?640:
6048×4032 24.4 M
4544×3024 13.7 M
3024×2016 6.1 M
5056×4032 20.4 M
3792×3024 11.5 M
2528×2016 5.1 M
3968×2640 10.5 M
2976×1976 5.9 M
1984×1320 2.6 M
D3X
and from Randall:
If you take a look at D3 firmware (part B bin) you will notice something rather intersting, there are reveral references to a 24.4M D3x, for example:
“› Ñ †!Å ÿ Ÿ ? ˆ 6048×4032Ñ 24.4 M 4544×3024Ñ 13.7 M 3024×2016Ñ
6.1 M 5056×4032Ñ 20.4 M 3792×3024Ñ 11.5 M 2528×2016Ñ 5.1 M 3968×2640Ñ
10.5 M 2976×1976Ñ 5.9 M 1984×1320Ñ 2.6 M ñ ó Ÿ Ñ!? É ÄÒ!É”ˆ¬·¬Á ? Å ? ? ö ¿!? ö D3X Ÿ ¨ î
NEF(RAW) É JPEG ?¬?¬Å NCD3X Å OK 2 – 3 4864×3240 4864×3648
4560×3648 ±¬´!î “
So- presuming those values are legit and just waiting for a camera (which is questionable- they could also have been testing values or similar, or red herrings)- we’re looking at a 24-ish MP body called the D3x (?) and who knows what else- it looks like the d3x (if it actually ends up being called that) will have a bunch of different shot modes, or maybe we’ll see an FX / FF body like the d300x (d300fx ?).
I’d also love to see the names go back to the F* convention. Maybe the D4 will be called the F7!
April 16th, 2008 at 15:19
[...] if you go hunting around in the Nikon D3 firmware for interesting text strings, you’ll find a few mentions of a D3X, [...]
April 16th, 2008 at 18:01
Hi Matt,
Good find and very interesting though as I could barely afford my D300 there’s no way I will be getting a D3, let alone a D3x! Also, I don’t understand why you would want to go back to the F naming, surely F is for film and D is for digital? Or have I missed something?
Kind regards,
mcv
April 16th, 2008 at 19:31
F7…? No sir! There are actual F6 users reading your site that would object to blurring the lines between film and digital bodies in this manner.
Maybe the D3 body modded for film will be called the F7.
April 17th, 2008 at 03:09
D3x will happen, just hope I can afford it….
April 18th, 2008 at 00:20
I seen people use the same method to search for new display card for PC. D3X will come but when and how much!
The only additional features I want for my D3 is the dust shaker in front of the sensor.