Nikon Flagship DSLR Camera Comparison (D3, D3s, D3x, D4, D4s, D5 and D6)

After I posted the article comparing the Nikon D6 to D5, a number of our readers emailed me with a request to make a comparison table with the last four generations of flagship Nikon DSLRs. I thought it was a great idea to put something like this together so that our readers can fully understand all the key differences between these cameras, which will hopefully help them to decide whether it is worth upgrading or not. While at it, I also decided to include the other three full-frame flagship cameras.

First, we will start off by comparing the specifications of the last four generations of Nikon flagship cameras – Nikon D6, D5, D4s and D4:

Nikon D6 vs D5 vs D4s vs D4 Specification Comparison

Without a doubt, a lot has changed in 8 years since the release of the D4. These cameras gained more resolution, autofocus has gotten a lot better, continuous shooting speed increased from 10 fps to 14 fps, native ISO range has expanded from 100-12,800 to 100-102,400, processors got a lot faster, viewfinders clearer, buffer size increased dramatically, and many more in-camera features have been introduced. Nikon has been refining the top-of-the-line product with each iteration, making it better and better. The last two generations specifically have been very refined, as the above table shows.

Below are some of the incredible images from these flagship cameras, by our team member Robert Andersen, the author of the amazing Wildlife Photography Tutorial:

And a couple of my portrait shots:

What about the D3-generation cameras? Let’s take a look:

Nikon D3s vs D3x vs D3 Specification Comparison

I did not bother highlighting any of the cells, because there is no point – these cameras are all great, but they have certainly aged with time. Still, it is interesting to see how the specifications of 10+ year-old cameras compare to those of the modern generations. For example, the older generation DSLRs had no video shooting capabilities, their autofocus systems were not nearly as good, especially when shooting in low-light situations. With the modern D6 able to focus down to -4.5 EV with so many cross-type focus points is a huge achievement, something we could only dream of back in the day.

I remember my excitement when I first purchased the Nikon D3s. At the time, it was the best camera on the market for action photography. Some of my most favorite images have been shot with this camera:

I even used the D3s to shoot portraits and weddings for many years:

Have you previously owned any of the Nikon flagship cameras? Please share your experience in the comments section below!