Nikon has announced the "S" update of the D3 pro model, following its trend of tweaking existing models.

Adding to the D3's already impressive spec sheet is a new FX CMOS sensor. Although it maintains the 12.1-megapixel resolution of the original D3, the sensor has been redesigned to add enhancements to the performance and a new Dust Reduction System.

The most noticeable enhancement is the new Hi3 ISO setting, giving you an effective ISO of 102,400. The D3 was known for its noise suppression at high ISOs and Nikon claims that with the D3S, you'll be able to capture things "your own eyes can't see clearly".

You also get a new in-camera NEF RAW editing system with easy-to-use menus to tweak all the settings, such as white balance, exposure, etc, just as you would in post-processing on your PC. This will allow you to create the JPEG you want to send out instantly.

There has also been an increase to the buffer, so you can save up to 36 RAW files, or 124 large JPEGs in full resolution continuous shooting at 9fps.

And then of course you have D-Movie mode. Video capture is possible at 1280 x 720 at 24fps, so gets the HD sticker, but not the full-fat variety you'll find elsewhere.

You can take advantage of the high ISO settings for movies too, with the option of trimming clips to extract (selecting start and end points) and you can save movie frames as individual JPEGs (albeit not at full resolution). There is a mono mic on-board, with the option of adding an external mic.

Retailing for £4199.99, the Nikon D3S is going to be available from December.

• Photos - Nikon D3S

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