Nikon D3S vs Nikon D4S
Side-by-side used price and spec comparison. Lowest current prices pulled daily from the major used-gear sites.
Today's price sits well above the recent low. Today's price runs 23% above the 90-day low of $325 (seen May 22, 2026). 8% of the $5,199 MSRP. Prices have been steady this month.
Lowest price we've ever observed. This at $475 matches the lowest we've ever recorded for this body. That's 7% of the $6,499 MSRP. Prices are down 18.1% over the last 30 days.
Quick answers
- Which is cheaper used, the Nikon D3S or the Nikon D4S?
- The Nikon D3S is cheaper used: $400 against $475 for the Nikon D4S, a gap of $75 (19%) as of 2026-10-28.
- How much more does the newer Nikon D4S cost used?
- $75 more. The Nikon D4S (2014) starts at $475 used and the Nikon D3S (2009) at $400 as of 2026-10-28.
- What share of its launch price does a used Nikon D3S cost?
- About 8%: $400 used against a $5,199 launch price as of 2026-10-28.
Specs side by side
| Nikon D3S | Nikon D4S | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Nikon | Nikon |
| Family | Nikon D-series Pro | Nikon D-series Pro |
| Category | body | body |
| Body type | DSLR | DSLR |
| Mount | Nikon F | Nikon F |
| Sensor | Full Frame | Full Frame |
| Sensor family | Nikon FX 12MP CMOS (D3S) · 12.1MP full-frame CMOS | Nikon FX 16MP CMOS (D4S) · 16.2MP full-frame CMOS |
| Megapixels | 12.1 MP | 16.2 MP |
| Autofocus | Phase Detection | Phase Detection |
| IBIS | — | — |
| Weather sealed | — | — |
| Max video | — | — |
| Max native ISO | — | — |
| Body weight | — | — |
| Dimensions | — | — |
| Body material | — | — |
| Released | 2009-10-14 | 2014-02-24 |
| Discontinued | — | — |
| Status | discontinued | discontinued |
| MSRP | $5,199 | $6,499 |
| Current low | $400 | $475 |
| vs MSRP | -92% | -93% |
Dynamic range, head to head
Both sensors plotted on one chart, across the full ISO range. The higher line holds more shadow-to-highlight latitude at that ISO.
Overlay both curves on Photons to PhotosMeasurements by William J. Claff. We link rather than reprint them.
Both cameras appear in
Curated best-under lists where both of these qualify today.
The verdicts above describe price timing. They don't tell you which camera fits your shooting style. See /methods for how we normalize seller conditions and compute the deal score.