I just want to add this quote from DpReviw:

"In terms of versatility, the Nikon D3S is the best DSLR we've ever tested, and the image quality in ultra low light is a major selling point. If you don't need to take advantage of the D3S's high ISO settings though, the D700/D300S offer better value"

BTW I think the low ISO performance is the key reason to get this camera. The fact that you can get high quality shots at 12.800 ISO is great for indoor sports/night time sports photography

Pete

I think we'll get a better idea of how much they liked or disliked the D3s once the Canon 1D MkIV review comes out.

Not sure I understand what you mean merlewine? They gave it a "gold award". The conclusion has way more positives than negatives. So how do you think they missed the "magic"?

The Elephant in the Room

Nice to see all the detail in this review, and much of it reads like a manual more than a review. I will skip right to my main criticism:

Basically they criticize the D3s for not having more pixels. I have two D3s cameras and the D3x, so I have at least some experience of the Nikon system at higher resolution. IMO Nikon made a good choice in the lower 12MP range of resolution as opposed to the range of the D3x, just like I feel Nikon made an excellent choice in 720p over 1080p. The sheer mass of data, time, processing, etc. needed for the D3x is only part of the problem; the other part is that the incredible ISO performance would not be there in the larger resolution, which is one of the chief benefits of the D3s.

And I missed any reference to the overall sense of taking photos with the lower-light tolerance of the D3s. DpPreview compared it, of course, to the D3, and also to the D300, pointing that up to say ISO 3200, they are the same, etc.

I don’t mind being the non-technical dummy here and just point at the elephant in the room, which is: the experience of the D3s (to the best of my knowledge) for uses other than action and sports photography is somewhat of a marvel, at least to me.
So, while I respect DpPreview in general, my personal two cents is that they dropped the ball on this review, and missed the most obvious thing - the liberating experience of using the D3s for general photography, etc., the real feeling of extra room (more light). At least, that is what I experience. DpPreview missed the magic in the D3s.

Actually rated very well, now lets see how that new Canon will compare

Pete