Nikon does not specify any standards on this (IP or NEMA for example) so we could only guess what "Weather resistant" actually means, but D3 is very well protected.

So far so good. my D90, F5, and D3 have been rained on all day while at gettysburg, PA.

+1 poster

however, if You are really concerned than ThinkTank is selling rain covers for camera

thank you for everyones responses. Poster, the D3 is having it use so dont worry :). it got completely soaked a few weeks ago by a snow blower Blowing snow into it. Its just id like to know its limitations. if i break my camera then i wont be able to have another D3 till id raise the money for it myself. I want to make sure i wont abuse to much in extreme weather since i am not much of a wildlife photographer. Id rather be doing portraits instead of extreme conditions where im under a waterfall shooting a kyaker going over it. Since my D3, id be useing my D90 in any situation. Id even go swiming with it up to my chest.

smarterchild said:
PB- i think i might make some cloth to tape around my 24-70s rear. Id like to be able to take pictures when its raining. Plus ill carry a handtowel to dry it every few mins. I use my lens hood and a uv filter on the front end so i see no problem getting in the front zooming mechinsm

Yeah that could work. I kept shooting in the rain/snow, but when I wasn't shooting I kept it mount facing down. I don't have any weather sealed lenses, so I'm more worried about them than the body. Thankfully I made a rain cover out of freezer bags, which work great for keeping my lenses and the mount free of water. I didn't have them with me the other day though, so I was taking a bit of a risk.

Seriously, if I had D3 or any of the top of the shelf Nikon bodies I would be "out there" in the rain/storm/snow etc. making it work for it's money. You paid top dollar for it to work in harsh conditions.

I am not saying to use it as your umbrella but if you are caught in the rain or whatever, don't break a sweat keep shooting. that's what I do, and I have D200. It's working like a champ. I had d70s and I abused it like that as well. Still works great. Just keep the lens mount like PB said.

And yeah if I knew that it would be raining I would get a camera bag, rather than just carrit on its own.

PB- i think i might make some cloth to tape around my 24-70s rear. Id like to be able to take pictures when its raining. Plus ill carry a handtowel to dry it every few mins. I use my lens hood and a uv filter on the front end so i see no problem getting in the front zooming mechinsm

I think you'll be fine. Last week I was caught out in heavy rain/wet snow with my D300, which has inferior dust and water seals, and it was fine, even when just about every part of the camera was wet. If you are in heavy rain, hold the camera so that water cannot get into the lens mount, in other words hold the camera mount facing down.

thank you! i was just worried about getting rain in the top buttons. I have had my D3 for a while now but has been hesitant. I have insurance from theft, but not for damage.

You'll be fine if you get caught in the rain but remember it's weather proof and not water resistant. Make sure you dry it off before removing the lens, battery, or memory cards

I am currently on my way to washington D.C for spring break. My dad and I are planning on taking alot of pictures and i have never asked this question yet. How weather resistant is my D3 and 24-70? I ask because it is suppose to rain for several days. i hear its very weather resistant but when should i start worrying when rain will cause problems?