I am an avid photography enthusiast and my gear up to 2011 reflected that.
2011 was a pivotal year for me. I managed to scounge up enough $$ to afford the newly released Nikon D800. The specifications were like a day dream down nirvana camera gear world. Megapixels to challenge medium frame, a total of 36.3 MP. Effective ISO to 6400, and a "reasonable" speed at 4 fps. (I would have preferred 5 fps, but this was a reasonable trade-off).
The ergonomics of the D800 were incredible. It is heavy, but the balance is superb. Button layout is excellent. To put it over the top, the image quality is second-to-none.
I considered the D800 my forever camera. I didn't want anything else from a camera.
Up to the release of the D800, Nikon considered their professional line to be the D3 and D3S. They subsequently added the D4 (2012), D4S (2014), D5 (2016) and D6 (2020).
Nikon added the D800 to their professional line in 2011. They subsequently added the D800e (2012), D810 (2014), and D850 (2017).
If you go to the Nikon website, only two professional DSLR cameras are listed as current. Those are the D6 and D850.
Users consider their cameras to be professional-grade, and certainly Nikon encourages that language. But they list the D780, D7500, D500, and D750 as enthusiast DSLR cameras.
In other articles I described how (and why) I ended up selling the D800. As of this writing, I now have a D850 (so all is good).
I've always aspired to the single digit D cameras, though. Again at this writing, I have owned and used a D3, D3S, and D4. They are expensive cameras. The D4 sells used for the equivalent of a new D500. At this writing (Aug 2021), a used D4S will set you back $2500 to $4000. A used D5 will set you back $4500 and up. There aren't any used D6 on the market yet. Once I sold the only D4 I ever bought, I didn't think progressing to the D4S was in the cards. No way was I going to spend that kind of money on a "test" camera for just a few months of playing around. The photo at the right is one of the first ones I took with this "new" Nikon D4S. The lens is a Nikkor 28-300. Colour rendition is incredible, there is a depth to the picture that draws you in, placing you in the scene. I was fortunate one of the caretakers (at Jackson's Point Harbour unlocked the pier gate so I could go in and take a few pictures without a fence obstructing the view). Click on the picture for a larger view.
From the D4S model and up, the shutter mechanism was changed to a more robust kevlar unit rated at a life span of 400,000 shutter actuations guaranteed. That's minimum, they often last a lot longer than that. That's one of the reasons they don't go up for sale too often. That, and the professional results. That's the one aspect of these cameras that thoroughly impressed me. Straight out of the camera, the photos out of these pro cameras are stunning imparting a depth to the image that I just can't get – even out of a D850.
And to compare ... I've shot osprey in flight with the D850, D500, Nikon 1 v2, and P900 (a bridge camera). The D850 gave me the most "keepers", followed by the D500. Both were close, though. Still, less than 25% of all photos taken were keepers. The D3S keeper rate was close to 75%, the D4 keeper rate was close to 80-85%. And, apparently, the D4S tops that a bit.
Well, I am pleased to say that as of August 16, I own a D4S. Not sure how I found this deal ... actually, not sure how I managed to be the one to buy it. The price was ridiculously low. Cosmetically, the camera looks new. Funtionally, the camera operates as new. Certainly it was not abused and the previous owner looked after it. The previous owner used a silicone skin on the camera since new, which explains why it looks new cosmetically ... well, the silicone doesn't completely cover the body, even the uncovered parts look new. No scratches, buff marks, or anything on the top LCD or rear LCD. All the buttons are like new. So, I am fortunate and look forward to taking some shots with this.