In a sense, this image is a referential loop: a vintage Nikon D3 captured through the lens of another Nikon D3. The first D3 mounted with a Carl Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 macro lens.

Thus, it is both a documentation of the tool and a demonstration of its capability; specifically the macro performance I explored in this 2023 review.

In that piece, I described my shift from Pentax to Nikon. While the D3 was launched in 2007 relic, it remains a top-tier product that offers an unorthodox but cheap entry point into full-frame photography in the 2026 market.

Technically, I wanted to strip away the colour to focus on the industrial design.

The shallow depth of field isolates the partial 'Nikon' branding, letting the heavy matte
controls dissolve into a soft blur.