photo via Gizmodo
Here’s some highlighted specs:
_16.2 effective megapixel, full-frame sensor (16.6MP total)
_10fps shooting with AF and AE, 11fps with focus and exposure locked, 24fps 2.5MP grabs
_1080p30 HD video at up to 24Mbps with uncompressed video output
_91,000 pixel sensor for metering, white balance, flash exposure, face detection and active d-lighting
_ISO Range 100-12,800 (extendable from 50 – 204,800)
_MultiCAM 3500FX Autofocus sensor works in lower light and with smaller apertures
_Two sub-selector joystick/buttons for shooting orientation
_New EN-EL18 battery (21.6Wh capacity, CIPA-rated at 2600 shots)
_Twin card slots – one Compact Flash and one XQD
Please note I HAVE NOT touched one of these cameras, and NO I didn’t shoot the campaign. and I haven’t yet spent the appropriate time with the camera to tell you any gory details. I’m assuming I’ll be able to chat more soon.
So.. I (we) knew this was coming, but rather than me spouting off about having played with the system (I can’t), or telling you what your feelings about this system should be (I won’t), I’m turning the tables on you.
What’s your take? Love, hate, indifferent? Insights?
[Reminder that Nikon plays close attention to this blog, so your comments on this post – glowing or otherwise – might help inform Nikon about what your thinking.]Link to all the Nikon D4 details and/or purchase here via B&H.
Perfectly happy with my D7000, does everything I want it to do. ( Nikon you need to produce a 16mm dx lens
I love it, I just don’t know if I truly need it though. I have an armada of DSLRs here, all capable, There is the dual format card problem, but I could learn to live with that. Already found one whiner kvetching about having to buy a new spare battery. Which of course is ridiculous considering the buy in price of the camera.
They need to stay with one type of card. Professional users won’t be switching from CF cards anytime soon.
What I really want to know is the dynamic range. I’m wondering if the camera has the modern 14-stop dynamic range that most of the video cameras do now days. It’s too bad that they haven’t hopped on the raw video output solution. It would be good to know if the HDMI output is 8-bit or 10-bit. 10-bit would kick Canon’s 1DX to the curb.
I’m quite impressed with the data available so far. The fact that the MP count went up “only” to 16.2, speaks, IMO, about clarity of purpose and a sort of honesty on behalf of Nikon. It really seems the D4 is the result of a quest to come up with a tool which provides the best possible balance between its components, aiming at what’s most important to any serious shooter, performance and image quality, while resisting the marketing pressure to offer a huge MP count no matter what. It should be kept in mind that Nikon’s flagship model has always been more focused towards high performance in action and difficult lighting and weather conditions. There’ll always be other models better suited for other types of photography (like studio or landscape) with much higher MP counts and so on (wait for the d800 or a D4x), different cameras for different purposes. Some of the tech specs provided for the D4 may not look as impressive (though quite a few of them are) on paper to some people out there, but it’s the way this specs interact to get a great image that’s important. I prefer to read professional opinions from respected shooters who’ve laid their hands on it (and sure am looking forward to your insight when the time comes Chase) than to make quick uninformed judgements based on isolated data bits alone. If Mc Nally is impressed with what the D4 is able to pump out (and he most certainly appears to be) then I think I can also expect to be a bit impressed.