Dalmatian Pelican at 25,600 ISO, Greece, 2011. Nikon D3S with Sigma 50-500mm OS @ 340mm at 1/8000 F14, ISO 25,600. image copyright © 2012 Robert OToole.
This is the kind of image quality the D4 has to beat. The image made at an astounding 25,600 ISO is almost completely noise free. For the record no noise reduction or blurring has been applied, yes the D3S is that good!
I would be surprised if the D4 will be able to surpass the IQ of the D3S at high ISO but if it can at least match it the D4 will be worth the 3 year wait.
Things Missing From the D4
Enough resolution to make the D4 the first true dual mode camera. Rumors have been circulation for years that the D4 would offer high full frame resolution and a 12-14 MP 1.5x crop mode with a higher frame rate. This would be the ultimate camera for action and outdoor photographers. Full frame and a faster 1.5x mode when you need extra speed and reach. The D4 offers more resolution but it looks like it will only provide about 6-7 MP in crop mode. Maybe next time? D800 maybe?
No removable viewfinder, I still miss this feature from the film SLR pro camera era.
No built in incident meter.
No removable upgradable sensor.
No removable low pass filter.
No built in RAID SSD hard drive with thunderbolt connector for downloading.
What I Do Not Like About the D4
Nikon made a mistake dropping the AF-Mode selector on the back of the camera and replacing it with the the same AF mode / AF manual mode combination switch from the D7000. All of the online reviews I have read claim that this change is an improvement, for me its a bad move for photographers. Nikon went from a brilliant AF-Mode switch that only took a single finger to operate without even looking. The D4 / D7000 design uses an outer collar that rotates to select auto or manual focus, and selects the AF mode when the center of the selector is pressed while the command dial is rotated. Honestly almost all D7000 owners I have met dont even know how to use the combo switch. I don't even have my D4 ordered yet but I already miss old style AF-Mode switch.
At least they didn't touch the AF-On button!
D4 Links
Nikon D4 brochure link:
http://www.nikonusa.com/en_US/o/QD8q_b3vH8Re-n_CPUtpjBl-qbE/PDF/D4_brochure.pdf
More Nikon D4 info:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/nikon-d4/nikon-d4A.HTM
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-11673-12259
All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2011 Robert OToole. All rights reserved.