Nikon D4

Nikon D4 - Evolutionary for photographers, revolutionary for videographers

First impressions and thoughts

The D4 has arrived and its very impressive indeed! But its not the image quality, nor the ISO performance that grabbed my attention, but the speed, the tracking and the accuracy of the much improved AF system. Just this subsystem of the new camera is what sports and wildlife photographers have been waiting for! Its performance is impressive and I cant wait to get a production model to test out in the field! 

Before continuing, I should point out that I'm not a videographer so most of this "first impression" article has to do with the photography aspects of the new camera. So if you are interested in the video qualities of the Nikon D4, you may want to look elsewhere as well for any good commentary on the new and exciting video capabilities of the D4.
 

A quick look at the video specs

To me the video specs sound impressive but I'm no expert. Here they are:  The D4 can record 1080p Full HD video at 30/25/24p in H.264/MPEG-4 AVC format for 30 minutes (minus a second). The D4 improves on all previous attempts according to Nikons brochure, by offering fewer “jaggies” and less moire while maintaining sharp edges, even in dark conditions, by using noise-reduction technology designed specifically for video. 

A new and interesting option is the ability to record Full HD video in three formats: FX-based, DX-based or 1,920 x 1,080 crop movie format. The crop formats are useful for creating an extension to the focal length of the fitted lens. In the 1,920 x 1,080 crop format the video recorded is actually pixel by pixel, meaning theres no down-sampling. The greatest feature everyone is talking about is the actual ability to record uncompressed video straight to an external  capturing device with the only limit being forced upon by the actual size of that device. The D4 offer videographers built-in stereo mic and headphone connectors for easy and quality audio recording. There are also precise indicators in 20 incremental steps on the rear LCD offering visual confirmation of audio level and the microphone sensitivity.

Image quality of photos

First lets look at the sensor of the Nikon D4. It's a Nikon designed CMOS sensor with a total resolution of 16.6MP and an effective resolution of 16.2MP. Each pixel measures 7.3 microns compared to the 8.45µm of the D3s. Like D3s, the new sensor also features the gapless micro-lenses over every pixel-well with anti-reflective coatings for better light gathering. The new sensor combined with the 16-bit imaging pipeline and the new EXPEED 3 image processor are supposed to offer a wider dynamic range and less noise than the D3s while at the same time cramming more megapixels in the same space. 

Although I have only used a pre-production model, my first impression is that the D3s is going to be hard to beat in terms of image quality at high ISO's. There is no question that at base ISO and up to about 5000 ISO the D4 performs superbly, but from 6400 ISO onwards the files from the pre-production D4 camera are not what I was expecting - much better than the D3/D700 but not noticeably better from the D3s. Of course I need to remind folks, that I'm basing this on a pre-production model.

Sensitivity

Lets go back in history a bit. Up until we got the D3, there was no DSLR that could give me "clean" images above 800 ISO. With the D3 my ISO limit jumped impressively to 3200 (max normal ISO range limit 6400) and later with the D3s to 6400 ISO (max normal ISO range limit 12,800) - others placed their limits even higher. There is no question that the D3 series cameras by Nikon finally brought high ISO to photographers. With the Nikon D4 the native ISO range is wider (100-12,800ISO) and can be extended down to 50 ISO and up to an amazing 204,800 ISO if needed. Although the top normal limit of 12,800 hasn't changed from the D3s, the base ISO has dropped to 100 and this will be welcomed by most shooters, especially studio and landscape photographers. 

As I already mentioned above, the  high ISO performance of the D4 is not "impressively better" if you are used to the performance of the D3s - but if you are a D3/D700 user then the difference is much more apparent. The Nikon tech insists though that the D4 will be 1 stop better than the D3s, but I'll wait until the final unit falls in my hands in a couple of weeks. For now, the ISO 6400 shot below is impressive and is what I call a "clean" high ISO image. Some of you may find I'm too strict, but i believe i am being reasonable! Don't get me wrong, the D4 is so far showing an impressive performance considering a 1 stop lower base ISO and 40% more megapixels on the same FX sensor. 

Nikon D4 - 6400ISO jpg straight from camera.

Others might limit themselves at 12,800 ISO which is OK, but a bit noisy for my taste. Though sports photographers will certainly find 12,800 very usable! Look at the sample below. Above 12,800 the noise is quite noticeable and not very nice but files are obviously usable if needed. I doubt there will be anyone apart from the paparazzi crowd willing to use such high ISO's. Please don't forget , that these images are from a preproduction model - I will be updating this article as soon as I get my hands on a proper production unit.   

Nikon D4 - 12,800ISO jpg straight from camera.

Before leaving the sensitivity section let me add, that like most other Nikon pro bodies, the D4 also offers an Auto ISO function, but differs by offering more user control and by taking into account the mounted lens so it can automatically select higher shutter speeds for longer lenses.

AF & Metering

A quick glance at the specs, and you will probably think that the AF system is the same as the previous generation cameras, but this is not entirely true. The old Multi-CAM 3500FX focusing module still remains, but thanks to the much more powerful Expeed 3 processor, the totally new 3D Color Matrix Metering III sensor with 91,000 pixels and the new and improved algorithms, together they all offer faster lock-on, dramatically improved 3D tracking, face detection and the ability to focus in -2 EV lighting. (The new RGB Matrix Metering III sensor apart from the usual scenes that are in its database can also take into account up to 16 faces if detected within the frame). 

I was informed a while back that the techs at Nikon had measured the performance of the D4 and concluded that there was a 30% increase in aquisition speed and overall better tracking performance compared to the D3s. One direct comparison I was able to do was between the D4 and D700 using a 24-70mm lens. The focusing speed and lock-on of the zoom on the D700 is fast and I am sure most readers will agree that its a very satisfying combination, so it was a pleasant surprise to feel the speed difference and the amazing responsiveness of the D4 using the same lens in the same conditions. Plus the face tracking in Auto mode on the D4 is just amazing! Suddenly i remembered the Nikon 1 V1! 

Back in my D300 review I had this to say about the 3500DX AF module: " ... the 3D-tracking technology ... Pretty cool stuff but still quite limited in its use. This technology is certainly a step in the right direction, but I feel it has to mature a bit more. Obviously the next generation of Nikon cameras will have a more mature version available so the future is looking bright."  I knew the Multi-CAM 3500 focusing module was a great design but at the time was lacking in processing power. Now with the D4, this focusing module is going to rock! It also adds an improved working range of -2 to +19 EV (though auto metering is still restricted to -1 stop). This means the D4 can AF in 1 full stop darker situations than the D3s which was already impressive (remember the bear shot by Vincent Munier under moonlight). 

AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR • Exposure: [A] mode, 1/400 second, f/4 • White balance: Cloudy • Sensitivity: ISO 12800 • Picture Control: Standard
©Vincent Munier

Looking at the new AF module in more detail, it consists of 51-points with the center 15 points being of the cross-type, meaning that they are sensitive to both horizontal and vertical detail. The 9 most centered AF points work at apertures up to f/8 with any combo including the TC14E or TC17E teleconverters. If using the TC20E teleconverter you are limited to only the center most AF point. Also the new camera offers the ability to light up the used AF point in Dynamic AF mode at the touch of a button and to have the camera retain the orientation of selected AF points when the camera goes from horizontal to vertical and back. 

Active sensors up to f/5.6

Active sensors between f/5.6 - f/8

Active sensor at f/8

One big change in the way the camera meters is that there is a bigger emphasis on the focused target and whether that is a face. Before there would be a small bias toward lighting up the focused subject but now it will actually meter nearly just for that focused spot, especially if it's a face. Even the Auto WB has been greatly improved and all of this thanks to the new Expeed 3 processor and the new 3D Color Matrix Metering III sensor with its amazing 91,000 pixels. The other 2 metering modes are pretty much the same with center-weighted at 75% with options for 8, 12, 15, or 20mm at the center of the frame or averages the entire frame. Spot is the same old 4mm (1.5% ) circle at the center of the frame or other selected AF point.

Shutter & WB

The Nikon D4 offers the usual shutter speeds ranging from 1/8,000 to 30 seconds as well as bulb and a flash sync of 1/250 second. The self diagnostic shutter has been tested for 400,000 cycles there are some improvements to the mirror mechanism which include a mirror balancer that reduces bounce, improving autofocus performance and reducing mirror blackout. The sound coming from the Quiet mode has been improved thanks to the improved mirror mechanism and to answer your question, yes, there is also a Silent mode where the mirror and shutter dont move at all capturing HD 2MP images at 24fps. 

The Auto WB feature has been greatly improved as mentioned earlier and there are a lot more WB options. Apart from Auto, the four Custom positions and the full manual Kelvin setting, there are a selection of twelve preset modes such as incandescent, 7 types of fluorescent, direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, and shade. White balance can also be bracketed with the D4 saving two to nine copies of each image with varied white balance. Plus WB adjustments can be now made in 10k increments.

Speed

The D4 can now shoot full-resolution RAW or JPEG images at up to 10fps with both AF and AE in full use (11fps when AF and AE are locked). Thanks to the large buffer, the burst depth is close to 100 frames when using compressed 12-bit RAW and about 200 with JPGs. The Nikon D4 is super responsive since it can boot up in 0.12 seconds and has a claimed shutter release lag of only 0.042 seconds. All the new performance enhancements and image quality improvements in the D4 over the D3s are mostly achieved thanks to the great processing power and new algorithms of the new EXPEED 3 processor which i presume is not actually the same unit as found in the Nikon 1 V1.

Body & ergonomics

Like its predecessors, the D4 is encased in a body of similar size and build, though the D4 has more obvious outer appearance changes with more rounded edges. Nikon have paid much attention to making the D4 ergonomically a better camera, both in its shape and in its controls. Weight, shape, buttons, button placement, levers, dials and menus have all been thoughtfully improved - some more, some less. 

The Nikon D4 is ever so slightly shorter than the D3s (156.5 versus 157mm) and about 130g lighter (fully loaded D3s 1,5000g versus loaded D4 1,365g). Switching between the D3s and the D4 with 24-70mm attached, the D4 does feel a little better, offering a much better grip and a better placement of the top fingers while shooting. I was excited when I first read about the improved handling for the vertical shooting position, but in use found that even though the actual grip had improved, the AF point selector (joystick) was still a bit further away than i would have liked. This is still an improvement from the single selector of previous models, but i was hoping for a better placement of the second joystick. So the D4 is an improvement over an already great body, though ever so slightly.

Weather proofing

Based on a high quality and very strong magnesium alloy, the Nikon D4 is built just like any other Nikon pro-body, like a tank! The body is fully sealed with special gaskets throughout, to protect against moisture, dust, dirt, and according to Nikon even electromagnetic interference. I suppose interference would be an issue from now on with so much fast traveling data! Even the rear LCD has been weather sealed as noted further down in this article. Like the D3s, the D4 also includes a dust removal function achieved using vibration of the optical low-pass filter.

Top & front controls

Although most buttons are where most seasoned Nikon Pro users expect them to be, some have been rearranged and may not be liked at first, but since they were made with enhancing the ergonomics, I'm sure most people will get used to them quick enough. For instance, my beloved Lock button has now disappeared from the top of the Drive mode dial, but things such as the mic-in, self-timer lamp, function button, DOF button, lens release buttons and most of the common rear menu related buttons are in the same positions. The old 3 position AF switch has now been updated, similar to the D7000 and is now a two-position collar switch that selects between AF and MF, with the button in the middle working in conjunction with the front and rear Command dials to set AF mode and AF area. 

One of the big "small" changes that I liked, was the better placed trio of shooting controls: The shutter release has a more pronounced front-facing angle making for a more positive action, its relationship with the sub command dial is shorter and the slight upward angled front controlled dial which by the way can be rotated much easier (since moving away from the rubber grip) without needing to "throw" your index finger over to the left of the dial so as to get a better grip are all a big plus. Behind the shutter release there's a new button with a red dot, this is the dedicated Movie Record button.

Back

On the back we get a totally new screen with plenty of improvements. Its slightly bigger at 3.2inches and seems wider than taller when compared to the screen on the D3s. Like the screen it replaces, its scratch-resistant with the same 640x480 VGA resolution and the same wide 170-degree viewing angle both horizontally and vertically and of course 100% frame coverage. But the real nice touches from Nikon are that it now supports a wider color range, nearing that of the sRGB color space, there is the ability to enlarge shots up to 46x and the glass now is fog proof. That last one will surely please a lot of wildlife photographers. There have been cases where the rear LCD screen would catch water vapor and fog up. Now Nikon have remedied the problem and helped to make a better weather resistant camera by filling the gap between the glass screen and the actual LCD with a special resin.

There's also an ambient light sensor built into the back of the camera to help automatically control the brightness, contrast, saturation and Gamma based upon the ambient lighting conditions. Something I haven't seen before and which I know will certainly prove very useful in the field, are the new illuminated rear buttons, which will help us see what we are doing at night or in other low light situations. They are triggered together with the top and rear LCDs by flipping the illumination switch which is around the shutter release. 

Another nice touch, is the dedicated zoom-out button, so gone are the days of utilizing two buttons (zoom plus spinning the dial to zoom out). Another big plus of the new redesign in ergonomics, is the drastically improved vertical handling. Instead of one Multi-Selector as found on the D3S, Nikon now include an extra two joysticks which are used for selecting autofocus points easier and quicker in both landscape and portrait orientation. So, you get 2 joysticks for controlling AF points, two nicely repositioned shutter releases and 2 AF-ON buttons that are closely identical in their positioning, though not exactly. The upper joystick can also be programmed to function as the missing AE/AF Lock button. 

As I have already mentioned, the 2nd joystick is an obvious improvement, but for my short stubby fingers its still a bit too far away for my thumb to handle with ease. We also now have a extra function button near the vertical shutter release with the D4. Under the LCD, you find the Lv (Live view mode) button surrounded by a rotating switch that selects between Movie and Still Record modes. Most other buttons and controls work the same as previous generation Nikon D series cameras. 

One more thing concerning the back of the new camera, is the beefed up thumb-grip for better vertical handling, a nice touch! Unlike the 2nd joystick which is designed for longer fingers than mine, the thumb grip really improves holding the camera in the vertical position.

Cards

The Nikon D4 supports as expected dual flash card slots, but unlike its predecessors, only one of the slots accepts CompactFlash cards while the other accepts the just-announced XQD-format memory cards, which are supposed to be the next-gen format first announced by Sony back in 2010 and introduced by the CompactFlash Association at the end 2011. I can't see how this was a necessity and can't help but think that Sony had more to do with this than anything else. But Nikon insist the cards will be plentiful soon and that they do add to the performance of the camera. (instead of about 80 raw files with CF you get nearly 100 with XQD in a burst).

Viewfinder & Crop options

There's also a new 100% viewfinder with 0.7x magnification and an 18mm eyepoint. The viewfinder is also able to partially mask the inactive portions of the frame when using a cropped format. The D4 offers four image area options: FX format (36.0 x 23.9mm), 5:4 crop (29.9 x 23.9 mm), 1.2x crop (29.9 x 19.9mm) and DX format (23.4x 15.5 mm). The camera also offers three image area options for Full HD video thereby tripling its potential for moviemaking.

The new WiFi transmitter is super light and does not interfere with the use of the camera - a big improvement over older designs. Even though its powered by the camera, it power consumption should not be of major concern.

New interface for remote control

Another new feature or maybe not so new as in much improved, is the ability to connect to the camera either via the built in Ethernet connection (100Base-T) or wirelessly (WT-5) and do pretty much what you would expect , full control of the camera remotely. But, the big surprise is the new interface built into the camera which means no matter the device (iPhone, iPad, SmartPhone, PC etc) once you connect (wirelessly or not) you will have access to all major camera controls via the new web based HTTP mode interface thats built in. So no need to acquire and install extra software on your external device. Within the controls of the new interface, you will find the ability to fire off 10 units simultaneously if you are ever so inclined. Thankfully, for those with the older WT-4 you can still use it with the D4 but I'm not sure what the limitations may be.

HDR and Timelapse

Personally, I will definitely stick to my PC for any HDR work, but having this option in camera is a nice touch and I like how its implemented in a simple and not too techy way. In this mode, the D4 takes only two exposures with a max of 3 stop difference (+1.5 and  -1.5 stops with an option to reduce each shot to -+1 or -+0.5 stop) and combines them into a single image. That's it! Now, the time-lapse feature seems very interesting, especially to those who haven't dabbled with it before like myself. In the D4 menu, you select a frame rate and the shooting interval and then have the results saved as a video that plays back at speeds ranging from 24x to 36,000x. Very impressive though i haven't tested that out yet!

The new battery

Unfortunately, the battery has changed - it now has a smaller capacity and costs more! Apparently, the smaller capacity was forced upon due to new power safety guidelines in Japan though the higher pricing is puzzling. One would expect Nikon to at least help keep pricing low for the lower powered battery. So, the old EN-EL4a is now replaced by the new rechargeable EN-EL18 lithium-ion battery which is said to deliver up to 2,600 shots per charge though some voices from Nikon are claiming that the new battery on the D4 will do more than what the old battery did with the D3s - just have to wait and see!

Your's truly!

Conclusion

Up until the end of 2011, the benchmark in sports and low light photography was the D3s. Now the Nikon D4 has come to take its place by improving just enough to throw the D3s off its throne. Is it a couple of stops better? Well, from what I've seen so far, no! unless you factor in the lower base ISO. Looking at the pre-production samples, the differences are only really noticeable starting at 6400 ISO. The higher ISO files seem to have better noise reduction with smoother tones while still retaining the same level of detail. I can't share more samples, but as soon as I get my hands on a final production unit I will do an update here. 

So on the photography front, the Nikon D4 is clearly not as revolutionary as some expected but more of an evolutionary model. And don't underestimate the evolutionary changes, they may be small, but all together make up for a much nicer and more mature sports and wildlife camera! On the video front though, the D4 is revolutionary!

Compared with the Canon 1DX

Sorry, but i couldn't help myself thinking that these two major Japanese manufactures are either somehow cooperating or we are simply seeing industrial espionage at its best. These two cameras are so similar in spec and appearing at the same time that i find it hard to imagine that its just a coincidence. Especially the new -2EV focusing capability of the new cameras, this is something that hasn't changed in over 20 years and suddenly both manufactures at the same time announce this new capability!

• They both offer similar resolution (16MP compared to 18MP for the Canon)
• Similar ISO range starting at 100ISO for both cameras and reaching 12,800ISO for the Nikon and 51,200ISO for the canon. 
• On both cameras the extended ISO Range is 50-204,800ISO. 
• Both cameras offer similar AF specifications with 51 points on the D4 and 61 on the 1DX. 
• Similar frame rates of 10fps for the D4 and 11 for the Canon or 12 versus 14 without AF. 
• Shutter mechanisms tested for 400,000 cycles on both cameras, and shutter release Lag of  0.042sec for the D4 and 0.055sec for the 1DX. 
• Metering sensor size on both cameras has jumped to a previously unheard of number of 91,000 for the Nikon and 107,200 for the Canon. 
• Video modes are similar with both offering the .h264 codec for compression and the same time limit of 30min but the Nikon also full uncompressed video through the HDMI port.