It's been slightly over two years since Nikon revealed the Nikon D3S. When Canon announced the EOS-1D X late last year, Nikon enthusiasts were curious as to how Nikon would respond to the low-light and speed monster. Nikon fans need not wait any longer: Nikon unveiled the Nikon D4 last friday.
The successor to the Nikon D3S, the D4 took the well-loved D3S and gave it upgrades in terms of specifications and functionality. The Nikon D4 comes in a weather-sealed magnesium-alloy unibody that, at 1.18kg, is currently the lightest full-frame camera body - and you can definitely feel the difference. Heft, grip and ergonomics feels extremely natural, and Nikon has moved some buttons around, installed extra dials and a dedicated recording button for videos - putting everything at your fingertips. The buttons are backlit, which adds to the usability of the camera - I no longer have to stare blankly at my buttons to access a rarely used function in the dark.
The much vaunted autofocus system can now focus in even darker conditions than ever before, the autofocus no longer has to keep searching for your subject when taking photographs in a dark room. There's also a face recognition system, and this works through the viewfinder, unlike other cameras which depend on the screen.
The Nikon D4 shoots at up to 11fps (frames per second). While this is slower than the Canon EOS-1D X, Nikon's huge buffer size allowed me to shoot in RAW at 11fps for about 9 seconds straight, which should truly be more than enough for anybody.
Nikon's new 16.2MP sensor offers ISO settings from 100 to 12,800 (expandable from 50 to 204,800), and at that ISO level the sensor can pick up things that even your eyes naturally can't see. For example, photos taken in almost totally dark rooms can end up looking like they're taken in normal sunlight. There is also a new 91,000 pixel RGB metering sensor that helps you get that perfectly exposed shot with perfect white balance.
The Nikon D4 also shoots video in full HD. It doesn't use the best compression method available, but thanks to a headphone output jack, I can finally monitor the audio output from the camera, which I found lacking in previous video-capable DSLRs. No longer having to guess how good your audio is is a blessing indeed.
However, what truly sets the Nikon D4 apart is the additional functionality it provides to improve workflow or even just to share pictures en masse.
The Nikon D4 can connect to a network via an Ethernet cable or a WT-5 wireless dongle, which allows you to control the camera via a mobile device's web browser. Through a tablet, I could control the functions of the camera, take photos, or retrieve and upload photos directly to the internet - for someone who takes photos out on the field and needs to send it out directly this is a dream come true. You can also chain together multiple Nikon D4s through the WT-5 - here's your chance recreate 360-degree shots a la The Matrix.
The Nikon D4 is set to launch next month, however, the recommended retail price has not yet been released. ALVIN CHONG
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