Nikon D4 hands-on

UPDATE: Unfortunately Kelby has removed this video so we’ve reedited the post. Here’s a new video from Which.co.uk that covers what I’ve outlined below and even adds a little more info.

It’s always exciting when a new DSLR comes out, there’s always all sorts of hype around it but it’s not often that you get to see a pretty cool and techy hands-on demo video like this. This camera looks fantastic which probably helped the general WOW-factor.

So the back story: Photographer and photoshop guidebook author Scott Kelby arranged this Nikon D4 camera demo with a few of the sales guys from Nikon present. Then he streamed the whole show live on his internet TV channel – The Grid. He set up a studio shoot and demonstrated and discussed the camera’s new features while shooting and transmitting the images wirelessly to a laptop and iPad.

I watched the whole thing, it’s pretty awesome but at 45 minutes is very long. So to save you the hype and hyperbole I’ve made a précis of the camera’s ground-breaking highlights.

The new Nikon D4 is a 16.8 megapixel powerhouse for photojournalist and sports photographers. The camera shoots 10fps and video at 1080P. It’s the first Nikon DSLR camera to have a native 100ISO as opposed to 200 on previous models. There’s an ‘expansion’ function that further reduces that to a minium ISO 50. The native high ISO goes up to 12800 but again, this can be expanded with settings called High 1, 2, 3 and 4. High 4 incredibly, allows an ISO of 204000. I’ll type that again so you don’t think I’ve made a typo… 204000. Mind boggling, and the salesman claims ‘pretty decent’ quality at the highest ISO.

D3 to D4 changes

Next to the D3 the D4 has had some ergonomic tweaks:

There’s a custom button designation for video or stills.

The AF switch has been moved.

Lock button has been moved and now doubles as video record button.

Dust removal is the same as the D3 but there are ‘lots of new dust and moisture seals’.

New auto ISO feature – which raises ISO according to lens focal length (and is customisable)

Videographers are drooling

It’s the first DSLR to feature a dedicated headphone jack out. This will allow videographers to monitor audio additionally they’ll be able to keep visual tabs on it with an audio levels meter on the D4 camera screen. Video guys will be happy to know there’s ‘improved rolling shutter effect’ and auto focus settings have also been improved.

It also has HDMI out and if hooked up with no card in the camera it automatically removes the camera information overlay which makes it useable for film production.

Wired and wireless file transmission, viewing and camera control

Another first: The D4 has a dedicated Cat 5 cable jack for linking the Nikon to a network with a cable which makes the camera a network accessable device.

The D4 has a built-in web server for wireless tethering with a WT4 transmitter (D4 specific). This new approach lets photographers view pics in the computer’s browser directly from camera. You can access the images over the network from more than one device including an iPad, which they demonstrate in the video. The camera’s wireless network is secure so don’t worry your images are password protected.

When you’re shooting tethered the camera stores images on both card and computer.

Images are accessible from iPad & iPhone via the browser interface and this includes being able to control the camera settings remotely. You can view and shoot stills as well as control the camera from an iPad and this includes video (remote video or stills).

New Nikon battery technology

Thanks to new battery technology the battery life is a stated 3000 frames but real performance will be better because in tests to find the battery’s capacity they run the camera at it maximum power-usage ie: they continuously run autofocus, flash etc. the wireless tether usage reduces battery life by 10-15% (purported).

The downside is with a new battery shape comes the need to upgrade spare batteries, your old ones won’t work anymore. There’s a new charger too.

XQD card format adoption

For some the adoption of a new memory card format – XQDcard will be bad news because it’ll add cost to the already expensive camera upgrade. But with write speeds of 125 MB/second (currently) and a predicted 250 MB/Second in the future, up to two terabytes storage, the ability to shoot seamless video for up to 29minutes or have 70 images in RAW buffer, this tech will be a boon in a small metal card casing.

Now sit down…

Nikon D4 US$5999

Nikon D4 locally?

Nikon South Africa are having an event to announce the arrival of the D4 on the 9th of February. Local pricing and availability will follow the announcement. In the meantime you visit Nikon SA and drool over the new D4 there.

More Nikon D4 videos?

Search You Tube and watch some of these excellent Nikon D4 promo video by Joe Macnally, Cory Rich and Bill Fricks.

Also Check out Scott Kelby’s Google Plus stream – ScottG+  http://kel.by/onGplus