Nikon D4S HD-SLR Arrives in March

The newest Nikon offers a ton of high end features, but updates to this generation focus on three main things: speed, accurate skin tones, and great video capabilities.

Nikon’s newest D series camera, the D4s, becomes their top of the line professional flagship camera. The D4S has a new 16.2-megapixel full frame (FX-format) sensor. The camera also has the EXPEED 4 processor, Group AF function, improvements on the 51-point AF system, an insane ISO range up to 409,600 ISO, and a whopping 11 frames-per-second (fps). Holy cow, that’s a lot of features! Let’s talk about some of them a bit more. 

The D4S offers a new Group AF mode. The group AF has five AF points for tracking subjects in nature (like animals) or with sports (like the recent Olympics). Nikon’s AF Lock-on technology has also been updated The Nikon D4S sees improvements with tracking high-speed, continuous shooting. The camera now offers 11 fps with continuous AF/AE!

 

This camera is a beast. The shutter has been tested to 400,000 cycles. The camera chassis is constructed of magnesium alloy and is sealed and gasketed from moisture, dust and electromagnetic interference to resist the elements.  

The LCD is a 921k dot, 3.2-inch screen. Users can customize the color of the LCD monitor to better match studio monitors or personal preference. 

Want a camera with crazy high ISO range? The D4S has a native ISO range from 100-25,600, but is expandable from 50 ISO (Lo-1) to 409,600 ISO (Hi-4). The EXPEED 4 image-processing engine uses a new algorithm for even higher ISO noise reduction than ever before. 

A new standard Picture Control tone curve promises more accurate skin tones. Users can toggle Face Detect AF on or off while shooting through the viewfinder. White balance has also been upgraded for better accuracy. And spot white balance has been given more options with greater control over Kelvin tempertures.

 

The Nikon D4S now offers a multitude of shooting options including JPEG, full size RAW (NEF) and TIFF files, as well as, RAW size S. This new setting allows users to shoot a 12-bit uncompressed Nikon NEF files that are half the size (2464 x 1640) of standard RAW files. This smaller size leads to a faster workflow. When connected via LAN, users can now transmit files using the new gigabit ethernet. Battery life has also been increased with the new EN-EL18a Lithium-Ion battery. The D4S can now shoot up to 3,020 shots in single mode. The D4S uses both CF cards and XQD cards. 

Upgraded video capture is Nikon’s third major improvement with the D4S. Users can shoot 1080/60p and 1080 30p or 24p. Users can also record H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC format video. Selecting an image area in Live View mode is now available. Users can choose to shoot in FX mode, but also have the ability to shoot in DX mode (1.5x) and 2.7x cropping if they want. Audio has also been upgraded on the D4S. Wide Range and Voice Range audio can be selected. Also wind reduction and audio levels can be changed during recording. Time-lapse movies are all the rage right now. The D4S now offers the ability to capture 9,999 frames during a single video. The camera also promises a better transition of auto exposure than seen in the past. 

The Nikon D4S HD-SLR will be available March 6, 2014 for $6499.95.