The new Nikon D4

I must say I am really digging being able to switch from fx to dx without resolution loss. Talk about a time saver, some times you just need that little push from FF.

I'm just glad I never sold all my nikon glass. Trying not to get too excited and luckily i dont have to make any decisions at least for another month.
 
stip said:
Am I the only one who's a bit disappointed about D4's video image? Even though crappy youtube and probably some unfavorable in-camera settings I had somehow expected to see a different/better looking image, something like a hacked GH2 resolution with full frame and Nikon mojo and DR improvements.
It basically looks like D3s with slightly higher resolution, I honestly expected more.
I'll wait for some non pre-production camera, HDMI recorded, downloadable footage.


EDIT: On the other hand, they say that, at least in 2.7x crop mode, it records pixel by pixel 1920x1080. Compression (130MB for 7 min) plus stinky youtube must have really really washed away a lot of resolution and probably some other things too.
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+1 on every count. I'm not blown away by that vid. I do think we'll have to see 4:2:2 with the right picture profile and with the cam in "the right hands" to see what it can really do. I'm just excited to see them on the right path. They're only going to get better. It's only a matter of time now....10bit HDMI out on a DSLR is coming....(who knows how long?)
 
Certainly seems like a great camera for all the news stills shooters who now have to shoot video as well as high quality stills for the news services and magazines. Beautiful camera but not for me, I still like a purpose built video camera.
 
A quote from one commenter at DPreview, which reflects my own view:

To me the 1Dx and D4's decision to go further to give identical controls to horizontal and vertical orientation is annoying for several reasons. I'd prefer that they invested in a square sensor instead (after all, the lenses ARE round), threw away the bottom part of the camera, and let me select which orientation I wanted with a single button. It would also be nice if I could additionally shoot square images with all of the sensor :). I'd then have a smaller, lighter camera (5D size) with better handling, and same D*/1D* IQ/speed. In other words, I'd rather my money went into the sensor than all those duplicated buttons, and just have a battery extension pack option for when I need extra juice.
 
Allthough I agree it would be great to have a square sensor and I never take portrait photos, I feel the need of having a verticall grip a must. I end up buying one on cameras that don´t have grips just to be able to hold the camera properly with 2 hands. But attaching a grip is not as good as having a built in grip (which is also more compact. D3s < than d700+grip).
 
macgregor said:
Resolution will be soso, do not expect it to be as good as C300 or F3. But it´s also not in the same price range...
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Yes, quite likely FS100 or GH2 hacked will beat it for resolution if you feed them enough light.

But for a fantastic stills camera that can likely shoot darn amazing low-light video, and gets good skin tones in any lighting conditions, and has lots of neat usability improvements (telephoto modes, smooth aperture, headphone jack, remote start stop, good wi-fi, built in timelapse, blah blah blah), it seems like a good deal!

So nice to have a single camera you can take with you that captures top-notch stills and great-looking video (even if not the highest-resolution). I can see this really working out on a lot of different jobs.

Oh man, this is going to be a great year: Canon attacking Sony / RED / ARRI with the C300... Nikon attacking Canon with D4... and it's only January! In the rest of the year... Sony F65 release, RED Dragon sensor, Canon 5D mk 3, Canon Cinema DSLR... Panasonic GH3? More Nikons with similar video features? Heck, maybe even GoPro will make a high-end Cineform-shooting cam...

I need to get a move on with my scripts because when the dust settles in 2013/2014 we are all going to be in filmmaking heaven :)

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com
 
I can agree with that, Mac. Form should be ergonomic. Even with an amazing square sensor, I would still like something I can hold well with excellent battery life.

One thing, I wish Nikon would change on their hd-slr bodies, is to have a focus check button on the right hand side of the camera. It slows down the shot taking the left hand off the lens barrel to press the "zoom" button for checking critical focus. The hand has to leave the lens, find the button, go back to the lens and settle, then focus, and then the right hand finds the button to go back to normal mode.

This is such a commonly used feature in my work, that I found the D7000 to be annoying to work with. This fix, could be a firmware update.


and a square sensor would be cool, but that is for future cameras and the Alexa. (think square: video = anamorphic anyone? photo = no annoying flipping of the camera for portrait mode, faster framing.
 
Has anybody been able to confirm whether the D4 has time-code?
 
Do not forget also that for 6 grand we are getting a sealed camera, so take it to the jungle or antarctica and you´ll have nothing to worry about.
 
Cosimo Bullo said:
Are there clear specs out on the internal codec? What options does it allow?
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From the press release:

Users have the choice of various resolutions and frame rates, including 1080p 30/24fps and 60 fps at 720p. By utilizing the B-Frame data compression method, users can record H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC format video with unmatched integrity for up to 20 minutes per clip. This format also allows for more accurate video data to be transferred requiring less memory capacity. The sensor reads image data at astoundingly fast rates, which results in less instances of rolling shutter distortion.

On some sites they also note 25p as an option and 29minutes when recording at 30p. Bit rate about 24Mb/sec (like the D7000 but with better compression system?)
 
in 2012, were still seeing 720, 60p? WHY Is it really that hard to put in a camera? fs100 has it. Maybe it's a size issue because they need an extra processor? Can anyone explain this.
 
maranfilms said:
in 2012, were still seeing 720, 60p? WHY Is it really that hard to put in a camera? fs100 has it. Maybe it's a size issue because they need an extra processor? Can anyone explain this.
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Doubt it's a size issue. The NEX5n has 1080 60p and it's tiny.
 
maranfilms said:
in 2012, were still seeing 720, 60p? WHY Is it really that hard to put in a camera? fs100 has it. Maybe it's a size issue because they need an extra processor? Can anyone explain this.
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Just a guess but the press release says this
The sensor reads image data at astoundingly fast rates, which results in less instances of rolling shutter distortion.
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Maybe the sensor is not fast enough to resolve 60fps with the reduced rolling shutter.
 
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