The next-generation flagship Nikon digital-SLR camera with...

The D4 is engineered to achieve image integrity in the most diverse and difficult lighting conditions, thanks to an optimised balance between the FX-format sensor size (36.0 x 23.9 mm) and 16.2 effective megapixels. Uncompromised data readout speed delivers up to 11 fps performance in FX format — faster than any other Nikon camera. The 16.2 megapixels yield not only stunning depth and detail, but also more flexibility in post-production cropping for magazine-quality prints and web publishing. Image quality this versatile is a direct result of Nikon's sophisticated approach to sensor design. Each pixel is as large as 7.3 µm, and painstakingly engineered to collect the maximum amount of light and render the highest possible image quality in both bright and dark conditions. Incredibly clean images with smooth gradations even at high ISO sensitivities can be realised thanks to the optimised noise-reduction design and 14-bit A/D conversion built into the sensor. Unique to Nikon, the D4 expands your still image shooting possibilities with four image area options: FX format (36.0 x 23.9 mm), 5:4 crop (29.9 x 23.9 mm), 1.2x crop (29.9 x 19.9 mm) and DX format (23.4 x 15.5 mm). The camera also offers three image area options for Full HD video thereby tripling its potential for moviemaking.
EXPEED 3 performs multiple tasks at blindingly fast speeds, a result of engineering expertise and meticulous attention to detail. This imaging engine, optimised for D-SLRs, delivers faithful, well-saturated colour, natural depth and an exceptionally wide dynamic range, giving subtle and nuanced tones — from pitch black all the way to snow white. Even when shooting in dim lighting at high ISO sensitivities, the camera's intelligent noise reduction lowers noise without degrading image sharpness. Its massive, high-speed 16-bit image processing delivers smooth gradation and abundant tone and detail that can be applied to image integrity for a diverse range of usages. Submission-ready JPEGs straight out of the camera can be expected for immediate supply to magazines, newspapers or web publications. EXPEED 3 has been optimised for video as well, rendering movie with reduced moiré, false colours and "jaggies."
The D4 provides low-noise performance at ISO 12800 and extends the range one EV further, compared with that of the D3S, making ISO 100 standard; a welcome addition when using slow shutter speeds in bright sunlight. For more challenging conditions, equivalent ISO 50 and ISO 204800 sensitivities are available. The D4 can shoot still images and video confidently and clearly in nearly any light. From the harsh glare of high noon to the pale gray of dusk; from a dimly lit interior to a moonlit forest at midnight; the camera's superb ISO sensitivity controls enable photographers to take a bolder approach to their subject matter.
The D4 is built for speed, but not for speed alone. The D4's readiness and agility go hand in hand with incomparably accurate control of shutter speed, aperture value, autofocus detection and tracking, auto exposure, auto white balance and other control options that get photographers closer to capturing the decisive moment than ever before. Expect 10-fps shutter bursts with full AF and AE performance in FX format. The frame rate can also be boosted to up to 11 fps in FX format. The camera's large buffer memory allows shooting up to approx. 100 frames in RAW and up to 200 frames in JPEG (when using SONY XQD Memory Card H series QD-H32 with 32 GB capacity). This enables photographers to maintain high-speed continuous shooting without worrying about buffer memory capacity — a real advantage that cannot be measured by fps rates alone.
With Nikon's original Advanced Scene Recognition System, the D4 achieves new standards of accurate autofocus, auto exposure, i-TTL flash, Active D-Lighting and auto white balance results. At the heart of the system is a precise RGB sensor that meticulously reads each scene via 91K-pixels. With unprecedented precision, the data that has been collected pixel-by-pixel is then used to meter and analyse the scene's colour information and brightness levels. The system also recognises human faces when shooting with the optical viewfinder. This rigorously analysed pixel data then automatically triggers a variety of in-camera controls that help the image files appear more natural and appealing. Advanced Scene Recognition System delivers incredibly high accuracy for various auto controls by flawlessly calculating vast amounts of scene information — even at up to 10 frames per second.
The D4 can record 1080p Full HD video at 30/25 or 24p in H.264/MPEG-4 AVC format with broadcast quality full of fine tones and natural colours. Located next to the shutter-release button, the dedicated recording start button makes operation intuitive and easy to access. Maximum recording time for a single clip is 29 min. 59 s. Thanks to Nikon's latest image-processing algorithms, the D4's video ensures a smooth look with fewer "jaggies" and less moiré while maintaining sharp edges, even in dark conditions, by using noise-reduction technology designed specifically for video. With the D4, Full HD video is at your disposal in three formats: FX-based, DX-based or 1,920 x 1,080 crop movie format. The FX-based format renders exquisitely shallow depth of field (DOF) as well as wide-angle shooting. It ensures beautiful movies even at high ISO sensitivity with minimal noise. When a DX lens is attached, DX-based format is automatically selected. This format is useful for creating an extension to the focal length of an existing lens. For an even stronger telephoto effect, the 1,920 x 1,080 crop format brings an approx. 2.7x crop of the picture angle while delivering outstanding video quality and detail, obtaining 1080p Full HD. Versatility like this lets you explore different moods with the large and comprehensive selection of NIKKOR lenses.
| Sensor Type | 36.0 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor (Nikon FX format) |
| Effective pixels | 16.2 |
| Total pixels | 16.6 |
| Aspect Ratio | |
| Low-pass filter | |
| Sensor Cleaning | Image sensor cleaning, Image Dust Off reference data (requires optional Capture NX 2 software) |
| Colour filter type | |
| Processor Type | EXPEED 3 |
| Lens Mount | Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts) |
| Focal length | |
| Focusing Type | Nikon Advanced Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection |
| AF points | 51 focus points (including 15 cross-type sensors; f/8 supported by 11 sensors) |
| AF point selection | Can be selected from 51 or 11 focus points |
| Exposure metering | -2 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F) |
| AF modes | Autofocus (AF): Single-servo autofocus (AF-S); continuous-servo autofocus (AF-C); predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status |
| Selected AF point display | |
| Predictive AF | Yes |
| AF lock | Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo autofocus) or by pressing the center of the sub-selector |
| AF assist beam | |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Exposure Metering Range | Matrix or center-weighted metering: -1 to 20 EV Spot metering: 2 to 20 EV |
| AE lock | Luminosity locked at detected value with the center of the sub-selector |
| Exposure compensation | -5 to +5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV |
| AEB | 2 to 9 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV |
| ISO speed equiv | ISO 100 to 12800 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV; can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) below ISO 100 or to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, 2, 3 or 4 EV (ISO 204800 equivalent) above ISO 12800; auto ISO sensitivity control available |
| Shutter Type | Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter |
| Shutter Speed | 1/8,000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV, bulb, X250 |
| Shutter Release | S (single frame), CL (continuous low speed), CH (continuous high speed), Q (quiet shutter-release), (self-timer), MUP (mirror up) |
| White Balance Type | |
| White Balance Settings | Auto (2 types), incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual (up to 4 values can be stored), choose colour temperature (2,500 K to 10,000 K); all with fine-tuning |
| Custom White balance | Yes |
| White Balance Bracketing | 2 to 9 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3 |
| Viewfinder | Eye-level pentaprism single-lens reflex viewfinder |
| Coverage | FX (36x24): Approx. 100% horizontal and 100% vertical 1.2x (30x20): Approx. 97% horizontal and 97% vertical DX (24x16): Approx. 97% horizontal and 97% vertical 5:4 (30x24): Approx. 97% horizontal and 100% vertical |
| Magnification | Approx. 0.7x (50 mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, -1.0 m-1) |
| Eyepoint | 18 mm (-1.0 m-1; from center surface of viewfinder eyepiece lens) |
| Dioptre connection | -3 to +1 m-1 |
| Focusing Screen | Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VIII screen with AF area brackets and framing grid |
| Mirror | Quick return |
| Viewfinder Information | |
| Depth of field preview | When Pv button is pressed, lens aperture is stopped down to value selected by user (A and M modes) or by camera (P and S modes) |
| Eyepiece Shutter | |
| LCD Monitor | 8-cm (3.2-in.), approx. 921k-dot (VGA) TFT LCD with 170° viewing angle |
| Coverage | Approx 100% |
| Brightness Adjustment | Automatic monitor brightness control using ambient brightness sensor |
| Flash Modes | Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync, slow rear-curtain sync; auto FP high-speed sync supported |
| Hotshoe | ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock |
| Sync socket | ISO 519 sync terminal with locking thread |
| Flash Exposure compensation | -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV |
| Flash Exposure bracketing | 2 to 9 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV |
| Flash Exposure lock | |
| Second Curtain sync | Yes |
| External Flash | Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with SB-910, SB-900, SB-800 or SB-700 as a master flash, and SB-600 or SB-R200 as remotes, or SU-800 as commander |
| Shooting modes | |
| Continuous Shooting | Up to approx. 10 fps (CL) or approx. 10 to 11 fps (CH) |
| Live View Capability | Yes |
| Still image type | NEF (RAW): 12 or 14 bit, lossless compressed, compressed or uncompressed TIFF (RGB) JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1:4), normal (approx. 1:8) or basic (approx. 1:16) compression (Size priority); Optimal quality compression available |
| Simultaneous recording | NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats |
| Image Size | FX format (36x24): 4,928 x 3,280 [L], 3,696 x 2,456 [M], 2,464 x 1,640 [S] 1.2x (30x20): 4,096 x 2,720 [L], 3,072 x 2,040 [M], 2,048 x 1,360 [S] DX format (24x16): 3,200 x 2,128 [L], 2,400 x 1,592 (M), 1,600 x 1,064 (S) 5:4 (30x24): 4,096 x 3,280 [L], 3,072 x 2,456 [M], 2,048 x 1,640 [S] FX-format photographs taken in movie live view (16:9): 4,928 x 2,768 [L], 3,696 x 2,072 [M], 2,464 x 1,384 [S] DX-format photographs taken in movie live view (16:9): 3,200 x 1,792 [L], 2,400 x 1,344 [M], 1,600 x 896 [S] FX-format photographs taken in movie live view (3:2): 4,928 x 3,280 [L], 3,696 x 2,456 [M], 2,464 x 1,640 [S] DX-format photographs taken in movie live view (3:2): 3,200 x 2,128 [L], 2,400 x 1,592 [M], 1,600 x 1,064 [S] |
| Movie Type | MOV H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding with Linear PCM audio |
| Movie Size | 1,920 x 1,080; 30p (progressive), 25p, 24p 1,920 x 1,080 crop; 30p, 25p, 24p 1,280 x 720; 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p 640 x 424; 30p, 25p |
| Folders | |
| File numbering | |
| Print direct printers | |
| PictBridge | Yes |
| Custom Functions | |
| LCD Panel Illumination | |
| Water/dust resistance | |
| Intell. orientation sensor | Yes |
| Histogram | Yes |
| Playback zoom | Yes |
| Image protection | |
| Image erase | |
| Self Timer | 2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1 to 9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 s |
| Menu categories | |
| Menu languages | Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian |
| Firmware update | |
| Computer connection | Hi-Speed USB, RJ-45 connector |
| Other connections | Type C mini-pin HDMI connector; can be used simultaneously with camera monitor, Stereo mini-pin jack audio in, Stereo mini-pin jack audio out, 10-pin remote terminal, Peripheral connector for Wireless Transmitter |
| Storage type | XQD and Type I CompactFlash memory cards (UDMA compliant) |
| PC | |
| MAC | |
| Browsing printing software | ViewNX 2 |
| Other software | |
| Batteries | EN-EL18 |
| Battery life | Approx. 2,600 shots |
| Battery indicator | |
| Power saving | |
| AC power supply | EH-6b |
| Lenses | Nikon F mount |
| Battery grip | n/a |
| Flash | SB-910, SB-900, SB-700, SB-400, Speedlight Commander Kit |
| Remote Control | MC-36, MC30, MC-22 |
| Body materials | Magnesium Alloy |
| Operating environment | Temperature: 0 to 40°C/32 to 104°F; humidity: less than 85% (no condensation) |
| Dimensions | Approx. 160 x 156.5 x 90.5 mm |
| Weight (body only) | Approx. 1180g |
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