Digital SLRs : Nikon Unveils 16.2MP FX-Format D4 Multimedia DSLR for High-Caliber Photo & HD Multimedia Creation

Melville, NY—The Nikon D4 digital SLR builds upon the legacy of the Nikon flagship DSLRs before it, engineered to give professional multimedia photographers “speed and accuracy with unparalleled image quality, low-light capability and Full HD video,” the company announced. With a host of new functions, it’s designed to emphasize rapid response. 

Nikon’s 51-point AF system was enhanced for maximum speed in a variety of challenging shooting situations, even at 10 frames per second (fps). Considered the new Nikon flagship, the D4 employs a 3.2-inch, 921K-dot LCD screen and a 16.2 megapixel FX-format (36x23.9mm) CMOS sensor coupled with the latest generation of Nikon’s Expeed 3 image-processing engine “to help produce images and videos with stunning clarity and color.” It’s also said to shoot in even the most challenging environments and lighting conditions with the assistance of Nikon’s 91,000-pixel 3D color matrix meter and an ISO range from 100 to 204,800. 

“Speed without accuracy is irrelevant,” said Bo Kajiwara, director, Marketing, Nikon Inc. “The status of a Nikon flagship camera is not given lightly; this next generation of Nikon’s most professional body exceeds the needs of a wide variety of both still and multimedia professionals that rely on Nikon to make their living. Besides overall performance and burst speed, the D4 provides Nikon’s most advanced AF system to date, as well as enhanced workflow speed to give professionals the edge in the field.”

Specs say the D4 is ready to shoot in 0.012 second and captures full-resolution JPEG or RAW files at 10 fps with full AF/AE or up to 11 fps with AF/AE locked. Its Multi-Cam 3500 AF system, the next generation of Nikon’s 51-point AF system, is a fully customizable system that enables users to capture fast-moving subjects and track focus with precision or select a single AF point. The camera aligns 15 cross-type sensors in the center to detect contrast data in both vertical and horizontal planes. In addition to detecting each AF-Nikkor lens with an aperture of f/5.6 or lower, the camera also utilizes nine cross-type sensors that are fully functional when using compatible Nikkor lenses and the TC14E or TC17E teleconverters, or a single cross-type sensor when using compatible Nikkor lenses and the TC20E teleconverter with an aperture value up to f/8. For maximum versatility in situations such as photographing nature or competition from the sidelines, photographers can select multiple AF modes, including normal, wide area, face tracking and subject tracking, to best suit the scene.

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