Nikon D4 Pro Reviews

Sometimes making a great camera a better one is more difficult than just making a great camera. The D4 fixes every little complaint pro users had over the previous model and adds some unexpected but well-received features. My final take on the D4 is that if you are a pro working in sports, photojournalism, stage or wildlife photography the only thing stopping you from getting one should be lack of cash. For those with less exacting needs, the value for money factor might not be so obvious.

Like its forebears, the Nikon D4 is an extremely well built and responsive camera that seems to react instantly to anything you throw at it. Start-up feels instantaneous, there is no shutter lag to speak of and with the right lens mounted, focusing is also very fast. The camera is about as rugged as it gets, and the ergonomics is first class. There is a multitude of ways to check and modify settings, and you can set up the camera to work just about any way you like it. The customisation options that might seem intimidating at first sight allow you to tailor the workings of the camera to your peculiar needs and tastes. In comparison to the already excellent Nikon D3S the improvements to the sensor, the body ergonomics, the video mode, the connectivity options, the burst shooting capabilities, the auto ISO sensitivity control options, the live view and exposure delay modes, the focusing and metering are all welcome and appreciated.

We wanted to adore the D4. In fact, we can vividly recall wondering weeks after the D3S' release just what on Earth Nikon would do to one-up it. Turns out, it's not exactly easy to revolutionize the photographic world twice in less than three years. The D4 is simply a refined D3S, with a smattering of features that may lure in new customers who passed over the D3S for one reason or another. Color reproduction, autofocusing and handling are practically identical to the D3S, and while the addition of an Ethernet jack, 1080p movie mode and an external microphone jack are appreciated, they won't justify the $5,999 price tag for the bulk of buyers. Even if the EOS 5D Mark III didn't exist, we'd still recommend the $5,199 D3S over the D4 for anyone who wouldn't routinely take advantage of tethered Ethernet action or the 1080p movie mode. When looking strictly at image quality and nighttime capabilities, there just aren't $800 worth of improvements here. And even for folks who will be forking out six grand to utilize one of the few truly new features on the D4, you'll be doing so while knowing that your money really isn't buying a significant upgrade in the low-light performance arena. Another way of looking at the D4 is this: the D3S is the D4's worst enemy. Nikon created such a transformational product in the D3S, that the D4 feels more like something that was produced to meet product cycle requirements than something designed to blow the doors off of Canon, Olympus, et al. once more.

Bettering the D3s was always going to be a hard task, but with the D4, Nikon has achieved it. While it may not be as groundbreaking as the original D3, the D4 is a better camera in every way - every element of the D3s appears to have been scrutinised and improved on. This attention to detail and listening to the feedback of photographers has delivered a wonderful DSLR. The new sensor is even better than the 12.1MP found in the D3s, while the jump in video quality and control means the D3s's weak point has been resolved. In short then, the D4 is a fantastic DSLR to shoot with that delivers a mind-blowing performance, which is backed up by excellent results. The Nikon D4 has to be one of the best DSLRs we've seen and sets a new benchmark for a professional DSLR.

The D4 is a camera to get excited about. In fact it’s phenomenal and there’s no doubt some of the images that will be seen around the world from this camera will be stunning. But that doesn’t mean it’s not without issues. The incredible image quality is, well, incredible, but it’s not a big step forward compared to the D3S. The extra resolution is there but, in truth, the extra quality isn’t. That does mean it's achieving a high level, but this may deter some prospective buyers from upgrading. There is also the price to consider. Although announced at £4800 in the UK, an adjustment hiked the body-only price to a whopping £5289. It’s a lot of cash, though either price point make this very much a pro-only DSLR. But where the D4 is right it’s exceptional. The autofocus system is among the best, if not the best, available in the world; the design is bang on the money; the burst mode and huge buffer make continuous shooting effortless; and the new movie capabilities are up there with the best too. Make no bones about it: the Nikon D4 is an epic camera. But for your average consumer it’s the Ferrari of cameras: out of reach in both price and realistic use. For the pros out there it may be a priceless tool, and in this case what’s on offer is, without doubt, a new bar of excellence. What we do wonder, however, is whether the forthcoming Canon EOS 1D X will be of a similar or significantly better ilk...

The Nikon D4 is a pro shooter's dream, with controls galore, and a big, bright optical viewfinder. This fully loaded full-frame D-SLR rattles off shots at a quick 10 frames per second, but all of this comes with a rather high sticker price and a steep learning curve.

The design changes made since the D3s make a significant and positive impact on the handling of the Nikon D4. Those upgrading may find it takes a while to get used to using the mini-joystick controllers to set the AF point, but they make it quicker and easier in the long run - especially when shooting in portrait format. Nikon has produced a solid workhorse of a DSLR that professionals can depend upon to deliver good results even in low lighting conditions. Image quality is high and results look great straight from the camera.

The Nikon D4 shows a good level of detail, excellent colour, low noise, and offers extremely rapid focusing and continuous shooting. What's even more impressive is the cameras ability to keep on taking high speed photos and when set to 9fps it will shoot 199 shots at 9fps without slowing down when shooting JPEG! This is extremely impressive and this camera would make the ideal sports or wildlife photography camera. While noise may seem high at ISO3200 and above, the camera has a number of options enabling stronger noise reduction and using the RAW files noise appears lower. Detail remains good at up to ISO3200 and ISO6400 and the camera certainly delivers high quality results with impressive dynamic range and colour. The one fly in the ointment is the price, with the camera's RRP being more than when the D3s was announced, although compared to the Canon EOS 1D-X, the Nikon D4 is around £500 cheaper. Build quality is very good with a weather sealed body, although we have not been able to perform extensive testing of this feature due to limited time with the camera, so as to how long the camera will last, we may have to wait a few years to find out. If the 4-year-old Nikon D3 is anything to go by, then the new Nikon D4 should last just as long or longer, providing further value for money when it comes to such a large investment. The Nikon D4 is an extremely advanced camera with an extensive range of features and options making it very desirable.

The Nikon D4 is certainly an impressive piece of kit and Nikon has managed to improve in almost every aspect of the hardware over the D3 and D3s but we will have to wait until we get a unit in for testing to see if it can live up to the hype.