Quote:
Originally Posted by mathjak107
wow what a camera. goes up to iso 206,000...
i wonder what the real useable max will be on that though. the reviews should be interesting . ill bet somewhere around 10-12,000.
Nikon D4 |
The D3 is usable to 6400, though it requires dead on exposure to get a good shot because the dynamic range is so limited.
The D3S is more usable at 12,800, mostly due to better noise characteristics, but it still requires very accurate exposure. The useful range depends on just how critical and what the end use will be. Hence for posting to the web, routinely shooting at 12,800 is possible. If prints are desired... maybe cutting back to 10,000 is a good idea and if larger prints are needed it's really a tough to go at about 8000.
What I've seen so far (examples from two difference sites with JPEGs at all ISO's, and no NEF's yet), it is pretty clear that the D4 is better at 12,800 than the D3S, though it's hard to say exactly how much better. I've seen usable shots taken at 25,600! Higher than that, and they are much the same as the D3S at higher than 12,800: if documenting something is the purpose, it works; but it ain't pretty.
My guess is that serious Nikon shooters doing sports and event work will flock to the D4. I haven't made any attempt to compare it with Canon's rival, the 1D-X. It would really surprise me, given at least the similarity at first glance on paper, if anyone jumps ship and switches brands at this stage for either of these cameras. I am not into video, and have not evaluated that at all, and if there is something significant there it could be cause for a market shift. From what others are saying, Nikon
really worked on getting video right this time. But maybe Canon did too!
In essence. serious shooters for that type of camera will go for the new Nikon and Canon models within the next 6 months, and come July the Olympics will be a marketing event for both companies!
The actual release date appears to be February 16th (I question that, because historically they have released top models on a Friday, so my bet is the 17th). We should see NEF images before then. After it is released there will of course be a flood of comparisons.
The biggest significance might well be a flood of D3 and D3S models hitting the used market at less than $3000. Some folks currently looking at a 5D2 or D700, might want to rethink...
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