Nikon D4s Review

April 1, 2014 | Mark Goldstein |

Introduction
Ease of Use
Image Quality
Sample Images
Product Images
Rating & Conclusion
Main Rivals
Review Roundup
Specifications
Comment
More…

Introduction

The Nikon D4s is a new professional digital SLR camera with a newly designed 16.2 megapixel FX sensor, new EXPEED 4 processing engine, Multi-CAM 3500FX auto-focus module, a 91,000-pixel RGB metering sensor and a weather-sealed magnesium alloy body. Key improvements include an expanded ISO range of 100–25600 which is extendable down to 50 and up to an industry-leading 409600 (equivalent), improved AF acquisition with the new Group Area AF mode, 30% faster processing times, 'Raw Size S' option for extended continuous raw shooting and accelerated image transfer, new shutter and mirror mechanism to help reduce mirror bounce, larger buffer capacity for JPEG and RAW files, and 1080/60p/50p Full HD movies with full control over gain, shutter speed, aperture and audio levels. The Nikon D4s comes with microphone and headphone jacks and an HDMI port that allows for the streaming of uncompressed video to an external recorder or monitor. Other highlights include a Kevlar reinforced shutter rated for 400,000 actuations, the ability to shoot full-resolution stills at up to 11fps, dual CF and XQD memory card slots, two ergonomically placed rear joysticks for quick AF point selection, two different LiveView capture modes, in-camera HDR exposure blending, a user configurable Exposure Delay Mode, a dual-axis Virtual Horizon and a 3.2” rear display. Powered by a EN-EL18 battery with a remarkable battery life of 3020 shots and outfitted with a Gigabit 100/1000TX Ethernet port, the Nikon D4s even allows you to assign it to its own IP address and operate it from a distance via a Web browser interface, using a PC, tablet or smartphone. As of writing, the Nikon D4s is available body-only for £5199.99.99 / €6199.00 / $6499.95 in the UK, Europe and USA, respectively.

Ease of Use

Like its predecessors, the Nikon D4s is a very large DSLR camera, but not quite as big or heavy as you would think based on the specs alone. In fact, the body ergonomics and the weight distribution of the D4s are so good that it feels perfectly balanced and very much like a natural extension of your hands. Nikon have only made a couple of small changes to the external design of the new D4s - adding a textured surface to the two joysticks on the back and changing the shape of the memory card door - which is testament to the proven handling of the D4.

The shutter release is angled forward at a comfortable 35°, which puts less of a strain on a photographer’s right hand during an extended shooting session. The integrated portrait grip features a programmable function button, an ergonomically placed AF-ON button and a thumb rest, alongside the duplicate shutter release and front/rear control wheels.

The Nikon D4s has a duo of small, newly textured joysticks whose primary aim is to make AF point selection easier, though each does double-duty as an (unmarked) AE Lock button too. The reason that there are two of them is that one is easier to reach in landscape orientation, while the other falls to hand better when the camera is held vertically. The joysticks are intuitive to use and work well, but are perhaps still a little too easy to bump by accident. It is possible to lock the position of the active focus point but then you need to remember to unlock it when you want to change it again. Additionally, you can (still) use the standard eight-way controller to set the desired AF point, as on the D3 series cameras, but said controller is unfortunately rather small and not particularly comfortable to use.

Speaking of the AF system, the Nikon D4s comes with an upgraded version of the Multi-CAM 3500FX auto-focus module that made its debut way back in the D3. Still featuring a total of 51 AF points, this newest edition boasts low sensitivity (down to -2EV) and support for lens-teleconverter combinations as slow as f/8. Changing the focus mode and the AF Area mode – single, 9-, 21- and 51-point dynamic, 3D tracking, Group Area AF and Auto Area – is done in a similar vein as on the Nikon D7100. New to the D4s is the Group Area AF mode, which lets you assign 5 AF points that can be moved across the 51-point array as the subject demands, making it easier to track smaller moving subjects. Face Detect AF can also now be toggled on or off while shooting through the viewfinder.


Front	Rear

There is a simple AF/MF switch underneath the lens release button, with a small focus mode button in the middle. You can toggle between AF-S and AF-C modes by holding down this button, with the switch in the ‘AF’ position, and turning the rear control wheel. To cycle through the available AF Area modes, use the sub command dial instead. The settings are displayed in the viewfinder and the top-mounted status LCD.

The D4s has a Live View button encircled by a two-way Live View mode selector. This control can be set to either “live view photography” or “movie live view”, each of which is denoted by a little, self-explanatory icon. The Nikon D4s's live view implementation is the same as on the D4. Gone are the old “hand-held” and “tripod” modes of the D3 series, with the D4s instead featuring a quiet and a silent mode, selectable from the menu. In quiet mode, the mirror remains up as long as you stay in live view, but the sound of the shutter can still be heard when capturing a photo.

Silent live view mode is what it says on the tin – once the mirror is raised, there is no more mirror slapping or mechanical shutter sound to be heard, thus taking a picture is indeed completely silent. The downside is that in this mode, the resolution is limited to 2.5 megapixels and you can’t shoot raw. Some other restrictions also apply, e.g. you cannot use multiple exposure, HDR or Active D-lighting. Still, we’d rate this feature among the most significant novelties of the Nikon D4s as it enables photojournalists to work in places where complete discretion is required, be it a concert hall, a theatre or church during a service. Two and a half megapixels may sound ridiculously low these days but it’s usually sufficient for newspaper work – and more than enough for online publications. (Whenever you do need more resolution you should of course make sure to choose the other mode instead.)

At the heart of the Nikon D4s live view experience is a the 3.2” LCD screen. This has the same specification as on the D4, with a resolution of 921,000 dots, a gel resin between the cover glass and the screen itself to combat the fogging that may result from sudden changes of temperature, and a light sensor to allow for automatic adjustment of the screen’s brightness, contrast, gamma and colour saturation. Architectural photographers will be glad to hear that the optional virtual horizon overlay is a dual-axis version. New to the D4s is the ability to fine-tune the colour balance and brightness of the LCD screen, good news for those users who experienced a green cast on the D4.


Front	Side

Compared to the Nikon D4, it’s the D4s's movie mode where you’ll find some of the biggest improvements. Where the D4 made do with 1080p HD video recording at 30/25/24fps, the Nikon D4s additionally offers Full HD movie capture at 60/50fps. Additionally 720p is still available at 50 and 60fps and again at two quality settings, High and Normal. For Full HD movies, you can also choose from three different crop modes, including FX, DX and a 2.7x crop mode, which uses the central 1920×1080 pixels of the sensor to record native 1080p footage that is not downsampled from a higher resolution. The maximum length of a clip is 29 minutes and 59 seconds for Normal and 20 minutes for High quality videos, unless you’re using an external recorder, and you can simultaneously record to the memory card and external HDMI device.

Manual exposure adjustment is available for movies – note that ISO, shutter speed and now Auto ISO control (from ISO 400 to Hi-4) are only adjustable in 'M' mode, while the aperture can be set in both 'A' and 'M' modes. You can also now adjust the size of the focus point during movie recording. The Nikon D4s features a built-in microphone with a selectable frequency range and the ability to adjust the levels and wind noise reduction during recording, but for professional-grade audio recording you’ll definitely want to use an external mic. In order to monitor the audio during movie capture, you can connect a pair of headphones to the camera. Input levels can be adjusted manually in 20 steps but can also be regulated by the Nikon D4s automatically. As is now the norm for virtually every digital camera, from compacts to CSCs to DSLRs, there’s a dedicated red movie-record button on the D4s, located right next to the shutter release (much like the D3200 and D5100). The Pv button found on the front panel of the camera can be used to add indices to specific frames during recording so that they are easier to locate in the editing phase.

Of course, the Nikon D4s is, first and foremost, a stills camera - so let us now take a look at how it performs at its more traditional functions. The optical viewfinder, which is one of the most important parts of any SLR, is huge and bright with 100% frame coverage, and has a fairly high eye-point too, which is great news for eyeglass wearers. The Nikon D4s has a Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VIII focusing screen. Another welcome novelty is the availability of on-demand grid lines (Custom Setting d6).

You get direct access to metering modes via the dedicated button located left of the viewfinder, when viewed from behind. The Nikon D4s has the same 91000-pixel RGB metering sensor as its predecessor which also assists the camera in tracking subjects, detecting faces (when not using live view) and focusing. The metering sensor can operate down to -1EV (in 3D Colout Matrix III and centre-weighted modes).


Top	Side

The Nikon D4s also benefits from a few seemingly minor enhancements that are nevertheless worth being mentioned. Among these is the maximum continuous shooting speed which, at 11fps, may seem unchanged from the D4 until you realise that the D4 was only capable of delivering this speed by locking the autofocus and exposure at the first frame, whereas the D4s can also achieve this performance in full-resolution FX mode with the auto-focus and autoexposure remaining active during the burst. The buffer has also been expanded, meaning that the highest continuous shooting speed can be sustained for considerably more images (approximately 176 compressed 12-bit NEFs or up to 200 Large/Fine JPEGs when shooting with an XQD memory card). The new 'Raw Size S' option produces a 2464x1640 pixel file that's perfect for extended continuous raw shooting and speedier transfer.

The D4s' auto ISO sensitivity control enables the camera to determine the minimum shutter speed based on the focal length of the lens in use. This means that the camera may raise the ISO sensitivity if the shutter speed drops below 1/200 second when using a 200mm lens but leave it unchanged down to 1/50 second if a 50mm lens is attached (this can be fine-tuned by the user). In Exposure Delay Mode the user can set the amount of delay between mirror up and image capture (1, 2 or 3 seconds). Finally, the Nikon D4s adopts the concept of back-lit buttons, something that has largely escaped camera manufacturers. On the D4s, the backlighting of the two monochromatic LCD panels, the release mode dial and 16 buttons is activated by a flick of the power switch to the “lightbulb” position. Needless to say, this feature can be a godsend when working in near darkness.

The D4s' HDMI port can be used to stream uncompressed footage to an external recorder or monitor. Additionally, there's now a Giga bitEthernet connection port as well as a socket that allows the attachment of the separately sold WT-5 wireless transmitter. Both of these solutions can be used to download images to a laptop or an FTP serve. In HTTP server mode, you can view and even capture photos remotely from a computer, tablet or smartphone – all via a Web browser interface, i.e. without the need to use specialised/proprietary software. Given all this focus on connectivity we were somewhat surprised to find that the camera's USB port is still of the slower USB 2.0 variety, as opposed to the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed port found on the cheaper Nikon D800.


Memory Card Slot	Battery Compartment

Like its forebear, the Nikon D4s features two memory card slots and two different types of card, namely, Compact Flash and XQD. The latter is a physically smaller card that has theoretically more potential for growth, both in terms of capacity and in terms of read/write speeds. The selection of currently available XQD cards is still extremely small, and these cards aren't really faster than the speediest CF cards in the market today. Additionally, with Lexar and SanDisk still having no plans to release XQD cards any time soon, the future of the format is veryuncertain.

The Nikon D4s runs on a brand new EN-EL18a battery which is more powerful than the battery pack used to power the D4. With a CIPA rating of 3,020 images per charge (up from the D4's 2,600 shots), it has a more than respectable battery life.

In use, the Nikon D4s proved to be a great tool, just like its very similar predecessor. It's an extremely 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. Those who have never used a full-frame DSLR before will be astounded at the huge viewfinder (and even those that have will welcome the excellent focusing screen and on-demand grid lines). Anyone who has a bit of experience with a recent Nikon dSLR will feel right at home in the menu, even if it's more exhaustive than that of a D5200 or D7100. 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. The improvements to the body ergonomics, the video mode, the connectivity options, the burst shooting capabilities, processing speed and the focusing system are all welcome.

This concludes our evaluation of the Nikon D4s's ergonomics, handling and feature set. Let us now move on to the image quality assessment.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 7Mb.

Noise

The base sensitivity of the Nikon D4s is ISO 100. The 'native' range extends to ISO 25,600, with boosted settings of ISO 51,200 (H1.0); ISO 102,400 (H2.0), ISO 204,800 (H3.0) and ISO 409,600 (H4.0) also available. Additionally, you can choose ISO 50 (L1.0) when there's plenty of light, and you don't want to stop down your lens beyond a certain point. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting.

JPEG	RAW
ISO 50 (100% Crop)	ISO 50 (100% Crop)


ISO 100 (100% Crop)	ISO 100 (100% Crop)


ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)


ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)


ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)


ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)


ISO 3200 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)


ISO 6400 (100% Crop)	ISO 6400 (100% Crop)


ISO 12800 (100% Crop)	ISO 12800 (100% Crop)


ISO 25600 (100% Crop)	ISO 25600 (100% Crop)


ISO 51200 (100% Crop)	ISO 51200 (100% Crop)


ISO 102400 (100% Crop)	ISO 102400 (100% Crop)


ISO 204800 (100% Crop)	ISO 204800 (100% Crop)


ISO 409600 (100% Crop)	ISO 409600 (100% Crop)

Sharpening

The out-of-camera JPEGs appear a lot less sharp than images converted from raw, and often benefit from some sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. Alternatively you can change the in-camera sharpening level to suit your tastes. Here are two pairs of 100% crops – the right-hand images have had some extra sharpening applied.

Original (100% Crop)	Sharpened (100% Crop)

File Quality

The file quality settings available on the Nikon D4s are Fine, Normal and Basic for JPEGs, plus you can also store your photos in Nikon’s proprietary raw format (NEF) and TIFF too. NEFs can be either 12- or 14-bit. Don’t expect to see much of a difference between these two unless you do lots of post-capture tweaking, in which case you may see a benefit to working with 14-bit originals. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options.

16M Fine (100% Crop)	16M Normal (100% Crop)


16M Basic (100% Crop)	16M RAW (100% Crop)


16M TIFF (100% Crop)

Active D-lighting (ADL)

D-lighting is Nikon's dynamic range optimisation tool that attempts to squeeze the full dynamic range of the sensor into JPEGs. Active D-lighting works “on the fly”, before the in-camera processing engine converts the raw image data into JPEGs. The available settings are Off, Low, Normal, High, Extra High 1 and Extra High 2.

Off	Low


Normal	High


Extra High 1	Extra High 2

HDR Capture

The Nikon D4s offers the ability to shoot two differently exposed images in rapid succession, which are then blended in-camera to form a single, high-dynamic-range image. Although Nikon recommends that you use a tripod for this, the extremely fast continuous shooting capability of the Nikon D4s means that you can often get good results even when you don’t have a tripod to hand. The exposure differential can be 1, 2 or 3EV (or automatic), and you can choose from three different levels of smoothing. Note that this feature is only available when shooting JPEG.

Off	Auto


1EV	2EV


3EV

Picture Controls

Nikon’s Picture Controls are akin to Canon’s Picture Styles in being preset combinations of sharpening, contrast, brightness, saturation and hue. The Nikon D4s offers all six Picture Controls that were present in the D4, namely Standard, Neutral, Monochrome and Vivid, Portrait and Landscape. All Picture Controls can be tweaked to your liking, then saved and transferred to other cameras.

Standard	Neutral


Vivid	Monochrome


Portrait	Landscape

Vignette Control

Vignetting is a fact of life with FX cameras and their lenses, but it usually does not mean completely black corners. Nikon’s Vignette Control feature seeks to reduce this corner shading. As in the D4, it has three levels, Low, Normal and High, and it can of course be turned off. As you can see in these examples taken with the AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G lens at f/2.8, the feature really works.

Off	Low


Normal	High

Night

The Nikon D4s lets you dial in shutter speeds of up to 30 seconds and has a Bulb mode as well for exposure times of practically any length, which is very good news if you are seriously interested in night photography. There is an optional long-exposure noise reduction function that can be activated to filter out any hot pixels that may appear when extremely slow shutter speeds are used, though we found no need for this when taking the photograph below at a shutter speed of 30 seconds, aperture of f/16 at ISO 200. We’ve included a 100% crop for you to see what the quality is like.

Night	Night (100% Crop)

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Nikon D4s camera, which were all taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	5
Value for money	3.5

Effective pixels
Type	Single-lens reflex digital camera
Lens mount	Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts)
Effective angle of view	Nikon FX format
Effective pixels	16.2 million
Image sensor
Image sensor	36.0 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor (Nikon FX format)
Total pixels	16.6 million
Dust-reduction system	Image sensor cleaning, Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required)
Storage
Image size(pixels)	FX format (36x24): 4928 x 3280 (L), 3696 x 2456 (M), 2464 x 1640 (S) 1.2x (30x20): 4096 x 2720 (L), 3072 x 2040 (M), 2048 x 1360 (S) DX format (24x16): 3200 x 2128 (L), 2400 x 1592 (M), 1600 x 1064 (S) 5:4 (30x24): 4096 x 3280 (L), 3072 x 2456 (M), 2048 x 1640 (S) FX-format photographs taken in movie live view (16:9): 4928 x 2768 (L), 3696 x 2072 (M), 2464 x 1384 (S) DX-format photographs taken in movie live view (16:9): 3200 x 1792 (L), 2400 x 1344 (M), 1600 x 896 (S) FX-format photographs taken in movie live view (3:2): 4928 x 3280 (L), 3696 x 2456 (M), 2464 x 1640 (S) DX-format photographs taken in movie live view (3:2): 3200 x 2128 (L), 2400 x 1592 (M), 1600 x 1064 (S) A DX-based format is used for photographs taken using the DX (24x16) 1.5x image area; an FX-based format is used for all other photographs
File format	NEF (RAW): 12 or 14 bit, lossless compressed, compressed or uncompressed; small size available (12-bit uncompressed only) 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 NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats
Picture Control system	Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape; selected Picture Control can be modified; storage for custom Picture Controls
Media	XQD and Type I CompactFlash memory cards (UDMA compliant)
Dual card slots	Either card can be used for primary or backup storage or for separate storage of NEF (RAW) and JPEG images; pictures can be copied between cards
File system	DCF 2.0, DPOF, Exif 2.3, PictBridge
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Eye-level pentaprism single-lens reflex viewfinder
Frame 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)
Diopter adjustment	-3 to +1 m^-1
Focusing screen	Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VIII screen with AF area brackets (framing grid can be displayed)
Reflex mirror	Quick return
Depth-of-field preview	Pressing Pv button stops lens aperture down to value selected by user (A and M modes) or by camera (P and S modes)
Lens aperture	Instant return, electronically controlled
Lens
Compatible lenses	Compatible with AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G, E, and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC lenses), DX lenses (using DX 24x16 1.5x image area) AI-P NIKKOR lenses, and non-CPU AI lenses (exposure modes A and M only); IX-NIKKOR lenses, lenses for the F3AF, and non-AI lenses cannot be used: The electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster (the electronic rangefinder supports the 11 focus points with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/8 or faster)
Shutter
Type	Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter
Speed	1/8000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV, bulb, time, X250
Flash sync speed	X=1/250 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/250 s or slower
Release
Release mode	S (single frame), CL (continuous low speed), CH (continuous high speed), Q (quiet shutter-release), Self-timer, MUP (mirror up)
Frame advance rate	Up to 10 fps (CL) or 10 to 11 fps (CH)
Self-timer	2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1 to 9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 s
Exposure
Metering	TTL exposure metering using RGB sensor with approx. 91K (91000) pixels
Metering method	Matrix: 3D color matrix metering III (type G, E and D lenses); color matrix metering III (other CPU lenses); color matrix metering available with non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 12-mm circle in center of frame; diameter of circle can be changed to 8, 15 or 20 mm, or weighting can be based on average of entire frame (non-CPU lenses use 12-mm circle) Spot: Meters 4-mm circle (about 1.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point (on center focus point when non-CPU lens is used)
Range (ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20°C/68°F)	Matrix or center-weighted metering: -1 to 20 EV Spot metering: 2 to 20 EV
Exposure meter coupling	Combined CPU and AI
Mode	Programmed auto with flexible program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M)
Exposure compensation	-5 to +5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
Exposure bracketing	2 to 9 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV; 2 to 5 frames in steps of 2 or 3 EV
Exposure lock	Luminosity locked at detected value with the center of the sub-selector
ISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index)	ISO 100 to 25600 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 409600 equivalent) above ISO 25600; auto ISO sensitivity control available
Active D-Lighting	Can be selected from auto, extra high +2/+1, high, normal, low or off
ADL bracketing	2 frames using selected value for one frame or 3 to 5 frames using preset values for all frames
Focus
Autofocus	Nikon Advanced Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, fine-tuning, 51 focus points (including 15 cross-type sensors; f/8 supported by 11 sensors)
Detection range	-1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
Lens servo	Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous-servo AF (AF-C); predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status Manual focus (M): Electronic rangefinder can be used
Focus point	Can be selected from 51 or 11 focus points
AF-area mode	Single-point AF, 9-, 21- or 51-point dynamic-area AF, 3D-tracking, group-area AF, auto-area AF
Focus lock	Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing the center of the sub-selector
Flash
Flash control	TTL: i-TTL flash control using RGB sensor with approx. 91K (91000) pixels is available with SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600, SB-400 or SB-300; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix and center-weighted metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering
Flash mode	Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync, slow rear-curtain sync, off; auto FP high-speed sync supported
Flash compensation	-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
Flash bracketing	2 to 9 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV; 2 to 5 frames in steps of 2 or 3 EV
Flash-ready indicator	Lights when optional flash unit is fully charged; flashes after flash is fired at full output
Accessory shoe	ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock
Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)	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; auto FP high-speed sync and modeling illumination supported with all CLS-compatible flash units except SB-400 and SB-300; Flash Color Information Communication and FV lock supported with all CLS-compatible flash units
Sync terminal	ISO 519 sync terminal with locking thread
White balance
White balance	Auto (2 types), incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual (up to 6 values can be stored, Spot White Balance measurement available during live view), choose color temperature (2500 K to 10000 K); all with fine-tuning
White balance bracketing	2 to 9 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3
Live View
Live view mode	Live view photography (quiet or silent), movie live view
Lens servo	Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time servo AF (AF-F) Manual focus (M)
AF-area mode	Face-priority AF, wide-area AF, normal-area AF, subject-tracking AF
Autofocus	Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected)
Movie
Metering	TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
Frame size (pixels) and frame rate	1920 x 1080; 60p (progressive), 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p 1920 x 1080 crop; 30p, 25p, 24p 1280 x 720; 60p, 50p 640 x 424; 30p, 25p Actual frame rates for 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively; all options support both ★high and normal image quality
File format	MOV
Video compression	H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
Audio recording format	Linear PCM
Audio recording device	Built-in monaural or external stereo microphone; sensitivity adjustable
ISO sensitivity	Exposure modes P, S and A: Auto ISO sensitivity control (ISO 200 to Hi 4) with selectable upper limit Exposure mode M: Auto ISO sensitivity control (ISO 200 to Hi 4) available with selectable upper limit; manual selection (ISO 200 to 25600 in steps of 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV) with additional options available equivalent to approximately 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, 2, 3, or 4 EV (ISO 409600 equivalent) above ISO 25600
Maximum length	29 min. 59 s (10 or 20 min. depending on frame size/rate and movie quality settings)
Other movie options	Index marking, time-lapse photography
Monitor
Monitor	8-cm (3.2-in.), approx. 921k-dot (VGA) TFT LCD with 170° viewing angle, approx. 100% frame coverage, manual monitor brightness control, and automatic monitor brightness control using ambient brightness sensor
Playback
Playback	Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9 or 72 images) playback with playback zoom, movie playback, photo and/or movie slide shows, histogram display, highlights, photo information, location data display, auto image rotation, voice memo input and playback, and IPTC information embedding and display
Interface
USB	Hi-Speed USB
HDMI output	Type C HDMI connector
Audio input	Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5-mm diameter; plug-in power supported)
Audio output	Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5-mm diameter)
10-pin remote terminal	Can be used to connect optional remote control, optional WR-R10 (requires WR-A10 Adapter) or WR-1 Wireless Remote Controller, GP-1/GP-1A GPS Unit, or GPS device compliant with NMEA0183 version 2.01 or 3.01 (requires optional MC-35 GPS Adapter Cord and cable with D-sub 9-pin connector)
Ethernet	RJ-45 connector Standards: IEEE 802.3ab (1000BASE-T)/IEEE 802.3u (100BASE-TX)/IEEE 802.3 (10BASE-T) Data rates: 10/100/1000 Mbps with auto detect (maximum logical data rates according to IEEE standard; actual rates may differ) Port: 1000BASE-T/100BASE-TX/10BASE-T (AUTO-MDIX)
Peripheral connector	For WT-5A/B/C/D Wireless Transmitter
Supported languages
Supported languages	Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian
Power source
Battery	One EN-EL18a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
AC adapter	EH-6b AC Adapter; requires EP-6 Power Connector (available separately)
Tripod socket
Tripod socket	1/4 in. (ISO 1222)
Dimensions / weight
Dimensions (W x H x D)	Approx. 160 x 156.5 x 90.5 mm/ 6.3 x 6.2 x 3.6 in.
Weight	Approx. 1350 g/ 2 lb 15.6 oz with battery and XQD memory card but without body cap and accessory shoe cover; approx. 1180 g/ 2 lb 9.6 oz (camera body only)
Operating environment
Operating environment	Temperature: 0 to 40°C/32 to 104°F humidity: 85% or less (no condensation)
Accessories
Supplied accessories (may differ by country or area)	EN-EL18a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH-26a Battery Charger, UC-E15 USB Cable, AN-DC11 Camera Strap, BF-1B Body Cap, BS-2 Accessory Shoe Cover, DK-17 Eyepiece, BL-6 Battery Chamber Cover, UF-2 Connector Cover for Stereo Mini Plug Cable, USB Cable Clip, HDMI Cable Clip, ViewNX 2 CD-ROM

Nikon D4s Review

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Introduction

Ease of Use

Image Quality

Noise

Sharpening

File Quality

Active D-lighting (ADL)

HDR Capture

Picture Controls

Vignette Control

Night

Sample Images

Sample RAW Images

Sample Movie & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

Main Rivals

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Nikon D4

Nikon D800

Nikon D800E

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Specifications

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