Nikon D4

Since Nikon released the radical video-capturing D90 back in 2008, DSLRs have infiltrated nearly every level of professional video production. The Nikon D4 is an attempt to recapture the momentum of the video-shooting DSLR craze from Canon while adding significant upgrades to the Nikon D3s. In the process, the D4 will become Nikon’s new flagship and their go-to model for sports, action, and news photographers.

Picking up the D4 it’s immediately obvious that Nikon haven’t taken the D-series completely back to the drawing board, instead favoring minor tweaks to an established design. The D4 is lighter than the D3s, but it manages to offer an increased measure of control with the addition of programmable joysticks. One of those is placed for exclusive use when holding the camera by its secondary grip, and the result is menu navigation that is streets ahead of the D3s.

For a body-only price of $6000, the Nikon D4 offers an impressive array of high-end features for the professional user. In spending time with the camera, though, it’s refreshing to see some of the seemingly basic features that have eluded DSLRs in the past. It seems silly that even something as simple as a headphone jack to monitor incoming sound has yet to find its way into a DSLR. That is just one of the small touches Nikon has added to appeal to a growing base of professional DSLR videographers.

That isn’t to say the still photographers have gone unnoticed; indeed, they’re still the D4’s main audience, with subtle changes to the control scheme improving the shooting experience dramatically. It’s a camera that, from the moment you pick it up, begs you to get out and shoot.

It’s also important to note the technical improvements as well: speedy 10fps capture at the full, 16.2-megapixel resolution, a maximum ISO speed of 204,800, and full control of exposure while recording full HD video. Combine these features and you have a camera that should drink in light regardless of the conditions. There are some setbacks—a nearly 40% decrease in battery life compared to the D3s chief among them—but overall the D4 is an impressive specimen to shoot with.

We’re not stretching when we say that the Nikon D4 has the potential to be the best video-capable DSLR on the market. Can Nikon offer the video quality to match that ambition? Can Nikon recapture the large share of the sports and action photography/videography world that they’ve ceded to Canon? We’ll have to get the D4 into our labs to make a final judgement, but Nikon’s latest looks like a sign that the company is finally willing to throw its weight around. At the very least it’s clear they’re ready to take the kind of risks that kicked off the video-capable DSLR era in the first place.