Nikon D4

Modes Overview

The D4 does not contain the typical bevy of shooting modes you would see on a lower end or enthusiast camera, as it’s designed for professional use. The camera offers program auto with program shift, aperture and shutter priority, and manual exposure modes. For those who can recite the F-stop scale in 1/3rd increments while standing on their head, this is more than enough to get the job done. Modes are indicated on the secondary display on the top plate of the camera, and users can switch between them by pressing the dedicated “mode” button on the top of the camera while rotating the control dial.

Auto Mode

There’s very little need for simplification on a camera like the D4, but the camera does offer a shiftable program auto, aperture/shutter priority program, and manual modes. The camera offers a new 91,000-pixel RGB metering system, designed to better judge lighting conditions and optimal color balance when exposing automatically. The automatic modes have full access to the range of shutter and aperture values, with options for shutter speeds ranging from 30 seconds to 1/8000th of a second while aperture is lens-dependent.

Movie Mode

The Nikon D4 offers full 1080 HD shooting at either 30 or 24 frames per second, with 60fps available at a resolution of 1280×720. The camera utilizes H.264 compression with B-frame compression, designed to offer increased quality at a similar file size to previous efforts. The D4 is one of the most capable video-capable DSLRs we’ve seen, with full ISO, aperture, and shutter speed control available. When recording using the camera’s uncompressed HD signal output (so no memory cards), full aperture control is available using the depth of field preview and function buttons on the front of the camera. The result is silent, stepless aperture control that can be used for pulls while recording. When shooting video to the memory cards, exposure control is locked, according to Nikon.

The D4 also allows for audio control, with on-screen level indicators, an included stereo microphone jack and, in a first for DSLRs, a built-in stereo headphone jack for monitoring audio. In many video workflows, especially those doing documentary or one-time interview work, capturing clean audio is essential to a successful production. When you consider the fact that you’ve probably got a headphone jack on a device in your pocket right now, it’s a little ridiculous it’s taken this long for a DSLR to include one.

The Nikon D4 also includes the aforementioned uncompressed HD signal output, which can be utilized in a number of ways. Videographers and photographers can use that to hook up to an external monitor for judging color, focus, and exposure on a larger, more accurate LCD screen. That signal can also be recorded for later, more controlled compression. The D4 also allows for simultaneous output of the signal while in live view. Better still, the output is a completely clean signal, meaning there are no symbols or blurbs of text on the screen, so shooters can see exactly what their camera is recording at that moment.

All in all, if the video quality (especially in low light) can match the ambition of these touches, the Nikon D4 may become the new king of video DSLRs for high-end professional videography.

Drive/Burst Mode

The Nikon D4 utilizes a new EXPEED 3 image processor to handle data coming off the sensor. As a result the camera is capable of up to 10fps burst shooting with continuous autofocus. If users are willing to lock in autofocus that number can jump to 11fps. That’s enough to make the D4 a very capable camera for action photography, especially combined with the ability to use cross-type AF sensors with teleconverters. The camera also includes a self-timer with a delay of two, five, 10, or 20 seconds available all electronically timed.

Playback Mode

The Nikon D4’s 3.2-inch rear LCD screen is great for quick playback functions, such as checking exposure and focus. The camera offers a playback zoom, with auto image rotation, and the option to view image at full-frame or in a thumbnail view of four, nine, or 72 images per screen. The D4 also allows the typical in-depth informational readout in playback that you might expect, able to call up shooting information, GPS data, full histograms, image comments, IPTC metatag information. Users can also play back movies, slideshows (of either stills or movies), or record and play back a voice memo about a particular image.

Picture Quality & Size Options

When shooting with an FX-compatible (full-frame) lens, the D4 allows users to shoot at a maximum resolution of 4928×3280 in 3:2, 4096×2720 in 1:2, or 4096×3280 in 5:4 aspect ratios. If using a DX-format lens (for APS-C size DSLRs), then the sensor automatically crops down and offers a maximum of 3200×2128, which is just 6.8 megapixels. Basically, you shouldn’t expect to get your money’s worth if you’re upgrading from an APS-C Nikon to the D4 unless you own FX-format lenses.