Ergonomics
As we might expect with a camera that is designed for use by sports and reportage photographers, the majority of the changes made since the Nikon D3S for the D4 are aimed at making the new camera quicker and easier to use.
The move to a faster EXPEED 3 processing system, for example, is an obvious step, but there are other control and ergonomic changes that make a significant difference to how the camera is used.
brightcove : 1370448015001Ergonomics
Nikon has added two mini-joysticks to the back of the D4. These are used for selecting the AF point, with one being within easy reach of the right hand thumb when the camera is in upright (portrait) orientation. Your thumb has to reach a little lower down than when the camera is in horizontal format, but it's easy to locate the controller and change the AF point.
Each of these controllers is paired with an AF-on button to activate the AF system without using the shutter release button. There's also a customisable function button just to the side of the vertical shooting shutter release button, reducing the need for the camera to be taken away from the eye or re-orientated in use.
The introduction of a small thumbgrip towards its base also makes the D4 feel a little more secure in your hand when shooting upright images.
Another nice touch is that the buttons on the top, back and side of the camera can be illuminated slightly when the camera is in use. This isn't noticeable in normal daylight, but in the dark the button icons are just bright enough to be legible. It will make shooting in the dark much easier, and given the low-light credentials of the D4, it seems likely that it will be a popular feature.
We don't remember having too many issues with the angle of the D3S's shutter release, but the D4's now sits at an angle of 35degrees rather than 28 and it falls comfortably under the index finger of your right hand. It also has a high-quality, smooth action as it is pushed home to fire off 10 or 11fps -depending upon whether the auto exposure and autofocus systems are required.
There are no major surprises in the build of the D4, it feels solid and made to withstand some serious use. There are seals around all the joints and controls to ensure that it can cope with the usual rigours of life as a professional photographer's tool.
Screen
Reflections weren't an issue in the basement where we handled the pre-production D4, so it will be interesting to use a full production model in bright light to see how its LCD screen performs.
Nikon has filled the gap between the glass and the LCD with a gel to reduce reflections, improve the viewing angle and boost brightness and this could be important for professional photographers shooting in the bright sun that is hoped to shine over the Olympics this summer. We're looking forward to testing it properly.
Autofocus and video
Nikon claims that the D4's has faster focus acquisition than the D3S (which was no slouch) and that it can focus automatically in -2EV light, which is moonlight. We will have to wait until we can test a full production sample of the D4 to draw proper conclusions, but the pre-production model we got our hands on focused extremely quickly, almost instantly in many cases and it wasn't phased by the low-lighting conditions we were able to subject it to.
Helpfully, the AF point selection mode control follows the Nikon D7000 model and uses a button at the centre of the focus mode selection switch (near the lens mount) in combination with the control dial. It's easy and fast to use.
Furthermore, the options are made clear in the viewfinder, so that the selection can be made with the camera held to the eye. When 3D Colour Tracking mode is reached, for example, some of the AF points illuminate to spell '3D' in the viewfinder.
To help lighten the load for sport and wildlife photographers Nikon has made the D4's 11 central AF points function at f/8. This means that teleconverters can be used with shorter focal length lenses instead of long, heavy and expensive lenses.
All 51 AF points function when the effective aperture is f/5.6 or greater, 15 (9 cross-type) operate when the aperture drops to f/6.7 and 11 points (1 cross type) function at f/8.
This means that full AF functionality is maintained when a 70-200 f/2.8 is mounted via a TC-20E III (2x converter) to effectively turn it into a 140-400mm f/5.6 optic. However, if the same teleconverter is used with a 600mm f/4 lens to create a 1200mm f/8 arrangement, the D4 will have 11 functional AF points, one of which is cross type.
Nikon hasn't made many changes to the D3S's menu system for the D4, but it has made it impossible to select conflicting options. For example, it's not possible to select one of the tracking AF options in Single AF mode.
There's also an option for the D4 to switch AF point when its orientation changes so that the original subject remains the target.
Video
It's interesting that Nikon has enabled the D4 to shoot Full HD (1920x1080) video using a crop that gives a 2.7x focal length magnification factor. This is coincidentally the same crop factor as the Nikon 1 system and we are told it is just that – a coincidence.
This option is selected via the menu and it gives users the ability to shoot using wider-angle lenses than normal to get greater depth of field. This is quite forward looking, because the arrival of video enabled SLRs has created a trend for shooting with shallow depth of field and like most trends, it will go out of fashion sooner or later.
As with the Canon EOS-1DX, the D4 has a sound level display in video recording mode that gives a clear indication of how much sound it is picking up. The sound level can also be adjusted in camera, with 20 levels plus Auto. There's also a headphone port (with 30 sound levels) so that video shooters can listen the audio recording and exclude ambient noise.
IPhone and iPad
On the basis of the demonstration that we saw, the D4's iPhone and iPad compatibility (using HTTP) looks like a really useful facility for a range of photographers who need to control their camera remotely.
The live view image can be displayed on the iPad or iPhone screen and most of the key camera settings (though it would seem not aperture) can be adjusted via the interface. It is even possible to use the screen's touch sensitivity to set the camera's focus point.
We think this is a feature that will photographers will start to discover uses for and will begin to appear in other cameras.
Conclusion
Nikon appears to have created a formidable camera for its target audience of sports, news and reportage photographers. It may be 2MP shy of the 18 million pixel Canon EOS-1DX, but it has the flexibility of the DX crop for more affordable extra reach when necessary and greater AF sensitivity. This is combined with comprehensive video functionality, compatibility with the fastest available memory cards what promises to be superb ergonomics.
Perhaps wisely given the fast approaching Olympics, which will be a key event for many existing D3S users, Nikon hasn't meddled too much with what is widely regarded as the best AF system around. Those considering for an upgrade will be looking for a smooth transition to a camera that they can master quickly to be at the top of their game for the summer.
The differences between the handling of the D3S and D4 are relatively minor, in that they shouldn't take too much getting used to, but we think they make a significant difference.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source : Google Reader
No comments:
Post a Comment